Associations between maternal mental health, child dental anxiety, and oral health of 6- to 12-year-olds in Nigeria

Maternal mental health affects their children's oral health. This study assessed the associations between maternal mental health and dental anxiety level, dental caries experience, oral hygiene, and gingival status among 6- to 12-year-old children in Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study that recruited mother-child dyad participants through a household survey conducted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Data collected included the independent (maternal mental health risk, depressive symptoms, and child's dental anxiety), and dependent (caries experience, oral hygiene status, and gingival health status) variables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the associations between dependent and independent variables after adjusting for confounders (mothers' age, child's age, sex, and socioeconomic status). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Of the 1411 mothers recruited, 1248 (88.4%) had low mental health risk, and 896 (63.5%) had mild depressive symptoms. As for the children, 53 (3.8%) had caries, 745 (52.8%) had moderate to high dental anxiety, 953 (63.0%) had gingivitis and 36 (2.6%) had poor oral hygiene. The maternal mental health risk was not significantly associated with the child's caries experience (AOR: 1.012; 95%CI: 0.860-1.190; p = 0.886), poor oral hygiene (AOR:1.037; 95%CI: 0.975-1.104; p=0.250), and moderate/severe gingivitis (AOR:0.887; 95%CI: 0.764-1.030; p = 0.115). Maternal depression status was not significantly associated with the child's caries experience (AOR: 0.910; 95%CI: 0.802-1.033; p = 0.145), poor oral hygiene (AOR: 1.016; 95%CI: 0.976-1.057; p = 0.439), and moderate/severe gingivitis (AOR: 0.963; 95%CI: 0.861-1.077; p = 0.509). Maternal mental health risk and depression do not seem to be risk factors for schoolchildren's oral health in Nigeria. Further studies are needed to understand these findings.

Perception and Concerns about the Use of Gloves, Facemask, and HIV Discriminatory Attitude of Children attending Dental Clinics in Southern Nigeria

INTRODUCTION

The use of face masks and gloves can prevent possible cross infection between dental patients and health care practitioners.

AIM

The study identified the perception of paediatric dental patients on the need for dentists to use face masks and gloves; and their attitude towards using the same clinic with paediatric dental patients living with HIV.

METHODS

This was a cross sectional study that recruited 438 children aged 8-15 years attending three paediatric dental clinics located in Southern Nigeria.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

The dependent variables were perception of cross infection control and attitude towards children living with HIV. The independent variables were age, sex, socioeconomic status and location of clinic. Chi-square analysis was conducted to determine the associations between the dependent and independent variables. Logistic regression analysis was also conducted to assess the effect size of the associations between the dependent and independent variables. The level of statistical significance was inferred at P < 0.05.

RESULTS

Majority of the respondents agreed that it was necessary to wear gloves (98.6%) and facemasks (88.1%) during patients' management. More females 62(28.2%) than males 38(17.4%) assumed gloves were used by dentists to protect themselves from patients' bad breath (p=0.007). More children from Benin 97(64.2%) were aware that face masks protect the dentists and the patients (p=0.004), and a few believed that it is embarrassing to patients for dentists to wear facemasks (p=0.001). More children 102(70.8%) from Ile-Ife perceived that face masks protects from bad breath (p=0.004).Children less than 10 years (AOR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.42-1.70; p=0.64), with high socioeconomic status (AOR: 0.90; 95% CI:0.53-1.52; p=0.70) and children aged 10 to 14 years (AOR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.44-1.63; p=0.62), in the middle socioeconomic status (AOR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.39-1.33; p=0.30) were less willing to use the dental clinic alongside children living with HIV.

CONCLUSION

There were sex, and clinic location disparity in the perception and attitude of children towards the use of Personal Protective Equipment and the use of the dental clinic alongside children living with HIV.

Associations between mental health problems and risky oral and sexual behaviour in adolescents in a sub-urban community in Southwest Nigeria

BACKGROUND

This study determined the association between mental health and risky oral health and sexual health behaviours.

METHODS

A household cross-sectional survey was conducted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria between December 2019 and January 2020. Data were collected from 10 to 19-year-old on the sociodemographic profile (age, sex at birth and socioeconomic status); mental health problems (psychological distress, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation); and mental (smoking habit, consumption of alcohol, use of psychoactive substances), sexual (history of vaginal or anal sexual intercourse; transactional sex, multiple sex partners, use of condom at last sexual intercourse) and oral (frequency of daily tooth brushing, daily frequency of consumption of refined carbohydrate in-between-meals, frequency of use of dental floss, history of dental service utilization in the last 12 months and dental anxiety) health risk factors. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between risky oral (neglecting to brush twice daily and frequent consumption of refined carbohydrates in-between-meals), and sexual (neglecting to use condoms during the last sex act and having multiple sex partners) health behaviours as outcome variables, and mental health status as the explanatory variables. An ordinal logistic regression model was also developed where the outcome variable was the number of risky health behaviours. The models were adjusted for the socio-demographic variables and history of dental service utilisation in the last 12 months of the survey.

RESULTS

High psychological distress was significantly associated with lower odds of frequent consumption of refined carbohydrates in-between-meals (AOR = 0.32; 95%CI 0.23, 0.47), and having multiple sex partners (AOR = 0.10; 95%CI 0.02, 0.57); but higher odds of having a higher number of risky behaviours (AOR = 3.04; 95%CI 2.13, 4.33). Having depressive symptoms was significantly associated with higher odds of neglecting to use condom at the last sexual intercourse (AOR = 7.20; 95%CI 1.94, 26.76) and having multiple partners (AOR = 95.43; 95%CI 24.55, 370.90). Suicidal ideation was significantly associated with lower odds of neglecting to use condom at the last sexual intercourse (AOR = 0.00; 95%CI 0.00, 0.00) and having multiple sex partners (AOR = 0.00; 95%CI 0.00, 0.00).

CONCLUSION

The associations between psychological distress and oral and sexual health risk behaviours in adolescents seem complex and need to be studied further.

Associations between a history of sexual abuse and dental anxiety, caries experience and oral hygiene status among adolescents in sub-urban South West Nigeria

INTRODUCTION

Sexual and oral health are important areas of focus for adolescent wellbeing. We assessed for the prevalence of sexual abuse among adolescents, oral health factors associated with this history, and investigated whether sexual abuse was a risk indicator for dental anxiety, caries experience and poor oral hygiene.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study conducted between December 2018 and January 2019 among adolescents 10-19 years old in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Survey data collected included respondents' age, sex, and socioeconomic status, oral health risk factors (dental anxiety, frequency of tooth brushing intake of refined carbohydrates in-between-meals, flossing, dental visits, smoking, alcohol intake, use of psychoactive substances), caries experience, oral hygiene status, history of sexual abuse, and sexual risk behaviors (age of sexual debut, history of transactional sex, last sexual act with or without condom, multiple sex partners). Regression models were constructed to determine the association between outcome variables (dental anxiety, presence of caries experience and poor oral hygiene) and explanatory variables (oral health risk factors and history of sexual abuse).

RESULTS

The prevalence of sexual abuse in our cohort was 5.9%: 4.3% among males and 7.9% among females. A history of sexual abuse was associated with alcohol consumption (p = 0.009), cigarette smoking (p = 0.001), and a history of transactional sex (p = 0.01). High/severe dental anxiety was significantly associated with increased odds of a history of sexual abuse (AOR = 1.81; 95% CI 1.10, 2.98), but not with caries experience (AOR = 0.66; 95% CI 0.15, 2.97) nor poor oral hygiene (AOR = 1.68; 95% CI 0.95, 2.96). Dental anxiety was associated with increased odds of alcohol intake (AOR = 1.74; 95% CI 1.19, 2.56), twice daily tooth brushing (AOR = 1.48; 95% CI 1.01, 2.17) and daily consumption of refined carbohydrates in-between-meals (AOR = 2.01; 95% CI 1.60, 2.54). Caries experience was associated with increased odds of using psychoactive substances (AOR = 4.83; 95% CI 1.49, 15.62) and having low socioeconomic status (AOR = 0.40; 95% CI 0.18, 0.92). Poor oral hygiene was associated with increased odds of having middle socioeconomic status (AOR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.05, 1.93) and daily consumption of refined carbohydrates in-between-meals (AOR = 1.38; 95% CI 1.08, 1.78).

CONCLUSION

Adolescents who are highly dentally anxious need to be screened for a history of sexual abuse to facilitate access to professional care and support.

Individual and familial factors associated with caries and gingivitis among adolescents resident in a semi-urban community in South-Western Nigeria

Objectives

We describe the prevalence, and individual and familial risk indicators for dental caries and gingivitis among 10–19-year-old adolescents in Ile-Ife, South-West Nigeria.

Methods

This cross-sectional study collected data through household surveys conducted between December 2018 and January 2019. Adolescents were recruited through multistage sampling. Oral health outcomes were caries, measured by the ‘Decayed, Missing due to caries, and Filled Teeth’ (DMFT) index, and gingivitis, measured by the Loe and Silness gingival index. Explanatory variables were individual (sex, age, oral health perception) and familial (socioeconomic status, birth rank, family size and parental living status) factors. Oral health behaviors (daily tooth-brushing, use of fluoridated toothpaste, consuming refined carbohydrates in-between meals, use of dental floss, dental service utilization in past 12 months, and smoking habits) were treated as confounders. Poisson regression models with robust estimation were constructed to determine associations between explanatory factors and oral health outcomes.

Results

A total of 1472 adolescents were surveyed. Caries prevalence was 3.4%, with mean (standard deviation) DMFT of 0.06 (0.36) and plaque index of 0.84 (0.56). Only 128 (8.7%) adolescents brushed their teeth twice daily, 192 (16.1%) used dental floss daily, 14 (1.1%) utilized dental services in the last 12 months, and 508 (36.1%) consumed refined carbohydrates in-between meals less than once daily. The proportion of respondents who currently smoked cigarettes was 1.6%, and 91.7% of respondents used fluoridated toothpaste daily. The adjusted prevalence ratio of having caries increased by 18% for every additional age-year (APR: 1.18; 95% CI 1.004, 1.34). Additionally, participants with high socioeconomic status had significantly lower prevalence of caries compared to those with lower status (APR: 0.40; 95% CI 0.17, 0.91). Moderate/severe gingivitis was significantly associated with higher frequency of consuming refined carbohydrates in-between meals (APR: 2.33; 95% CI 1.36, 3.99) and higher plaque index scores (APR: 16.24; 95% CI 9.83, 26.82).

Conclusion

Caries prevalence increased with increasing age and was higher among Nigerian adolescents with low socioeconomic status, while moderate/severe gingivitis was associated with frequent consumption of refined carbohydrates and higher plaque index score. While behavioral interventions may reduce the risk of gingivitis, structural interventions may be needed to reduce the risk for caries in this population.

Associations between depression and gingivitis among adolescents resident in semi-urban South-West Nigeria

OBJECTIVE

None of the past studies that had showed a linked between oral and mental health among adolescents was conducted in Nigeria. The objective of this study was to determine the association between gingivitis and depression among adolescents in Ile-Ife, South-West Nigeria.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study collected data through a household survey conducted between December 2018 and January 2019. Adolescents aged 10 to 19 years old were identified using multistage sampling. The study outcome measure was gingivitis, measured by the Löe and Silness gingival index. The explanatory variable was depression, measured by the Patient Health Questionnair. Confounders considered were age, sex, socioeconomic status, frequency of daily tooth brushing, oral hygiene status (measured by the plaque index), consumption of refined carbohydrates in-between meals, use of dental floss, and history of dental service utilization in the past 12 months. A logistic regression model was constructed to determine risk indicators for moderate/severe gingivitis. Additionally, modification of associations between dependent variables and the significant risk indicators of depression was assessed.

RESULTS

Mean plaque index for the 1,087 adolescent participants enrolled in the study was 0.80. We found a prevalence of 8.5% for moderate/severe gingivitis and 7.9% for depression. In adjusted regression, there were significant associations between the presence of moderate/severe gingivitis and consumption of refined carbohydrates in-between meals (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.14, 3.28) and plaque index (OR 16.56, 95% CI 10.03, 27.33). Depression also significantly modified the association between plaque index and the presence of moderate/severe gingivitis (P < 0.0001), with a stronger association observed with mild depression (OR 24.75, 95% CI 3.33, 184.00) compared with no depression (OR 15.47, 95% CI 9.31, 25.69), with no significant modification for the association with frequent consumption of refined carbohydrates (P = 0.06).

CONCLUSION

Although there was no significant association between gingivitis and depression among our adolescent Nigerian cohort, depression significantly modified the association between plaque index score and moderate/severe gingivitis.

A proposed one-stop-shop approach for the delivery of integrated oral, mental, sexual and reproductive healthcare to adolescents in Nigeria

The interconnectedness of oral, mental, sexual, and reproductive health (OMSRH) in adolescents prompts exploration of novel approaches to facilitate comprehensive access of this population to the relevant health services. This paper proposes an integrated one-stop-shop approach to increasing adolescents' access to OMSRH care by leveraging on dental clinics as a template for integration, using a non-stigmatized platform to deliver stigmatized healthcare. Novel healthcare delivery models are needed to enhance adolescents' access to the comprehensive prevention and treatment services that they critically need. Effective, integrated health care for this population is lacking, especially across various health areas. This is a proposal for leveraging dental clinics for integrated OMSRH care, using facility-based services, to adolescents. Emphasis will be placed on reducing stigma as a barrier to service accessibility, acceptability, equitability and appropriateness. Empirical studies will be required to test the feasibility, validity and effectiveness of this proposed model.

Social predictors of oral hygiene status in school children from suburban Nigeria

Oral hygiene, which is measured by the status of plaque-free tooth surfaces, is essential for the promotion of oral health. This study aimed to determine the social predictors of good oral hygiene for children in a suburban population in Nigeria. This was a secondary analysis of data. The study participants were 8- to 16-year-old children who were residents in Ile-Ife, which is a suburban population in Nigeria. Information on the age, gender, socioeconomic status, family structure, number of siblings and birth rank of each study participant was retrieved from the an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Oral hygiene status was determined through a simplified-oral hygiene index (OHI-S) and categorized as good, fair and poor. The association between oral hygiene status and sociodemographic variables was determined. The predictors of good oral hygiene were determined using a binomial regression analysis. Data on 2,107 individuals were retrieved, of which 44.8% had good oral hygiene and 17.1% had poor oral hygiene. The odds of having good oral hygiene were reduced for children who were 13 to 16 years old (p = 0.02) or male (P=0.002) and children with low socioeconomic status (p ≤ 0.001). The odds of having good oral hygiene increased for children who were last-born compared with those who were first-born (p = 0.02). Age, gender, socioeconomic status and birth-rank were significant social predictive factors of oral hygiene status among the study population. Based on these findings, targeted interventions can be conducted to improve the oral hygiene status of children and adolescents with these social profiles.

Habit-breaking methods employed by mothers of children with nonnutritive sucking habits resident in suburban Nigeria

Context

Parents are often concerned about their children's nonnutritive sucking (NNS) habits and may institute mechanisms to try to break them.

Aim

The study identified various methods instituted by mothers resident in a suburban Nigeria to break NNS habits of children, reasons for wanting to break the habit, and the association between instituted methods and sociodemographic profile of the mothers.

Materials and Methods

The data of 129 mothers of children aged 4 years to 12 years who had NNS habits at the time of conducting a household survey were analyzed.

Statistical Analysis

Tests of associations were conducted to determine the association between maternal age and level of education and methods employed to break child's NNS habits.

Results

Eighty-four mothers (65.1%) made efforts to break the habit. Habit persisting to older age was the main concern. The most common method employed for breaking habits was punishing the child (54.8%).Only 7 (20.0%) mothers who were concerned about NNS habit(s) sought professional advice. A greater though insignificant percentage of mothers in the 25-34 years age group (57.2%; P = 0.48) and those with secondary school level of education (56.0%; P = 0.12) made efforts to break their children's NNS habits.

Conclusions

The majority of mothers were concerned about their children's NNS habits. However, very few concerned mothers sought professional advice. Efforts need to be made to improve the public awareness about the availability of professional services for managing NNS habits and potential impact of employing nonprofessional methods to break habits.

Developmental defects of the enamel and its impact on the oral health quality of life of children resident in Southwest Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Developmental defects of the enamel (DDE) increase the risk for diseases that impact negatively on the quality of life. The objective of this study was to compare the oral health quality of life of children with molar-incisor-hypomineralisation (MIH) and enamel hypoplasia; and assess if caries worsened the impact of these lesions on the quality of life.

METHODS

This study recruited 853 6 to 16-years-old school children. They filled the Child-OIDP questionnaire. The MIH, enamel hypoplasia, caries and oral hygiene status was assessed. Poisson regression was used to determine the impact of MIH and enamel hypoplasia on the oral health quality of life, after adjusting for the effect of sex, age, socioeconomic class, oral hygiene and caries status.

RESULTS

The prevalence of MIH and enamel hypoplasia was 2.9% and 7.6% respectively. There was no significant difference in the mean child-OIDP scores of children with or without MIH (p = 0.57), children with or without enamel hypoplasia (p = 0.48), and children with enamel hypoplasia with and without caries (p = 0.30). Children with enamel hypoplasia and caries had worse outcomes for speaking (p = 0.01). Children with middle (AOR: 2.74; 95% CI: 1.60-4.67; P < 0.01) and low (AOR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.04-2.95; p = 0.03) socioeconomic status, and those with caries (AOR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.26-3.22; p = 0.03) had their oral health quality of life negatively impacted.

CONCLUSION

MIH and enamel hypoplasia had no significant impact on the overall oral health quality of life of children resident in southwestern Nigeria. However, children with caries and those from middle and low socioeconomic classes had poorer oral health quality of life.

Use of caries prevention tools and associated caries risk in a suburban population of children in Nigeria

AIMS

To determine the association between use of recommended oral self-care (ROSC) caries prevention tools and presence of dental caries in children resident in suburban Nigeria.

METHODOLOGY

Secondary analysis was conducted for a dataset generated for 1-12 years old children recruited through a household survey. Information on use of ROSC caries prevention tools (brushing more than once a day, use of fluoridated toothpaste always, and eating sugary snacks between main meals less than once a day), use of oral health adjuncts (dental floss, mouth rinses, other tooth cleansing agents) and presence of caries were extracted. The odds of having caries when ROSC caries prevention tools were used singly or in combination, were determined using multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age and sex.

RESULTS

The single or combined use of ROSC caries prevention tools had no statistically significant association with presence of caries. Brushing more than once a day reduced the odds of having caries while consumption of sugar between meals once a day or more increased the odds of having caries after adjusting for age and gender. The use of two ROSC caries prevention tools reduced the risk for caries (AOR 0.28; 95 % CI 0.05-1.53) when adjusted for age. The converse was observed when adjusted for gender (AOR 1.15; 95 % CI 0.38-3.45). The largest effect size was observed when sugary snacks were taken once a day or more between meals after adjusting for age (AOR 5.74; 95 % CI 0.34-96.11).

CONCLUSION

The use of a combination of fluoridated toothpaste and twice-daily tooth brushing had the largest effect on reducing the chance for caries in children resident in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Digit Sucking Habit and Association with Dental Caries and Oral Hygiene Status of Children Aged 6 Months to 12 Years Resident in Semi-Urban Nigeria

Objectives

Non-nutritive sucking (NNS) is a common behavior in childhood. The association between digit sucking, dental caries and oral health has been studied with inconclusive results. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of, and the association between digit sucking, caries and oral hygiene status of children age six months to 12 years, resident in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State. Data were collected through a household survey using a multi-stage sampling procedure from children between six months and 12 years. Details of each child’s socio-demographic characteristics, digit sucking habits, caries status and oral health status were collected. The association between digit sucking, caries status and oral hygiene status was determined using Chi square and Logistic regression.

Results

The mean age of the 992 study participants was 5.8 ± (3.2) years. The prevalence of digit sucking, caries and poor oral hygiene were 7.2%, 10.5% and 2.4% respectively. The mean dmft score was 0.22 ± (0.80), mean DMFT score was 0.04 ± (0.30) while mean Oral Hygiene Index score was 1.27 ± (0.73). Digit sucking increased the odds of having caries (OR: 1.28; CI: 0.58–2.81) but decreased the odds of having poor oral hygiene (OR: 0.58; CI: 0.34–1.01) insignificantly.

Conclusions

Digit sucking was not a significant predictor of caries and oral hygiene status, although the odds of having caries increased while the odds of having poor oral hygiene decreased with digit sucking.

The prevalence, pattern and clinical presentation of developmental dental hard-tissue anomalies in children with primary and mix dentition from Ile-Ife, Nigeria

BACKGROUND

The study of dental anomalies is important because it generates information that is important for both the anthropological and clinical management of patients. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence and pattern of presentation of dental hard-tissue developmental anomalies in the mix dentition of children residing in Ile-Ife, a suburban region of Nigeria.

METHODS

Information on age, sex and socioeconomic status was collected from 1,036 children aged four months to 12 years through a household survey. Clinical examination was conducted to assess the presence of dental anomalies. Associations between age, sex, socioeconomic status, prevalence, and pattern of presentation of the developmental hard-tissue dental anomalies were determined.

RESULT

Two hundred and seventy six (26.6%) children had dental anomalies. Of these, 23.8% had one anomaly, 2.5% had two anomalies, and 0.3% had more than two anomalies. Of the children with anomalies, 49.3%were male, 50.7%were female, and 47.8%, 28.6% and 23.6% were children from low, middle and high socioeconomic classes, respectively. More anomalies were seen in permanent than primary dentition. Anomalies of tooth structure were most prevalent (16.1%); anomalies which affect tooth number were least prevalent (1.3%). Dens evaginatus, peg-shaped lateral, macrodontia, and talon cusp were more prevalent in the permanent dentition, and dens evaginatus peg-shaped lateral and macrodontia were more prevalent in the maxilla. There were significantly more macrodontia anomalies in males and in children of high socioeconomic status.

CONCLUSION

This large survey of dental hard-tissue anomalies found in the primary dentition and mixed dentition of children in Nigeria provides anthropological and clinical data that may aid the detection and management of dental problems of children in Nigeria.

Non-third molar related pericoronitis in a sub-urban Nigeria population of children

BACKGROUND

The study will report on the prevalence, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of non-third molar related pericoronitis seen in children below the age of 15 years who report at the Pediatric Dental Clinic, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife over a 4½ year period.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a prospective study of cases of pericoronitis affecting any tooth exclusive of the third molar diagnosed in the pediatric dentistry out-patient clinic in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife between January 2008 and June 2012. Pericoronitis was diagnosed using the criteria described by Howe. Information on age, sex, history malaria fever, upper respiratory diseases, tonsillitis, and evidence of immunosuppression were taken. Radiographs were taken in all cases to rule out tooth impaction and information on treatment regimen was also collected.

RESULTS

The prevalence of non-third molar related pericoronitis was 0.63%. More females (63.6%) were affected. Chronic pericoronitis was the most common presentation (73.3%). No case was reported in the primary dentition and the premolar. No case was associated with tooth impaction and the tooth most affected was the lower right second permanent molar (35.7%). Bilateral presentation was seen in 36.4% patients. Herpetic gingivostomatitis was reported in association with one case. Chronic pericoronitis resolved within 3 days of management with warm saline mouth bath (WSMB) and analgesics, while acute/subacute resolved within 10 days of management with antibiotics, analgesics, and WSMB.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of non-third molar related pericoronitis is the low. The most prevalence type is chronic pericoronitis affecting the lower right second permanent molar.

Dentoalveolar abscess among children attending a dental clinic in Nigeria

OBJECTIVE

To determine the incidence and causes of dentoalveolar abscess among children attending an outpatient dental clinic in Nigeria.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is a retrospective study of paediatric dental patients treated in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City from October 2010 to September 2011.

RESULTS

The incidence of dentoalveolar abscess was 6.4% (53/824). However only 42 cases had their case notes retrieved for final research analysis. It occurred mostly in the lower right quadrant of the mouth. The affected children were majorly males and first or second child of monogamous family. A total 17 (40.5%) of the affected children were in the 6-11 years age group. This was the first dentist consultation among 35 (83.3%) of the children. The presenting complaint was toothache among two-thirds of the children. History of asthma, tonsillitis, peptic ulcer disease and previous surgery were medical history elicited from 6 (14.3) of the patients. The most implicated tooth was deciduous first molar. The causes of abscess include untreated dental caries 35 (83.3%), trauma 5 (11.9%), failed restoration 1 (2.4%) and periodontal diseases 1 (2.4%). Periapical radioluscency was predominant radiological finding among affected children. Tooth extraction was commonest treatment done.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of dentoalveolar abscess among children was significant. The high frequency of untreated dental caries as the cause of dentoalveolar abscess indicates the need for school and community-based preventive strategies like encouraging infant oral health and preventive dentistry programs and early treatment intervention and dental health education.