INTRODUCTION:The prevalence of complete edentulism varies from country to country and from one region to another region, and making comparisons between national data challenging because of the impact of lifestyle, socio-economic and educational factors. There is no reported national data for Nigeria.AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:The study was to determine the prevalence of complete edentulism among adult (35-44 years) and older (65-74 years) Nigerians, being part of a national oral health survey of Nigerians conducted in 2014.METHODOLOGY:The study was a cross-sectional survey of oral diseases, specifically dental caries, periodontal diseases, dental trauma, and tooth loss, among adult and older Nigerian populations using a multi-stage stratified sampling technique for all 36 states and the FCT, and clinical examination in field situations using daylight settings, with findings collected using data entry forms (WHO 1997). Ethical approvals were obtained from the FMOH, SMOH and SMLGCA. Data was analysed using SPSS-11 and nominal variables compared using chi-square. A p-value of 0.05 was considered significant.RESULTS:A total of 5,038 adults and 4,658 older Nigerians were examined, of which 4(0.08%) and 84 (1.8%), respectively had complete edentulism. Among the adults, it was reported exclusively in Northern Nigeria; whereas among the older population, 66(2.8%) and 18(0.8%) participants in Northern and Southern Nigeria respectively, were reported to be edentulous (p<0.05). 45 cases (4.7%) of edentulism in older Nigerians were reported from the North West geopolitical zone alone. Edentulism is higher in the older population than the adult population in both Northern and Southern regions (p<0.05). Socio-demographic variation was significant in the North, with a higher prevalence in the rural localities among the older population (p<0.05).CONCLUSION:The study showed that there are variations in the prevalence of edentulism in Nigeria, reflecting lower prevalence in comparison with global trends. National prevalence values did not reflect variations along geographical and socio-political divide.

Background Various studies on Traumatic Dental Injuries (TDI) have been carried out in different small localities and mostly among children and adolescents in Nigeria, but there has not been any national study to determine its prevalence. This national survey was carried out to understand the complexities of dental trauma epidemiology among adult and elderly Nigerians. Material and Methods A national cross-sectional survey of TDI among adult and elderly Nigerians, following WHO recommendations. Results A total of 5,067 adults (35-44 years) and 4,680 elderly (65-74 years) Nigerians were examined, and the prevalence of dental trauma among the adult and elderly was 15.9 % and 22.1%, respectively. Gender comparison showed males were more affected than females in the North (p<0.05), while TDIs occurred more among females in Southern Nigeria (p<0.05). In Nigeria, Type 2 injuries were most prevalent among the adults and elderly (53.9% and 55.7%, respectively). Among the elderly, while Type 1 injuries were more common in the North, Type 2 injuries were more prevalent in Southern Nigeria (p<0.05). Types 3-10 injuries were more prevalent in the South (p<0.05). TDI 1,2 occurred more in the anterior teeth among adults (p<0.05) and in posterior teeth among the elderly, especially in Southern Nigeria (p<0.05); while TDI 3-10 affected mostly the anterior teeth in both age groups (p<0.05. Conclusions The observed pattern of dental trauma among the adults and elderly Nigerians could reflect the diverse dietary and socio-cultural practices. Advocacy for prevention of, relevant education on, research into and improvement of access to treatments for dental trauma is recommended.

Objective: This study was aimed at assessing the cross infection control practices among dental health care practitioners in Nigeria.Method: Questionnaires were administered to 137 Dentists, 56 Dental Therapists and 62 Dental Surgery Assistants (DSAs) practicing in both government and private practices across the six geopolitical areas of the country. Each questionnaire comprised of questions on basic infection control procedures.Result: Results indicate that all the participants use gloves during treatment, 93.8% wear face mask, 48.5% wear eye protection, 95.5% clinical gown/coat. Furthermore 27.3% have had a puncture or laceration from a dental needle or instrument while only 41.4% have had Hepatitis B vaccination.Conclusion: Infection control practice by dental personnel in Nigeria has improved compared to previous studies, particularly in the use of gloves. However in the areas of sterilization, vaccination, there are needs for improvement.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The study sought to investigate whether there are discriminatory practices towards HIV/AIDS patients among dental professionals in Nigeria, how receptive are dental professionals and institutions to treating People Living With Aids (PLWA), and what underlying factors if any that may contribute to any discriminatory practices. METHODS AND MATERIALS It was a cross-sectional study conducted in one randomly selected State in each of the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. Data collection was by self administered questionnaire. The questionnaire asked about demographic information, general knowledge of HIV/AIDS, adequacy of infection control, fear of occupational exposure, attitudes towards HIV positive patients and areas of need for further training. A total of 75 dental professionals participated in the study. RESULTS The results of the study suggest that significant number of dental professionals in Nigeria reported attitudes and behaviour towards HIV patients which are discriminatory. CONCLUSION Further efforts should be made to promote accessibility of discrimination-free quality oral and dental care to this population.

Among the Kanuri and Shuwa peoples of northern Nigeria, tattooing of lips by young girls and women is fashionable and is seen as enhancing the beauty and value of the women. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the knowledge and perception of HIV/AIDS among the Kanuri and Shuwa peoples in relation to traditional oral tattoo practices. A total of 1202 persons (50.4% males) responded to the questionnaire. The mean age of the subjects was 31.64 (± 4.05). The majority had no formal education, and the 21-30yrs age group formed the largest proportion (32.3%). Eighty-eight percent of the respondents have heard about HIV/AIDS, out of which 53.6% were males. Only 10.5% believe that HIV/AIDS can be transmitted through traditional tattooing. Most (89.4%) will allow their daughters to be tattooed. The majority (88.4%) believe tattooing will continue for a long time. Despite the high risk of transmission of HIV/AIDS through tattooing, many people are not aware of such risk and still indulge in the practice.

OBJECTIVE To document the pattern of salivary gland neoplasia in Maiduguri, Nigeria. DESIGN AND SETTING A retrospective clinical and histopathological review (January 1987-December 2002) of cases diagnosed at a tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS Information on demographics, diagnosis and cancer management in the hospital were retrieved from biopsy reports and case notes of patients. RESULTS The palatal (71.9%) and parotid (78.3%) glands were the most common minor and major salivary glands involved, with a benign-malignant ratio of 1:1 and 1.4:1, respectively. Pleomorphic adenoma (44.3%) was the most common salivary gland neoplasm recorded. It was commonly reported in the third decade (mean 30.4 years) and among males (M:F, 1.4:1). Ectopic lesions (17.1%) were reported in the neck, nose and cervical nodes. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (10.1%) was the most common salivary gland malignancy, occurring in the second and sixth decades; of equal gender distribution and predominantly in the palate (50%). The squamous cell carcinoma (10.9%) and adenoidcystic carcinoma (21.9%) were the most common malignancies in the major and minor glands respectively. There was a higher prevalence of malignancies of the parotid than previously reported for northern Nigeria (P = 0.036). CONCLUSION Pleomorphic adenoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma were the most commonly reported benign and malignant neoplasia in this series. The prevalence of mucoepidermoid carcinoma contrasts with reported findings in other African studies.

OBJECTIVE:To document the pattern of intra-oral carcinomas diagnosed in north-eastern Nigeria. DESIGN AND SETTING:A retrospective clinical and histopathological review seen in a tertiary care hospital (January 1987-December 2002). MATERIALS AND METHODS:Information on socio-demographic characteristics of patients and details of cancer management were retrieved from the files and histopathology records of cases diagnosed at the hospital. RESULTS:A total of 378 biopsies, 317 primary cancers including 279 carcinomas of the head and neck were diagnosed during the study period. Intra-oral carcinomas constitute 43 (15.4%) of all head and neck carcinomas reported, with no occurrence in children. The overall mean age of occurrence was 51.2 +/- 15.6 years (male = 56.2 +/- 13.7 years; females = 47.5 +/- 16.2 years) and an overall male-female ratio of 3:4. Carcinomas were commonly reported in the palate 19 (44.2%) and lip six (13.9%) and floor of mouth four (9.3%). Squamous cell carcinoma 28 (65.1%), adenoidcystic carcinoma seven (16.3%) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma five (11.6%) were the commonly reported carcinomas. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common carcinoma in all sites, in the sixth decade of life, of equal gender distribution and commonly reported in users of kola nuts and tobacco. The occupation of patients diagnosed with oral carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma was farming (50%, 61.5%). All the staged cancers patients (n = 7) reported in the late stages (III/IV) of the disease. The mean interval between symptoms and presentation for the different carcinomas ranged between 9 and 25 months, with the least interval reported for mucoepidermoid carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS:Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common oral carcinoma, commonly reported in the palate, among farmers and in the sixth decade of life. Its occurrence in under 40 year olds is three to six times greater than reported for the USA and Europe and may be associated with poor diet and the habitual use of kola nuts and tobacco. The survival rates of patients diagnosed with intra-oral carcinomas, although not available, would be expectedly low in view of the prognostic indicators recorded in this series. The routine oral cancer screening of each patient, and counselling of patients with high-risk habits, by dentists is recommended to improve the prognosis of the disease.

BACKGROUND:To document the pattern of primary head and neck cancers in North Eastern Nigeria.STUDY DESIGN:A record-based study of primary head and neck cancers histologically diagnosed at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Maiduguri, North Eastern Nigeria between 1987 and 2002.RESULTS:A total of 317 cases (20 cases per year) were diagnosed. The most common cancer sites were the oral cavity (15.1%) and nasopharynx (11.7%). Carcinomas (68.4 %) were the most common cancers reported, mostly affecting the oral cavity (20.3%). Carcinomas were associated with farmers, kola nut chewers and tobacco users in this region, while kaposi sarcoma was the only cancer associated with HIV-positive patients. The overall mean duration of symptoms for cancers was 29.1+/-62.2 months. The mean duration for carcinomas was longer than for sarcomas (p>0.05) and lymphomas (p= 0.05). 81 % of the staged cancers reported in the stage IV; while treated cancers required primary radiotherapy (51 %) or an adjuvant radical surgery and chemotherapy (9.4%).CONCLUSION:Intra-oral carcinomas were the most common histological types of cancers in the head and neck. The delay before and the cancer stage at presentation may be due to the lack of cancer management facilities and manpower in most of the hospitals in the region.

A structured questionnaire was administered on 495 women (urban 339, rural 156) from two LGAs of Borno State, Nigeria, using the interviewer method. The age range of the subjects was 12 to 80 years with a mean age (+/- SD) of 35.7 +/- 13.44 years. Majority (83.5%) did not have any formal education. Oral hygiene tools used by the respondents included toothbrush/paste 36 (7.9%), chewing stick 250 (54.9%), charcoal 159 (34.9%) and ordinary water 10 (2.2%). Of those using chewing sticks; 168 (67.2%) use Salvadora persica, 36 (14.4%) use Azadirachta indica and 46 (18.4%) use Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Forty (8.1%) of the respondents do not clean their teeth at all. Strong association was found between choice of teeth cleaning material and educational level (P=0.000). Three hundred and one (60.8%) of the respondents stain their teeth with flowers of Solanum incanum or Nicotania tabacum while, 218 (44.0%) perform tattooing of lip or gingivae and of this number 213 (97.7%) performed tattooing before marriage. Tattooing is usually performed without local anaesthesia with thorns of Balanites aegyptiaca and a mixture of charcoal & seeds of Acacia nilotica var. tomentosa as pigments. It is concluded that traditional oral health practices still constitute important part of the lifestyle in the study population.

Objective: To determine the effect of tooth morphology and positioning on the occurrence of dental caries in permanent teeth. Design: Retrospective study. Method: Data was extracted from the case notes of patients that underwent extraction at the Plateau State Dental Centre, Jos, Nigeria from January 2000 to December 2001, as a result of dental caries and its sequalae. Result: 12696 patients attended the clinic, with a total of 11546-teeth extracted. 6145 (53.2%) permanent teeth were extracted due to caries and it's sequalae within the period under review. The upper anteriors accounted for 3.2%, pre-molars 7.7% and molars 29.8% while lower anteriors accounted for 0.4%, pre-molars 3.3% and molars 55.6%. The upper anteriors were eight times more vulnerable to caries attack compared to their corresponding lower anteriors. The upper right (43.3%) and left (36.9%) first premolars were four times prone to losses due to caries compared to their corresponding lower right (11.5%) and left (8.3%) first premolars. Similar pattern was observed for the upper and lower second premolar (P = 0.001). The lower right (31.3%) and left (31.3%) first molar were about two times more susceptible to caries than their corresponding upper right (18.2%) and left (19.2%) first molar. The same trend holds for the second and third molars (P = 0.000). Conclusion: The result of this study revealed that the upper premolars were more susceptible to dental caries than the corresponding lower teeth. The study also revealed that the molars were most susceptible to dental caries and would benefit from the use of prophylactic pits and fissure sealants. Key Words: Tooth morphology; extraction; fissure sealant; caries African Journal of Oral Health Vol.1(1) 2004: 31-36