Schiffner, Elisabeth

Introduction: Child Oral Impact on Daily Performance Index (C-OIDP) assesses the impact of oral health problems on children's daily activities. Objective: The study examines the correlation between Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) and dental status among schoolchildren in a non-urban region of south-western Tanzania. Material and Methods: The clinical trial was carried out among school children in Ilembula. A Kiswahili version of the C-OIDP inventory was completed. Further, an oral examination was carried out, in which a mirror, dental probe, and flashlight were used to determine the caries prevalence and the oral hygiene. Results: 162 schoolchildren participated in the study (70 female, 92 male, age 12.30 ± 0.57 years, range 12-14 years). 96.30% of the subjects had experienced one problem with their mouths or teeth within the last 3 months. In 23.08% physiological dentition was the most common problem. 11.04% of the children complained about toothaches during this period. 66.03% had had one daily performance affected by their oral condition. The generic OIDP index differentiated between the proportion of subjects with (DMF/T > 0) or without (DMF/T = 0) carious lesions and with (Simplified Oral Hygiene Index [OHI-S] > 0) or without periodontal problems (OHI-S ≤ 1). Conclusion: C-OIDP index indicates a correlation between clinical oral health and the subjectively perceived impairment of the quality of life. An OHRQoL trial applying C-OIDP is a useful and important tool giving a comprehensive picture of the oral health situation in Ilembula. Further studies should document the course over several years. Keywords: Child Oral Impact on Daily Performance Index, Oral Health Related Quality of Life caries incidence, Tanzania, epidemiology

Introduction: Dental care facilities are rarely located in rural Tanzanian areas and do not meet the standard of western industrial nations. Objective: The aim of the study is to record the oral health situation of the local population of a non-urban region of Tanzania. Material and Methods: Two cohorts were examined. The first cohort comprises 164 children and adolescents (age 12.34 ± 0.66 years, range 12 to 16 years; 71 female, 93 male). In the second cohort 109 study participants with a minimum age of 18 years were included (age 34.09 ± 12.49 years, 65 female, 44 male). Participants were examined in schools and at the dental clinic in Ilembula. Clinically, DMF/T index, edentulous arches, oral hygiene index (OHI-S), and Angle classification were recorded. General conditions, eating habits, socioeconomic factors, and oral hygiene habits were surveyed. Results: DMF/T index of the adults was 2.93 ± 4.23 (female 3.66 ± 3.98, male 1.93 ± 4.38) and for children and adolescents 0,22 ± 0.58 (female 0.31 ± 0.71, male 0.16 ± 0.44). In addition to neutral occlusion (66.67%), there was an increased incidence of Angle III (23.81%). The oral hygiene index was 1.18 ± 0.94. Discussion and Conclusion: Compared to western countries, the prevalence of caries in Ilembula is not increased. However, caries usually remains untreated, which is reflected in higher tooth loss rates. In both age cohorts, a significantly higher DMF/T was found in female subjects. Further studies should follow to document the course over several years. Keywords: caries incidence, Tanzania, general oral health, epidemiology

Objectives The dental treatment in the Tanzanian highlands is challenging. Due to the reduced infrastructure, the caries prevalence and subsequently the prosthetic treatment demand of the local population is heavily increased. The aim of this study was to investigate the general oral health situation of dental patients in a non-urban region of Tanzania. Methods: 1521 patients were included in this study (937 female, 582 male; age 20.4 ± 10.5 years, range 3 to 82 years). Patients were treated in a dental office in Njombe. dmft-Index (0-6 years) and DMFT-Index, edentulousness situation, nutrition habits, and socio-economic factors were collected. Results: The dmft-Index of the treated patients was 4.5; the DMFT-Index was 5.8. Massive sugar containing nutrition was detected anamnestically in 44.9% of the study participants. 59.74% of the patients suffered from general dental plaque, and 31.94% showed isolated dental plaque. In 8.30% of the investigated patients, no dental plaque was detectable. In 97.83% of the patients, oral hygiene products were known. 21.63% of the study participants required treatment for an acute malocclusion. Conclusions The oral health situation of the patients showed a restorative and prosthetic treatment demand. In addition, the education of sufficient oral health and the dissemination of oral health products are imperative. The main goal of further studies must be the development of interdisciplinary infection prophylaxis and oral health prophylaxis systems. Keywords: caries incidence, Tanzania, general oral health, epidemiology