Research Articles (Orthodontics)

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Browsing by Author "Barnes, Jo"

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    Characteristics of children under 6 years of age treated for Early Childhood Caries at Tygerberg Oral Health Centre, South Africa
    (Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine, 2008) Mohamed, Nadia; Barnes, Jo
    Objective: This retrospective survey highlighted the characteristics of children less than six years of age presenting with early childhood caries(ECC) who had two or more teeth extracted under intravenous sedation at the Tygerberg Oral Health Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. This survey was carried out in order to plan a community-appropriate intervention strategy. Methods: Records of 140 patients kept by the pediatric Dentistry Division met the inclusion criteria and were included in this survey. Most of the patients originate from economically disadvantaged areas. Results: Diet, feeding and oral hygiene habits were shown to be the most significant factors that contributed to the development of ECC in these patients. All the children were either breast- or bottle-fed past one year of age. 93.6% of the children went to sleep with the bottle or while on the breast and 90% of them were fed on demand during the night. On average, breastfeeding was stopped at 9 months of age compared to bottle-feeding that, on average, was stopped at a much later mean age of 23 months. Where oral hygiene practices were concerned, 52.6% of children brushed their own teeth without supervision. Frequency of brushing varied between subjects. Conclusion: The results of this study have demonstrated that there is a need for culturally appropriate education campaigns to inform parents (especially those in disadvantaged communities) about the importance of oral health and the prevention of oral disease.
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    Knowledge, attitudes and practices (Kap) regarding early childhood caries among nurses working in a low socio-economic area
    (Peertechz, 2015) Mohamed, Nadia; Barnes, Jo
    In the poorer communities, nursing professionals are usually the first health professionals to come into contact with parents and their children. They are therefore the first port of call when patients need information about health matters and are thus able to have a positive impact on oral health and the prevention of ECC. To investigate the knowledge of nursing professionals regarding oral health in children and specifically ECC and its causes. A convenience sample was used which included all nurses who agreed to participate. Questionnaires were completed for 83 nurses at the various facilities in a low socio-economic area of Cape Town, South Africa. Information was obtained regarding their attitude towards dental care, general oral health knowledge and knowledge of feeding and oral hygiene practices. In the sample of nurses surveyed, it is clear that the knowledge regarding oral health related matters is sorely lacking. More time and resources need to be invested into equipping these nurses to provide basic oral health information to the broader community in order to alleviate the burden of ECC.