Browsing by Author "Turton, Mervyn"

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    Further evidence for periodontal disease as a risk indicator for adverse pregnancy outcomes
    (Elsevier, 2017) Turton, Mervyn; Africa, Charlene W.J.
    Although there is increasing evidence to suggest an association between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes, the issue remains controversial. Study objective: This study tested the hypothesis that periodontal disease is a risk indicator for preterm delivery of low-birthweight infants. Materials and methods: The study sample comprised 443 pregnant women with a mean ( standard deviation) age of 24.13 ( 5.30) years. At first visit, maternal oral health status was assessed by the measurement of probing pocket depth and clinical attachment loss, and periodon- tal status was graded as absent, mild, moderate or severe. An association was sought between pregnancy outcomes and maternal periodontal status. Results: While controlling for other factors, significant associations were found between pregnancy outcomes and maternal periodontal index scores. Conclusion: This study provides further evidence that peri- odontal disease is a risk indicator for adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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    Oral health care experiences of people living with HIV in Kwazulu-Natal and Western Cape, South Africa
    (Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2015) Turton, Mervyn; Naidoo, Sudeshni
    The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the oral health experiences of people living with HIV/AIDS in the provinces of Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) and Western Cape (WC) in South Africa. Many studies have reported that people living with HIV have unmet needs for dental care and this study considered the various factors that affect the accessibility and utilisation of dental services as these factors are even more pertinent for the people living with HIV who have increased need for dental care
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    Oral health status and treatment needs of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
    (Hindawi, 2019) Africa, Charlene Wilma Joyce; Turton, Mervyn
    During pregnancy, the oral cavity is characterised by an acidic environment and an inflammatory response brought about by vomiting and changes in hormonal levels, respectively, thereby increasing the mother’s risk of developing caries. Although evidence exists to support an association between pregnancy-associated periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes, there is a paucity of studies which focus on the caries prevalence and other oral manifestations of pregnant women. The aim of this study was to assess the oral health status and treatment needs of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Randomly selected mothers (n = 443) attending a maternal obstetrics unit participated in the study. A questionnaire elicited demographic information about the participants, while the measurement of decayed, missing, and filled indices (DMFT) determined their caries status. Oral lesions were noted if present. Descriptive statistics for independent variables described frequencies in the various categories of race, location, pregnancy stage, etc., with the association between 2 independent variables tested by chi-square. Dependent variables such as DMFT were expressed as means and standard deviations, and ANOVA was used to examine whether independent variables significantly influenced the DMFT. The mean DMFT was 7.18 (±4.22) with significant correlations observed between DMFT, D, M, and age. F scores differed significantly between races, location, and educational levels and showed a significant correlation with pregnancy stage. Pregnancy epulis was diagnosed in 38 (8.5%), oral lesions in 65 (14.7%), and tooth mobility in 26 (5.9%) mothers. Early oral health screening during pregnancy can ensure the overall well-being of both the mother and the foetus.
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    Trigeminal neuralgia: case report and literature review
    (Stomatological Dis Sci, 2019) Turton, Mervyn; Malan-Roux, Pieter
    Trigeminal neuralgia (TN), also known as tic doloureaux, is a nerve disorder of the face and is considered to be one of the most painful human conditions. A 51-year-old male presented with severe intermittent pain on the left side of his face. Magnetic resonance image scan with contrast revealed a close association of the superior cerebella artery and the trigeminal nerve on the left side of the face. Oral medication is the first line of treatment for TN, because of its non-invasiveness, low cost and high effective rate. Surgical intervention for TN aims to relieve the pressure of the offending artery or vein that is compressing the trigeminal nerve or in other instances; surgery may stop the uncontrolled pain signals. An important criterion for clinical diagnosis is pain that cannot be attributed to another disorder and also the lack of evident neurologic disorder. TN is one of the most debilitating diseases an individual may suffer and an early astute diagnosis of TN will provide patients with relief from suffering, unnecessary dental and medical intervention. Appropriate and early diagnosis of TN is important to formulate an optimal management plan based on the patient’s age and general condition. The aim of this case report is to describe a case of Classical TN, and subsequent successful surgical management with microvascular decompression.