Treatment of dental caries in children still remains challenging due to lack of cooperation with conventional treatment modalities. Recently, the use of Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) has proved useful in addressing this challenge. Aim This clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) in arresting caries in children in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods This was a phase III balanced randomized controlled school based interventional study on 240 children. The study group was treated with SDF while GIC was used in the control group. Follow up visits in 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months were carried out to assess the treatment outcome. Inferential statistics with the use of Pearson Chi-square test and Independent Student t-test were used at 5% level of significance. Results There was significant relationship between SDF and caries arrest in 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months’ assessment period (p = 0.001). The control group showed continuous decline (71.7%, 54.3% and 50.9%) in restorative success from 2 weeks to 3 months respectively. The mean ± SD and Confidence Interval (CI) of arrested caries in the SDF group were 113± 1.24 and 113.1 – 113.5 respectively. In the control group the mean ± SD and CI of restorative success were 69.3±11.8 and 67.2 – 71.4. The effect size was 5.24. Conclusion The result of the study showed that SDF was effective in arresting caries in children without any harm and there was statistically significant difference in the use of 38% SDF in arresting caries in children.

ABSTRACT Objective To determine the relationship between dental anxiety and self-reported periodontal status. Material and Methods The study was conducted among 263 patients at the Family Medicine Clinic of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. Self-assessed gingival and periodontal disease was measured using the validated periodontal disease self-report surveillance questionnaire. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was used for evaluating dental anxiety. Student’s t-test was used to test for association between categorical variables. P-value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results Seventy-seven (29.3%) participants had high dental anxiety, while 49 (18.6%) had very high dental anxiety. The prevalence of periodontal disease was higher among those with very high dental anxiety (77.6%), while female respondents had a significantly higher proportion of self-reported periodontitis (34.1%). There was a significantly higher prevalence of very high dental anxiety among respondents who had never visited the dentist (23.2%). Similarly, females (19.4%), middle-class respondents (30.8%), and those with a primary level of school education (23.5%) had a higher prevalence of high dental anxiety, even though the association was not significant. Conclusion The prevalence of self-reported periodontal disease among the respondents with very high dental anxiety was higher than in those with high dental anxiety and those without dental anxiety, but the difference was not significant.

Abstract Objective: To determine the patients’ management pattern for restorative treatment procedures at the Restorative Dentistry Clinic at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). Material and Methods: A descriptive and retrospective study design was employed to determine patients’ management patterns for the restorative treatment procedures at the Restorative Dentistry Clinic at LASUTH. Treatment records of patients who attended the Restorative Clinic at the Lagos State University Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, from 2011 to 2014 were reviewed; the effective treatments during the period under review were recorded as treatment procedures and were recorded as operative, endodontic, fixed prosthodontics, and removable procedures. Results: A total of 14,437 (75%) operative; 1,353 (7.0%) endodontic; and 559 (2.9%) fixed prosthodontics and 2,852 (14.9%) removable prosthodontic procedures were carried out during the period under review. This study showed that operative procedures were the most performed restorative procedures, whereas removable prosthodontics and endodontic procedures ranked second and third, respectively, to operative procedures. Fixed prosthodontics procedures were the least performed restorative procedures. Conclusion: This study showed that more efforts were being expended by dentists on operative services compared to endodontic, removable, and fixed prosthodontics services combined. Comprehensive studies, embracing all disciplines of dentistry, should be carried out to determine the level of demand and clinical relevance of procedures in clinical dental practice and hence to set specific and general objectives of dental education for the populace. Access to dental health Insurance services should also be increased in the country.

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the awareness and sources of information on first aid management of avulsed permanent teeth in a group of South-western Nigerian mothers. Material and Methods: An 18-item interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to survey 385 mothers attending the antenatal and immunization clinics on their perception towards dental avulsion, its management, sources, and preferred mode of receiving information on first aid. The effect of all significant factors was inferred at p<0.05. Results: Mothers who had previous information on the first aid management of dental avulsion had significantly higher knowledge (p=0.000). Majority (80.8%) of the mothers did not know that an avulsed permanent tooth could be replanted, though mothers whose children had not experienced dental trauma had significantly higher knowledge (p=0.003). The knowledge of first aid management of avulsed permanent tooth was low, regardless of age, education and employment status of the respondents. Conclusion: There was low knowledge among mothers regarding the first aid measures in the management of avulsed permanent teeth. Their main preference for receiving information was through social media and television. There is a need to increase oral health educational campaigns targeted towards mothers.

Abstract Objective: To determine the prevalence and socio-behavioural risk factors for dental caries among children at selected LGAs in Lagos State. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive study of 592 school children in four Local Government Areas of Lagos, Nigeria. The presence of caries was recorded using the World Health Organization criteria. Descriptive statistics were reported for analysis of comparative DMFT and SiC scores in relation to age, gender, and other socio-demographic variables. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the differential impact of the variables on the probability of being in the high caries prevalence group. Results: The prevalence of dental caries was 16.0% with mean dmft for age 6 being 1.3 ± 1.57 while the mean DMFT for age 12 was 0.15 ± 0.67. The mean Sic for age 6 was 1.5 ± 0.53 while the mean SiC for age 12 was 1.09 ± 0.29. The mean SiC values was significantly higher in the primary and permanent dentition among those who had never visited the dentist, female students, those who don’t use fluoridated toothpaste and those who eat sweets and candy several times a day. After logistic regression analysis, those with no previous dental visit (OR=3.05; CI: 1.72-4.67) and females (OR=1.55; CI: 1.16-1.62) still had significantly higher SiC Values. Conclusion: The prevalence of caries was low in the study population. Being female, non-use of fluoride-containing toothpaste and not visiting the dentist were significant predictors of dental caries among children attending private schools.