South African Dental Journal

Balanced achievement

2019 will only be different if you make it to be!

Comparison of the effect of fixed and variable taper on the volume of obturation material

Oral health status among Nyaope users at drug rehabilitation clinics in Johannesburg

Nyaope is an extremely addictive drug mixture having devastating health effects. This comparative cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at two drug rehabilitation clinics in Johannesburg. METHOD: A total of 51 nyaope users and 25 matched non-drug users (NDUs) were recruited. To compare the oral health status between the groups, the DMFT (decayed, filled and missing), PUFA, (pulpal involvement, ulceration caused by dislocated tooth fragments, fistula and abscess), BOP (bleeding on probing) and PPD (periodontal pocket depth) scores were measured. Additionally, a validated questionnaire was administered to assess sociodemographic, diet and dental behaviour among the participants RESULTS: The mean age of nyaope users was 26.4±4.84 years and of NDUs, 26.04±4.09 years. The prevalence and severity (mean DMFT) of dental caries was significantly higher in Nyaope users than NDUs (82.35% vs. 48.0%; p=0.03) and [3.97±4.11 vs. 2.04±2.81 (p=0.03)] respectively. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of BOP (p=0.50) and PPD (>4mm) (p=0.53) between two groups and the PUFA scores were similar. Only 51% of nyaope users (vs. 100% NDUs) reported daily brushing and 100% (vs. 56% of NDUs) had a highly cariogenic diet CONCLUSION: Nyoape users had significantly higher cariogenic diets, caries prevalence, and DMFT scores compared with NDUs

A comparative analysis of traditional dental screening versus teledentistry screening

This comparative analysis determined the reliability of using intraoral cameras and communication technologies (ICTs) to screen primary school children for dental caries. METHODS: A concordance study assessed the diagnostic agreement between traditional and teledentistry screening of dental caries in 233 school children aged 6-8 years old from randomly selected rural primary schools. Clinical screening, scored for DMFT, was carried out by two trained and calibrated examiners. Two trained and calibrated teleden-tistry assistants (TAs) captured intraoral images, and stored the data in corresponding eFiles. After a two week wash-out period, the intraoral images were evaluated and scored for DMFT. Concordance and inter- and intra-exam-iner reliability were determined using the Kappa Statistic. RESULTS: The intra-rater agreement and reliability across methods was 98.30% and 95.09% for examiners one and two respectively, assessed as indicating 92.79% between random agreement and perfect agreement (p < 0.001). The high concordance level indicated that there was no statistical difference between the clinical screening and the screening teledentistry method. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the reliability of utilising teledentistry as a dental screening and diagnostic tool which can be valuable in the delivery of oral health care in South Africa especially with view to the implementation of the NHI.

Research misconduct and publication ethics: a South African perspective

Research misconduct is a global problem that tarnishes the reputation of researchers and research institutions and inevitably compromises the independence, integrity and credibility of the scientific record. Biomedical researchers, like all other professionals, are susceptible to pressures and temptations, which may result in their engaging in questionable research practices or even deliberate misconduct. Preventing research misconduct is the first step in preserving and restoring the integrity of the scientific record. Understanding the causes of and the contributing factors associated with research misconduct is essential when devising preventative strategies. With reports of misconduct on the increase in South Africa and elsewhere, there is clearly a need to better equip researchers with the knowledge they need to conduct responsible, ethical research and to bring to their attention the most common forms of research misconduct (be it intentional or not) that are plaguing the scientific community.

Unusual intraorbital foreign body impactions, a case report

What's new for the clinician - excerpts from and summaries of recently published papers

Non-maleficence - a disremembered moral obligation

Maxillofacial Radiology 167