Mukhari-Baloyi Ntsakisi, Bhayat Ahmed, Madiba Thomas K, Nkambule Ntombizodwa R
Department of Community Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Eur J Dent. 2023 May;17(2):511-516. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1750770. Epub 2022 Aug 1.
The prevalence of illicit drug use and its associated oral health complications have been increasing in South Africa (SA). There has been a paucity of studies to determine the oral health status among illicit drug users in SA. This study aimed to determine the oral health knowledge, practices, and status of illicit drug users at rehabilitation centers in a district in SA.
This was a cross-sectional study conducted at four rehabilitation centers in Pretoria, SA. Data were collected using a validated self-administered questionnaire and an oral examination. The questionnaire consisted of three parts: demographics, oral health knowledge, and oral health practices. The oral examination was conducted by a calibrated researcher and included caries, periodontal status, dental erosion, trauma, and soft tissue lesions.
The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software.
The mean age was 25.5 (±7.49) years with 91% being male. The majority (84%) of patients were Black, and almost all (87%) had never received oral health education; 55% were not aware that illicit drugs could have an impact on the oral health status and 40% had never had a prior dental consultation. The caries prevalence was 68% with a mean decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) score of 5.3 (±6.18). More than half (58%) required periodontal treatment and there were minimal soft and hard tissue lesions diagnosed. Those who perceived their teeth to be in a poor condition had a significantly higher Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) score compared with those who perceived their oral health to be good. Just under half (41.9%) of the participants did not need any periodontal intervention, with the other half presenting with plaque retention or calculus and thus needed oral hygiene intervention inclusive of scaling and polishing. There was minimal evidence of pathological oral lesions with only 1.5% presenting with necrotizing periodontal disease (NPD). Overall, there was generalized poor oral hygiene CONCLUSION: Many of the participants had poor oral hygiene knowledge and practices and a relatively high prevalence of caries. It is imperative that oral health promotion and education is incorporated into the medical interventions provided at rehabilitation centers.
在南非，非法药物使用的流行率及其相关的口腔健康并发症一直在上升。在南非，缺乏关于确定非法药物使用者口腔健康状况的研究。本研究旨在确定南非某地区康复中心非法药物使用者的口腔健康知识、行为和状况。
这是一项在南非比勒陀利亚的四个康复中心进行的横断面研究。使用经过验证的自填式问卷和口腔检查收集数据。问卷由三部分组成：人口统计学、口腔健康知识和口腔健康行为。口腔检查由一名经过校准的研究人员进行，包括龋齿、牙周状况、牙齿侵蚀、创伤和软组织病变。
使用社会科学统计软件包（SPSS）软件对数据进行分析。
平均年龄为25.5（±7.49）岁，91%为男性。大多数（84%）患者为黑人，几乎所有（87%）患者从未接受过口腔健康教育；55%的人不知道非法药物会对口腔健康状况产生影响，40%的人从未进行过牙科咨询。龋齿患病率为68%，平均龋失补牙数（DMFT）评分为5.3（±6.18）。超过一半（58%）的人需要进行牙周治疗，诊断出的软硬组织病变很少。与认为自己口腔健康良好的人相比，认为自己牙齿状况不佳的人的龋失补牙数（DMFT）得分显著更高。不到一半（41.9%）的参与者不需要任何牙周干预，另一半存在牙菌斑滞留或牙结石，因此需要包括洗牙和抛光在内的口腔卫生干预。病理性口腔病变的证据很少，只有1.5%的人患有坏死性牙周病（NPD）。总体而言，口腔卫生普遍较差。结论：许多参与者口腔卫生知识和行为较差，龋齿患病率相对较高。必须将口腔健康促进和教育纳入康复中心提供的医疗干预措施中。
