In 1999, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) initiated the development of the Nandoni Dam. A component of this project was the relocation of seven rural villages, which include Mulenzhe, Budeli, Dididi, Mpego, Machivandihala Agricultural College, Mutoti and Tshilangoma. Upon request from the community, DWAF had to provide for the exhumation of approximately 1,000 graves dating to the 20th century. A comprehensive analysis of the 160 skeletons (118 adults and 42 juveniles) found in association with these graves was performed, and a description of the health and disease patterns of these rural communities was provided. A secondary objective of this study was to assess the biological affinity of the Venda by examining both craniometric and odontometric traits. A demographic profile of these communities revealed a high incidence of death in children less than 5 years of age and medium ranged adult mortality that peaked between 45 and 55 years of age. This profile is similar to other contemporary black South African communities, and has been associated with poverty, poor living conditions and poor sanitation. When compared to Iron Age populations, it was noted that a dramatic decline in child mortality and a slight increase in adult longevity has occurred in black South African populations within the past 800 years. This may be associated with a reduction in the number of children born per mother and general improvements in lifestyle and living conditions. Medical researchers suggest that infectious disease and parasite infestation were high in rural Venda communities during the 20th century. Despite the high pathogen load in the environment, skeletal markers of non-specific diseases in this study were found to be minimal. This may be attributed to the administering of medication at both hospitals and local clinics, which would have arrested the development of diseases caused by bacteria and parasites. Overall, it appears that medicine improved health for the individual, but it was relatively ineffective on reducing the number of pathogens in the general environment. Dental health was relatively good for these communities. Tooth decay was more common in Venda than other agricultural based populations and may be related to the increased consumption of western foods such as refined maize and sugar. The results of uni- and multivariate statistical analyses on the craniometric and odontometric traits are indicative of a stronger relationship between the Venda and South African Negroid populations than the East Africa groups. This supports the idea of local development of the Venda people in the Soutpansberg region. These results are also in agreement with other studies that have shown similarities in cranial and dental morphology of South African Negroids with the Venda. Due to the small sample size from K2, it was not possible to establish a direct relationship between this group and the Venda. However, it is prudent to say that both groups can be classified as South African Negroids. / Thesis (DPhil)-University of Pretoria, 2005 / Anatomy / unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the dental hygiene program of the elementary schools of Dallas, Texas, in creating interest, lending knowledge, and promoting habits of proper care of the teeth.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University, Henry M. Goldman School of Graduate Dentistry, [1976], (Dental Public Health) / Bibliography: leaves 21-22. / Until recently, little attention has been directed toward meeting the dental needs of Boston’s Native American community. Through the cooperation and support of Boston University School of Graduate Dentistry and the Boston Indian Council, plans were developed to establish a comprehensive dental program providing continuous dental care and dental health education to the Native American people living in the Boston area. A needs assessment was conducted to gather baseline data on the dental needs of children in the Indian community. Fifty children ranging in age from 2-19 were screened for dental disease and evaluated for oral hygiene. Results of the screening find the Indian children in Boston exhibiting a high number of decayed teeth with little or no previous dental care. In addition, approximately 46% of the children displayed poor oral hygiene. It was agreed by the Boston Indian Council and the Boston University School of Graduate Dentistry that dental services along with dental health education was needed for the population. Staff workshops were conducted to train members of the community to be dental health educators. Plans to educate the children by the trained dental health educators were not implemented at that time due to the community’s desire to obtain needed dental services for the children. It is anticipated that next year the community will be ready for an educational program after witnessing positive results from the dental treatment. The dental school provided therapeutic, preventive and emergency services to insure at least a maintenance level of care. The dental students were sensitized to the special needs of the Indian children before they began treatment. Of the 50 children screened between 10/1975 and 1/1976, 2 of the most severe cases have completed all treatment, 12 are presently receiving treatment and many more are waiting their turn. The community’s response to the dental program has been quite favorable. Parents are calling the dental school requesting appointments for their children to receive dental services. A pragmatic approach to the development of a dental program for an underserved Indian population was undertaken. An available source of dental care is now accessible and affordable to a culturally-precious Indian community.

Magister Scientiae Dentium - MSc(Dent) / The investigation was designed to evaluate the scoring systems of pitts (1984), and that of Murray and Majid(1978), when used to monitor caries progression in deciduous teeth. The evaluation.was based on the reproducibility and discrlininatory ability of the two systems. The Reproducibility Study was designed to compare the reproducibility of the two systems, and in addition, to illustrate, firstly the use of the subject as the sampling unit in measuring reproducibility, and secondly, a more sensitive method of measuring reproducibility when analysing caries progression data. The Progression Study was designed to discriminatory ability. In addition the compare use of the the effect on subject as the sampling unit in monitoring caries progression was illustrated in the analysis of this part of the investigation. A sub-sample of the posterior bitewing radiographs of 301, 5 year old children from a Duraphat clinical trial (Murray et al. 1977, Murray and Majid 1978) were re-examined. For the Reproducibility Study 150 sets of radiographs were examined a total of 4 times, (repeated examinations for each method). For the Progression Study three serial bitewing radiographs of 50 children were examined using the two methods. For the Reproducibility Study, Kendall's Tau-B was used as an approxlination of the weighted Kappa as a measure of reproducibility. While the pitts method appeared to be more reliable, the difference .between the tYK>methods was not significant( p~ 05). The surface cannot be used as an independent unit in measuring reproducibility. A method using the subject as the sampling unit was illustrated. Attention was drawn to the need to develop a measure of reproducibility for progression studies which would take into account the magnitude of the disagreement (instead of just disagreement) into the overall index of reproducibility. The use of weighted Kappa is suggested as a more appropriate measure of reproducibility. In the Progression Study Method 1 is more sensitive to the various stages of the disease process and provides a more complete overall picture of the carious process. The proportion of enamel lesions recorded for Method 1 were consistantly higher than that for Method 2. The behaviour of outer and inner enamel lesions differed considerably and Method 1 allowed the behaviour of these lesions to be considered separately. The progression rates were found to be faster with Method 2. With Method 1 30% of enamel lesions per subject had progressed to dentine or been filled 12 months later, the corresponding figure for Method 2 was 50%. Method 2 by excluding outer enamel lesions introduces two biases. The combination of these biases favour overestimating the proportion of lesions deemed to have progressed. The use of Method 2 may lead to the unnecessary loss of valuable data; more surfaces were excluded as being unreadable because of overlap. The average proportion of surfaces per subject recorded as unreadible due to overlap was 7% at baseline, 8% at 12 months and 8% at 24 months, the corresponding figures for Method 2 were 13%, 13% and 22% for Method 2. Method 1 thus appears to offer some advantages. The use of the subject as the sampling unit in analysing caries progression data offers a mnnber of advantages when canpared to the use of the surface as the sampling unit. The findings of the study indicate the proportions of high risk subjects (subjects in whom a large proportion of lesions progressed in a given time period) was low. With Method 1 in only 11% of the subjects did 80-100% of the enamel lesions progress after 12 months. The findings indicate that the Pitts system is the more useful scoring system in studies monitoring caries progression in deciduous teeth. / British Council

Magister Chirurgiae Dentium (MChD) / In the past the dental health of children has been largely neglected, and not much attempt has been made to involve parents on the importance of caring for their children's teeth. With the result, dental problems begin in the early years of life and then become a greater problem as the children grow. The two common dental diseases which affect these children are dental decay or caries, and periodontal disease. However, the disease which poses the greatest challenge among children is dental decay, which is the primary cause of children losing their teeth. Studies have been done among children of this age to determine the extent of these diseases. The results of these studies have shown, that these dental diseases are becoming a major problem. In the second chapter the causes of both these diseases, as well as their prevention will be discussed. Pre-school children are at an age at which their lifestyle is totally dependent and controlled by their parents and the third chapter deals with the way that parents can influence the childs dental health behaviour. Chapter Four outlines a dental health programme for pre-school children, involving parents, teachers, as well as pre-school children, and Chapter Five describes a pilot project and its results. / British Council

Yes / Reviewing factors that affect work challenges is crucial for any organization as it has an impact of organizational commitment for a better service delivery and job satisfaction. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of dental health professionals (DHPs) on work challenges and the impact it has on job satisfaction in Fiji. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, qualitative method approach (nationwide) was done commencing from August to November, 2021. DHPs who provide prosthetic services in Fiji were selected using purposive selection located at Nakasi Dental Clinic, Lautoka Dental Clinic, Labasa Dental Clinic, and Fiji National University. A total of 29 DHPs participated in the in-depth interview, and the responses were grouped into nine themes: working conditions, the location of practice, equipment and material, a lack of specialization, service delivery, organizational support, remuneration, career development, and promotions. A semi-structured open-ended questionnaire in the form of an interview via a virtual platform—Zoom was used for data collection. Thematic analysis was used to transcribe and analyze the audio recordings. Results: The findings from the study indicated that factors such as working conditions, the location of practice, equipment and material, a lack of specialization, service delivery, organizational support, remuneration, career development, and promotions were associated with work challenges. Conclusion: Gaps and areas for the improvement of work challenges and its impact on job satisfaction were identified for DHPs who provide prosthetic services in Fiji such as a need for more career and professional development pathways, improved infrastructure to support prosthetic service delivery, and better remuneration.

Yes / Reviewing job satisfaction is crucial as it has an impact on a person's physical and mental wellbeing, as well as leading to a better organizational commitment of employees that enhances the organizations succession and progress as well as better staff retention. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of job satisfaction amongst Dental Health Professionals (DHPs) in Fiji and associated factors. This study used a phenomenological qualitative method approach commencing from August to November, 2021. The target group for this study were the DHPs who provide prosthetic services. This study was conducted among DHPs from 4 purposively selected clinics in Fiji. A semi- structured open-ended questionnaire was used to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to transcribe and analyze the audio qualitative data collected from the interviews. Twenty-nine DHPs took part in the in-depth interview and the responses were grouped into three themes. The findings from the study indicate that DHPs are most satisfied with their teamwork and the relationship they have with their colleagues and co-workers, followed by the nature of the work and the supervision they received. The participants indicated that they were less satisfied with professional development opportunities and least satisfied with their pay and organizational support they receive. The results of this study have identified gaps and areas for improvement of job satisfaction for DHPs who provide prosthetic services in Fiji such as need for more career and professional development pathways, improved infrastructure to support prosthetic service delivery in Fiji and improve remuneration for DHPs. Understanding the factors that affect satisfaction levels and being able to act accordingly are likely to lead to positive outcomes both for DHPs and their organization.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1942.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1942.

Thesis--University of Oklahoma. / Bibliography: leaves 71-72.