PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

N Jaafar

Publications and source records attributed to N Jaafar.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

A dental-anthropological study of health and illness behaviour among Orang Asli of the Semai Tribe: the perspective of traditional healers.

This observational study investigates and describes the oral health beliefs and illness behaviour in the Semai tribe of Orang Asli community. Data was obtained from a "Key informant interview" method i.e. the village Tok Halaq (Traditional healer). Information about common oral diseases and conditions were illustrated with enlarged pictures of dental caries, periodontal disease, oral cancer and cleft. The most common oral problem was toothache. This is treated by self-medication. However if the pain still persist, the Tok Halaq was consulted to start traditional methods. He will identify the cause. If "germs" were thought to be the cause, he will ask the person to see a doctor. Otherwise, he attempts traditional treatment. If the effort failed after a few days, the person will be advised to see a doctor. It appears that the Tok Halaq plays an influential role in prevention, promotion and the healing process in this community. Hence any effort to promote oral health and prevent oral disease must seek their cooperation. Their beliefs on causes of common oral diseases are described in the text.

Anthropology, Cultural↗
PubMed2000

The prevalence of post-extraction complications in an outpatient dental clinic in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia--a retrospective survey.

The aim of this retrospective study is to report on the prevalence of post-extraction complications among patients attending the Oral Surgery outpatient clinic of the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya over a 12-month period from January to December, 1992. The prevalence of post-extraction complications which required further treatment was only 3.4% (n = 100), out of a total of 2968 patients who had extraction of one or more permanent teeth. Analysis based on complete clinical reports (n = 79) showed that dry socket accounted for nine out of ten cases of post-extraction complications. However the aetiology was largely unknown. No obvious association with medical history could be made. Lower teeth were more likely to have complications. The most common teeth associated with dry socket were the molars (76%) and premolars (19%). The most common molars to be affected are the first, followed by the third and lastly the second molars. A brief review of current aetiological factors of dry socket was discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Investigation of delay in utilization of government dental services in Malaysia.

Although delays in seeking dental care among patients are frequently observed in daily practice, this problem has never been investigated in other utilization studies. This study attempts to establish the magnitude and severity of the problem of delay in a delivery system where cost is not a major barrier to utilization. 555 users of Government dental services were interviewed. Only 37% of them came promptly within 6 days of perceiving a dental need. The majority (63%) had delayed their dental visit for more than 1 week. In fact, the highest frequency of delay was for more than 1 month. Prompt attendance was found to be associated with people who regularly came for asymptomatic check-ups. In contrast, more than 50% of those who thought they needed fillings and extractions had delayed their visit for more than a month. The main causes of delays were attributed to work commitments and the lack of perceived need for urgent care. Barriers related to transport or financial problems were ranked very low. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1990

Patients' preference for exodontia versus preservation in Malaysia.

A total of 537 dentate adults from nine randomly selected government dental centers in three states in Malaysia were interviewed to assess their preference for either exodontia or preservation of teeth when they experience toothache, or have carious anterior or posterior teeth. The assumptions tested were i) patients prefer exodontia rather than preservation when they have toothache, and ii) patients are more willing to have posterior teeth extracted than anterior teeth for caries. Both these assumptions were rejected. Even though the majority of the subjects preferred preservation (59%) when having toothache, exodontia was the treatment of choice in a large proportion of subjects (41%). Significant differences in preference were found among the various ethnic, educational, income, and age groups. However, when ethnicity was held constant, binary regression indicated that the variations observed were determined by education, income, and age groups and not by ethnicity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Ethnic variations of sweet preferences in Malaysian children: a pilot study.

Diet and sugar eating habits, in particular sweet preference levels, are gradually nurtured over time by culturally accepted dietary norms. The dietary habits of Malaysia's three main ethnic groups are distinctively different from each other and expectedly, many studies have discovered significant ethnic variations in caries experience. In order to guide further research work into the causes of these variations, this pilot study was designed to establish whether ethnic variations exist in sweet preference levels. This study found that although the difference in sweet preference between boys and girls in this sample was not statistically significant, the ethnic variation was statistically significant. The implications of this study and suggestions for further research in this field are discussed.

Child↗
PubMed1990

Utilization, knowledge and attitudes concerning sealants among Malaysian dentists: a national survey.

The aim of this postal survey was to assess the utilization, knowledge and attitude concerning sealants among Malaysian dentists. A pretested questionnaire was sent to all dentists (1217) who were on the Dentist Register of Malaysia of 1987. A response rate of 61.1% was obtained. The results indicate that 52.6% of the respondents have used sealants, but of these only 13.6% have used them frequently. The two "knowledge" related questions receiving the most support concerned the suitability of the first permanent molars for sealants and the loss of sealants attributable to problems at the time of application. The two "attitudinal" questions receiving the most support concerned the value of sealants in preventing dental caries and the need for the profession to expand more efforts toward increasing public demand for sealants. Only about 50% of the respondents believed that sealants are cost-effective.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1989

Trends in tooth loss due to caries and periodontal disease by tooth type.

Although the patterns of dental disease is gradually changing, caries and periodontal disease still account for the most important reason for extractions in most countries. However their relative contributions towards overall tooth mortality figures varies. The aim of this study is to investigate the types of teeth usually associated with extractions due to caries or periodontal disease and its relation to the age at which the tooth was lost. The highest proportion of extractions due to caries occurred between 21 to 30 years of age while that for periodontal disease occurred between 41 to 50 years. For caries, the greatest proportion of extractions involved the posterior teeth. The most frequently extracted teeth due to caries are the molars, in particular the first permanent molar. However, for periodontal disease a slightly greater proportion of anterior teeth were lost than the posteriors. This trend is more marked in the lower jaw than the upper. Overall, extractions related to caries tend to increase posteriorly, while that for periodontal disease tend to increase anteriorly.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

The social impact of oral and facial pain in an industrial population.

The aim of this study is to determine the social impact of oral and facial pain in a sample involving an industrial population. Out of a total of 355 subjects interviewed, nearly one-half claimed to have oral and facial pain in the previous one month prior to the survey. The most common type of pain was that related to hot or cold fluids or sweet things followed by toothache. On the average, the pain lasted for 4.2 days (SD = 4.9) per person in the past one-month. About one in five persons with pain reported that it was severe enough to disrupt sleep. About one in ten persons reporting pain had to take sick leave because of the pain. However, only one in four persons with pain consulted a doctor or dentist. More than one-third tried to cope with the pain and did nothing while the rest tried various means of self-cure. It is therefore postulated that in this population, pain per se is a poor predictor of utilisation of dental services. Further research into pain coping behaviour and how this affects of pattern of utilisation of dental services is indicated in order to formulate a strategy to encourage the habit of seeking prompt dental care by the target population.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1989

The causes of tooth mortality of permanent teeth in a Malaysian population.

The reasons underlying the need for extraction of 2765 permanent teeth carried out over a 6 month period in the Out-patient Clinic in the Dental Faculty, University of Malaya, was investigated. The present study showed that dental caries (67.4%) is the leading cause for extraction followed by periodontal disease (19.6%). Caries accounted for the highest proportion of extractions up to the age of 50 whereas periodontal disease becomes the major factor beyond this age. The highest frequency of extractions carried out was between the ages of 21-30.

Dental Caries↗
PubMed1988

Reasons for seeking dental care in a Malaysian urban adult population: an analysis by sex and ethnic group.

Different groups of people will view and use modern dental services differently. This is determined by their traditional beliefs and cultural background. The aim of this study is to identify variations in utilization among adults in the three major ethnic groups in Malaysia. Dental records of 500 adults attending the University dental center were randomly selected and analyzed by sex and ethnic group. Results from this pilot study clearly indicate that different ethnic groups tend to use certain types of services more than others. Similarly, there is evidence of variation in the type of dental service preferred between males and females. The implications of these findings for dental health educators, program planners and further research is emphasized in order to promote a more positive pattern of utilization among the various ethnic groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Dental needs, demands and patterns of service utilization in a selected Malaysian urban population.

The dental needs, demands and patterns of service utilization were assessed in a randomly selected sample of 750 subjects attending the Dental Faculty, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Toothache accounted for the most frequent overall dental complaint. However, the most common motives for seeking dental care varied among children (2-12 yr), adolescents (13-18 yr) and adults (19 + yr). The attendance behavior of women is more preventively orientated and more inclined towards rehabilitation compared to that of men. The proportion of normative needs of the patients varies from 7.5% for dentures to 66% for dental caries. About 50% of service utilization for the first visit consisted primarily of extractions in the oral surgery department.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A survey on oral hygiene practices among Malaysian adults.

A survey on oral hygiene practices was conducted on 537 dentate adult patients aged 15 years and over. The aim of this study was to investigate the variation in dental behavior with regards to socio-demographic factors, namely age, sex, ethnicity, income, education and occupational status. Patients attending nine randomly selected government dental clinics were interviewed on their daily oral hygiene practices. The majority (89.7%) of the subjects reported that they brushed their teeth, 68% used toothpaste containing fluoride, but only 8.4% flossed their teeth. Generally the younger group had better oral hygiene habits. The higher the socioeconomic status of the adults, the better their toothcleaning practices. Awareness concerning dental floss was low regardless of all the socio-demographic variables. It was concluded that there is a need to improve the dental health practices of adults in Malaysia.

Adolescent↗