Reasons for taking radiographs in general dental practice in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
This study investigated the reasons why dental practitioners at the Muhimbili Dental OPD clinic in Dar-es-Salaam take radiographs. Information was obtained from medical records at the Department of Dental Radiology for an eighteen month period, during which 28,171 patients were seen at the hospital, and of which 2,672 (9.48 per cent) were radiographed. The main reasons for taking radiographs (percentages) was to detect fractures (17.2), tumours (14.1), caries (12.5), impacted teeth (12.2), periodontal disease (11.3), and non-specific dental pain (10.4). Radiographs were also taken for orthodontic (7.0 per cent) and endodontic (6.8 per cent) reasons. Some of the reasons for taking radiographs such as hypersensitive teeth, apicectomy, neuralgia and xerostomia were previously unheard of, indicating an increasing diversity of dental services. In conclusion, there is a need to increase the utilisation of dental radiographs from the present modest level in order to meet the growing need of the increasingly informed dental population in Dar-es-Salaam.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
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Hamza
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Matee
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Sultan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001047:Apicoectomy; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003788:Dental Pulp Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003807:Dentin Sensitivity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D006801:Humans; D007571:Jaw Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007572:Jaw Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007573:Jaw Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013636:Tanzania; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014082:Tooth Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014098:Toothache / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging