title: Occurrence of midline diastema and frenum attachments amongst school children in Nairobi, Kenya.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of midline diastema, tongue tie and frenum attachments amongst school children in Nairobi. A total of 1802 children aged between 4 and 16 years were selected randomly using multistage sampling technique. To avoid oversampling in either sex, a proportionate sampling procedure was used. Thereafter, a thorough intra-oral examination was carried out using a mouth mirror under artificial or natural light with the children lying on a supine position. Presence or absence of midline interdental spaces unusually bigger than other interdental spaces were noted and recorded on a prepared dateacollection form. Accurate location of the origin of the frenum was done using Placek et al Morphological-functional classification of the labial frenum attachments. Data was analyzed manually by tally method. Results showed that 35% had upper and lower midline diastema. 55% were females and 45% were males. Their mean age was 7.6 years. 0.2% had a high lingual frenum. The commonest location of frenum attachment amongst children with lower midline diastema was the mucogingival junction (86%) whereas amongst those with upper midline diastema it was attached gingiva (50%). None of the children had frenum attachment on the interdental papilla. It was concluded that the maxilla had a higher prevalence of midline diastema than the mandible and that papillary penetrating frenum attachments amongst these patients were higher in the maxilla than the mandible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology/Community and Preventive Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kaimenyi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003970:Diastema; D005260:Female; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D007742:Labial Frenum; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000453:epidemiology; D008334:Mandible; D008437:Maxilla; D015995:Prevalence; D012494:Sampling Studies