No abstract

Focal epithelial hyperplasia is a proliferative growth of the oral mucosa with distinct clinical and histopathological features. Although focal epithelial hyperplasia is frequently reported in children of American Indian and Eskimo descent, it is rarely seen in Africans. This report presents six new cases of focal epithelial hyperplasia observed in African children. The age of the patients ranged from 4 to 12 years, and all except one were females. Clinical variants, the papillary and the papular types were noted in the same patient. There was spontaneous regression of focal epithelial hyperplasia in four patients during the study period. However, the lesions still persist in two patients three years after the initial presentation.

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems and their provision of care has globally been challenged, including the delivery of Oral healthcare. In Ghana, it has become imperative that healthcare delivery including the practice of Dentistry and its sub-specialties be re-oriented in our peculiar setting to ensure minimal risk of spread of the infection. This article discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the practice of Dentistry in the country.

Aims: This study evaluated the subjective experience of masticatory performance and masticatory efficiency in partially edentulous patients rehabilitated with three different types of removable partial dentures (RPDs). Materials and methods: This was a crossover randomized study, which was carried out at the prosthodontics clinic of the University of Ghana Dental School clinic. Sixteen patients requiring RPDs but had never worn one before were consecutively recruited for the study. Three different RPDs [i.e., cobalt chromium, acrylic, and thermoplastic resin (iFlex)] were fabricated for each patient. Masticatory efficiency was assessed using a singlesieve method after chewing raw carrots. The subjective experience of masticatory performance was also assessed using a questionnaire after 1 week of using each denture. Results: The cobalt-chromium denture recorded the highest masticatory efficiency (31.4%), and the iFlex denture recorded the lowest (27.9%). Subjectively, the cobalt-chromium denture was ranked as the denture they were most satisfied with when chewing with the least being the acrylic denture. Conclusion: Despite the fact that the iFlex, flexible denture had an overall appeal, where effective chewing is of great concern to prospective RPD patients, the cobalt-chromium denture may have a slightly better advantage.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods: A total of 88 OSCC specimens collected between 2006 and 2013 were available for the study. DNA was extracted using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens and analysed for the presence of 18 HPV genotypes using a nested polymerase chain reaction using consensus forward primer (GP-E6-3F) and two consensus back primers (GP-E7-5B and GP-E7-6B). Plasmid DNA of HPV 16 and 18 was used as positive controls. Results: HPV DNA was detected in 3 of the 88 samples, a prevalence of 3.4%. Genotypes detected were 16, 18 and 52. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of HPV DNA was 3.4%. Only high-risk genotypes were detected. This low prevalence of high-risk types of HPV suggests that the HPV virus may not have a significant role in the development of oral cancers in Ghana, unlike higher rates described elsewhere in the world, especially in Western countries. Surveillance of future prevalence of HPV and attention to other major risk factors is warranted.