The prevalence of oral pain was high among these children, and had a considerable impact on both the children and their parents.

Normative needs of patients demanding treatment were high and many had demanded treatment before acute symptoms had developed. However, delays in seeking care were evident. Further studies are needed to identify factors for delay in obtaining care.

The Sinhalese translation of the OHIP-14 is a valid and reliable instrument to measure oral health related quality of life in older adults of Sri Lanka.

Urine was collected over 24 h from children aged 4 years in Sri Lanka and England. Fifty-three children were from Dambulla, Sri Lanka, and 44 from Newcastle, England, both localities receiving drinking water containing 0.8–1.1 mg F/l. Urine volume was measured immediately after the 24-hour collection and samples of the collection from each child were frozen for transportation prior to ‘blind’ analysis in one laboratory for fluoride content. The mean 24-hour urine volumes were 504 ml (SD 198) in Sri Lanka and 449 ml (SD 196) in England (p = 0.17). The mean F concentrations were 1.19 ppm (SD0.63) in Sri Lanka and 1.02 ppm (SD 0.42) in England (p = 0.12). The mean weights of fluoride excreted were 0.55 mg F/day (SD 0.30) in Sri Lanka and 0.42 mgF/day (SD 0.19) in England (p = 0.009). The distributions of weight of fluoride excreted were also dissimilar in shape between the two countries. The extent to which these small differences in fluoride excretion in urine reflect differences in fluoride intake needs to be investigated.

Knowledge of factors that influence tooth loss and wearing of dentures may have implications for oral health care planners in the provision and delivery of oral health services to the older individuals.

As there was a considerable delay in seeking care for these injuries, it is recommended that educational programs be conducted for parents to create awareness about the importance of immediate management of traumatized teeth.

The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with root surface caries in older individuals from Sri Lanka. A total of 600 urban subjects aged 60 years and above was selected using a two-stage cluster sampling combined with probability-proportionate-to-size technique. The data were collected by means of an interviewer-administered questionnaire and an oral examination. The mean number of teeth present was 13.4 ± 8.7. The prevalence of root surface caries was 89.7%. The mean number of root surfaces with decay or fillings and the mean root caries index (RCI) per subject were 3.8 and 25.0%, respectively. In both arches, the molars were the most affected by root caries. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that betel chewing (OR = 0.36; 95% CI 0.20, 0.65), being >80 years of age (OR = 0.24; CI 0.09, 0.57), number of retained teeth (OR = 0.88; CI 0.83, 0.93) and number of root surfaces with recession (OR = 1.03; CI 1.01, 1.07) were significantly associated with the presence of root surface caries. In conclusion, it was evident from the study that the prevalence of root surface caries was high in this group of older individuals. Chewing betel, age, number of retained teeth and the number of root surfaces with recession emerged as significant predictors of root caries.

The aim of this study was to determine the association between clinical oral status and oral impacts experienced by older individuals in Sri Lanka. A total of 585 individuals who were above 60 years and were residents of an urban area was selected using a multistage cluster sampling combined with probability proportionate to size technique. However the present analysis is limited to 235 individuals who were subjected to a clinical oral examination. An interviewer administered Sinhala translation of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) scale was used to assess the oral impacts experienced by the sample. An oral examination was carried out following the interview. Of the 235 subjects clinically examined 64 (27%) were edentulous. The associations between clinical parameters and oral impacts were assessed in the 171 dentate subjects. There were positive, weak but significant correlations between the number of missing teeth, the number of teeth with third degree mobility and the OHIP score. Also those who wore dentures and had halitosis had significantly higher OHIP scores than those who did not wear dentures and did not have halitosis. Logistic regression analysis revealed that 'wearing denture' and 'having halitosis' were significant predictors of the OHIP score. In conclusion, there was a weak association between clinical parameters and oral impacts experienced by these older individuals.