with the treatment. Treatments which improve dental aesthetics have been found to improve quality of life and 8 psychological status. Patients who have interest in improving their dental appearance have been found to frequently demand for tooth whitening treatments, 9 anterior teeth restoration and orthodontic treatment. There may be possible differences in aesthetic perception between clinician and patient which could create problems during treatment if not properly 10 recognized. Clinicians must therefore be mindful of 11 their patient's desire to achieve favorable results as the overriding importance of psychological implications of dental aesthetics over physiological 1 2 changes have been demonstrated. Dental professionals have to be aware of the psychological triggers of treatment demands of the patients, the effect of dental appearance in patients' satisfaction, and subsequently the impact of this satisfaction in 13 treatment success. A United Kingdom report revealed that 28% of adults 11 were dissatisfied with the appearance of their teeth. Therefore understanding the prevalence of ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the satisfaction with dental appearance, desired treatments to improve dental appearance, and factors that affect satisfaction with dental appearance among a group of Nigerian dental patients. Methods: The data collection instrument was a modified questionnaire used in a previous study by Tin-Oo et al. It consisted of 3 sections: section 1 elicited information on the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, section 2 determined level of satisfaction with the general appearance of their teeth and tooth colour, section 3 sought information on desire to undergo treatments to improve the appearance of their teeth as well as the desired treatment. Data collected was analysed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 21.0. Results: Less than half (45.1%) of the respondents were dissatisfied with the general appearance of their teeth. More than half (53.3%) of the respondents were dissatisfied with the colour of their teeth. A few (10.7%) of the respondents felt their teeth were crowded while 24.6% felt their teeth were poorly aligned. Majority (82.8%) wished to undergo treatment to improve the appearance of their teeth. A few (12.9%) of the respondents who desired treatment to improve the appearance of their teeth desired orthodontic treatment for realignment, while 15.8% desired treatment to replace missing teeth. More than half (67.3%) desired tooth whitening procedures to improve the appearance of their teeth. Conclusion: Tooth shade plays a vital role in self-perceived satisfaction with dental appearance. Tooth whitening was the most desired treatment to improve dental appearance.

IntroductionDental implantology is an increasingly contemporary integral and important component of the practice of dentistry. This study assessed the level of teaching of dental implantology to dental undergraduates in Nigeria.Materials and MethodsThis was a cross‐sectional descriptive study involving the use of a self‐administered questionnaire consisting of five sections developed for this study. It was sent via e‐mail to a dental faculty in charge of and involved in the teaching of dental implantology in all 10 dental schools (five old generation and five new generation) in Nigeria.ResultsEight of the 10 schools teach implant dentistry and utilised didactic lectures as mode of teaching. Simulations were used in only 1 (12.5%) of the schools whilst clinical demonstration was reported by 2 (25.0%) of the schools. Only 2 (25.0%) of the schools allowed students to experience direct patient care with no school expecting students to provide implant treatment. Almost all schools 9 (90.0%) identified insufficient resources and lack of dental industry support as barriers to effective teaching of implant dentistry. All the dental schools had plans to improve teaching of implant dentistry.ConclusionTeaching of dental implantology in Nigeria is mainly theoretical with no clinical competence assigned. A situation which is unsatisfactory as all Nigerian dental schools have plans both in the short term and long term to improve on the teaching of implant dentistry. There is need for industry support as well as improved and effective training of dental faculty in implant dentistry in Nigeria.

Background: Amalgam is one of the most reliable dental restorative materials. Health and environmental concerns associated with the mercury content of amalgam have necessitated an amalgam phase-down in clinical practice. Objectives: This study investigated the level of awareness and preparedness for the planned amalgam phase-down recommended by the Minamata Convention amongst Nigerian dental students and dentists. Methods: This cross-sectional national survey was performed across all geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Data regarding awareness, practice and level of preparedness for amalgam phase-down were obtained using a questionnaire that was distributed amongst clinical dental students and dentists of different cadres, who routinely place dental restorations, in public and private practice. The questionnaires were administered online or were hand delivered. Data were analysed using the chi-square test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. A p value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Notably, 845 dental students and dentists participated in the survey. Mean age (±standard deviation) of participants was 30.15 ± 7.67 years, 33.8% were students, and 66.2% were dentists (most dentists [77.1%] were employed at public hospitals). A significant percentage of respondents had poor knowledge of the Minamata | 667 MAKANJUOLA et AL. How to cite this article: Makanjuola JO, Umesi DC, Ndukwe AN, et al. Managing the phase-down of amalgam amongst Nigerian dental professionals and students: A national survey.

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