Introduction: Limitations in dental access and challenges associated with service delivery often necessitates the usage of an appointment system in patient care. This research aimed to determine the association between levels of dental anxiety in dental patients and dental treatment appointment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). Materials and Methods: A descriptive study at a tertiary hospital in Lagos State. A systematic sampling method was used to enlist 149 study patients in four clinical dental departments in LASUTH, whereas sociodemographic, clinical history, and anxiety-related data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess inconvenience, whereas the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was used for anxiety assessment. Data entry and analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20, P value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 25.3 ± 6.8; 53% had never had a dental visit and majority felt inconvenient by the length of dental appointment (62.7%; mean VAS = 5.95 ± 2.72); higher levels of inconvenience was significantly associated with levels of anxiety (MDAS—13.96 ± 4.8; P = 0.010). At baseline, age group ≤20 years (MDAS—15.21 ± 4.0; P = 0.026), female gender (MDAS—14.44 ± 4.8; P = 0.042), and primary level of education (MDAS—0.029; P = 15.25 ± 4.7) were significantly associated with high levels of anxiety. At baseline, 14.8% had high dental anxiety (MDAS scores of ≥19), and this increased to 18.1% on the treatment appointment day. Conclusion: Dental appointments appear to be associated with impact on anxiety levels. MDAS can be used as a screening tool to identify anxious patients to determine which treatment approach to adopt and possibly give shorter appointments.

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Introduction: Questions concerning maxillary canine transposition and maxillary canine agenesis remain unexplained. These questions are raised in this original hypothesis. The Hypothesis: The hypotheses are that the maxillary canine can be located in a separate dermatome field and that this field can overlap neighboring fields just as overlap occurs in body dermatomes. It is also hypothesized that delay in innervation and maturation of dermatome-like canine field may be the etiology behind maxillary canine agenesis and combined canine agenesis and first premolar agenesis. Evaluation of the Hypothesis: It is demonstrated in this article how embryology, growth, and development combined with clinical examples makes it possible to suggest answers to these rare questions concerning transposition and agenesis of the maxillary canines. The answers might be the foundation of future studies for genotypic mapping. All though the answers to these hypotheses seem reasonable, they are difficult to prove.

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Introduction: The prevention of tooth erosion, progressive and irreversible loss of hard dental tissue due to the chemical process without bacterial involvement, can be mediated by the use of fluoride compounds with incorporation of titanium. The Hypothesis: The addition of titanium tetrafluoride (TiF₄) to public water supply is an efficient and economical alternative for the management of dental erosion. Evaluation of the Hypothesis: Several studies show that TiF₄, in gel or varnish forms, has a significant effect on the prevention of dental erosion, so that the increase of this compound in public water supply would contribute to a greater comprehensiveness of its protective effects on tooth erosion. The addition of TiF₄ in public water supply is an effective and economical alternative for the prevention of dental erosion, contributing to a greater comprehensiveness of the protective effects of this compound.

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