Publications by authors named "Deogratias S Rwakatema"
Prevalence of Skeletal Fluorosis in Northern Tanzania: A Follow-Up Study.
Glob Health Sci Pract
December 2023
Objectives: Skeletal fluorosis is a metabolic bone disease caused by excessive exposure to fluoride, predominantly through contamination of drinking water. This study aimed to identify all cases of skeletal fluorosis in Tindigani village situated in Northern Tanzania. This was done following changes in drinking water sources after a previous prevalence study in 2009 in this population.
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- Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is more common in certain areas of Africa and Asia, with new research suggesting a link between poor oral health and ESCC.
- An analysis of tumor samples from ESCC patients has identified specific bacteria, such as Fusobacterium and Prevotella, present in higher amounts in tumors from various high-incidence regions.
- The study also found that the microbiomes of saliva and tumors in ESCC patients were similar, indicating that oral bacteria may contribute to the development of ESCC.
In the African esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) corridor, recent work from Kenya found increased ESCC risk associated with poor oral health, including an ill-understood association with dental fluorosis. We examined these associations in a Tanzanian study, which included examination of potential biases influencing the latter association. This age and sex frequency-matched case-control study included 310 ESCC cases and 313 hospital visitor/patient controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of dental caries, oral hygiene levels and assessment of the oral health knowledge and practices of nursing students at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre teaching hospital in Moshi, Tanzania.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was done on 217 student nurse population at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre Teaching Hospital in Moshi, Tanzania in 2014. Ethical approval was obtained from the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College Ethical Committee.