A New Scoring System of Oral Lichen Planus.

Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic, immune-mediated mucocutaneous disorder increasingly becoming common in the general population with female predominance. Clinically, there are different forms of lichen planus with the presence of the main characteristic feature of Wickham striae. Literature, to date, is abundant with various scoring systems of oral lichen planus, and among them, the most commonly followed scoring system was the one proposed by the Thongprasom system because of its simplicity and ease of application. Aim: The aim of the present study is to critically review all the disease scoring systems on oral lichen planus (OLP) that have been reported in the literature during the past decades. A systematic literature search was performed using PUBMED, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and COCHRANE Library with language restriction to English. The search was carried out incorporating the published literature from 1980 to 2020 using the MeSH (medical subject heading) terms. A literature search was done using keywords: Staging, Grading, Oral lichen planus, Diagnostic, and Therapeutic. Out of 25 publications, related to search strategy, 22 full articles, which were related to the disease scoring system for oral lichen planus, were acquired for further inspection. Out of the 22 articles, 15 articles met the inclusion criteria. The data was collected and a brief summary of the studies regarding the different disease scoring systems for oral lichen planus was explained. Taking into consideration, the parameters were not included in the previous disease scoring system. A new proposal encompassing a scoring system for oral lichen planus considering the missing parameters along with an amalgamation of histopathological criteria of dysplasia is presented. It also proposes to grade and stage the lesions and recommend appropriate therapy for each of such lesions.

Effect of Photobiomodulation on the Depth of Local Anesthesia during Endodontic Treatment of Teeth with Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis.

AIM: To determine whether photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy could increase the depth of analgesia during endodontic therapy of teeth affected with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-nine patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis were randomized into two groups. In the laser group, before administering anesthesia, the lower molars' crowns were continuously treated with a diode laser (980 nm) for 20 s with a low-level laser tip in the buccal aspect close to the gingival margin. While the teeth of the second group who was blinded to the type of treatment received placebo treatment wherein the laser device was switched off. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess pain in both groups before the endodontic procedure, during dentin cutting, and at dropping pulp, wherein, the success was defined as no or mild pain. The Chi-square and independent sample t-tests were used to assess the data. RESULTS: During dentin cutting and pulp dropping, the group receiving the laser therapy presented with less mean pain score than the placebo group which was statistically significant. Additionally, it was observed that the need for supplementary injection was less frequent in the laser-treated group than in the placebo group (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The irradiation by diode laser (980 nm) prior to administration of local anesthesia appears to be useful in minimizing discomfort and additional injection during root canal therapy (RCT). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Pain management is essential for providing the best possible treatment to patients before, during, and after endodontic therapy. Adequate pain control during treatment also aids in reducing postoperative discomfort. This implies the need for additional methods to reduce discomfort during endodontic treatment; hence, adjuncts are crucial to achieving this goal. Photobiomodulation may be used as an adjuvant to reduce discomfort and supplementary injections during RCT.

The Impact of Social Media on Professional Learning among Undergraduate Dental Students: A Cross-sectional Study.

AIM: To explore the advantages and drawbacks of social media (SM) use in undergraduate dental students' education. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 202 undergraduate students at RAK College of Dental Sciences. A questionnaire of 15 questions explored demographic information, the nature of SM used by the participants, the use of SM for educational purposes, and the negative impacts of SM use. Frequencies, percentages, and significant variables were analyzed using Chi-square test at a 95% confidence level (CI) using statistical software [Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26.0]. RESULTS: Among the participants, 95% were SM users, and 80% had been using it for more than 5 years. 95% use SM regularly, and 70% spend 2-6 hours daily using SM. The primary purpose of using SM was entertainment and communication, mostly Instagram (82.38%), followed by Snapchat (58.49%) and YouTube (47.15%). Furthermore, SM is effective in obtaining new information (85%), and 90% consider clinical procedures on YouTube to be a helpful learning tool. Moreover, 75% of the participants recommended using SM as a learning tool, and 85% of the participants considered SM tutorial videos to be evidence-based. However, 70% of users are concerned about their addiction to using SM during lecture, laboratory, clinic, and examination periods, and 37% of them think spending time on SM can negatively affect their academic performance. CONCLUSION: Undergraduate dental students frequently use SM for entertainment, communication, and educational purposes. Nevertheless, the addiction to SM negatively affects the students learning progress. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The use of SM has both a positive and negative impact on undergraduate dental education. Incorporating evidence-based learning components into SM platforms can be useful in dental education. How to cite this article: Farghal NS, Islam MS, Dasnadi SP, et al. The Impact of Social Media on Professional Learning among Undergraduate Dental Students: A Cross-sectional Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2023;24(11):877-886.