A 5-year comprehensive evaluation of maxillofacial injuries in polytrauma patients at a tertiary hospital - an epidemiological study.

OBJECTIVES: To report and analyze the pattern of maxillofacial injuries in trauma victims and to define the role of a maxillofacial surgeon in an emergency trauma care team. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Trauma patients reported and reporting to the casualty of a tertiaryhospital with facial injuries and other suspected concomitant injuries in the body were included in this study. The complete medical and radiographic records of each patient were reviewed and data was collected in a standard proforma in this 5-year clinical study (3 year of retrospective and 2 year of prospective study). The complete data related to the facial injuries and associated systemic trauma was recorded and statistical analysis conducted. RESULTS: A total of 18,369 patients with trauma were admitted to the hospital from May 2018 to April 2023. Out of these, 11,277 (61.4%) were males and 7,092 (38.6%) were females. Seventy percent of the reported cases with trauma were in the age group of 14-40 years. The incidence of trauma during the monsoon season was highest (n = 7,927, 43%). The commonest etiological factor leading to trauma was road traffic accident (n = 4,510, 40%). Among facial injuries, the mandibular fractures (n = 1,821, 41%) were predominant. CONCLUSIONS: The management of polytrauma patients should be undertaken by a team of specialists which should include a maxillofacial surgeon as facial injuries were common. This data is essential in developing and assessing the preventative strategies aimed at decreasing the frequency of facial and other injuries.

Perception of Synchronized Online Teaching Using Blackboard Collaborate among Undergraduate Dental Students in Saudi Arabia.

Blackboard is a collaborative virtual learning tool used for higher learning that has been found to be an effective and efficient means of interactions between teachers and students and offers effective educational information management. The aim of this research work is to assess the preclinical and clinical dental students' perception of Blackboard Collaborate as a quality teaching and learning tool as well as to find out areas that might appear as barriers to quality teaching and learning. This cross-sectional study was conducted online using survey monkey involving 245 dental students who had participated in the virtual classroom lectures during the pandemic with 18 students not completing the survey. The survey instrument was a nine-item questionnaire that included the age, sex, and year of study of the students as well as previous exposure to online lectures. The data collated was analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics for windows version 22. Among 245 respondents that were enrolled in the study, 227 respondents completed the survey, of which 58.1% (n = 132) were male while 41.9% (n = 95) were females. Of the 227 respondents that completed this study, 74.8% (n = 170) of them experienced minimum to moderate technical problems regarding connectivity during the online sessions while 1.8% (n = 4) of the respondents experienced very severe technical problems. The majority of the respondents 54.2% (n = 123) support the continuation of online lectures even after the pandemic. In conclusion, we found a positive perception of our respondents to online lectures using Blackboard Collaborate. Internet connectivity as well as a decline in the comprehension of the lectures as compared to face-to-face learning were found as barriers to online learning.

Unique tooth dislocation into submental space during a pan facial trauma - Importance of an orthopantomogram.

BACKGROUND: There are certain reported cases of unusual displacements of teeth involved in a maxillofacial trauma to the maxillary sinus, nasal cavity, gastrointestinal tract or the airway, if worst. All these usually lead to complication the worst being death. So enquiring about them is a very essential part of surveying a maxillofacial trauma patient involving dentition. CASE: This patient was referred to our department for a dental consultation for his ill-defined firm, mildly tender, non-suppurative, submental swelling unresponsive to medication. He had undergone a polytrauma involving his face two months back. An orthopantomogram was ordered which showed a lower central incisor from the fracture site had slipped through the fracture gap into the submental space possibly missed by the CT scan. There was also a lower border splaying at the fracture site. A layer-wise dissection was done extra-orally to retrieve the tooth. CONCLUSION: This case envisages the importance of an OPG as an adjuvant to the basic radiographic study, in the emergency room, for a patient with oral and maxillofacial trauma. It also establishes the importance of a meticulous secondary survey, including counting the number of teeth and establishing a correct occlusion to avoid a complication and re-operation. Besides, a medical negligence lawsuit can also arise as some teeth may slip to lungs even.

Comparison of comma incision with Ward's incision in third molar extraction in terms of postoperative sequel - A clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to compare standard Ward's incision and comma-shaped incision and its influence on postoperative complications in surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molar. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study. Fifty individuals divided into two groups with impacted mandibular third molars were recruited for the study. Twenty-five individuals were allocated to each group: a standard Ward's incision was made in Group A and a comma incision was made in Group B to reflect the mucoperiosteal flap, after which the common steps for removal of impacted third molars were followed. The postoperative parameters were recorded immediately on the postoperative days 1, 3, and 7. OBSERVATION AND RESULTS: The pain scores which were recorded on days 1, 3, and 7 in the surgical area with comma incisions were found to be significantly lower as compared to the pain scores in the area where standard incisions were made. Similarly, swelling was lesser with comma incision than with standard Ward's incision. There was a significant difference in mouth opening between the two incisions on day 1, but no significance was seen on days 3 and 7. All of these findings showed significant statistical differences. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study showed that the new comma-shaped incision design was preferable over the conventional method (Ward's incision), considering the lesser degree of postoperative complications.