Development of Artificial Intelligence Models for Tooth Numbering and Detection: A Systematic Review.

Dental radiography is widely used in dental practices and offers a valuable resource for the development of AI technology. Consequently, many researchers have been drawn to explore its application in different areas. The current systematic review was undertaken to critically appraise developments and performance of artificial intelligence (AI) models designed for tooth numbering and detection using dento-maxillofacial radiographic images. In order to maintain the integrity of their methodology, the authors of this systematic review followed the diagnostic test accuracy criteria outlined in PRISMA-DTA. Electronic search was done by navigating through various databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the Saudi Digital Library for the articles published from 2018 to 2023. Sixteen articles that met the inclusion exclusion criteria were subjected to risk of bias assessment using QUADAS-2 and certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE approach.AI technology has been mainly applied for automated tooth detection and numbering, to detect teeth in CBCT images, to identify dental treatment patterns and approaches. The AI models utilised in the studies included exhibited a highest precision of 99.4% for tooth detection and 98% for tooth numbering. The use of AI as a supplementary diagnostic tool in the field of dental radiology holds great potential.

mosaicMPI: a framework for modular data integration across cohorts and -omics modalities.

Advances in molecular profiling have facilitated generation of large multi-modal datasets that can potentially reveal critical axes of biological variation underlying complex diseases. Distilling biological meaning, however, requires computational strategies that can perform mosaic integration across diverse cohorts and datatypes. Here, we present mosaicMPI, a framework for discovery of low to high-resolution molecular programs representing both cell types and states, and integration within and across datasets into a network representing biological themes. Using existing datasets in glioblastoma, we demonstrate that this approach robustly integrates single cell and bulk programs across multiple platforms. Clinical and molecular annotations from cohorts are statistically propagated onto this network of programs, yielding a richly characterized landscape of biological themes. This enables deep understanding of individual tumor samples, systematic exploration of relationships between modalities, and generation of a reference map onto which new datasets can rapidly be mapped. mosaicMPI is available at https://github.com/MorrissyLab/mosaicMPI.

Knowledge and Attitude of Undergraduate Students and Interns toward Stem Cells and Their Implications in Dentistry: A Cross-sectional Study.

AIM: The primary ideology of this research was to evaluate both the knowledge and attitude of undergraduate students and interns regarding stem cells and their use in dentistry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional observatory study was conducted among 310 dental students of Jazan University by making use of a self-explanatory questionnaire, containing a set of 25 questions and was sent as e-mail through Google e-forms. RESULTS: There was a good response rate of around 81.2%, of which 80.16% were aware of the fact that stem cells are unspecialized types of cells that come with the potential to turn into any cell type. Almost 65.08% of the participants considered the possibility to continue root formation post-trauma as the fundamental use of stem cells, and a majority (71.43%) of the participants showed great interest in garnering more knowledge and training in the area of stem cells. About 50% of the participants showed strong opposition to the concept of embryonic stem cells as these are basically fetched from an aborted fetus or from an embryo. There was a major section of the participants (79.76%) who were even keen on organizing more programs to create public awareness regarding stem cells. Mean knowledge and attitude scores among the participants were reported to be 7.57 ± 3.10 and 36.04 ± 6.51 respectively. CONCLUSION: Overall, the level of knowledge and attitude of dental students and interns at Jazan University towards stem cells and their implications in dentistry can be interpreted as adequate. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Advanced training and awareness campaigns on stem cells and dentistry would improve their knowledge and attitude.

Knowledge and Role of Paediatricians/Paediatric Residents in Infant Oral Healthcare and Dental Home across Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The prevention of oral diseases in children is highly achievable through providing early exposure to oral healthcare habits, which would make children more receptive towards dental services. A cross-sectional study used a structured, self-explanatory questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge and role of 190 paediatricians and paediatric residents towards infant oral healthcare and the dental home across Saudi Arabia. The authors sent a link to the questionnaire, comprising 36 questions, by email, as a Google e-form. The response rate obtained was 87.36%. A major proportion (95.8%) of the respondents considered that paediatricians play an important role in promoting oral health. Around 45.8% of the practitioners recommended tooth brushing after the eruption of the first tooth. About 38% of the practitioners were unaware of the children's first dental visit. The majority (95.2%) agreed that there should be an increased awareness regarding home dental habits. Most of them (78.3%) examined the oral cavity for dental problems as a part of routine childcare, and the majority (75.3%) admitted that they did not evaluate fluoride needs. A statistically significant higher mean knowledge score was observed for practitioners with more than 30 years of experience (9.35 ± 2.29), and there was a significant positive correlation (r = 0.486) between the knowledge score and mean score for the role of paediatric practitioners. Overall, the study concluded that the knowledge of paediatricians and paediatric residents in SA towards infant oral healthcare and the dental home was inadequate, and their role in maintaining oral health was found to be moderately satisfactory.

Knowledge and Experiences of Undergraduate Dental Students and Interns toward Research: A Cross-sectional Study.

Aim: To evaluate the knowledge and experiences of undergraduate dental students and interns toward research at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted by using a self-explanatory questionnaire consisting of 14 questions and was mailed as Google e-forms. Results: The response rate for the survey was 72.1%. A vast majority (97.5%) considered conducting research very important and agreed that research learning constituted a part of their dental curriculum. A significant fraction of the population (73.8%) did not conduct any research during their undergraduate course, and the majority (75.5%) agreed that they enjoyed doing research. Disappointingly, a very small fraction of the study participants (8.9%) had knowledge about scientific manuscript writing. The majority (89.6%) interestingly stated that they would undertake research in the future. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated that dental students at the University of Jazan exhibited a high level of interest and knowledge in the realm of research. Despite the recognition of research's significance in education, the study revealed that a relatively small proportion of students actually engaged in research activities. To foster a favorable attitude toward scientific research among undergraduate students, it is crucial to cultivate critical thinking and reasoning skills. How to cite this article: Vishwanathaiah S, Maganur PC, Alali MA, et al. Knowledge and Experiences of Undergraduate Dental Students and Interns toward Research: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(6):824-828.

Does Social Media have any Influence during the COVID-19 Pandemic? An Update.

AIM: The study aimed to explore the role, impact, and influence of social media on the population during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)pandemic. BACKGROUND: During pandemics, communication is an important factor to disseminate the information, create awareness and provide timely updates from authorized personnel to the masses. Social media progressed to function as a mediator of transmission of information between the government and authorities and the public during the COVID-19. REVIEW RESULTS: Though several strengths were observed yet liabilities did not go unnoticed regarding the role essayed by social media during this pandemic period. When used responsibly, these technologies can aid in the rapid dissemination of crucial facts, important scientific discoveries, and information regarding diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up as well as comparing different strategies across the world. It is recommended to follow certain fundamental standards while exchanging information on social media networks during the COVID-19 era in order to utilize these technologies responsibly and effectively. CONCLUSION: In this research, we have made an attempt to synthesize the vital facts regarding the impact, benefits, and drawbacks of using social media during COVID-19. Eventually, the decision of evaluation, acceptance, and denial of the information received rests with the individual. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Social media use has become intangible with health care. Instead of venturing out the negative effects, we need to focus on utilizing social media for the betterment of the public and to the advantage of the public to increase awareness levels, spread knowledge, and cooperate to tap the benefits to the maximum extent possible to prevent the disease spread.

Knowledge and Practice of Rotary Instrumentation in Primary Teeth among Saudi Arabian Dentists: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Making use of rotary instruments for doing pulpectomies in the primary teeth is one of the most developing areas in the field of pedodontics. The primary aim of this study was to assess the understanding and the ease with which Saudi Arabian dentists could use rotary instrumentation in primary teeth. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among dentists over 3 months. A structured self-explanatory questionnaire was given, and responses were obtained from the dental practitioners. Results: The response rate for the survey was 92.45%. Only 21.4% of them were using rotary instruments, and ProTaper was most commonly used. The most common limitation factors that obstructed its usage included the taper and length of the existing files. On assessing the need for using an exclusive rotary file for performing root canal preparation in primary teeth, there was a significant difference observed statistically. The general thought that floated among most dental practitioners (p value = 0.01) and specialists who had 11-15 years of experience was that an exclusive rotary file is the need of the hour. Conclusion: There is an absolute need for more education programs and workshops in the country to increase the knowledge and awareness of dental practitioners, and also to give hands-on experience regarding rotary instrumentation in primary teeth. In kids, it seems appropriate to use kid-specific rotary files that make it comfortable for children too during the procedure. How to cite this article: Alowi WA, Maganur PC, Manoharan V, et al. Knowledge and Practice of Rotary Instrumentation in Primary Teeth among Saudi Arabian Dentists: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(S-1):S97-S102.

Effectiveness of mouthrinses in prevention and treatment of radiation induced mucositis: A systematic review.

Mucositis is a frequent, severe consequence of radiation therapy among patients undergoing radiotherapy for the head-and-neck cancer, often requiring hospitalization and even breaks or discontinuity in treatment. Mouth rinsing with various agents has demonstrated effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced mucositis (OM), but evidence for the same is lacking. This systematic review is therefore conducted with the aim of assessing the evidence for the effectiveness of mouthrinses in prevention and treatment of OM. Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines were followed to conduct this review. Six databases were searched and a total of 25 randomized clinical trials published over a period of the past 31 years were included for qualitative synthesis. Analysis of 25 studies revealed that 1299 participants, aged 46-69 years were assigned to the test groups and control groups. A total of 16 different formulations were studied among patients over a duration of 6 days to 1 year in varying dosages. The overall preventive fraction ranged from 1.9% to 77.8% for a reduction in clinical grades of mucositis, 7.6%-83.3% for a reduction in pain and 20%-50% for a reduction in bacterial counts. Adverse effects such as mouth burning, altered taste, sore throat, have been reported, especially with chlorhexidine and benzydamine hydrochloride. Evidence for the included studies is IC and ID. Studies using herbal based products and tissue regenerating agents revealed comparatively better effectiveness with lesser side effects. However, the number of studies to support such a claim is very limited.