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Background Teledentistry, defined as the use of telecommunication technologies for dental care, has emerged as a transformative approach to oral health services. This prospective observational analysis aims to comprehensively assess the impact of teledentistry on patient outcomes and satisfaction, addressing key aspects such as diagnostic accuracy, longitudinal treatment outcomes, and economic and logistical considerations. Methods The study involved 242 participants selected from diverse dental clinics offering teledentistry services. Participants could choose between traditional in-person visits and teledentistry consultations. The teledentistry interventions included remote consultations, diagnostic evaluations, and treatment planning facilitated through virtual communication tools. Baseline assessments captured initial dental conditions, and follow-up assessments were conducted at three, six, and 12 months. Outcome measures included diagnostic accuracy, patient satisfaction, changes in dental conditions over time, and economic and logistical feedback. Results Descriptive statistics revealed baseline characteristics, with participants evenly distributed between in-person and teledentistry groups. However, the overall satisfaction with diagnoses was significantly lower in the teledentistry group as compared to the in-person group (p < 0.001). Longitudinal assessments demonstrated comparable changes in dental conditions between the two groups. Economic feedback highlighted a cost-saving advantage for teledentistry users, with 80% reporting reduced expenses. Conclusion This study highlights the transformative potential of teledentistry in expanding access to oral health services, reducing costs, and providing comparable treatment outcomes to traditional in-person care. Future efforts should focus on enhancing the teledentistry experience, addressing patient satisfaction concerns, and refining the delivery of remote dental care to maximize its benefits for both patients and healthcare systems.
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AIM: This investigation was carried out to evaluate the color stability of a nanocomposite restorative material and the erosive potential of carbonated soft drinks (Coca-Cola; The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, Georgia, United States) and packaged orange juice (Real Fruit Power Orange; Dabur Ltd, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India) on its surface micromorphology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty discs (2mm thick and 10mm diameter) of nanocomposite material (Herculite Précis; KaVo Kerr, Brea, California, United States) were prepared using a silicon cylindrical mold. Initially, all the specimens were stored in artificial saliva in five Petri dishes; 12 specimens in each dish. In the Petri dishes, the specimens were immersed in the respective beverages once or twice a day. Before and after each immersion, the specimens were stored in artificial saliva at room temperature. Artificial saliva was changed each day, i.e., every 24 hours. The whole procedure was carried out for three months and then evaluated for color stability using a spectrophotometer and surface micromorphology using a scanning electron microscope. Now, the exposure of specimens to aerated drinks (Coca-Cola) and packaged orange juice (Real Orange) was put to a halt, and specimens were kept continuously in artificial saliva. This procedure was carried out for one month and then evaluated for color stability. The information was analyzed using PASW Statistics for Windows, Version 18.0 (Released 2009; SPSS Inc., Chicago, United States). A p-value of 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The p-value after three months, which is < 0.001 (p<0.05) indicates that the mean color difference values for groups I, II, III, IV, and V show a statistically significant change between the five groups, and similarly, the p-value after one month, which is < 0.001 (p<0.05) indicates that the mean color difference values for groups I, II, III, IV, and V show a statistically significant change between the five groups. Specimens immersed in the carbonated drink twice a day showed clinically more color change than packaged orange juice and artificial saliva on the composite restorative material. Coca-Cola, an aerated drink, was shown to have a higher erosive potential on the composite restorative material than Real Fruit Power Orange and fake saliva. CONCLUSION: The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that repeated exposure to carbonated beverages (such as Coca-Cola and packaged juice) degrades the surface qualities of dental restorations.
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INTRODUCTION: Oral cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Early recognition leads to higher cure rates and better quality of life. Homeopathy and Ayurveda can help improve the general well-being and vitality of patients without inducing any side effects. AIM: To assess knowledge, opinion, and practices towards oral cancer among homeopathy and ayurvedic students. OBJECTIVES: To find the correlation between knowledge and practices followed by homeopathy and ayurvedic students. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 157 homeopathy and 153 ayurvedic students in Indore city, Central India. The subjects were selected using a convenient sampling technique, and the data was collected using a pre-tested close-ended self-administered questionnaire with 24 questions. The data were analyzed by IBM Corp. Released 2011. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. using descriptive and analytical (Chi-square and independent sample t-tests) statistics. Correlation analysis was performed to assess the relation between knowledge and preventive practices score. RESULTS: Homeopathy students showed a significantly higher mean knowledge (4.74+0.96) and practice score (4.82+1.54) as compared to ayurvedic students (knowledge score 4.49+1.11) (practice score 4.09+1.98). No significant differences were observed in the mean knowledge and practice scores of the homeopathy students. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean knowledge score and practice score of third-, fourth-, and fifth-year ayurvedic students at p-value <0.05. A positive (p-value <0.0001) correlation was observed between the knowledge and practice scores for ayurvedic students. As the year of professional studies increased, the overall practice of the students regarding oral cancer also increased, with fifth-year students showing significantly better practice (OR- 1, p-value = <0.05) than the other year students. Conclusion: Homeopathy students showed better knowledge, whereas ayurvedic students showed better opinions and practices towards oral cancer.