Correlation of Dental and Skeletal Malocclusions in Sagittal Plane among Saudi Orthodontic Patients.

AIM: Whether or not the dental relationship correlates with skeletal relationship in the sagittal plane is an area of interest for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of the dental malocclusion and the skeletal malocclusion in the sagittal plane among Saudi orthodontic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Orthodontic dental casts and cephalometric radiographs of 124 patients were investigated and analyzed. The dental casts were classified in relation to the molar relationship according to Angle's classification and to the incisal relationship according to the British Standards Institution (BSI) classification. The sagittal relation in the cephalometric radiographs was analyzed according to ANB angle and WITS appraisal. RESULTS: The results show that the incisal relation had a very high significant association with WITS appraisal (p = 0.0045), whereas with ANB, the association was marginally significant (p =0.0528). No significant associations were found with molar relation neither at ANB (p = 0.2075) nor at the WITS (p = 0.4794) appraisal. Significant positive correlations between ANB and WITS appraisal were found at the three incisal classification classes (class I, r = 0.73; class II, r = 0.64; class III, r = 0.75) and no significant correlation was observed in all classes with the Angle's (molar) classification. CONCLUSIONS: The incisal classification had a significant association with WITS appraisal, whereas with ANB the association was marginally significant. No correlation was found between Angle's (molar) classification and ANB or WITS appraisal. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The incisal relation could be considered as a good indicator of the skeletal malocclusion in the sagittal plane in the orthodontic practice.

The changing personal and professional characteristics of women in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

PURPOSE: In 1994, Risser and Laskin surveyed practicing female oral and maxillofacial surgeons and those in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) residency programs to determine the factors that attract women to the field, their attitudes toward the various aspects of the specialty, their current practice patterns, and any biases that they may have encountered. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there have been any changes since that report was published. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Invitations to participate in an online survey were e-mailed to all practicing female oral and maxillofacial surgeons and female OMFS residents in the United States. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-six of the 281 practicing surgeons (56%) and 60 of 111 residents (54%) responded. Fifty-eight percent of residents were single, whereas 63% of practitioners were married. Most residents were childless (88%), but only 46% of practitioners had no children. Residents were more racially diverse-only 58% Caucasian versus 75% for practitioners. Both residents and practitioners agreed that they were satisfied with the selection of OMFS as a career choice, 91% and 87%, respectively. The major attractions to the field in both groups included liking surgery in general, the combination of dentistry and medicine, and the challenges offered in the specialty. Both practitioners (61%) and residents (60%) still reported a bias against women in their residency. Twenty-nine percent of residents and 38% of practitioners also reported experiencing sexual harassment. CONCLUSIONS: Since 1994, there has been a definite increase of women in both residency programs and practice. There is also greater diversity in both groups. The factors attracting women to the field continue to be relatively unchanged. However, there continues to be bias against women in the field, sexual harassment is not uncommon, and there is no evidence this has improved since 1994. Time commitment and social compromises remain the largest deterrents for women entering the specialty of OMFS.

Associated factors for oral health problems in a sample of Saudi cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Oral health in cancer patients was known to influence the quality of life. However, the knowledge of possible factors associated with oral health in cancer patients is seriously lacking in Saudi Arabia. In this study, we aimed to determine the burden of adverse oral health in cancer patients and identify the associated factors for oral health problems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used to recruit a total of 375 cancer patients who attended oncology outpatient clinics at King Abdulaziz Medical City - Riyadh (KAMC-R) by using a consecutive sampling technique. A self-reporting questionnaire was used to collect the sociodemographic information, clinical symptoms, and lifestyle factors of cancer patients. Furthermore, depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed by using Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. The authors assessed the oral health complaints based on seven common conditions (bleeding gums, toothache, mouth ulcers, bruxism, xerostomia, problems affecting speech, and satisfactory dietary intake). Unadjusted and adjusted risk ratios (aRR) and 95% CIs for the factors associated with the number of oral complaints experienced were computed using Poisson regression model. RESULTS: The prevalence of oral health conditions experienced by cancer patients was 86.1% (95% CI: 82.2%-89.5%). Female sex (aRR=1.37, 95% CI: 1.05-1.78), low income (aRR=1.58, 95% CI: 1.23-2.04), smoking (aRR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.02-1.64), anxiety (aRR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.36-2.24), and stress (aRR=1.25, 95% CI: 1.00-1.55) were associated with increased risk of oral health problems in cancer patients (p≤0.05), whereas breast cancer patients experienced reduced risk (aRR=0.72, 95% CI: 0.56-0.93). CONCLUSION: Our study highlighted the significant burden of oral health problems in Saudi cancer patients at KAMC-R and identified several key associated factors for oral health to aid healthcare practitioners in improving cancer management practices.

Stress and its predictors in pregnant women: a study in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Although stress during pregnancy has negative effects on children's development and pregnant women's health, no study has assessed stress and its predictors among pregnant Saudi women. The aim of this study was to assess stress and identify its predictors in a sample of pregnant Saudi women. METHODS: A correlational study was carried out at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 438 pregnant women who attended the obstetrics/gynecology clinic. We collected data on their sociodemographic and oral health status. Stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). RESULTS: The sample mean age was 30.6±5.4 years, and 33.4% of the sample reported high stress levels (PSS ≥20). The study revealed significantly high stress levels in women with no or low income, chronic disease, sleep deprivation, no teeth brushing, irregular eating patterns, gestational diabetes, and no family support (P<0.05). Self-reported oral health problems were significantly associated with high stress levels (P<0.05). A multiple linear regression model showed that no teeth brushing, chronic disease, sleep deprivation, gestational diabetes, and gingival redness predicted an increase in stress by a score of 3.6, 2.4, 2.1, 1.4, and 1.4, respectively. CONCLUSION: It was estimated that three in ten pregnant women in King Abdulaziz Medical City reported high stress levels. Our study shed light on the relationship between healthy habits, oral health status, and perceived stress in pregnant women. This research may help health care practitioners who provide care to pregnant women, to educate them in regard to healthy habits, and to develop a program to reduce stress.