Association between different behavioral factors and dental caries among children attending the dental clinics in a sample from Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the association between different behavioral factors and the prevalence of dental caries among children attending the dental clinic in a sample from the Hail and Tabuk regions, Saudi Arabia. METHOD: A cross-sectional study design was employed to determine the burden of dental caries in teeth and key associated factors among 6-12-year-old children who attended different dental clinics. The data was recruited from Hail and Tabuk districts, Saudi Arabia. The study included only Saudi nationals, whose parents could fill out the self-administered questionnaire and provide informed consent for their child's dental examination at clinics. Children underwent a simple dental examination based on the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for oral health surveys. The Decayed, Missed, Filled Tooth (DMFT) index developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) was utilized to assess dental caries. Descriptive statistics were performed to describe categorical variables. The mean DMFT was compared between girls' and boys' and the children from Hail and Tabuk regions using the Mann-Whitney U-test. The chi-square test was used to examine the association between different behavioral factors and the prevalence of dental caries. RESULTS: Of the total 399 children examined, 203 (50.9%) were boys, whilst 196 (49.1%) were girls. The prevalence of dental caries was correlated with the cleaning tool, parental educational level, dental visits, and sugar consumption (p < 0.05). However, brushing frequency failed to demonstrate a correlation with the prevalence of dental caries (p > 0.05). The total mean DMFT for the studied sample was 7.81 (SD ± 1.9). Caries' experience was made up mainly of decayed teeth. Decayed teeth made up an average of 3.30 (SD ± 1.07). The total mean of missing and filling teeth was 2.51 (SD ± 0.99) and 1.99 (SD ± 1.26) respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean DMFT and gender or between Hail and Tabuk (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Saudi Arabia continues to have a high prevalence of dental caries compared to the global norm.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Dental Trauma in Ha'il, Saudi Arabia.

AIM: This study will aid in determining the prevalence and risk factors for dental trauma. This will assist in developing a treatment budget plan, thereby, fend off complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was an observational study, having a cross-sectional design, in which information was obtained from 555 participants. Data were obtained using a non-probability convenient sampling technique. A validated questionnaire was used as a study tool. Data were analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS, version 20). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Data were displayed as numbers and percentages, and the Chi-squared test was used to measure the association. RESULTS: Dental trauma was found to be 44% prevalent. Most of the injuries occurred in the 6-9-years age-group (19.1%) and were more common in boys (54.13%) than in girls. The majority of respondents (61%) identified "falls" as the most common cause of dental trauma, and the frequent location for the occurrence of dental injuries was found to be "home" (64.44%). Only 18% of parents reported that their kid's experienced nail-biting concerns, with the majority claimed that their kids never developed oral habits. Most dental injuries occurred during the summer season (48%). CONCLUSION: Young aged group and male gender group were more prone to dental injuries; dental injuries along with fall were found as the most common cause of dental trauma, whereas most of the dental traumas were reported to have occurred at home. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The study evaluated risk factors and the prevalence of dental trauma in the population of Ha'il, Saudi Arabia. It will be an effective tool for determining the need for treatment facilities.

Prevalence of dental caries in Pakistan: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Optimum oral health is impossible to achieve without managing dental caries. The first step to manage dental caries at a community level is to know its prevalence and trend. Unfortunately, the prevalence of dental caries at the national/regional level is not known in many developing countries. Pakistan is no exception. The present meta-analysis was planned to document the prevalence of dental caries at the national, as well as regional level. This paper will serve as a baseline for making future health policies, and health promotion activities in the country. METHODS: Literature was searched through various databases, such as PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of science using: "Prevalence", "Dental Caries", "Dental Decay" and "Severity" as keywords. Any study that reported the prevalence of dental caries, and was conducted in the Pakistani population was included. Thirty studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Quality assessment of all the included studies was performed using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist for prevalence studies. MedCalc software was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: In total 27,878 subjects were included in a meta-analysis from 30 studies. The prevalence estimate of dental caries at the national level was 56.62% (95% CI: 49.54 to 63.57). The I2 value was 99.07% (95% CI: 98.94 to 99.18), (I2 > 75%) indicating heterogeneity, hence pooled proportion was reported using a random-effect model. The prevalence estimate of dental caries in Sindh was 58.946% (95% CI: 43.796 to 73.274), and in Punjab, it was 55.445% (95% CI: 44.174 to 66.44), whilst in Baluchistan and KPK combined was 51.168% (95% CI: 22.930 to 79.004). CONCLUSION: Based on the existing data nearly 60% of the Pakistani population have dental caries. The proportion is almost the same in all provinces. Most of the included studies were found to be of high risk.

Perceptions towards Use of Electronic Dental Record at a Dental College, University of Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

AIM: This study highlights the use of electronic dental record (EDR) of a dental college at the University of Hail. This study has examined the perceptions of the stakeholders in regard to the objective mentioned above. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a cross-sectional survey. The present study collected data from participants working in the dental clinics at the University of Hail. Face- and content-validated questionnaire was used as a study tool. The data were displayed in numbers and percentages. A Chi-squared test was used to measure the statistical significance. The p value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: There were 166 respondents, out of which 92 (55.4%) were male and 74 (44.6%) were female participants. A highly significant result recorded for age group and rank/position for a variable that says using EDR will add to the skills of the dentists. Results showed that using EDR would not slow down the work. A need for a comprehensive training and the interference with the performance of dentists found as two main barriers towards the use of EDR. CONCLUSION: This study has pioneered the idea of checking on the perceptions of stakeholders to enquire about the use of EDR in clinics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It has been reiterated by all the participants that EDR is a need for the clinics in the kingdom but some have reservations about the tedious nature of its use while some were worried about the excessive training they will need to overcome the difficulty of using it. It is observed from the stakeholders' replies that the use of EDR will slow down the work nature in clinics. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The EDR is commonly used in many developed countries. The proficiency of its use is quite acceptable. The use of EDR in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is relatively new. The present study measures the perception of its easiness and efficiency in dental practice.

Measurement of Parents' Knowledge toward Oral Health of their Children: An Observational Study from Hail, Saudi Arabia.

AIM: Parents' knowledge of oral health maintenance is of crucial importance. Children are dependent on their parents for the maintenance of their oral health. Hence, the present study is aimed to measure parents' knowledge toward the oral health of their children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was an observational study, having a cross-sectional design in which information from 223 participants were collected after obtaining written consent using a convenient sampling technique. Data obtained from the questionnaire were coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Version 20). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Data were displayed as number and percentage, and the Chi-square test was used to measure association. Ethical approval was obtained from the ethical approval committee of the University of Hail. RESULTS: The total numbers of parents included in the study were 223, out of which, 91 (40.8%) were males and 132 (59.1%) were females. Around 58.3% of the respondents believed that they would go for a dental visit when the child had dental pain. A majority of the participants (60%) believed that concerns with primary dentition would lead to permanent dentition in the future. Almost 97% of parents knew that sugar and sticky food had a bad effect on oral health. Nearly 50% of parents reported correctly that prolonged bottle-feeding had a negative effect on their children's oral health. CONCLUSION: Most parents had satisfactory knowledge about the maintenance of oral hygiene of their children for most of the questions. However, the overall result of this study indicates that parents' information and approach toward oral hygiene and dental care need to be improved. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Parents' knowledge and positive attitude are central to children's oral health. The present study measured and recommends the need for oral health education and promotion for the parents.

Alveolar Osteitis: Patient's Compliance with Post-extraction Instructions Following Permanent Teeth Extraction.

AIM: The study aims to evaluate the patients' compliance with post-extraction instructions to prevent the development of alveolar osteitis and keep the health of the socket. Alveolar osteitis "Dry socket" is considered one of the most common complications after extraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study was based on an observational cross-sectional design involving 201 subjects (individuals). The subjects were evaluated via a survey questionnaire and clinical examination after obtaining their verbal and written consent. The study questionnaire was divided into the following sections; section one records the demographic data about the subject while the second section focuses on self-assessment mainly regarding compliance with post-extraction instructions and pain. RESULTS: A total number of patients included in the study was 201, 122 (60.7%) male and 79 (39.3%) female with an age of more than 18 years. No statistically significant association was reported between a medical condition and dry socket. Out of 201 patients came for clinical examination, 89 felt pain at the site of extraction at different period started from the day of extraction till the day of examination with various pain intensity. Females were the most to feel pain after tooth extraction with 78%. Regarding prevalence, 14 (7%) patients reported having dry socket and poor socket status. A statistically significant association of non-complying patients with the incidence of the dry socket was observed for a wide range of age (18 to 40 years) Conclusion: The study showed a high degree of association between the incidence of dry socket cases for patients with poor compliance with post-extraction instruction. A strong relation was observed between the patients who felt pain and their gender (females) Clinical significance: Based on the findings of the present study, we recommend the need to properly educate patients on the effect of compliance and the various complications and factors affecting the socket status after tooth extraction due to non-compliance.

Level of anxiety and depression among undergraduate dental students of University of Hail, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Dental students have been identified as having a high level of stress. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression among undergraduate dental students of university of Hail and to determine the association of anxiety and depression in terms of gender and respective year of study. METHODS: This was an observational cross-sectional study. Nonprobability sampling technique was used to assess the prevalence and association of anxiety and depression among male and female dental students of preclinical and clinical years of College of Dentistry, University of Hail, Saudi Arabia. Students were contacted personally, explained the purpose of the study and asked to participate in the study. Students were asked to complete both Beck's depression inventory and Beck's anxiety inventory to assess the level of their respective status. RESULTS: The results of the survey revealed that a greater number of females suffered from 'moderate' level of anxiety (12.3%) as compared to males (3.2%). Additionally, the percentage for females to experience 'borderline' (11.6%) and 'moderate' (9.7%) level of depression was higher than their male counterparts -'borderline' (7.7%) and 'moderate' (2.6%). The level of anxiety and depression compared with genders was found to be statistically significant. It was noted that final year students (8.4%) experienced 'moderate' level of anxiety and there was a peak rise in level of depression among 4th year (6.5%) and 6th year (5.8%) students as compared with other years. CONCLUSION: The finding of the study emphasizes that the overall percentage of level of depression is comparatively higher than level of anxiety among dental students.

Effect of Nd:YAG, Er,Cr:YSGG Laser Irradiation, and Adjunctive Photodynamic Therapy on Push-Out Bond Strength of Zirconia Posts to Radicular Dentin.

This study is aimed at assessing the influence of Nd:YAG, Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation, and adjunctive photodynamic therapy (aPDT) on the bond strength of zirconia posts to radicular dentin. Eighty extracted anterior teeth were randomly categorized into 4 groups (n = 20) based on varying laser irradiation treatments, i.e., conventional cleaning and shaping (CCS), Nd:YAG, Er,Cr:YSGG, and aPDT group, respectively. Using a cutting machine, the samples were prepared for push-out bond strength analysis; 4 sections (2 on each apical and cervical) of around 1 mm thickness were sectioned for all roots at a right angle to the long axis of the post. After making the space for the post, they were incorporated into the root system and were subjected to different laser treatments. The universal testing machine was utilized to assess the push-out bond strength, which had a defined 1 mm/minute crosshead speed until the failure was encountered. Specimens in the aPDT group (8.20 ± 2.14 MPa) demonstrated the highest mean push-out bond strength, whereas the lowest was shown by samples in the CCS group (7.08 ± 1.11 MPa). According to the independent t-test, the mean push-out bond strength scores of the cervical segments were higher as compared to the apical segments in research groups (p < 0.05). Overall, the adhesive type was the most frequently encountered failure mode in all of the experimental groups, with the least number of failures observed in aPDT treated teeth samples. In conclusion, the push-out bond strength to radicular dentin was not much influenced by Nd:YAG, Er,Cr:YSGG laser, and aPDT in comparison with CCS. Although statistically not significant, however, the application of aPDT provided better outcomes as compared to other research groups.

Prevalence of Dental Fluorosis in Saudi Arabia: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract Objective: To identify the prevalence of dental fluorosis in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: Literature search for the present study aimed to include all the relevant studies conducted in Saudi Arabia that reported prevalence of dental fluorosis. A literature search was done using keywords (dental, fluorosis, prevalence) using three databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science). Grey literature was also searched using Google Scholar and research gate. Literature was searched from 1939 till April 2020. The risk of bias was reported using JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data. Twelve studies were included based on inclusive criteria. The only inclusive criteria were studies that were conducted among people living in Saudi Arabia, and studies that reported the prevalence of dental fluorosis. Samples from all age groups that reported prevalence of dental fluorosis were included. MedCalc statistical software was used to perform the analysis. Results: The overall prevalence of dental fluorosis was found to be 46.52%, 95 CI (26.52% to 67.12%). I2 value was reported 99.8%, 95 CI (99.78% to 99.83%), indicating high heterogeneity amongst the finding of studies. Funnel plots indicate the presence of a strong publication bias. Overall, we found some contrasting findings. One study reported prevalence of dental fluorosis as 0% and other with a comparatively large sample size found dental fluorosis to be 90.6%. Conclusion: The present study adds to the literature regarding dental fluorosis in Saudi Arabia by providing an overview of its prevalence. It is concluded that prevalence of dental fluorosis was a bit high. However, findings indicate publication bias. We did not account for severity of dental fluorosis. All the available data was analyzed to measure dental fluorosis prevalence without considering the sample size and sampling technique.