Prevalence of Stress and Coping Disorders among Dental Students: An Original Research.

Introduction: The students pursuing professional studies such as medicine and dentistry have to endure a lot of stress. Hence, we evaluated the prevalence of stress and coping disorders among dental students. Methods: We conducted a questionnaire-based online survey study among 100 dental students of 1-4 years. The survey was based on the "modified General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12; Goldberg and Williams, 1988)." The scores were analyzed for the statistical connotation, keeping P < 0.05 as significant. Results: We observed that over half of the dental pupils felt stressed. The dental students resorted to "Destructive coping mechanisms." Less than 15% of students sought medical and psychiatric counseling. The mean GHQ was 12 ± 1.7. Conclusions: Psychological strength is a prerequisite for good health and better performance in the studies as well as for the practice. There is an urgent need to focus on the mental health of the students specifically in the medical and dental fields.

Comparative assessment of titanium-prepared platelet-rich fibrin, EndoSequence root repair material, and calcium hydroxide as pulpotomy agents in permanent teeth with irreversible pulpitis: A randomized controlled trial.

Context: Pulpotomy is a procedure in which part of an exposed vital pulp is removed, usually as a means of preserving the vitality and function of the remaining part. Aim: The aim is to compare the effectiveness of Dycal (CH), EndoSequence, and Titanium-prepared platelet-rich fibrin with EndoSequence (T-PRF) as pulpotomy agents in mature permanent molars with irreversible pulpitis. Settings and Design: Sixty permanent mandibular molars with carious exposure and symptoms of irreversible pulpitis were randomly allocated to three groups. Subjects and Methods: Full pulpotomy was performed using Dycal, EndoSequence, and T-PRF with EndoSequence as pulpotomy agents. Pain intensity was analyzed using a Numeric Rating Scale score at baseline 24 h, 7 days, 6 months, and 1 year. The clinical and radiographic evaluations were done at 6 months and 1 year. Statistical Analysis: Nonparametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square) were applied to analyze the data as the normality test does not follow a normal distribution. Results: T-PRF and EndoSequence showed effective results when compared clinically, and there was no significant difference between radiographic success rates among the three groups at (P = 0.325 at 6 months, 0.466 at 12 months) follow-up. Conclusion: T-PRF and EndoSequence showed higher success rates among Dycal, EndoSequence as pulpotomy agents in teeth with irreversible pulpitis.

Effect of reflective thinking on academic performance among undergraduate dental students.

INTRODUCTION: Self-directed learning is a vital principle promoted in health profession's education, particularly with the increasing use of online learning methods. Likewise, reflection has been recognized as an indispensable and formidable concept for learning which plays a positive role in fostering students' self-reflection, critical thinking, and development of professional values and skill. Hence, the present study was undertaken to identify the effect of reflective thinking on academic performance among undergraduate dental students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Reflective thinking was assessed among 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-year undergraduate dental students and interns of a dental college and hospital in Hyderabad. Reflection questionnaire assessed habitual action, understanding, reflection, and critical reflection on a 5-point Likert scale. The percentage of marks obtained in the last university examinations was considered for academic performance. The completed questionnaires were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (SPSS version 20). P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total sample of 263 individuals comprising 188 (71.5%) females and 75 (28.5%) males participated in the study. Our findings showed that the four scales of reflective thinking, such as habitual action (P = 0.0001*), understanding (P = 0.02*), reflection (P = 0.02*), and critical reflection (P = 0.01*), showed statistically significant difference based on the year of study. However, no difference based on gender was noted. Reflection (17.2 ± 2.41) and critical reflection (16.3 ± 2.77) mean scores were highest among 4th years. Higher understanding (17.83 ± 1.78) and reflection (17.33 ± 2.01) mean scores were observed among students who attained more than 75% in their academic performance. CONCLUSION: Thus, the present study emphasizes the role of reflective thinking and its significance in academic learning process.