Caries risk assessment by Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) Protocol among the general population of Pakistan-a multicenter analytical study.

Background: Caries risk (CR) assessment tools are used to properly identify individuals with caries risk and to improve preventive procedures and programs. A tool such as CAMBRA determines the precise protective factors of caries and identifies an individual's specific therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this study was to assess the caries risk using the CAMBRA protocol among the general population of Pakistan. Methods: This multicentre analytical study was conducted in ten dental hospitals in different provinces of Pakistan and the caries risk assessment was carried out using a questionnaire that was designed using the Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) protocol. All 521 participants were intra-orally examined to assess oral hygiene status and the presence of disease. Multiple logistic regression test was performed for analysis. Results: A higher number of participants (61.2%) were found to be in the moderate risk category of caries risk assessment. The males are 51% less likely to have caries compared to the females (AOR = 0.49, P = 0.081). The majority of participants (71.3%) had one or more disease indicators, with white spots and visible cavities. Those with visible, heavy plaque were 13.9 times more likely to have caries compared to those without (AOR = 13.92, P < 0.001). Those using calcium and phosphate during the last 6 months were 90% less likely to have caries compared to those not using them (AOR = 0.10, P < 0.001). There was no significant interaction between all eight risk factors retained in the final model (P > 0.05), the Hosmer and Lemeshow Test P < 0.001, classification accuracy = 87.1%, and AUC = 91.2%. Conclusion: The caries risk among the general population of Pakistan is moderate, with significant variation among age groups, education levels, and socioeconomic status.

Barriers and challenges faced by orthodontists in providing orthodontic care and implementing new innovative technologies in the field of orthodontics among children and adults: a qualitative study.

Orthodontic treatment requires the cooperation of patients as well as orthodontists. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate and address the challenges and barriers orthodontists have in achieving the desired orthodontic results, as well as make recommendations for ways to address the stated problems and introduce new innovative technologies to the area of orthodontics. This qualitative study wasbased on the grounded theory. Twelve orthodontists participated in face-to-face interviews, which were primarily comprised of open-ended questions. Data analysis was carried out manually using the "by hand" method. Orthodontists between the age group of 29-42 were interviewed. The answers varied depending on the years of experience of the interviewees. Teenagers and boys were found to be most non-compliant with the treatment. The average treatment span ranged between 6 months for mild cases up to 3 years for severe orthodontic cases occurring most commonly in government hospitals. Patient compliance plays a major role in orthodontics. Poor oral hygiene maintenance, brackets breakage by patients, and missed appointments were the major concerns mentioned by participants and hindered getting the desired results. Patients' main worries were related to the cost of therapy, premolar extractions, the length of treatment, and the possibility of relapse. Patient counseling and reinforcement at the start of the treatment can help to overcome the challenges and barriers in orthodontics since patient motivation is a very important factor in obtaining the desired results. It is recommended to conduct more training sessions for the orthodontists in order to introduce them to new technological paradigms.

Comparison of the elastic recovery and strain-in-compression of commercial and novel vinyl polysiloxane impression materials incorporating a novel crosslinking agent and a surfactant.

This study aims to formulate experimental vinylpolysiloxane (VPS) impression materials and compare their elastic recovery and strain-in-compressions with three commercial VPS materials (Aquasil, Elite, and Extrude). Five experimental materials (Exp), two hydrophobic (Exp-I and II) and three hydrophilic (Exp-III, IV and V) were developed. Exp 1 contained vinyl-terminated poly-dimethyl siloxane and a conventional cross-linking agent (poly methylhydrosiloxane), while Exp- II contained a novel cross-linking agent that is tetra-functional dimethyl-silyl-ortho-silicate (TFDMSOS). Exp III-V (hydrophilic materials) were formulated by incorporating different concentrations of non-ionic surfactant (Rhodasurf CET-2) into Exp II formulation. Measurement of elastic recovery and strain-in-compression for commercial and experimental materials were performed according to ISO4823 standard using the calibrated mechanical testing machine (Tinius Olsen). One-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) and Tukey's post-hoc (HSD) test were used for statistical analysis and a p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Exp-I has statistically similar values to commercial VPS. The Exp-II showed the highest elastic recovery, while % elastic recovery was reduced with the addition of the non-ionic surfactant (Rhodasurf CET-2). The % reduction was directly related to the concentration of Rhodasurf CET-2. In addition, Exp II had significantly higher strain-in-compression values compared to Exp-I and commercial materials. These values were further increased with the addition of a non-ionic surfactant (Rhodasurf CET-2) was added (Exp-III, IV and V).

Evaluating a linkage between obesity and the occurrence of dental caries among school going children in Sakaka, Al Jouf, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Background: Obesity and dental caries are global public health problems. There are conflicting reports about the relationship between caries and obesity. The aim of this study was to analyze the type of relationship between the dental caries and obesity among school children in Al-Jouf region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 participants aged 6 to 14 years. The study involved measuring caries (dmft/DMFT), assessing body mass index (BMI), and administering a self-completion questionnaire. An independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Out of 400 participants, 380 agreed to participate in the study. Overall caries prevalence among the participants was 76.1% and mean DMFT and dmft values were 2.8 ± 1.0 and 3.7 ± 1.6. Among the factors associated with mean caries scores, relation between DMFT scores and frequency of consumption of sugar was statistically significant (F = 3.82,0.01). Regression models has identified children with increased BMI values has 3.2 times more risk of getting dental caries in permanent teeth (P = 0.001). Conclusion: There was a positive association between obesity and dental caries in school going Saudi Arabian children. Comprehensive multidisciplinary approach by health professionals is recommended for preventive public health issues related to caries and obesity in teenagers.