Frequency and Demographic Analysis of Odontogenic Tumors in Three Tertiary Institutions: An 11-Year Retrospective Study.

Odontogenic tumors (OTs) are distinct conditions that develop in the jawbones, exhibiting diverse histopathological features and variable clinical behaviors. Unfortunately, the literature on this subject in Saudi Arabia remains sparse, indicating a pressing need for more comprehensive data concerning the frequency, demographics, treatment modalities, and outcomes of OTs. OBJECTIVES: The study aims to evaluate the frequency, demographic features, treatment, and outcomes of OTs across three tertiary medical centers. METHODS AND MATERIAL: OT cases were identified in King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), and Prince Sultan Military Medical City (PSMMC) from January 2010 to December 2021. RESULTS: Ninety-two OT cases were identified from the anatomical pathology laboratories of three tertiary hospitals. KFMC contributed the highest number of cases (43.5%), followed by KAMC (30.4%) and PSMMC (26.1%). The median age of OT patients was 29 years (range: 5-83), with males representing more than half of the patients (56.5%). The mandible was the most frequent site of OT occurrence (72.5%), with ameloblastoma being the predominant OT (63.0%), followed by odontoma (19.5%). Among the treatment modalities, bone resection was employed the most (51.0%), followed by enucleation (25.6%). Notably, 11.5% of OT cases with available follow-up data exhibited recurrence, with ameloblastoma accounting for eight recurrent cases. CONCLUSIONS: Although OTs are relatively common in the jaws, they are rare in anatomical pathology laboratories and the general population. This study contributes valuable insights into the epidemiology characteristics, treatment trends, and recurrence rates of OTs in Saudi Arabia.

Effect of silicone-based sealers on fiber post retention: An in vitro study.

PURPOSE: The effect of a silicone-based sealer on fiber post retention has not been the subject of research and remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the impact of a silicone-based sealer and an epoxy resin sealer on fiber post retention. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty extracted human mandibular premolars that were caries-free, single-rooted, and possessed straight single canals were the specimens of the present study. Teeth were randomly divided into two groups (n = 20 each). All specimens were prepared using gutta-percha. The sealer used in the first group was Guttaflow 2, while AH26 was used in the second group. Post spaces were prepared immediately after obturation for each specimen. Prefabricated fiber posts were luted in both groups using a self-adhesive resin cement (RelyX-U200). Each specimen was vertically secured using a universal testing machine (Instron Corp.) and a constant pull-out force at a loading rate of 0.5 mm/min was applied until the point of dislodgement. Data were analyzed using t-tests. RESULTS: A significant difference was found between the mean of maximum loads of the silicone-based sealer and epoxy resin sealer groups (p = 0.0001). The mean maximum load for the epoxy resin sealer group was 194.62 N, while that for the silicone-based sealer group was 111.64 N. CONCLUSION: Fiber post retention in teeth obturated using silicone-based sealer was inferior to that in teeth obturated with epoxy resin sealer. Therefore, the sealer used during obturation can significantly affect fiber post retention.

Does Social Media Affect a Patient's Decision to Undergo Orthognathic Surgery?

Orthognathic surgery, also known as corrective jaw surgery, is a procedure that corrects abnormalities of the jaw and face. It is used to treat malocclusions, where the teeth and jaws are misaligned. This surgery can improve the function and appearance of the jaw and face, leading to improved mastication, speech, and quality of life for the patients. To assess if social media had any effect on the patients' decision to undergo orthognathic surgery, a self-administered online questionnaire was distributed to patients who had undergone orthognathic surgery at the Oral and Maxillofacial department through the health information system (BESTCare, 2.0A) to participate in the study. In total, 111 responses were recorded from the patients, with 107 agreeing to answer the questionnaire and 4 refusing to answer. Twitter was a source of information about orthognathic surgery for 61 patients (57%). When using a social media platform, 3 patients (2.8%) were influenced by an advertisement or an educational post on social media that presented the surgical correction of the jaws, while 15 (14%) believed that they had been somewhat influenced, and 25 (23.4%) picked their surgeon through social media. Fifty-six patients (52.3%) took the neutral position regarding whether information on social media had answered their questions and concerns regarding the surgical procedure. Social media did not influence patients' decision to undergo the procedure. Surgeons and specialists must utilize their platforms to answer any concerns or questions from any patient undergoing or having undergone this corrective jaw surgery.

Frequency and Demographic Profile of Odontogenic Cysts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Odontogenic cysts (OCs) are etiologically diverse conditions with a shared origin in the jaws. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of published data regarding OC frequency, treatment, and follow-up information in Saudi Arabia, especially from tertiary centers. OBJECTIVES: The study aims to assess the relative frequency, clinicopathological features, treatment, and follow-up of OCs in three tertiary medical centers. METHODS AND MATERIAL: OCs were identified from King Abdulaziz Medical City, King Fahad Medical City, and Prince Sultan Military Medical City from January 2010 to December 2021. RESULTS: Three hundred and seventy-two cases of OCs were identified from the archive of three medical centers in Riyadh; one hundred and forty-nine (40%) cases were retrieved from Prince Sultan Military Medical City. The mean age of all OCs was 32 years (range 2-90), with 225 (60.4%) cases occurring in males. There was an almost equal distribution of OCs between the maxilla (47.0%) and the mandible (53.0%). The apical radicular cyst (ARC) accounted for half of the cases, followed by dentigerous cyst (DC) (29.3%) and odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) (14.2%). Enucleation was the most common treatment modality (52.8%), followed by excision (35.0%). Thirteen cases showed recurrence: one ARC, four DCs, and eight OKCs. CONCLUSION: This is the first large multicenter study of OCs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All three centers showed that ARC was the most common, followed by DC and OKC.

Dental Students' Experience, Impact, and Response to Patient Aggression in Saudi Arabia: A Nationwide Study.

Patient aggression and violence comprise a wide range of behaviors and actions that may include verbal aggression and physical aggression. The aim of this study is to report dental students' experience with, impact from, and response to patient aggression in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among dental students from various health universities representing each region of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a self-administered, structured and validated questionnaire. A total of 375 participants responded to the questionnaire and 121 (32.3%) study participants reported experiencing patient aggression. Out of those, 91 (75.21%) experienced patients displaying anger or raising their voice toward them, 37 (30.58%) reported being insulted by a patient, 22 (18.18%) reported being threatened, 12 (6.2%) had experienced sexual harassment, and 65 (50.41%) had experienced verbal harassment. Furthermore, 91 (75.21%) participants reported being abandoned by patients because they were students. A total of 55 (45.45%) participants stated that aggressive patient behavior had an impact on their clinical performance, and 44 (36.36%) considered themselves stressed out. A total of 24 (19.83%) participants took time off due to incidents and 22 (18.18%) thought about quitting dentistry. Prevalence of patient aggression was significant among dental students in Saudi Arabia. These episodes of patient aggression negatively impacted students' academic performance and wellbeing, necessitating urgent attention. Educational institutions should conduct periodic workshops for students in order to address these issues. Policymakers should develop better policies in order to reduce violence and aggression against health care providers.

Prevalence and phase variable expression status of two autotransporters, NalP and MspA, in carriage and disease isolates of Neisseria meningitidis.

Neisseria meningitidis is a human nasopharyngeal commensal capable of causing life-threatening septicemia and meningitis. Many meningococcal surface structures, including the autotransporter proteins NalP and MspA, are subject to phase variation (PV) due to the presence of homopolymeric tracts within their coding sequences. The functions of MspA are unknown. NalP proteolytically cleaves several surface-located virulence factors including the 4CMenB antigen NhbA. Therefore, NalP is a phase-variable regulator of the meningococcal outer membrane and secretome whose expression may reduce isolate susceptibility to 4CMenB-induced immune responses. To improve our understanding of the contributions of MspA and NalP to meningococcal-host interactions, their distribution and phase-variable expression status was studied in epidemiologically relevant samples, including 127 carriage and 514 invasive isolates representative of multiple clonal complexes and serogroups. Prevalence estimates of >98% and >88% were obtained for mspA and nalP, respectively, with no significant differences in their frequencies in disease versus carriage isolates. 16% of serogroup B (MenB) invasive isolates, predominately from clonal complexes ST-269 and ST-461, lacked nalP. Deletion of nalP often resulted from recombination events between flanking repetitive elements. PolyC tract lengths ranged from 6-15 bp in nalP and 6-14 bp in mspA. In an examination of PV status, 58.8% of carriage, and 40.1% of invasive nalP-positive MenB isolates were nalP phase ON. The frequency of this phenotype was not significantly different in serogroup Y (MenY) carriage strains, but was significantly higher in invasive MenY strains (86.3%; p<0.0001). Approximately 90% of MenB carriage and invasive isolates were mspA phase ON; significantly more than MenY carriage (32.7%) or invasive (13.7%) isolates. This differential expression resulted from different mode mspA tract lengths between the serogroups. Our data indicates a differential requirement for NalP and MspA expression in MenB and MenY strains and is a step towards understanding the contributions of phase-variable loci to meningococcal biology.