An assessment of preclinical removable prosthodontics based on multiple-choice questions: Stakeholders' perceptions.

PURPOSE: Item analysis of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) is an essential tool for identifying items that can be stored, revised, or discarded to build a quality MCQ bank. This study analyzed MCQs based on item analysis to develop a pool of valid and reliable items and investigate stakeholders' perceptions regarding MCQs in a written summative assessment (WSA) based on this item analysis. METHODS: In this descriptive study, 55 questions each from 2016 to 2019 of WSA in preclinical removable prosthodontics for fourth-year undergraduate dentistry students were analyzed for item analysis. Items were categorized according to their difficulty index (DIF I) and discrimination index (DI). Students (2021-2022) were assessed using this question bank. Students' perceptions of and feedback from faculty members concerning this assessment were collected using a questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Of 220 items when both indices (DIF I and DI) were combined, 144 (65.5%) were retained in the question bank, 66 (30%) required revision before incorporation into the question bank, and only 10 (4.5%) were discarded. The mean DIF I and DI values were 69% (standard deviation [Std.Dev] = 19) and 0.22 (Std.Dev = 0.16), respectively, for 220 MCQs. The mean scores from the questionnaire for students and feedback from faculty members ranged from 3.50 to 4.04 and from 4 to 5, respectively, indicating that stakeholders tended to agree and strongly agree, respectively, with the proposed statements. CONCLUSION: This study assisted the prosthodontics department in creating a set of prevalidated questions with known difficulty and discrimination capacity.

Faculty perceptions on objective structured clinical exam in dental education / Percepción de los profesores sobre el examen clínico estructurado y su objetivo en la educación dental

Abstract Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) uses standardized content and procedures to assess students across multiple domains of learning. The study is aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, practices and observations of dental faculty on OSCE. The survey was distributed into dental faculty members in randomly selected government and private institutions in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was pre-tested and consisted of 4 categories including general characteristics of respondents, knowledge on utility of OSCE in curriculum and its reliability, attitudes regarding OSCE on a 5 point Likert scale, practices and observations on OSCE on Multiple choice questions (both single answer and multiple answer) and responses on a 5 point Likert scale. The sample size was determined to be 93 and the survey was sent electronically to 10 institutes. 101 complete responses from 7 institutions were considered from the 122 received. Faculty participation in OSCE was high within evaluators 94% (n=94) and administrators 61% (n=61). Majority of respondents (62%) believed that OSCE is most suited for competency based education, to assess cognitive skills (73%) and diagnostic interpretation (79%). Reliability of OSCE can be increased by standardization of evaluators (77%) with highest number believing that 6-8 stations (42%) are the minimum required in an OSCE. Institution guidelines (49%) coupled with workshops (47%) was the preferred method of preparation for OSCE. Majority felt that OSCE is most suitable for high stakes exams (mean=3.37) and it is an indispensable part of dental assessment (mean=3.78). Minimum number of stations for adequate reliability was reported to be lesser that in reported literature, specially so for high stakes assessments. Logistics required for arranging an OSCE and difficulty in standardized patients, may suggest that OSCE should be used in select situations.

Resumen El examen clínico estructurado (ECOE) utiliza contenido y procedimientos estandarizados para evaluar a los estudiantes en múltiples dominios de aprendizaje. Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar los conocimientos, las actitudes, las prácticas y las observaciones de los profesores de odontología sobre la ECOE. La encuesta se distribuyó a los miembros de la facultad de odontología en instituciones gubernamentales y privadas seleccionadas al azar en Arabia Saudita. El cuestionario se utilizó previamente y constaba de 4 categorías que incluían generalidades de los encuestados, conocimiento sobre la utilidad de la ECOE en el plan de estudios y su confiabilidad, actitudes con respecto a la ECOE en una escala Likert de 5 puntos, prácticas y observaciones sobre la ECOE en preguntas de opción múltiple (ambas respuesta y respuesta múltiple) y respuestas en una escala Likert de 5 puntos. Se determinó el tamaño de la muestra en 93 y la encuesta se envió electrónicamente a 10 institutos. Se consideraron 101 respuestas completas de 7 instituciones. La participación del profesorado en ECOE fue alta entre los evaluadores 94% (n=94) y los administradores 61% (n=61). La mayoría de los encuestados (62%) cree que la ECOE es más adecuada para la educación basada en competencias, para evaluar las habilidades cognitivas (73%) y la interpretación del diagnóstico (79%). La confiabilidad de la ECOE puede aumentarse mediante la estandarización de los evaluadores (77%) y el número más alto cree que 6-8 estaciones (42%) son el mínimo requerido en una ECOE. Las directrices de la institución (49%) junto con los talleres (47%) fue el método preferido de preparación para la ECOE. La mayoría consideró que la ECOE es más adecuada para exámenes de alto riesgo (media=3,37) y es una parte indispensable de la evaluación dental (media=3,78).Se informó que el número mínimo de estaciones para una confiabilidad adecuada es menor que en la literatura reportada, especialmente para evaluaciones de alto riesgo. La logística necesaria para organizar un ECOE y la dificultad en los pacientes estandarizados pueden sugerir que el ECOE se debe utilizar en situaciones seleccionadas.

Prevalence of Early Childhood Caries among the 3-5-year-old Children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Dental caries is a significant dental public health issue and it is the world's most common oral health condition among children. In the Kingdom, the prevalence and severity of early childhood caries has been rising. Aim: The aim of the study is to establish the prevalence of early childhood caries among children aged 3-5 years in Jeddah as well as the associated risk factor of visiting a dentist. Methodology: The research is based on a cross-sectional observational design. Children from both private and public schools were randomly selected from schools in all of Jeddah's regions until a sufficient sample size was attained. For the diagnosis of early childhood caries, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry criteria were used. Results: In Jeddah, the prevalence of early childhood caries is 57% among children aged 3-5 years. Conclusion: Caries in young children is a public health issue. There should be an increased emphasis to the parents that the child should visit the dentist by 12 months of age as recommended by many professional organizations. Regular dental appointments would then help to lessen the caries burden on children at an early age. The Four A's treatment regimen is recommended to aid in the prevention and early detection of early childhood caries. How to cite this article: Vanka S, Vanka A, Wali O, et al. Prevalence of Early Childhood Caries among the 3-5-year-old Children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(S-2):S197-S200.

Flipped classroom in dental education: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: There is a pressing need to explore strategies which adopt and incorporate contemporary teaching methods to keep abreast with technological advances. Flipped classroom is a type of blended learning approach that has received considerable attention as an alternative to traditional lectures. The purpose of this scoping review is to explore the characteristics of the flipped classroom model implemented in undergraduate dental education. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The scoping review has been reported under the PRISMA extension for scoping review guidelines. Systematic search of databases culminated in full-text papers that were evaluated for quality. RESULTS: A systematic search on flipped classroom in dental education identified a total of 30 papers for full-text evaluation. After further exclusion, 17 studies were selected for data charting. DISCUSSION: The student satisfaction, learning resources, pre-class and/or in-class activities, and academic scores are analysed and discussed. CONCLUSION: Flipped classroom improves student satisfaction in majority of the studies, whilst its effect on academic scores, particularly for skill development, needs more research.

Osteo/odontogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Platelet-rich Plasma and Mineral Trioxide Aggregate.

AIM: Aim of the study was to investigate the effect of PRP and MTA individually and combined on in vitro human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells' (MSCs) proliferation and osteo/odontogenic differentiation potential. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MSCs were cultured in vitro with MTA, 5% PRP, 10% PRP, MTA with 5%PRP, and MTA with 10% PRP. Fetal calf serum (FCS) was used as control. Cell viability and proliferative efficiency were tested with cell adhesion and MTT assay. Osteo/odontogenic differentiation was assessed and quantified with alizarin red staining. RESULTS: MTA alone, MTA with 5% PRP, and MTA with 10% PRP showed significantly high proliferation at day 7 and 14 when compared to the control group. Enhanced differentiation and the highest calcium deposition was observed in MTA with the 10% PRP group. CONCLUSION: Within limitations of the in vitro environment, results imply an increased proliferation and induction of MSCs into osteo/odontogenic differentiation by the combination rather than a mere sealing of PRP by MTA. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: PRP and MTA have the potential for true regeneration of the pulp tissue. Moreover, the combination of PRP and MTA can be utilized to expand the MSCs to generate adequate numbers for clinical applications, without xenogenic contamination. How to cite this article: Vanka A, Vishwakarma SK, Bhat MK, et al. Osteo/odontogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Platelet-rich Plasma and Mineral Trioxide Aggregate. J Contemp Dent Pract 2019;20(10):1171-1178.

Barriers of Restorative Care among Dental Patients in Jeddah: A Cross-sectional Analytical Survey.

INTRODUCTION: The epidemiological data in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia indicate that there has been increased prevalence of dental caries and increased treatment needs, with negligible rates of restorative care among the population. The restorative treatments done among the population are very limited. There are no published reports that systematically document the barriers of restorative care among the residents of Jeddah. AIM: This present paper is a humble attempt toward the study of barriers of restorative care and systematic documentation of the dental patients in a private dental school in Jeddah. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The methodology adopted by the study is the preparation of a questionnaire after validation and analyzing the responses from the sample of the universe of dental patients in Jeddah. The questionnaire broadly included (1) fear of consulting a dentist, (2) dental anxiety/fear to receive dental care, (3)cost of dental treatment, (4) fee for restoration, (5) pain, and (6) experience of a dentist (fear that a student may treat them). The completed questionnaire of 22 questions was proofread by a group of general dentists to check for clarity and meaning of the statements. After the changes, the questionnaire was distributed to 275 patients. The analysis of the data in the study was done by the SPSS version 23. Chi-square was calculated for the analyses of all the independent variables. RESULTS: 41.4% of people have fear to visit a dentist. Hence, this is one of the barriers of restoration. Nearly 50% have responded that restorative treatment is painful. In addition, the experience of the dentist has an impact on the respondents getting treatments in the dental clinic. 76% of the respondents have a fear when a student who has lesser experience will be treating them in the dental clinic. CONCLUSION: Dentists have to distinguish between perceived barriers and the real barriers to choosing restorative treatments.

Molar Protraction Using Miniscrews (Temporary Anchorage Device) with Simultaneous Correction of Lateral Crossbite: An Orthodontic Case Report.

Early loss of permanent teeth, congenitally missing lateral incisors or second premolars, extremely displaced or impacted canines, all result in a reduced upper dentition. That leads to the development of crossbite in the maxillary dentition. Partial denture prosthesis, dental implants, and space closure by fixed orthodontics are the various means of treating the edentulous spaces. Protraction of molars is time taking and challenging. Temporary anchorage device (TAD) helps to protract molars without anchorage loss. This case report describes the orthodontic treatment of a 25-year-old female with lateral dental crossbite using posterior bite plane appliance with fixed orthodontic appliance. Missing upper second molar was protracted mesially to the first molar extraction space by TAD to avoid prosthetic replacement.

Pattern of Antibiotic Prescription for Oral Implant Treatment Among Dentists in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate antibiotic prophylaxis prescription behavior among dentists practicing dental implant surgery in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational questionnaire study was conducted in the period between October 2016 and December 2016. A link to an online previously validated questionnaire was sent to a convenience sample of dentists practicing dental implant placement in the different areas of Saudi Arabia. Absolute frequencies were used to describe the data. RESULTS: One hundred nine completed questionnaires were received. A total of 59.63% (n = 65) of the respondents routinely prescribed prophylactic antibiotics when performing implant surgery. There was a wide variation in the preoperative and postoperative prescription regimens with the majority (67%) starting the antibiotic immediately postoperatively for 3 to 5 days, with no preoperative antibiotic use. Amoxicillin and clavulanic acid combination was the drug of choice for 50.3% of the respondents, whereas 26.6% prescribed amoxicillin as the drug of choice. CONCLUSION: Although a small study with a low response rate, a wide variation in antibiotic prescribing patterns with respect to the drugs chosen, timing, and duration was found in implant surgery in Saudi Arabia. Dentists should be aware of the risk of antibiotic overuse and start to share in the efforts that aim to reserve the antibiotics to combat life-threatening infections and to reduce development of bacterial resistance to the available antibiotics.