Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Cardiovascular Diseases and Their Risk Factors Among the Najran Population in Saudi Arabia.

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention is of great importance due to the high prevalence of CVDs and elevated treatment expenses among patients and healthcare systems. One of the most effective strategies is the improvement of knowledge and attitude levels toward CVD symptoms and risk factors. Objective This study aimed to explore the level of knowledge and attitude about CVD among the general population in Najran city, Saudi Arabia. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out between November and December 2022 among the Najran population. A structured questionnaire comprised socio-demographic characteristics, attitudes, and knowledge about CVD and risk factors. Ethical approval was taken from the ethical committee. Results The study included 527 participants living in Najran city aged 18 to 60 years old. Most participants were Saudi nationals (97.3%, N = 513), two-thirds had a university degree (68.9%, N = 126), and approximately half of them were females (51.8%). Furthermore, about two-thirds of the participants (60.7%, N = 320) showed a good knowledge level, and most reported an excellent attitude (87.3%, N = 460). Participants who had a university degree showed significantly better attitude levels (p-value = 0.043). No factors revealed a significant impact on the knowledge level. Conclusion Moderate knowledge and excellent attitude levels were seen among the Saudi population. Increasing the knowledge level among the total population is essential. It will be reflected in their attitude and practice. Thus, structured educational programs and utilization of available CVD guidelines should be strengthened as a better preventive strategy to overcome this condition. Also, using mass and social media to increase population awareness and good health responsibility is an effective way to limit the risk of CVD incidence.

Students' Perceptions of their Dental Curriculum and Education.

Objective: To evaluate the satisfaction of dental students toward their dental curriculum and education at dental colleges in the central region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: Two forms of the questionnaire were established, a paper version and an electronic internet-based survey (Google online form). Paper versions were distributed to interns graduated from universities in Riyadh. The electronic versions were used to obtain responses from students at dental colleges and universities outside of Riyadh, such as Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU) and Majmaah University, by emailing the links to the participants who were dental interns that had graduated in the 2018/2019 academic year. Results: A total of 388 interns answered the questionnaire. Overall, 48.4% of the interns were highly satisfied with the Operative Department while regarding Orthodontic Department 16.9% were satisfied while 11.2% were highly satisfied. Regarding the non-clinical satisfaction score, the interns were mostly unsatisfied with their research skills (15.5%). Comparing the interns' satisfaction at different institutions, there was a statistically significant difference in the clinical satisfaction score (P ≤0.01), but there was no difference in the non-clinical satisfaction score (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Dental students need a greater focus and exposure to research skills during their dental school studies. To improve dental students' level of clinical satisfaction, it is more important for them to have early exposure to comprehensive clinical training than specialty-based clinical training.

The State-of-the-Art of Gene Editing and its Application to Viral Infections and Diseases Including COVID-19.

Gene therapy delivers a promising hope to cure many diseases and defects. The discovery of gene-editing technology fueled the world with valuable tools that have been employed in various domains of science, medicine, and biotechnology. Multiple means of gene editing have been established, including CRISPR/Cas, ZFNs, and TALENs. These strategies are believed to help understand the biological mechanisms of disease progression. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been designated the causative virus for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that emerged at the end of 2019. This viral infection is a highly pathogenic and transmissible disease that caused a public health pandemic. As gene editing tools have shown great success in multiple scientific and medical areas, they could eventually contribute to discovering novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies to battle the COVID-19 pandemic disease. This review aims to briefly highlight the history and some of the recent advancements of gene editing technologies. After that, we will describe various biological features of the CRISPR-Cas9 system and its diverse implications in treating different infectious diseases, both viral and non-viral. Finally, we will present current and future advancements in combating COVID-19 with a potential contribution of the CRISPR system as an antiviral modality in this battle.

Stress levels among senior dental students in Saudi Arabia during fixed prosthodontics procedures.

Aims: To investigate self-perceived stress level of senior dental students in Saudi Arabia during different fixed prosthodontics procedures. Also, to explore the possible stress-related factors during each procedure. Settings and Design: A structured, close-ended, and open-ended, anonymous questionnaire was distributed in a website format to senior dental students of 19 dental schools in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Students were asked to rate the level of stress they feel during different fixed prosthodontics procedures on a scale from 0 to 10. They were also asked to rate the adequacy of their preclinical training in these procedures and how many times they have performed each of the procedures clinically. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics were presented in means, percentages, and standard deviation and inferential statistics were performed using One-way ANOVA, independent t-test and Pearson's correlation. Results: About 423 students answered the questionnaire, in which 228 (54%) were females and 195 (46%) were males. Vital tooth preparation (5.27 ± 2.459) and pos space preparation (5.13 ± 2.766) were rated as the most stressful procedures (P < 0.05). Fear of error or mishaps was the most reported reason for stress during these two procedures. Pearson's correlation showed significant but weak negative correlation between stress scores and number of times the student has performed the procedure (P < 0.05). Students who believe that they had adequate preclinical training reported significantly lower stress scores (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Self-perceived stress among dental students is related to the type of procedure they perform in the clinic and how frequent they have been exposed to it during their preclinical training.

Analysis of Root Canal Anatomy of Mandibular Permanent Incisors in Saudi Subpopulation: A Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the root canal anatomy of central and lateral mandibular incisors in a Saudi population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Overall, 1370 CBCT images of central (687) and lateral (683) mandibular incisors of Saudi patients who attended the Dental College at King Saud University in Riyadh were examined. The number of roots and canals, canal configuration types, symmetry between bilateral incisors, and the effect of gender and age were determined. For data analysis, the chi-square test was applied, and the p value was set at ≤0.05. Only one tooth had two roots, and 41% of mandibular incisors had two canals. The most common canal configuration type observed was type I (58.83%), followed by type III (28.24%). Type V was more common in men (8.31%) than women (3.9%). Bilateral symmetries were higher in the mandibular central incisors regarding the root and canal numbers and the canal configuration types (100, 100, and 97.92%, respectively) than in the lateral incisors (99.69, 98.16, and 97.24%, respectively). The 21-40 age group showed a higher proportion of teeth with more complicated root canal anatomy than the other age groups. More than one canal in mandibular incisors is a common finding in the Saudi subpopulation, with the type III canal configuration as the most common type.

Self-reported stress among senior dental students during complete denture procedures.

Aims: Stress is a common problem that can have a considerable impact on student performance and subsequently the quality of treatment given to the patients. This study aimed to investigate the levels and reasons of stress among senior dental students when they perform different complete denture clinical procedures. Settings and Design: A questionnaire was designed and distributed electronically among senior dental students of 19 universities in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: The students were asked to score the levels of stress during five complete denture clinical steps on a scale from zero to ten and report factors contributing to it. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were carried out by One-way ANOVA and independent t-test to compare stress scores between different procedures. Results: A total of 419 responses were collected, 195 (46.5%) males and 224 (53.5%) females. One-Way ANOVA revealed statistically significant difference in the mean stress scores between the five procedures (P < 0.001). The highest mean stress score was for border molding and final impression procedure (4.06 ± 2.664) and jaw relation (4.20 ± 2.690). Moreover, the Stress scores were significantly higher among females when compared to males in all procedures (P < 0.05) except the placement of final denture (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Border molding, final impression, and jaw relation records cause more stress for dental students than the other complete denture procedures. Difficulty of these two procedures was the most common reported stress provoking factors.

Interpretation of Root Canal Anatomy of Maxillary and Mandibular Permanent Canines in Saudi Subpopulation: A Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) Study.

The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the root canal anatomy of permanent canines in a Saudi subpopulation utilizing CBCT. A total of 1328 CBCT images of maxillary (634) and mandibular (694) permanent canines were collected from Saudi patients who visited the College of Dentistry at King Saud University in Riyadh. The images were analyzed for root and canal numbers, canal configuration types, and symmetry between the bilateral canine teeth in each arch. Gender, age, and tooth position were recorded. The Kappa test was used for both inter- and intraexaminer reliabilities. Data were analyzed with the chi-square test at a P value ≤ 0.05. There were no two-rooted teeth in maxillary canines, and 1.89% had two canals. Double roots and double canals in mandibular canines were found in 2.88% and 9.94% of the teeth, respectively. Type I canal configuration was more common in maxillary canines (97.94%) compared to mandibular canines (92.07%). Maxillary canines showed higher bilateral symmetries of root and canal numbers and canal configuration types (100%, 98.1%, and 97.9%, resp.) compared to mandibular canines (97.1%, 90.1%, and 92.1%, respectively). The majority of maxillary and mandibular canines had a single root with a single canal and type I canal configuration. Mandibular canines are characterized by having more than one root and canal and alterations in root canal configurations compared to maxillary canines.