Demographic insights into the periodontology workforce in Saudi Arabia: A descriptive study.

Objective: This study assessed the demographic characteristics of the periodontal workforce in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a retrospective study of periodontists practicing in Saudi Arabia from January 2000 through May 2023. The data were requested from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties and included the number of periodontists and dentists, the number of Saudi and non-Saudi periodontists, the sex distribution of periodontists, their ranking, and the geographic distribution across the 13 regions. Results: This study identified 700 practicing periodontists, representing 2.2 periodontists per 100,000 people. Consultant periodontists composed 31% of the population, mostly Saudi nationals. Approximately 53% of practicing periodontists resided in Saudi Arabia, mostly in the Riyadh, Makkah, and Eastern Provinces. Al Bahah, Najran, and the Northern Borders had fewer periodontists. Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into shaping the periodontal workforce in Saudi Arabia. Future studies on the factors related to the periodontology workforce can assist policymakers in implementing effective strategies to significantly improve the current workforce.

Exploring Factors Associated With Missed Dental Appointments: A Machine Learning Analysis of Electronic Dental Records.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to employ machine learning techniques to explore the factors that could be associated with missed dental appointments. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed a total of 14,066 electronic dental records. Dental appointment adherence was categorized as attended or missed. Descriptive statistics and machine learning techniques, including conditional inference regression trees (CTree) and random forests (RFs), were employed for the analyses. RESULTS: About 31% of dental appointments were missed. Among the study population, appointments scheduled on Monday of the first week in the school year had the highest percentage of missed appointments, reaching up to 60%. Similarly, appointments scheduled on weeks 9, 10, 15-19, on Mondays, and with female dental students had slightly above 40% of missed appointments. The random forest analysis identified the week of the dental appointment, age, clinical day, and dental education level of students as the most influential variables in predicting dental appointment adherence. CONCLUSIONS: The most significant factors associated with a higher proportion of missed dental appointments were scheduled during specific weeks, on Mondays, with younger patients (<50 years), and with female dental students. Therefore, identifying these factors may assist healthcare providers and dental institutions in planning strategies to improve appointment attendance.

Dental Appointment Adherence Patterns in the College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences: Insights From Electronic Dental Records.

Background The purpose of this study was to determine the pattern of dental appointment adherence in the College of Dentistry (COD), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS).  Methodology The electronic dental record SALUD (Two-Ten Health, Dublin, Ireland; n = 15,193) was used in this cross-sectional study. The primary outcome measure was adherence to dental appointments, categorized as attended, canceled by the patient, canceled by the school, or missed. Other variables of interest were demographic and appointment-related factors. Descriptive statistics were used to describe patterns of dental appointments. In addition, the proportion of check-in time for dental appointments among those who attended was calculated. For requested dental appointments among dental specialties, we calculated the percentage of booked, canceled, and rejected appointment requests for each specialty and compared the proportions across specialties. Results The proportion of attended dental appointments was 70.92% (10,775), with 9.14% (1,388) of appointments being missed and 16.70% (2,537) being canceled. Approximately 54% (5,765) of dental appointments were checked in on time. Approximately 77% (10,115) of dental appointment requests were scheduled. Pedodontics and orthodontics had the most scheduled appointments, while restorative dentistry had the most appointment requests. Conclusions The utilization of data from electronic dental records revealed a low rate of missed dental appointments. Identifying those who were late or skipped appointments was critical to determining the possible causes.

Investigating the Influence of Periodontal Disease on the Association Between Complex Multimorbidity and Health: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether periodontal disease (PD) moderates the association between complex multimorbidity (MM) and fair/poor general health in a US representative sample of older individuals. Materials and Methods: This study identified 937 participants who were at least 60 years of age from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between complex MM (including chronic conditions, functional limitations, and geriatric syndromes) and self-reported fair/poor general health. Subsequently, we specified interactions between complex MM and PD to determine whether PD moderates the effect of complex MM on fair/poor general health. Results: Nineteen percent of participants reported fair/poor general health. Complex MM was associated with 2.2 times greater odds of self-reported fair/poor health. However, PD was neither independently associated with fair/poor health nor an effect modifier for the association between complex MM and fair/poor general health. Age, white race, those with at least a high-school education level, a family income-to-poverty ratio of at least 2, former smoking status, and being married were significantly associated with fair/poor general health. Conclusion: Complex MM, but not PD, was associated with greater odds to report fair/poor general health, and PD did not moderate the association between complex MM and fair/poor general health. People with complex MM are more likely to have worse general health; however, PD did not strengthen this association. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether treatment for PD for people vulnerable to the development of complex MM has a positive effect on their general health.

Bony Exostosis Development in a Patient Following Free Gingival Graft and Orthodontic Treatment: A Case Report.

Free gingival grafts are commonly used to address mucogingival deformities and increase the zone of keratinized tissue. However, the development of bone exostosis after soft tissue graft procedures, such as the free gingival graft, is infrequent. This case report presents the development of a 12x5 mm bony exostosis in the buccal region of the maxillary right canine in a 28-year-old female medical student after a free gingival graft preceding orthodontic treatment. A patient-centric treatment plan, initiated with consultation from an oral pathologist, suggested a biopsy for a definitive diagnosis of a suspected peripheral ossifying fibroma. However, the patient declined due to the absence of symptoms. Therefore, a non-invasive approach involving close monitoring through regular follow-ups has been chosen. In conclusion, this case report highlights the rarity of bony exostosis development after a free gingival graft and orthodontic treatment. The patient's asymptomatic presentation, coupled with the decision to decline the biopsy, underscores the importance of vigilant monitoring. It is significant for dentists to be knowledgeable about this potential complication and its identification to avoid misdiagnosis as oral lesions.

Publication Trends and Collaborative Patterns in Periodontics Research from Saudi Arabia: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Aim: To perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis encompassing all articles published on periodontics from Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Using the Scopus database on June 8, 2023, the search term "Periodontic*" was entered in the primary search bar to extract all documents published on periodontics. Following, the year filter was applied to include articles published from the earliest available date until the date of data collection, excluding 2023. Next, we used the country/region filter to limit our documents to Saudi Arabia (n = 1929). We used Microsoft Excel (v.16) to examine periodical growth, collaboration patterns, influential institutions, frequently used sources, international research collaboration, and most-cited papers. Results: Saudi Arabia ranked 11th in periodontics research, contributing 3.43% to the global research output, reaching a peak of 7.63% in 2022. Notably, there was significant growth observed during the last 5 years of the study, with an average of 232.8 documents per year. The analysis of citations revealed that the selected documents received an average of 13.39 citations per document. Indigenous literature received less citation on average compared to internationally collaborated documents. King Saud University ranked first among the most productive institutions in Saudi Arabia, accounting 40.74% of the total output. The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice published the highest number of documents, followed by the Saudi Dental Journal and the Journal of Periodontology. In terms of citation impact, the Journal of Periodontology emerged as the most influential, with an average of 32.83 citations per document. Research collaboration was most prevalent with researchers from the United States (22.03%), although Germany ranked first in terms of citation impact. Conclusion: Saudi Arabia's contribution to periodontics research has shown significant growth in recent years. The collaborative efforts with international researchers, particularly those from the United States, have played a crucial role in fostering advancements within the field.

Combinations of chronic conditions, functional limitations and geriatric syndromes associated with periodontal disease.

OBJECTIVE: To identify complex multimorbid conditions, including chronic conditions, functional limitations and geriatric syndromes, associated with the presence and severity of periodontal disease (PD), after accounting for a series of demographic and behavioural characteristics. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study used secondary data from a nationally representative sample, classification and regression tree analysis and random forest identified combinations of specific conditions constituting complex multimorbidity associated with the presence and severity of PD. SETTING: US National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (2013-2014). PARTICIPANTS: Individuals 60 years of age or older who completed a periodontal examination. RESULTS: Among 937 participants aged 60 and over, the prevalence of PD was 72.6%. PD was associated with sociodemographic factors and limitations in instrumental activities of daily living. Male sex and non-white race were the two most critical predictors of stage III/IV PD. Other important factors included age, education level and the federal poverty level. CONCLUSIONS: Rather than chronic conditions or geriatric syndromes, PD was associated with sociodemographic factors and functional limitations. Accounting for the co-occurrence of sociodemographic and functional limitations will help recognise older adults who are at an increased vulnerability to the severity of PD.

Identifying Factors Associated with Periodontal Disease Using Machine Learning.

Objective: This study aimed to identify combinations of chronic conditions associated with the presence and severity of periodontal disease (PD) after accounting for a series of demographic and behavioral characteristics in a nationally representative sample of US adults. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 4555). Outcome measure: PD using clinical attachment loss (measured as none, mild, moderate, or severe). The main independent variables were self-reported chronic conditions, while other covariates included demographic and behavioral variables. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to identify combinations of specific chronic conditions associated with PD and PD with higher severity. Random forest was used to identify the most important variables associated with the presence and severity of PD. Results: The prevalence of PD was 77% among the study population. The percentage of those with PD was higher among younger and middle-aged (< 61 years old) than older (> 61 years old) adults. Age and education level were the two most important predictors for the presence and severity of PD. Other significant factors included alcohol use, type of medical insurance, sex, and non-white race. Accounting for only chronic conditions, hypertension and diabetes were the two chronic conditions associated with the presence and severity of PD. Conclusions: Sociodemographic and behavioral factors emerged as more strongly associated with the presence and severity of PD than chronic conditions. Accounting for the co-occurrence for sociodemographic and behavioral factors will be informative for identifying people vulnerable to the development of PD.

The Effect of Color Training of Dental Students' on Dental Shades Matching Quality.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of color training on the dental shade matching quality of dental students of both gender and to study the need to include lectures and exercises about shade selection in the undergraduate dental curriculum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty junior dental students from the College of Dentistry at King Saud University participated in the present study and were distributed randomly into four testing groups. They were asked to match the color of four target shade tabs from the VITA Linearguide 3D-MASTER. Group 1 attended a brief lecture and a training exercise about dental shade matching, Group 2 only attended the lecture, and Group 3 only performed the training exercise. Group 4 did not participate in the lecture or the training exercise and served as a control. Exact matching rates were calculated and analyzed to determine the pre- and post-test matching values. Three way repeated measures analysis of variance, paired t test, and independent t-test were used to compare shade matching quality, with a significance level of p < 0.05. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the pre- and post-test values for the students' dental shade matching qualities for all of the test groups. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of the dental shade matching training about color and dental shade matching for improving the students' shade matching quality was proven for both genders. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Training can improve shade matching quality of dental students. (J Esthet Restor Dent 29:346-351, 2017).