Saudi dental hygienists' opinions regarding establishing a professional association.

AIM: To assess the opinions of dental hygienists in Saudi Arabia regarding the establishment of a professional association including the role it should have to meet their professional needs. METHODS: A cross-sectional electronic survey using Qualtrics was utilized. IRB exemption was obtained prior to distribution. Although there are 298 licensed Saudi dental hygienists in Saudi Arabia, email addresses were only available for 101 respondents: those obtained previously by direct contact for the purpose of initiation of a professional association and those referred by the direct contacts. Subjects were emailed a link to the survey. RESULTS: Seventy-seven subjects responded fully to the survey yielding a response rate of 70.3%. Most 91.5% (n = 65) of the respondents favoured the establishment of a Saudi dental hygiene professional association. Eighty-eight per cent (n = 59) responded that such an association would promote development of the profession in the country at least somewhat and 86.6% (n = 58) agreed that their professional needs could be met by its establishment. Interestingly, half of those who did not support the creation of the professional association believed it would promote development of the profession and meet professional needs. CONCLUSIONS: A representative sample of dental hygienists in Saudi Arabia support the establishment of a professional association and feel that it would advocate and promote the dental hygiene profession in the country and meet their professional needs.

Polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma versus pleomorphic adenoma of minor salivary glands: resolution of a diagnostic dilemma by immunohistochemical analysis with glial fibrillary acidic protein.

OBJECTIVES: Differentiating polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma (PLGA) from pleomorphic adenoma (PA) in salivary gland biopsy specimens from the palatal region might be a diagnostic dilemma for the pathologist when tumors are cellular with minimal matrix material. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), expressed by a number of cells in the mature central nervous system, is also expressed in tumors not generally considered to be of glial origin. PAs have previously been reported to strongly express GFAP. PLGAs have been examined for the expression of this protein only in small group studies with variable results. The objective of this study was to determine whether differential expression of GFAP in these 2 tumors could be diagnostically significant. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 42 PLGAs and 36 PAs, formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded, were immunostained with rabbit polyclonal antibodies to GFAP. CNS tissue was used as a positive control. RESULTS: Results showed the 36 cases of PA to be strongly positive for GFAP. Of PLGAs, 31 were negative and 11 showed faint patchy reactivity in luminal cells. CONCLUSIONS: The results strongly support a role for GFAP as a diagnostic adjunct in the microscopic differential diagnosis of PLGA versus PA. This study is the largest investigation with consistent results to date addressing the application of this antibody to the diagnostic problem of PA versus PLGA.

Angina bullosa hemorrhagica: an unusual problem following periodontal therapy.

Angina bullosa hemorrhagica (ABH) describes benign subepithelial oral blood blisters not attributable to a systemic disorder. Little is known about the pathogenesis of ABH, although most cases have been associated with mild trauma prior to appearance of the lesion. This report discusses the clinical and histopathologic features of ABH which appeared after routine scaling and root planing.

Autosomal dominant osteosclerosis: report of a kindred.

Autosomal dominant osteosclerosis (ADO), a rare inherited craniotubular bone disorder, is a generalized hyperostosis that manifests itself as increased cortical thickening of the skull, mandible, metacarpals, metatarsals, long bones, vertebral bodies, ribs, and clavicles. Jaw abnormalities, which clinically resemble the widening and deepening of the mandible seen in cherubism, begin in childhood and have been reported to stabilize after puberty. Teeth and alveolar bone are normal. ADO must be distinguished from Van Buchem's disease, which is characterized by elevated serum alkaline phosphatase, neurologic complications, exopthalmos, periosteal excrescences, and an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance, as well as from other craniotubular bone disorders such as osteopetrosis. We present clinical and radiographic documentation of members of a kindred representing 4 generations affected with ADO. At initial examination of the proband, a differential diagnosis included cherubism, fibrous dysplasia, osteopetrosis, and Paget's disease. Radiographic examination revealed extensive radiopacity of the inferior border and basal bone of the mandible. The proband's clavicles and humerus were also affected. All family members examined were similarly affected and had mandibular and palatal tori. Authors of a previously published report on the dental and dentoalveolar management of patients with craniotubular bone disorders have recommended prophylactic antibiotics to minimize risk of osteomyelitis in all such cases. The members of our kindred received extensive dental treatment before diagnosis, including extractions of severely carious teeth, preprosthetic dentoalveolar surgery, and endodontic therapy; there was no incidence of osteomyelitis or postsurgical complications. Therefore, the use of prophylactic antibiotics may not be warranted in patients with ADO who have otherwise normal medical histories.

Tobacco cessation: a practical dental service.

Tobacco use is a complex addiction that must be addressed in all aspects of health care. Despite the deleterious and costly outcomes of tobacco use, Americans still are smoking and using smokeless tobacco. Dentists are trained to detect oral lesions and periodontal problems that are related to tobacco use. Dentists also are in a position to help prevent the initiation of tobacco use by children and adolescents through the use of positive anti-tobacco messages. Over the past decade, tobacco cessation strategies have been modified for practical use in the dental setting.

Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor presenting as periapical disease.

Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor commonly occurs in association with the crowns of unerupted teeth. An extrafollicular variant, radiographically in relationship to root apices, has been reported. However, clear association with the root apices at surgery has not been demonstrated. We report a case of adenomatoid odontogenic tumor in the anterior mandible in a 21-year-old woman that presented radiographically at the root apices and at surgery as a radicular cyst. We believe this represents the first reported case of adenomatoid odontogenic tumor presenting as periapical disease both clinically and radiographically. The diagnosis of adenomatoid odontogenic tumor should be considered when the clinician is presented with a corticated radiolucency in the anterior jaw, especially in teens and young adults.

Dental hygiene preceptorship: an issue of risk management.

The potential for legal liabilities exists in all aspects of dental hygiene practice. Contemporary malpractice law demands the highest standards for oral healthcare. Formal educational credentials of dental hygiene practitioners contribute to the provision of quality healthcare, an environment that elicits societal trust, and the prevention of legal risks. The purpose of this paper is to explore an alternative to formal dental hygiene education--preceptorship training--as it relates to current theories and practices in risk management. Key issues explored include expectations and rights of society, responsibility of the professional and the profession to society, risk management in the practice setting, and how preceptorship and formal education compare, relative to these key issues. The paper also analyzes whether the preceptorship concept is counterproductive for society, the profession, and the employer; and explains how the malpractice crisis in America is challenging oral health providers to rise to higher levels of education and professional competence.