Attitudes and practices of tobacco cessation counseling among Saudi dental professionals: A nationwide cross-sectional survey.

Background: Dental professionals can play a pivotal role in educating the public about the harmful effects of smoking and encouraging them to quit the habit. Aim: This study assesses the attitudes and practices of tobacco cessation counseling (TCC) among dental professionals in Saudi Arabia. Patients and Methods: This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study targeted dentists and dental interns working in government and private sectors in Saudi Arabia. We conducted a descriptive analysis by using SPSS Statistics, version 25.0. Results: A total of 895 respondents (314 interns and 581 dentists) participated in this survey. Although the majority of respondents (93%) reported that they always ask patients about tobacco habits, only 59% reported recording tobacco habits in patients' files, and only 55% of the respondents reported explaining to patients the harmful effects of tobacco. Around 91% of the participants believe that a dental clinic is an appropriate place for TCC, and 22% believe that TCC has a negative impact on dental practice. Smoking status, work setting, and the number of years since graduation were found to be significantly associated with the respondents' attitudes and practices. Lack of training, time limitations, and lack of confidence were barriers for TCC. Conclusions: Dental professionals in Saudi Arabia demonstrated relatively positive attitudes but weak practices of TCC. Continuous education and motivation are needed to improve dentists' confidence, attitudes, and willingness for TCC. Integration of tobacco control education in undergraduate curricula is recommended.

Statins-based prophylactic mouthwash and nasal spray may protect against coronavirus disease 2019.

The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused an unprecedented healthcare crisis. SARS-CoV-2 gets access into the human body mainly through the nose and the mouth and invades these mucosae in its destination to the pulmonary tissues. Thus, the oral and nasal mucosae serve as the main routes and reservoirs for aerosolized transmission of the viral particles to the external environment and hence infection transmission. Statins have been shown to have antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant properties. Therefore, we hypothesize that using statins-based prophylactic mouthwashes will reduce COVID-19 transmission in dental settings.

Independent determinants of periodontitis in Yemeni adults: A case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: The relative importance of risk factors of periodontitis varies from one population to another. In this study, we sought to identify independent risk factors of periodontitis in a Yemeni population. METHODS: One hundred and fifty periodontitis cases and 150 healthy controls, all Yemeni adults 30-60 years old, were recruited. Sociodemographic data and history of oral hygiene practices and oral habits were obtained. Plaque index (PI) was measured on index teeth. Periodontal health status was assessed using Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL) according to WHO. Periodontitis was defined as having one or more sextants with a CPI score ≥ 3. Multiple logistic regression modelling was employed to identify distal, intermediate and proximal determinants of periodontitis, while ordinal regression was used to identify those of CAL scores. RESULTS: In logistic regression, PI score was associated with the highest odds of periodontitis (OR = 82.9) followed by cigarette smoking (OR = 12.8), water pipe smoking (OR = 10.2), male gender (OR = 3.4) and age (OR = 1.19); on the other hand, regular visits to the dentist (OR = 0.05), higher level of education (OR = 0.37) and daily dental flossing (OR = 0.95) were associated with lower odds. Somewhat similar associations were seen for CAL scores (ordinal regression); however, qat chewing was identified as an additional determinant (OR = 4.69). CONCLUSION: Water pipe smoking is identified as a risk factor of periodontitis in this cohort in addition to globally known risk factors. Adjusted effect of qat chewing is limited to CAL scores, suggestive of association with recession.

Perceived sources of stress amongst dental students: A multicountry study.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to explore the perceived sources of stress reported by dental students from fourteen different countries. METHODS: A total of 3568 dental students were recruited from 14 different dental schools. The dental environmental stress (DES) questionnaire was used including 7 domains. Responses to the DES were scored in 4-point Likert scale. Comparison between students was performed according to the study variables. The top 5 stress-provoking questions were identified amongst dental schools. Data were analysed using SPSS software program. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used as appropriate. Logistic regression analysis was also conducted to determine the effect of the studied variables on the stress domains. The level of statistical significance was set at <.05. RESULTS: Internal consistency of the scale was excellent (0.927). Female students formed the majority of the total student population. The percentage of married students was 4.8%. Numbers of students in pre-clinical and clinical stages were close together. The most stress-provoking domain was "workload" with a score of 2.05 ± 0.56. Female students scored higher stress than male students did in most of the domains. Significant differences were found between participating countries in all stress-provoking domains. Dental students from Egypt scored the highest level of stress whilst dental students from Jordan scored the lowest level of stress. CONCLUSION: The self-reported stress in the dental environment is still high and the stressors seem to be comparable amongst the participating countries. Effective management programmes are needed to minimise dental environment stress.

Effect of social networking on academic achievement of dental students, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia.

We investigated the effect of social networking (SN) on academic achievement of dental students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed during the 2015/16 academic year to all dental students and data were analysed by SPSS version 21. There were 348 participants (70% response rate) and 53% were male. Fifty-one percent of participants reported that they studied just before examinations, and 51% scored 3.5-4.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) in the last semester. Up to 98% of the participants reported using their smartphones/ computers for SN, with 93% doing so on a daily basis, and 66% reported SN during lectures, laboratories and clinics. Fifty-seven percent thought that SN affected their study negatively, and 65% thought that their GPA would improve if they stopped or reduced SN. Students who spent more hours each day on SN had lower GPA scores. SN negatively affected the academic achievement of dental students. Further evaluation and tailored educational programmes are needed to increase students' awareness about the negative effects of SN.

Effect of social networking on academic achievement of dental students, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia

We investigated the effect of social networking [SN] on academic achievement of dental students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed during the 2015/16 academic year to all dental students and data were analysed by SPSS version 21. There were 348 participants [70% response rate] and 53% were male. Fifty-one percent of participants reported that they studied just before examinations, and 51% scored 3.5-4.5 Grade Point Average [GPA] in the last semester. Up to 98% of the participants reported using their smartphones/computers for SN, with 93% doing so on a daily basis, and 66% reported SN during lectures, laboratories and clinics. Fifty-seven percent thought that SN affected their study negatively, and 65% thought that their GPA would improve if they stopped or reduced SN. Students who spent more hours each day on SN had lower GPA scores. SN negatively affected the academic achievement of dental students. Further evaluation and tailored educational programmes are needed to increase students' awareness about the negative effects of SN

Nous avons étudié l'influence des réseaux sociaux sur la réussite universitaire des étudiants en médecine dentaire à l'Université de Jazan, en Arabie saoudite. Un questionnaire auto-administré a été distribué à tous les étudiants en médecine dentaire sur l'année universitaire 2015-2016, et les données ont été analysées à l'aide du logiciel SPSS, version 21. Au total, 348 étudiants ont participé [taux de réponse de 70%], dont 53% d'hommes. Cinquante et un pour cent des participants ont rapporté qu'ils étudiaient juste avant les examens, et 51% ont obtenu une moyenne de 3,5-4,5 au dernier semestre. Jusqu'à 98% des participants ont rapporté qu'ils utilisaient leur smartphones/ordinateurs pour se connecter aux réseaux sociaux, dont 93% sur une base quotidienne, et 66% ont rapporté se connecter pendant les cours, en laboratoire et en clinique. Cinquante-sept pour cent pensaient que les réseaux sociaux avaient une influence négative sur leurs études, et 65% étaient d'avis que leur moyenne serait meilleure s'ils arrêtaient ou réduisaient leur utilisation des réseaux sociaux. Les étudiants qui passaient le plus de temps par jour sur les réseaux sociaux avaient des moyennes plus faibles. Les réseaux sociaux affectaient négativement la réussite universitaire des étudiants en médecine dentaire. De plus amples investigations et des programmes d'éducation adaptés sont requis pour sensibiliser les étudiants aux effets négatifs des réseaux sociaux

Oral and pharyngeal cancers in Yemen: a retrospective study.

Hospital-based studies have revealed very high relative frequencies of oral and pharyngeal cancers in Yemen. This study estimated the relative frequencies of oral and pharyngeal cancers among Yemeni cancer patients registered in 2007 and 2008 and determined patients' demographic and tumour characteristics. Of the registered 7515 cases, 302 (4.0%) were oral cancer and 239 (3.2%) pharyngeal cancer. Oral cancer was significantly more frequent among females while pharyngeal cancer was significantly more frequent among males. Oral cancer patients were significantly older than pharyngeal cancer patients. The tongue was the most affected oral site (53.6%) while the nasopharynx comprised 89.5% of pharyngeal cancers. The most frequent morphological type was squamous cell carcinoma (93.2%). High proportions of oral cancer (71.5%) and pharyngeal cancer (77.4%) patients were diagnosed at advanced stages. Compared with other countries in the region, oral cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer represent substantial national health burdens in Yemen.

Oral and pharyngeal cancers in Yemen: a retrospective study

Hospital-based studies have revealed very high relative frequencies of oral and pharyngeal cancers in Yemen. This study estimated the relative frequencies of oral and pharyngeal cancers among Yemeni cancer patients registered in 2007 and 2008 and determined patients' demographic and tumour characteristics. Of the registered 7515 cases, 302 [4.0%] were oral cancer and 239 [3.2%] pharyngeal cancer. Oral cancer was significantly more frequent among females while pharyngeal cancer was significantly more frequent among males. Oral cancer patients were significantly older than pharyngeal cancer patients. The tongue was the most affected oral site [53.6%] while the nasopharynx comprised 89.5% of pharyngeal cancers. The most frequent morphological type was squamous cell carcinoma [93.2%]. High proportions of oral cancer [71.5%] and pharyngeal cancer [77.4%] patients were diagnosed at advanced stages. Compared with other countries in the region, oral cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer represent substantial national health burdens in Yemen