The Effect of Thymus Vulgaris Essential Oil and Chlorhexidine on Candida Albicans Accumulated on Removable Orthodontic Appliance: A Clinical Trial.

Statement of the Problem: Orthodontic removable appliances can facilitate the accumulation of certain microorganisms and microbial plaque on tooth surfaces and appliance components. Since long-term use of chemical agents is not recommended, an alternative option would be medicinal plants for disinfection of the oral cavity. Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of thymus vulgaris (T. vulgaris) essential oil to decrease the count of candida albicans (C. albicans) accumulated on removal orthodontic appliances. Materials and Method: In this 2-arm parallel controlled clinical trial, forty-four patients whose removable orthodontic appliances were contaminated with C. albicans were randomly divided into two groups by electronic random sampling. In the first group, T. vulgaris essential oil spray and in the second group, 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX) spray was applied to the appliances. Thereafter, the C. albicans colony count was measured at baseline (T0) and at 2 (T1) and 5 (T2) days after the intervention. Microbial samples were collected by a sterile swab from 3 spots on the internal surface of orthodontic appliances. The Friedman test was used for within-group comparisons and the Mann Whitney test was employed to compare the efficacy of T. vulgaris essential oil with CHX. Results: The results of this study revealed that continuous use of 2%T. vulgaris essential oil or 0.2% CHX significantly decreased the colony count of C. albicans on removable orthodontic appliances; Howevere, no significant difference was noted in the efficacy of 2% T. vulgaris essential oil and 0.2% CHX in decreasing the C. albicans colony count. Conclusion: T. vulgaris essential oil and CHX have favorable antimicrobial activity against C. albicans. Moreover, 2% T. vulgaris essential oil can be considered as an alternative to 0.2% CHX to eliminate fungal contamination of orthodontic appliances.

Validity and reliability of the Persian version of the short-form child perceptions questionnaire 11-14-year-old children (CPQ11-14).

BACKGROUND: The Child Perception questionnaire 11-14 (CPQ 11-14) is an efficient tool for assessment of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). This questionnaire has been briefed to 16 items (CPQ11-14 ISF-16) to facilitate its employment. The purpose the present study was to translate CPQ11-14 ISF-16 to Persian language, culturally adapt, and initially evaluate its among adolescent population. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The questionnaire has been translated to Persian, then back-translated to English, and finally underwent cultural adaptation and pretesting assessment. It was then filled out by 318 participents (175 grils and 143 boys), with the age of 11 to 14 years resident in Shiraz, Iran. The Persian version of CPQ11-14 ISF-16 along with the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ) and two suggested global questions were administered among participants to assess its criterion validity. RESULTS: The factor analysis extracted two domains and the factor loading of domains ranged from 0.423 to 0.837. Persian version of CPQ11-14 ISF-16 presented high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.854), and showed excellent criterion validity with PIDAQ (rho = 0.731, p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant positive moderate correlation between CPQ11-14 ISF-16 and its factors 1 and 2 and two global questions (first global question: rho = 0.439, p < 0.001; second global question: rho = 0.457, p = 0.035). CONCLUSION: The Persian version of CPQ11-14 ISF-16 has optimal validity and reliability in a general population of 11-14-year-old Persian children.

Influence of Multimedia Reminders on Oral Hygiene Status During Removable Orthodontic Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Orthodontic appliances complicate daily oral hygiene maintenance and enhance the formation of microbial biofilm on tooth surfaces and orthodontic appliances. Objective: This trial was conducted to assess the effect of reminders on oral hygiene of patients during removable orthodontic treatment. Methods: In this 2-arm parallel randomized controlled trial, 66 orthodontic patients with removable maxillary appliance were randomly allocated with 1:1 ratio to message reminders and the control group. The patients in the messaging group received one or two message reminders and educational videos weekly during the course of treatment. A single blinded examiner measured the plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and dental caries index of patients in both groups at baseline (T0) and one (T1), three (T2), and six (T3) months after the first day of treatment to assess their oral hygiene status during treatment. Results: A total of 30 patients in control group and 28 in reminder group completed the study. The PI and GI scores were increased neither in control group nor in message reminder group during T0 and T1, significantly. The PI and GI scores in message reminder group were significantly lower than those in the control group at T2 (PI: P = 0.001, GI: P = 0.003) and T3 (PI: P = 0.024, GI: P = 0.022). Slight significant increasing in the PI and GI score were found during T2 and T3 in message reminder group. Caries index showed no significant difference between two groups during study. Conclusion: It seems that reminders can efficiently promote oral hygiene of patients undergoing removable orthodontic treatment.

The effect of learning style and general self-efficacy on satisfaction of e-Learning in dental students.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on education. e-Learning has been becoming most popular. Satisfaction of the student is one of important goal of e-Learning, therefore factors affecting this satisfaction should be considered extensively. This study aims to evaluate the effect of learning style and General Self-Efficacy (GSE) on satisfaction of e-Learning in dental student. METHOD: Electronic questionnaires were sent to 85 fifth and sixth-year students who had passed the face-to-face orthodontics course in the previous semester and were studying online orthodontics at the time of this study. Three questionnaires were used including Soloman and Felder learning styles index, General self-efficacy questionnaire and Satisfaction questionnaire for online education. RESULTS: The results of the reliability test showed that Cronbach's alpha index for the self-efficacy and satisfaction questionnaire was 0.836 and 0.96, respectively. The correlation between satisfaction and the dimensions of learning style showed that the active dimension of processing information had a significant relationship with the level of satisfaction. In the understanding dimension, a relatively strong correlation was observed in the Global dimension. Moderate significant relationship between the total score of self-efficacy and the level of satisfaction has been found. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study highlight the necessity of more studies regarding defining effective on student satisfaction during e-Learning. GSES and active learning style in the processing dimension and global learning style in the understanding dimension affect students' satisfaction.

The impact of general self-efficacy and the severity of malocclusion on acceptance of removable orthodontic appliances in 10- to 12-year-old patients.

BACKGROUND: The patients' acceptance of a treatment plan and their subsequent cooperation play a crucial role in achieving the best results in orthodontic treatments. Evidences show some personality traits such as general self-efficacy (GSE) and some dental traits such as severity of malocclusion are correlated with motivation of orthodontic treatment. These factors may predict the patients' compliance and acceptance in using removable orthodontic appliances. This cross sectional study was conducted to assess the correlation of GSE and the severity of malocclusion with patients' acceptance in using removable orthodontic appliances. METHODS: This study recruited 50 patients aged 10-12 years who required removable orthodontic appliances. The severity of malocclusion was determined using the index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN) before the onset of treatment and GSE of participants were assessed using GSE scale self-report. The acceptance questionnaire was proposed to the patients on first (T1), third (T2), and sixth (T3) month after the delivery of the appliance. RESULTS: The GSE score had a statistically significant correlation with the total score of the acceptance questionnaire, subscale score of satisfaction with the appliance during eating and oral hygiene practice, duration of usage of the appliance, and interest in using it (P < 0.05). The IOTN had no significant correlation with the acceptance questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings substantiate the role of the GSES, concurrently declining the role of the IOTN in prediction of 10-12-year-old children's acceptance and cooperation in treatment of malocclusion with removable appliances.

Associations between malocclusion and self-esteem among Persian adolescent papulation.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of malocclusion on the self-esteem of adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated 496 student aged between 12 and 14 tears old living in Shiraz city. The level of self-esteem was determined using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES). To assess the degree of malocclusion, Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need- Dental Health Component (IOTN-DHC) was used. The Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the correlation of malocclusion and self-esteem. The mean of IOTN-DHC and total score of RSES in different age groups were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The mean IOTN-DHC and total score of RSES were compared between the two municipal districts and males and females using the Wilcoxon test and independent t-test, respectively. RESULTS: A significant but weak correlation was noted between IOTN-DHC and self-esteem (r = 115/0, P = 04/0), while IOTN-DHC subscale: space shortage, dental missing, overjet, overbite, and crossbite had nonsignificant correlation with self-esteem. The socioeconomic status of adolescents significantly affected their self-esteem (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Weakly significant correlation between mild malocclusion and dental self-esteem.

Preparation and characterization of hydrogel nanocomposite based on nanocellulose and acrylic acid in the presence of urea.

In this study, acrylic acid (AA) and cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were used as main materials to synthesize an acrylic-nanocellulose hybrid hydrogel nanocomposite in the presence of urea. The interpenetrating polymer networks were obtained by radical polymerization in different urea: AA ratios (0:10, 1:10, 3:10, 5:10, 10:10). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and elemental analysis techniques confirmed the chemical interaction of urea in the network structure. Free absorption and water absorption under load (AUL) of the synthesized hydrogels varying in urea: acrylic acid weight ratios were measured in distilled water and saline (0.9 wt%) solution for hybrid (5 wt% CNFs) and pure polyacrylic acid (0 wt% CNFs) hydrogels. It was found that incorporation of urea and CNFs in the hybrid structure generating compact hydrogel networks with high crosslink density leading to lower absorption with and without pressure, whereas incorporation of urea in the structure resulted in a more extended network with higher absorption capacity (about 3×) than hybrid structure.

Validity and reliability of the Persian version of the psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics questionnaire (PIDAQ) is an efficient tool for assessment of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). It evaluates the effect of dental esthetics on the psychosocial status of young adults. This questionnaire has been translated to many languages so far. However, it has not yet been translated to Persian. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of PIDAQ for use among the young adults. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The questionnaire was translated to Persian, back-translated to English and underwent cultural adaptation and pretesting. It was then filled out by 398 young adults (215 females and 183 males) between 18 to 30 years in Shiraz, Iran. The Persian version of PIDAQ along with the index of orthodontic treatment need-aesthetic component (IOTN-AC) and the perception of occlusion (POS) index were administered among participants to assess its discriminant validity. RESULTS: Factor analysis extracted four domains and the factor loading of domains ranged from 0.479 to 0.837. The Cronbach's alpha for the Persian version of PIDAQ ranged from 0.809 to 0.886. The mean score for each of the domains and the total score for PIDAQ, classified according to IOTN-AC and POS, showed a significant difference. The mean score acquired by subjects requiring orthodontic treatment was significantly higher than the score acquired by those not requiring orthodontic treatment (P = 0.00). CONCLUSION: The Persian version of PIDAQ has optimal validity, reliability and responsiveness for assessment of the psychosocial impact of malocclusion on the Iranian young adults.

Evaluation of enamel damages following orthodontic bracket debonding in fluorosed teeth bonded with adhesion promoter.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate shear bond strength (SBS) of the orthodontic brackets bonded to fluorosed and nonfluorosed teeth using Light Bond with and without adhesion promoters and compare their enamel damages following debonding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 30 fluorosed (Thylstrup and Fejerskov Index = 4-5) and 30 nonfluorosed teeth were randomly distributed between two subgroups according to the bonding materials: Group 1, fluorosed teeth bonded with Light Bond; Group 2, fluorosed teeth bonded with adhesion promoters and Light Bond; Group 3, nonfluorosed teeth bonded with Light Bond; Group 4, nonfluorosed bonded with adhesion promoters and Light Bond. After bonding, the SBS of the brackets was tested with a universal testing machine. Stereomicroscopic evaluation was performed by unbiased stereology in all teeth to determine the amount of adhesive remnants and the number and length of enamel cracks before bonding and after debonding. The data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon Signed Rank, and Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: While fluorosis reduced the SBS of orthodontic bracket (P = 0.017), Enhance Locus Ceruleus LC significantly increased the SBS of the orthodontic bracket in fluorosed and nonfluorosed teeth (P = 0.039). Significant increasing in the number and length of enamel crack after debonding was found in all four groups. There were no significant differences in the length of enamel crack increased after debonding among four groups (P = 0.768) while increasing in the number of enamel cracks after debonding was significantly different among the four groups (P = 0.023). Teeth in Group 2 showed the highest enamel damages among four groups following debonding. CONCLUSION: Adhesion promoters could improve the bond strength of orthodontic brackets, but conservative debonding methods for decreasing enamel damages would be necessary.

Changes in cephalometric variables after orthognathic surgery and their relationship to patients' quality of life and satisfaction.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to assess the relationship between postsurgical cephalometric changes and quality of life and satisfaction after orthognathic surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sample size consisted of 30 patients with class III and 25 patients with class II malocclusion treated with bilateral sagittal split osteotomy and Le Fort I osteotomy. Profile convexity, lower facial height proportion, lip position and length, nose, and chin position were measured on pre and post-treatment cephalograms. To assess the patients' satisfaction and quality of life (QoL) after surgery, the questionnaire of the Rustemeyer's study and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) questionnaire were used, respectively. The paired-sample t-test, Spearman correlation analysis and Pearson correlation analysis was used in SPSS statistical software. RESULTS: In class III malocclusion patients, decrease in facial angle, convexity angle, mentolabial angle, and increase in upper lip protrusion had the most positive impact on QoL. Decrease in facial angle and increase in upper lip protrusion were correlated positively with satisfaction questionnaires. In class II malocclusion patients, increase in convexity angle, facial angle and mentolabial angle had the most positive impact on satisfaction and QoL. CONCLUSIONS: Consideration both subjective and objective parameters affecting on the patients' satisfaction and their quality of life is essential.

The effects of composite resin types and debonding pliers on the amount of adhesive remnants and enamel damages: a stereomicroscopic evaluation.

Background and aims. This in vitro study was designed to evaluate the effect of composite resin types and orthodontic debonding pliers on the amount of adhesive remnants and enamel damages using a novel method of measurement. Materials and methods. 120 extracted human premolars were randomly divided into four groups (n = 30). The standard edgewise metallic brackets were bonded to the teeth with light-cured composite resin "Transbond XT" in the first and second groups, and No-mix composite resin "Unite" in the third and fourth groups. Bracket debonding was carried out with Lift Off Debonding Instrument "LODI" (3M Unitek) in the first and third groups, and with Bracket Removing Pliers (Dentaurum) in the second and forth groups. yStereomicroscopic evaluation was performed by unbiased sterelogy. All teeth were evaluated for the amount of adhesive remnants and the number and length of enamel cracks. The obtained data on each step was analyzed by two-way ANOVA, chi-square, Wilcoxon, and Kruskal-Wallis. Results. Teeth in group 4 had the lowest adhesive remnants on the enamel surface (p < 0.01); and the highest increase in the number of enamel cracks (p < 0.01) among the groups. In addition, groups bonded with Unite showed the highest increase in the length of enamel cracks. Conclusion. Dentaurum debonding pliers with sheer-peel force, when used with the Unite adhesive (group 4), decreased the amount of adhesive remnants on the enamel surface while it increased enamel damages.