Assessment of Digital Dentistry Knowledge and Practices Among Dental Students at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND Digital dental (DD) technologies need to be developed for dental use because of the prominent position that these technologies have recently acquired. This 21-item online questionnaire-based study aimed to assess the understanding of DD methods in 120 undergraduate dental students at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia (SA). MATERIAL AND METHODS Electronic surveys were sent to 123 dental students at different study phases (basic, preclinical, and clinical). Dental students were requested to answer the questionnaires in accordance with their knowledge, observations, particular experiences, and DD practice. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, which involved numerical values and ratios. Then, the associations among study level, knowledge, practice, and study phases were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS Completed questionnaires were returned by 120 students. The chi-square test showed significant differences in relation to questions "Do you have any previous knowledge of DD?", "The field that uses DD the most is…", "Does DD provide more precise results than conventional dentistry?", and "Do you know about CAD/CAM?", with P values of 0.006, 0.000, 0.018, and 0.002, respectively. Students at clinical phase exhibited significantly higher levels of knowledge than those at the preclinical phase (P<0.01). With regard to DD practice, 73.3% of students expressed a negative viewpoint, 82.5% stated that DD is essential for the future, and half said that practicing DD will result in improvements in patient satisfaction, time consumed, and level of predictability. CONCLUSIONS Students at basic, preclinical, and clinical phases had good knowledge on DD and were motivated to practice it in future in their workplaces.

Analysis of shade-matching ability in dental students: a comparative study under clinical and correcting light conditions.

BACKGROUND: Selecting the ideal tooth shade is essential to the success of aesthetic dental restorations. Students' cognitive abilities are involved in the multifaceted and intricate process of shade matching. Hence, the present study aimed to assess and compare the shade-matching ability of undergraduate dental students in various years of dental education under clinical and correcting light. METHODS: This comparative cross-sectional study was instigated amongst male 4th, 5th, and 6th-year students of the dental complex of King Faisal University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A total of 72 male dental students assessed the shade under clinical (fluorescent light) and correcting light (handheld Dental Base Light) by using VITA Classical shade guides. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 23 (Armonk, NY, USA). The Chi-square test was used to evaluate the association between correct and incorrect shade matching under correcting and clinical light. RESULTS: Out of 72 male students, 22(30.6%) were from the 4th year, 26(36.1%) were from the 5th year, and 24(33.3%) were from the 6th year, with a mean age of 22.92 ± 1.01 years. The majority of the 6th-year students selected shade of anterior tooth # 11 correctly under clinical and correcting light, and 3(12.5%) students selected incorrectly under clinical and correcting light, with a statistically significant association among them (p = 0.004). As far as the shade selection of the posterior tooth is concerned, a statistically significant difference was observed under clinical light among all clinical students (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: The clinical performance of dental students in shade matching improved with advancing years of dental education. Additionally, the shade matching ability of all groups of dental students was superior under correcting light compared to conditions under clinical light.

Translation and psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the ageism scale for dental students (ASDS-Ar): A multi-institutional validation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Ageism represents an important barrier to high-quality healthcare for older adults. The present study sought to translate and validate the Arabic version of the Ageism Scale for Dental Students (ASDS-Arabic). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 27-item ASDS tool was translated from English into Arabic following recommended cross-sectional forward and backward translation guidelines. The translated version was subjected to the content validity ratio (CVR) and sent to dental students in 21 institutes from 10 different Arab countries. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to assess the dimensionality of the scale, and Cronbach's alpha was used to determine internal consistency reliability. The discriminant validity of the scale was assessed using the independent t-test. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was also undertaken. RESULTS: Based on CVR, three items were removed. The 24-item Arabic version was completed by 3284 dental students. PCA and CFA retained 17 items in six components, explaining 50.3% of the total variance, with acceptable reliability, validity and discrimination. The first component "Adherence of older patients with dental treatment and instructions," included four items with a Cronbach α of 0.64 and scored 4.3 ± 0.8. The second component "Feasibility of the treatment plan," included three items with a Cronbach α of 0.66 and scored from 2.6 ± 1.2 to 2.9 ± 1.1. The third component "Cost of and responsibility for the dental treatment" included four items with a Cronbach α of 0.47 and scored 4.4 ± 0.8 to 4.5 ± 0.8. The fourth component "Medical history of older patients" included two items with a Cronbach α of 0.70 and scored 4.0 ± 1.0 to 4.1 ± 1.0. The fifth Component "Feeling towards older patients" included two items with a Cronbach α of 0.672 and scored 2.6 ± 1.2 to 2.0 ± 1.4. The sixth Component "Confidence and experience in treating older patients" included two items with a Cronbach α of 0.33 and scored 4.4 ± 1 to 4.6 ± 1. CONCLUSION: This preliminary validation of the ASDS-Ar resulted in a new 17-item scale with six components with acceptable validity, reliability and discrimination.

Smile aesthetics in Pakistani population: dentist preferences and perceptions of anterior teeth proportion and harmony.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate dentist perceptions of attractive smiles in the Pakistani population, considering different dental proportions. METHODS: Maxillary casts and digital images were used to create symmetrical representations of anterior teeth. dentists' preferences for good and bad teeth proportions, width/height ratios, and various dental proportions (golden, recurring esthetic dental (RED), golden percentage, Preston, and local/observed) were assessed using one sample and paired t-test. The Chi-square test was used to determine the gender disparities and factors affecting smile attractiveness. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was taken as significant. RESULTS: The RED proportion emerged as the preferred choice for normal-sized teeth, with specialists and general dentists favoring it over the golden proportion. For tall teeth, the golden proportion was predominantly preferred. The golden percentage received limited preference for aesthetic smile construction. CONCLUSIONS: The smiles created using the principles of RED proportion were opted as the most attractive by local dentists. Factors such as tooth arrangement, color, and midline were highlighted as essential considerations in aesthetic smile construction.

Assessment of Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and DMFT Scores among Patients at King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa.

Background and Objectives: Oral health is one of the most significant issues in public health. The Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index is a useful tool for assessing and measuring the state of oral health in a community. This study aimed to evaluate oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices among participants who visited a dental clinic at King Faisal University and to evaluate their DMFT scores. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted at the King Faisal University dental complex, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, using a simple random sampling technique. The data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire in English and Arabic. All statistical analyses were carried out using the SPSS 20 software. A chi square and ANOVA test were used to assess the association. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There were a total of 260 participants, of whom 193 (74.2%) were male and 67 (25.8%) were female. Most participants, 173 (66.5%), were between the ages of 18 and 28. The majority of the participants 191 (73.5%) believed that bad oral hygiene led to gum disease. Additionally, major issues while visiting dental clinics, the importance of routine dental clinic visits, the existence of a connection between oral and general health, brushing time and frequency of change of used brush were significantly influenced by gender (p < 0.05). In terms of the DMFT index, mean numbers of decaying teeth (D) were 4.82 ± 4.15, mean numbers of missing teeth (M) were 1.56 ± 2.94, mean numbers of filled teeth (F) were 5.17 ± 5.28 and mean DMFT score was 11.56 ± 6.32, with a statistically significant difference observed (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study concluded that, although some of the study participants neglected oral hygiene practices, the majority of participants had good knowledge and attitudes regarding the significance of oral hygiene. Owing to inadequate practices, the decayed, missing, and filled teeth scores increased with increasing age. Additionally, gender had no significant impact on the mean scores for decayed, missing, and filled teeth, although there were significant differences between age groups.

Impact of prosthodontic treatment on the oral health related quality of life in a maxillectomy patient with multiple impairments.

Oral Health Related Quality of Life is an important component in the treatment of a patient. Patients with multiple impairments have a compromised quality of life, which is further worsened by ablative maxillary surgery. A properly made oral prosthesis aids in the daily life functions and therefore, has a positive impact on the quality of life of the patient. This article discusses a case in which prosthodontic treatment improved the Oral Health Related Quality of Life in a maxillectomy patient having multiple impairments.

Effect of micro-arc oxidation coatings with graphene oxide and graphite on osseointegration of titanium implants-an in vivo study.

Background: This in vivo study evaluated the effect of graphene oxide and graphite coatings, coupled with the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) surface roughening technique, known for their mechanical strength, chemical stability, and antibacterial properties. The main objective was to assess the degree of improvement in osseointegration of titanium implants resulting from these interventions. Materials and methods: In this study, 32 female rats were utilized and randomly allocated into four groups (n = 8 each): machined surface titanium implants (control), those roughened by the MAO method, those coated with graphene oxide-doped MAO, and those with a graphite-doped MAO coating. Titanium implants were surgically placed in the right tibia of the rats. Rats undergoing no additional procedures during the 4-week experimental period were sacrificed at the end. Then, the implants and surrounding bone tissues were separated and embedded in acrylic blocks for reverse torque analysis. Using a digital torque device, the rotational force was applied to all samples using a hex driver and racquet until implant separation from the bone occurred, with the corresponding values recorded on the digital display. Then, statistical analysis was performed to analyze the data. Results: No statistically significant difference between the groups was observed in the biomechanical bone-implant connection levels (N/cm) (P = 0.268). Post-hoc tests were not required because no discernible differences were identified between the groups. Conclusion: Within the scope of this study, implants treated with the MAO method, along with those coated with graphene oxide- and graphite-doped MAO method, did not exhibit significant superiority in terms of osseointegration compared to machined surface titanium implants.

CBCT Evaluation of Periapical Pathologies in Maxillary Posterior Teeth and Their Relationship with Maxillary Sinus Mucosal Thickening.

In modern dentistry, radiographic imaging is crucial for examining the connection between the maxillary sinus floor and the root apices of the maxillary posterior teeth, particularly when the periapical region is affected by pathology that could result in infectious, inflammatory, or traumatic changes in the maxillary sinus. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of periapical pathologies in the maxillary posterior teeth and their relationship with maxillary sinus mucosal thickening by using cone-beam computed tomography scans. This retrospective study was conducted on 420 digitized CBCT images which were scanned in sagittal, axial, and coronal views. Out of 420 total images, 223 (53.1%) were of males and 197 (44.9%) were of females. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 28. A total of 2936 posterior maxillary teeth were tested for periapical pathology (PP), 1477 on the right side and 1459 on the left side. In terms of gender, there was no significant relationship between PP in maxillary posterior teeth on both sides and mucosal thickness of the maxillary sinus (p > 0.05). A significant relationship was found between PP in maxillary posterior teeth on both sides and maxillary sinus mucosal thickening (p < 0.05). This study concluded that the prevalence of periapical pathology in the maxillary posterior teeth was significantly associated with a rise in the incidence of maxillary sinus mucosal thickening. Moreover, the primary causative factor for the pathophysiology of the odontogenic maxillary sinus was the periapical pathology in both maxillary first molars.