The Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Prosthodontics: A Comprehensive Review.

Prosthodontics is a dental subspecialty that includes the preparation of dental prosthetics for missing or damaged teeth. It increasingly uses computer-assisted technologies for planning and preparing dental prosthetics. This study aims to present the findings from a systematic review of publications on artificial intelligence (AI) in prosthodontics to identify current trends and future opportunities. The review question was "What are the applications of AI in prosthodontics and how good is their performance in prosthodontics?" Electronic searching in the Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Cochrane Library was conducted. The search was limited to full text from January 2012 to January 2024. Quadas-2 was used for assessing quality and potential risk of bias for the selected studies. A total of 1925 studies were identified in the initial search. After removing the duplicates and applying exclusion criteria, a total of 30 studies were selected for this review. Results of the Quadas-2 assessment of included studies found that a total of 18.3% of studies were identified as low risk of bias studies, whereas 52.6% and 28.9% of included studies were identified as studies with high and unclear risk of bias, respectively. Although they are still developing, AI models have already shown promise in the areas of dental charting, tooth shade selection, automated restoration design, mapping the preparation finishing line, manufacturing casting optimization, predicting facial changes in patients wearing removable prostheses, and designing removable partial dentures.

Assessment of knowledge and practices of additive manufacturing in dentistry among university teaching faculty in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: In recent era, digitalization in the dental sciences has been observed in wide ranges. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess knowledge and practice of additive manufacturing (AM) in dentistry among university teaching faculty in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A questionnaire was prepared and validated to distribute to the different dental colleges in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was divided into three parts: demographic information, knowledge and practices of AM among the dental teaching faculty. After receiving all the responses, descriptive statistics were used for the frequency distribution of all the responses. RESULTS: A total of 367 responses were received from the different faculty members. Most of the participants were male (67.30%), holding assistant professor (52.50%) positions in the field of prosthodontics (23.40%). In terms of knowledge, even though most of the participants were aware of AM (64.30%); however, do not understand the AM techniques (33.50). Moreover, 71.90% of the participants had no experience working with AM and only 13.60% of participants used AM in their respective dental colleges. CONCLUSION: AM techniques are not commonly used in the field of dentistry in Saudi Arabia; therefore, more platforms should have created to enhance the knowledge and practice of AM in the current population.

Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Fibrin in Preserving Alveolar Ridge Volume and Reducing Postoperative Pain in Site Preservation of Post-Extracted Sockets.

Background and Objectives: In socket preservation, the goal is to minimize bone resorption after tooth extraction to maintain the volume and contour of the alveolar ridge. The use of PRF in post extraction sites may reduce ridge resorption by encouraging the growth of new bone and acting as a scaffold for tissue. In addition, PRF may enhance healing and minimize postoperative pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) in maintaining the ridges' dimensions at the extraction site, in the maxilla and mandible, as well as its impact on post-extraction discomfort. Methods: The study was conducted on 60 patients presenting for extraction of posterior teeth and was randomly divided into three groups: group I PRF (n = 20), group II PRF + collagen (n = 20), and group III control (n = 20). Sockets were filled with PRF (group I) and PRF + collagen (group II). At baseline and follow-up after 3 months, CBCT was used to assess the bone dimensions. The postoperative pain evaluations were performed at 24 h, 3 days, and 7 days after the tooth extraction. The pain rate was evaluated using a numerical rating scale from the British Pain Society. Results: The study examined the effects of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and PRF combined with collagen on the height and width of the ridges, as well as the pain experienced by the patients following alveolar ridge preservation surgery. ANOVA and t-tests were used to evaluate and compare the ridge dimensions. Comparing the results to the control group, there were no significant differences in the height or width of the ridges. However, both the PRF and PRF + Collaplug® treatments effectively reduced the short-term postoperative pain. Conclusions: The study findings suggest that platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and PRF combined with collagen do not exert significant effects on ridge width and height compared to the standard treatment following alveolar ridge preservation. However, it is noteworthy that both the PRF and PRF + collagen treatments demonstrated efficacy in reducing postoperative pain in the short term, offering a potential advantage over standard treatment protocols.

Determination of the Microbial Shift in the Gingival Sulcus of Women during Each Trimester of Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and Objectives: This study aims to identify types of bacterial species in women visiting obstetrics/gynecology centers in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia, during different pregnancy trimesters. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant and nonpregnant women seeking care at Alyamamah Hospital, obstetrics/gynecology center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 110 [pregnant = 90 and nonpregnant = 20] individuals were recruited based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. Personal data, plaque index (PI), and gingival index (GI) were recorded. Bacterial samples were collected using sterile absorbent paper points from the gingival sulcus of pregnant females during the first, second, and third trimesters and compared to a control group of nonpregnant females. Thioglycolate broth containing the absorbent paper points was incubated at 37 °C for 24-48 h. After growth, the microorganisms were subjected to a Gram stain. The VITEK 2 system and conventional methods were used to identify various types of bacterial species from the gingival sulcus of pregnant and nonpregnant women. Chi-square tests and nonparametric tests were applied to the data. Results: The bacterial characterization indicated that Actinomyces naeslundii (AN) was the most predominant bacteria found in the study participants, followed by Lactobacillus fermentum (LF) (23.6%), Veillonella (VL) (10%), and unidentified organisms (9.1%). When the presence of subgingival bacterial species was compared between pregnant and nonpregnant women, a statistically significant difference was observed (p < 0.001). LF was the predominant bacteria in 9 nonpregnant women (45%) and 8 pregnant women in the first pregnancy trimester (44.4%). However, during the second (17 women: 48.6%) and third pregnancy (17 women: 45.9%) trimesters, AN becomes the predominant bacteria. A statistically significant difference was observed when the prevalence of various bacterial species was compared across the three pregnancy trimesters (p = 0.010). The plaque and gingival scores of pregnant and nonpregnant women showed no significant difference. Conclusions: In different trimesters of pregnancy, pregnant women's gingival crevices showed significant microbial changes without affecting gingival inflammation.

Periodontists' perceptions and attitudes toward the use of social media for professional purposes in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: There is a notable increase in the usage of social media platforms, especially for health communication, as more clinicians and patients count on this kind of technology. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the perception and attitude toward social media (SM) use for professionalism and dental practice promotion among periodontal specialists working in Saudi Arabia (KSA). METHODS: Electronic surveys were distributed in person or online using WhatsApp, Snapchat or Email from October 2022 until March 2023. The questionnaire was targeting periodontists in KSA, and it consists of three parts: the first part includes sociodemographic and professional data; the second part asks about the daily usage of SM in dental practice; and the third part asks about the periodontist's opinion about SM usage. Descriptive data were presented as numbers and percentages. The association between the demographic variables and the means of periodontists' opinions was tested using Pearson's chi-square test. Any value equal to or less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 121 responses were received from the periodontists. Most of the participants were in the 36-45 age group, with a percentage of 40.5%. In terms of gender, males made up 52.9% of the population, while females made up 47.1%, and the majority of the participants were consultants. The most common SM platform used by periodontists for daily using and dental practice promotion was Snapchat (56.2%), followed by Instagram and Twitter (54.5% and 49.6%, respectively). There was a significant difference in proportions among Twitter, Snapchat and TikTok between older and younger periodontists, with a p value < 0.05. There was no significant difference between the gender of the participants and their opinions regarding the usage of SM. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted the effectiveness of SM in the promotion of dental practices and the discipline of periodontics, as more clinicians and patients rely on this kind of technology. These online platforms can improve periodontal practice in terms of dental health education, counseling, advertising, and oral health services.

Interdental Bone Level around Immediately Placed Implants at Maxillary and Mandibular Molar Sites: A Retrospective Radiographic Analysis.

Background and Objectives: The current study aimed to compare the amount of interdental bone loss between early and immediate implant placements. Materials and Methods: A total of 16 immediate implants and 16 early implants radiographs were included in the current research. The bone level was assessed at two different stages: at the extraction appointment (T1) and after three to six months of implant placement (T2). A line was drawn from the cemento-enamel junction connecting adjacent teeth to the interdental line connecting the interdental alveolar crest at both stages. The difference between measurements in the T1 and T2 stages is the bone loss measurement for the early implant group. For the immediate implant placement sites, the measurements were taken from the interdental bone crest to the implant platform level. Results: A Mann-Whitney U test was performed to evaluate the differences between both groups. The descriptive statistics of the T1 and T2 stages for both groups suggest that the bone loss in the T2 stage was generally higher than T1 stage. The immediate implant group showed higher bone loss compared to the early implant group. Moreover, there was significantly higher bone loss (p = 0.039) in the immediate implant group compared to the early implant group. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that immediate implant might have disadvantages over early implant in terms of bone loss after the extraction of maxillary and mandibular molar teeth.

Pain Assessment and Need for Analgesics after Scaling and Root Planing in Patients with Stage II and Stage III Periodontitis.

Background and Objectives: The most common treatment procedure for periodontitis and gingivitis is scaling and root planing, which is perceived as a painful dental treatment. The current study aimed to assess pain perception and analgesics consumption after scaling and root planing (SRP) in patients with stage II and stage III periodontitis. Materials and Methods: Before starting the SRP, all the periodontal parameters, such as probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), and clinical attachment level (CAL), were measured. The anxiety level of the patients was also assessed using the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS) questionnaire. Pain perception of the patients was recorded with the visual analog scale (VAS) after performing the SRP. Patients were asked to mark their pain level on the VAS sheet after two hours, four hours, eight hours, 24 h, and 48 h after the periodontal treatment. The following cut-off points were used for the pain intensity in the VAS: 0 = no pain, 1-4 = mild pain, 4-6 = moderate pain, and 7-10 = severe pain. Patients were advised to take analgesics if the pain was intolerable. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to conduct the association of all dependent variables and the pain perception of patients. A nonparametric Friedman test was conducted to assess pain perception at different times. Results: A total of 52 patients including 32 males and 20 females participated in the current study, with a mean age of 43.10 ± 12.33 years. Multivariate analyses showed that MDAS and analgesic consumption is significantly associated with pain perception. Other clinical variables are not associated with pain perception. The Friedman test exhibited that pain perception is significantly associated (p < 0.05) with time. Conclusions: Analgesic consumption and anxiety level are significantly associated with pain perception after SRP treatment.

Pre-Treatment and Post-Treatment Dental Anxiety in Patients Visiting Intern Dental Clinic.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to assess the dental anxiety of patients using the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS) questionnaire along with examining the possible relationship between dental anxiety and sociodemographic factors. Materials and Methods: The MDAS questionnaire was used to assess the anxiety level of the patients which included a total of five questions and five options to respond to each question. MDAS questionnaire was filled out by all the patients before the dental treatment. After finishing the treatment, all the patients were given a post-treatment questionnaire to assess their anxiety levels after treatment. Descriptive statistics were performed for measuring the frequency of responses. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the anxiety between the gender. The chi-square test was used to identify the distribution of pre-treatment with gender and post-treatment questionnaire with gender and treatment modalities. Linear regression was used to identify the association between clinical variables and different levels of anxiety. Results: A total of 115 patients including 59 males and 56 females with a mean age of 35 ± 11.34 years were included in the current study. Female patients were significantly more anxious about dental treatment compared to male patients. Linear regression showed that age and gender have a significant association with the pre-treatment anxiety level; however, types of treatment is not associated with the MDAS. Anxiety levels decreased for the majority of the patients after the treatment and types of treatment did not show any differences with the post-treatment anxiety level. Conclusions: Age and gender play an important role in dental anxiety; however, types of treatment are not associated with pre-treatment and post-treatment dental anxiety.

Serum ceruloplasmin as cancer marker in oral pre-cancers and cancers.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Oxidative stress leads to a compensatory increase in levels of serum ceruloplasmin in patients with such imbalances. Greater than normal serum ceruloplasmin levels are noticed in numerous cancers including the leukemias and Hodgkin's lymphoma. The purpose of the present study was to estimate and evaluate the efficacy of serum ceruloplasmin levels as a potential biomarker in the early detection of oral potentially malignant epithelial lesions (PMELs) including leukoplakia, oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present observational study was conducted over a period of 2 years wherein 100 subjects aged between 18 to 60 years were divided into four groups with Group A consisting of 25 healthy controls, Group B and C with 25 patients each, clinically diagnosed with oral leukoplakia and OSMF and Group D with 25 patients clinically diagnosed and histopathologically proven OSCC. The patients were subjected to incisional biopsy after routine hematological investigation while the same sera samples were used for analysis of serum ceruloplasmin levels. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Comparison of serum ceruloplasmin levels between the groups was performed using one way analysis of variance (one way ANOVA) test while P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean serum ceruloplasmin levels were found to be 43.19 ± 1.90mg/dl in subjects of group A, 47.68 ± 1.51mg/dl in group B, 47.74 ± 1.45mg/dl in group C and 47.73 ± 0.74mg/dl in group D. Using one-way ANOVA, statistically significant variations were found in the values of mean serum ceruloplasmin levels in subjects of the four groups (F-value = 59.58, P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The observations of the present study revealed that serum ceruloplasmin levels were found to be raised in all 3 study groups including oral leukoplakia, OSMF and OSCC as compared to the controls while the results were found to be statistically significant.

Association Between ABO Blood Group, Dental Caries, Gingivitis, Impacted Teeth and Malocclusion Among Saudi Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Whether there is a relationship between blood group and the likelihood of acquiring oral diseases. Therefore, the present study investigated the potential association between ABO blood groups and various dental conditions, including dental caries, gingivitis, malocclusion, and impacted teeth, in Saudi adults aged 18 years and older. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 participants who met the inclusion criteria. Data collection included assessment of dental caries status using the decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT) and decayed missing filled surfaces (DMFS) indices, evaluation of gingivitis using the Gingival Index, classification of malocclusion according to Angle's classification system, and recording the presence or absence of impacted teeth. Results: The AB blood group had the significantly highest mean DMFS score (8.58±6.63), while the O blood group had the lowest mean DMFS score (6.37±4.43). Additionally, blood group O showed a slightly higher prevalence of gingivitis (51.92%) than the other blood groups. Blood group A demonstrated a higher prevalence of both Class II (34.2%) and Class III (19%) malocclusions, with statistically significant differences. Regarding impacted teeth, blood group AB (48.8%) had the highest occurrence. Conclusion: There exists an association between oral disease and ABO blood group in Saudi adults. The results of this study indicate that individuals with specific blood types may be more prone to oral diseases, which can aid in the early diagnosis and prevention of these conditions.

Comparison of surface micro-roughness and adaptation of titanium and cobalt chrome implant abutment fabricated by selective laser melting and conventional techniques.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to assess the surface micro-roughness and abutment adaptation of selective laser melting (SLM) implant abutments in comparison to cast and machined implant abutments. METHODS: Forty abutment specimens were divided equally into four groups according to the fabrication technique as follows (n = 10), Machined Ti alloy abutments (Control), Cast CoCr abutments, SLM-CoCr abutments, and SLM-Ti alloy abutments. Forty internal connection implants (Ø 4.0 ×10 mm, Superline™, Dentium Co., Seoul, Korea) were mounted in clear acrylic resin. Fabricated abutments were assessed for surface micro-roughness using a 3D optical noncontact surface microscope. Vertical and horizontal adaptation of the abutment with implant interface was assessed by using Bruker micro-CT. Data was assessed using analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc comparison tests for all the variables except vertical misfit was assessed using Kruskal-Wallis test. Pearson correlation was used to assess dependence between independent variable (surface roughness) and dependent variables (Horizontal misfit and vertical misfit). RESULTS: SLM-Ti abutments showed significantly rougher surface (p < 0.05) among the study groups. While SLM-CoCr abutments were smoother than Cast abutments with mean Ra of 1.30 ± 0.11 and 1.58 ± 0.17 µm, respectively (p < 0.05). For abutment adaptation, SLM-Ti abutments showed the highest horizontal misfit among the groups (p < 0.05). While, SLM-CoCr abutments (29.24 ± 11.11 µm) showed comparable (p > 0.05) horizontal misfit results with Cast (26.08 ± 3.93 µm) and machined (26.45 ± 7.33 µm) abutments. Comparable (p > 0.05) vertical misfit values between Cast CoCr (487.01 ± 40.34 µm), SLM-CoCr (358.38 ± 114.93 µm) and SLM-Ti (299.85 ± 172.88 µm) abutments were observed. A positive correlation was found between the surface roughness of the mating surfaces and abutment adaptation. CONCLUSION: SLM CoCr abutments exhibited low roughness and comparable abutment adaptation (vertically and horizontally) than cast (control) abutments. Therefore, SLM CoCr abutments should be clinically investigated as potential implant abutments for clinical use.

Quality of Reporting Randomized Controlled Trials Published in Three of the Most Citable Periodontal Journals from 2018 to 2022.

This study aimed to evaluate the reporting quality of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in periodontology. Three leading periodontology journals, the Journal of Periodontology (JOP), the Journal of Clinical Periodontology (JOCP), and the Journal of Periodontal Research (JOPR), were selected for this investigation. The RCTs were identified by manually searching for human trial articles published in these three journals. Two authors independently conducted the literature search, and a pre-piloted extraction sheet was used to screen the potential RCTs. The CONSORT checklist guidelines were employed to calculate the score value. Intra-examiner reliability was assessed by scoring a random sample of 10% of the papers in a second round conducted by the first examiner three months after the initial data collection. A search of abstracts published over a five-year period yielded 176 articles that reported RCTs, accounting for 11.7% of all articles published in the three journals. The highest number of RCTs was published in 2020, and more than half of the included RCTs (51%) originated from Europe. Many of the analyzed RCTs inadequately reported almost half of the items on the CONSORT checklist. Furthermore, univariate analysis revealed significant associations between certain factors and the overall CONSORT score, such as publication in JOP (p = 0.048), publication year of 2019 (p = 0.041) and 2021 (p = 0.042), first author from North America (p = 0.016), and RCTs with more than six authors (p = 0.042). Clinical trial research in periodontics has made significant progress in the past five years. However, there is room for improvement in adhering to the CONSORT guidelines.

Sleep-Disordered Breathing among Saudi Primary School Children: Incidence and Risk Factors.

This study aimed to identify the incidence and risk factors of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) using an Arabic version of the pediatric sleep questionnaire (PSQ). A total of 2000 PSQs were circulated to children aged 6-12 years who were randomly selected from 20 schools in Al-Kharj city, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaires were filled out by the parents of participating children. The participants were further divided into two groups (younger group: 6-9 years and older group: 10-12 years). Out of 2000 questionnaires, 1866 were completed and analyzed (93.3% response rate), of which 44.2% were from the younger group and 55.8% were from the older group. Among all the participants, a total of 1027 participants were female (55%) and 839 were male (45%) with a mean age of 9.67 ± 1.78 years. It showed that 13% of children were suffering from a high risk of SDB. Chi-square test and logistic regression analyses within this study cohort showed a significant association between SDB symptoms (habitual snoring; witnessed apnea; mouth breathing; being overweight; and bedwetting) and risk of developing SDB. In conclusion: habitual snoring; witnessed apnea; mouth breathing; being overweight; and bedwetting strongly contribute the to development of SDB.

Oral Healthcare Practices and Awareness among the Parents of Autism Spectrum Disorder Children: A Multi-Center Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of the parents of autistic children toward oral health and the practice of oral hygiene habits. A questionnaire was constructed, validated, and distributed to the parents of autistic children at different autistic centers. The questionnaire was divided into three parts: demographic information on the parents of autistic children, the knowledge and attitudes of parents toward oral health, and the practice of oral hygiene habits in the current population. A total of 206 responses were collected. Irrespective of the parents' educational and employment statuses, most second children were diagnosed with autism, and most of the parents have four or more children. In terms of knowledge and attitudes toward oral health, a total of 90.30% of the patients were aware of the oral healthcare of their child, and 55.80% of parents take them to the dentist for checkups. Moreover, the response to the practice of oral hygiene habits from the parents was positive, and most of the parents assist in the oral hygiene practices of their autistic children. This study showed that most of the parents appeared to have satisfactory knowledge about oral health practices for autistic children. However, additional studies should also be conducted.

Ozone Therapy as an Adjuvant in the Treatment of Periodontitis.

The current study aimed to assess the efficacy of ozone therapy in the treatment of stage II and stage III periodontitis. This prospective split-mouth study selected patients who were diagnosed with either stage II or stage III periodontitis. All patients were treated with scaling and root-planing (SRP) on the control side and SRP with ozone therapy on the test side. Probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), O'Leary plaque index (PI), and bleeding on probing (BOP) scores were recorded at baseline and six weeks after the SRP treatment. A total of 46 patients were selected for this study, including 31 males and 15 females. All periodontal variables (PD, CAL, PI, and BOP) showed significant changes (p < 0.0001) from baseline to six weeks. Moreover, significant changes (PD = 0.0001, CAL = 0.0001, PI = 0.042 and BOP = 0.0001) were also observed between the control and test sides. Gender showed no significance on periodontal variables (p > 0.05) except PD on the test side (p = 0.030). In addition, periodontal stages and grades showed no significant changes (p > 0.05) in any periodontal variables on both sides. Ozone therapy significantly improves the periodontal condition compared to SRP treatment alone. However, the stages and grades of periodontitis do not influence the outcome of ozone therapy.

The Radiographic Assessment of Furcation Area in Maxillary and Mandibular First Molars while Considering the New Classification of Periodontal Disease.

This study aimed to evaluate the radiographic reliability in the diagnosis of furcation involvement in first molars. A total of 52 subjects were included in the current study. Personal history regarding smoking was recorded and a periodontal examination was performed. Pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival recession, and furcation involvement in all first molars were assessed for each patient. Periodontal staging and grading were evaluated using the new classification of periodontal disease. Class II and Class III furcation classification were more frequently observed in radiographs than the Class I furcation; however, no significant differences were observed. Radiographic observation of the furcation was seen more when PD and CAL were >5 mm in all molars. The presence of gingival recession and its relation to the radiographic assessment did not reveal any statistically significant association (p > 0.05) except for tooth #16. The trend of visibility of furcation radiographically was more as the grade of staging was increased. Moreover, the presence of smoking habits and visibility of furcation radiographically did not have any statistical significance. Smoking may not be a factor in the furcation involvement. There is a direct relationship between the staging and grading of the periodontitis and furcation involvement.

Accuracy and Reliability of CBCT Compared to Clinical Probing in Detection of Trifurcation Defects: An In Vivo Study.

Background: Furcation defects are areas of pathological bone resorption in multirooted teeth. The aim of the study was to compare the measurements of trifurcation bone loss, measured using CBCT, versus clinical measurements in order to evaluate the efficacy of CBCT as an adjunctive diagnostic tool. Material and Methods. The included patients had both CBCT scans for maxillary molars and completed periodontal charts. Clinical examination consisted of probing and detection of vertical and horizontal furcation defects. These were measured and recorded. CBCT measurements were then evaluated using the linear measuring tool in Carestream imaging software (Carestream, Rochester, USA) and iCAT (Imaging Sciences, Hatfield, USA). These measurements of the CBCT images were then documented and compared to clinical findings. The two examiners were blinded to each other's measurements. Results: The most common tooth with a detected furcation defect was tooth #2 (31.7%), followed by tooth #15 (26.8%) and #3 (21.9%). The least common tooth with a detected furcation defect was #14 (19.5%). The mean values of buccal furcation for clinical and CBCT measurements were 3.01 mm and 2.6 mm, respectively. The measurements of mesial furcation were 2.5 mm and 2.2 mm for CBCT. The distal measurement of clinical examination was 2.7 mm and for CBCT was 2.44 mm. Conclusion: CBCT can be used as an adjunct to clinical furcation measurements and adds useful diagnostic information to assess trifurcation defects. In addition, CBCT limited field of view (FOV) can provide relatively high-resolution images at a reduced dose that is comparable to two-dimensional imaging.

Clinical Assessment of the Bone Width Following Lateral Ridge Expansion in Augmentation of Narrow Alveolar Ridges for Placing Immediate Dental Implants.

Background: Less residual alveolar bone at extraction site at esthetic and functional tooth position is the main limitation in placing a dental implant, especially at long-span edentulous ridges. This needs ridge augmentation. Aims: To assess bone width gain and implant stability following narrow ridge augmentation using the vertical ridge split technique. Materials and Methods: In 22 subjects within the age group of 20-60 years and the mean age of 38.46 years. The vertical ridge split technique was done in all subjects for horizontal ridge augmentation. Paraesthesia, pain/discomfort, mobility, and radiographic crestal bone width were assessed 6 months postoperatively. The data were described as mean and standard deviation along with number and percentage. Paired t-test was also used keeping the level of significance at P < 0.05. Results: Implant stability was seen in 86.36% (n = 19) study subjects and were not stable in 13.63% (n = 3) subjects. Bone width preoperatively was in the range of 3.1-4.4 mm with the mean value of 3.64 ± 0.41. Postoperatively, the bone width increased and was in the range of 5.2-6.3 mm with the mean value of 5.62 ± 0.45 mm. This increase postoperatively was statistically significant with a P value of <0.001. Conclusion: The present study concludes that acceptable success results are seen using the ridge split technique with simultaneous dental implants placement in both atrophic maxilla and mandible.

Effectiveness of Smart Applications of Oral Hygiene Instructions on Periodontal Health Compared to Oral Information: A Prospective Study.

Nowadays, smartphone applications are widely used in different areas of life, including medical science. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a smartphone application of oral hygiene instructions (OHI) on periodontal health compared to the traditional chairside OHI. All the participants (n = 39) were divided into two groups: control group and test group. Participants of the control group were given verbal OHI and participants of the test group were asked to use a smartphone application to upkeep their oral habits. The gingival index (GI) and Quigley-Hein Turesky modification index (QHTMI) were used for scoring the plaque accumulation at baseline and after one month of the periodontal treatment. A paired t-test and an independent t-test were performed to compare the mean of GI and QHTMI between intra-group and inter-group, respectively. The paired t-test showed significant differences in GI and QHTMI improvement after one month in both groups. Moreover, the independent t-test showed no significant differences between the two groups. However, the test group showed a lower mean score in GI and QHTMI assessments compared to the control group. Smartphone applications in oral health applications did not exhibit any superiority in periodontal health over the traditional OHI method in the current study.

A Prospective Clinical Study Evaluating the Efficacy of Intra-Ligamentary Anesthetic Solutions in Mandibular Molars Diagnosed as Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis with Symptomatic Apical Periodontitis.

Accomplishing painless endodontic treatment, especially in the mandibular molar region, is challenging. Hence, the aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of 2% lidocaine and 4% articaine when used as supplemental intra-ligamentary (IL) anesthesia in mandibular molars having symptomatic irreversible pulpitis with symptomatic apical periodontitis after failed Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block (IANB) injection. In this prospective study, one-hundred and forty-seven adult patients diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis in a mandibular tooth were included who received IANB with 1.8 mL of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine. Patients who experienced pain were recorded using the Heft-Parker visual analog scale (HP-VAS score ≥ 55 mm) and received supplement intra-ligament injection with either4% articaine or 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine. Supplementary intra-ligament injections resulted in 82.6% and 91.3% of profound anesthesia in the first molar region for 2% lidocaine and 4% articaine, respectively. Similarly, an additional IL injection of articaine success percent (78.9%) in the second molar region was higher than lidocaine (63.1%). The overall success ratio revealed no significant difference in achieving profound anesthesia of either solution. In this study population, there was no difference in the success ratio of anesthesia between 2% lidocaine and 4% articaine when used as supplemental IL injection.