Patient safety culture perceptions among dentists in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: Safe patient care can help reduce treatment costs, morbidity, and mortality. This study aimed to assess dentists' perceptions of patient safety culture and related factors in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used a sample of 271 dental professionals working in private and public dental hospitals and clinics in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia. The Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ), a validated tool consisting of 36 items on a 5-point Likert scale, was used to assess dentists' perceptions of patient safety culture. The score of SAQ ranges from 0 to 100 and a cut-off ≥ 75 is considered a positive attitude toward patient safety culture. RESULTS: There were 53.9% males and 46.1% females in the study with a mean age of 35.56 ± 6.87 years. Almost half of the participants (52%) attended a course on patient safety and 22.1% experienced medical error in the last month. The mean score of the SAQ of the sample was 65.14 ± 13.03 and the patient safety score was significantly related to the marital status (P = 0.041), attendance of patient safety course (P < 0.001), and experience of medical error (P = 0.008). The highest mean score (73.27 ± 20.11) was for the job satisfaction domain, followed by the safety climate domain (67.69 ± 16.68), and working conditions domain (66.51 ± 20.43). About one-quarter of the participants (22.5%) demonstrated positive attitudes toward patient safety culture. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that dental professionals who attended a patient safety course were 4.64 times more likely to demonstrate positive attitudes toward patient safety than those who did not attend a course (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study showed that patient safety culture was significantly related to the attendance of safety courses, marital status, and experiencing medical error. About one out of four dental professionals demonstrated a positive attitude towards patient safety culture which was significantly associated with the attendance of the safety course.

Teaching Cariology in Asia and Arabia.

The European Organisation for Caries Research education platform 2020 had the aim to assess the undergraduate curriculum in cariology in Asian and Arabian countries in order to support structured teaching of cariology in these countries with about almost half of the global population. Representatives of 4 Asian and 4 Arabian countries completed a comprehensive questionnaire on structure of dental education in their country in general and the extent, the content, the responsibilities, structure and standardization regarding cariology in particular. In spite of a wide range from very few universities (Lebanon 3) to larger numbers of dental schools (India 313, China 121, Russia 52) there were similar statements on the list of content for cariology teaching. Often the catalogue was close to the Undergraduate Core Curriculum in Cariology (UCCC) covering most of the 5 domains from basic science to dental public health, but a national curriculum for cariology or dentistry was mostly missing. With various departments being involved, a need of coordination is obvious. Most representatives thought it possible and feasible to teach a standardized curriculum in cariology on the basis of the UCCC. In conclusion, many Arabian and Asian countries have implemented modern, evidence-based curricula in their universities, but an obligatory national curriculum in cariology would be advisable to standardize the quality in teaching.

Oral health-related interdisciplinary practices among healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia: Does integrated care exist?

BACKGROUND: There is a bidirectional relation between oral and general health, therefore collaboration between healthcare providers is needed. This study investigated current interdisciplinary practices (IDP) and the associated factors among healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Eastern Saudi Arabia recruiting four groups of health professionals (nurses, physicians, pediatricians and Ear-Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists). A validated, self-administered questionnaire was distributed online and shared through social media platforms. The questionnaire explored predisposing factors (demographics) and facilitating factors (knowledge, attitudes, attendance of oral health training and source of knowledge) associated with IDP. RESULTS: A total of 1398 health professionals were recruited. Participants showed fair oral health knowledge (7.1 ± 2.1) and attitudes (22.2 ± 3). Three-fourths (74.6%) reported always providing oral health education (OHE) to their patients, more than half (59.6%) reported always conducting an oral health screening (OHS), two-thirds (66.7%) reported responding to patients' questions about oral health or conditions and 58.7% reported referring patients to dentists. Pediatricians and physicians had greater odds of IDP compared to other health professionals. Source of oral health knowledge (Ministry of Health (MOH) and formal education) was significantly associated with increased odds of IDP. Participants with good oral health knowledge had greater odds of responding to patients' oral health question as well as have more referral practices. CONCLUSION: The results reveal a discrepancy between participants' IDP, knowledge, and attitudes. Incorporating dental component to medical curricula, continuous education and training programs targeting health professionals through Ministry of Health should be considered.

Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Effect of Thymoquinone against Different Dental Pathogens: An In Vitro Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of Thymoquinone (TQ) on four different oral microorganisms. Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC), Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC), Broth microdilution, and Well diffusion tests were used to determine the optimum antimicrobial concentrations of TQ against Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus mutans, and Staphylococcus aureus over 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h. Chlorhexidine 0.12% was selected as a positive control. The inhibitory effect of TQ on bacterial growth was most noticeable with S. salivarius, while the least affected was S. aureus. TQ's MBC and MIC for S. oralis and S. aureus were comparable 2 mg/mL and 3 mg/mL, respectively. S. salivarius was most resistant to TQ and displayed a value of 5 mg/mL and 4 mg/mL for MIC and MBC, respectively. The viable count of different strains after exposure to TQ's MBC values was most noticeable with S. aureus followed by S. oralis and S. mutans, while S. salivarius was least affected. This study emphasized the promising antimicrobial effect of TQ against the four main oral microorganisms. It has a potential preventive effect against dental caries as well as other oral diseases.

Pattern of dental needs and advice on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.

AIM: To compare and evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on tweets related to dental treatment needs and advice of Saudi Twitter users in 2020 by comparing them to the same time-period in 2019. METHODS: Eight independent searches based on dentistry related keywords: "teeth, mouth and gingiva" were carried out within the timeframe between the 23rd of March and the 21st of June for the years 2020 and 2019. Extracted tweets were analyzed by two calibrated examiners as tweets containing expressed dental needs and tweets for dental advice, while spam tweets were excluded. Descriptive analysis was performed to present the overview of the findings using SPSS. Bivariate analysis was performed with Pearson's Chi Square, Fisher's Exact test and Mann-Whitney U test. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 595 tweets from the year 2019 and 714 tweets from the year 2020 were obtained. Overall, combined dental needs and advice tweets, retweets, likes, and replies were higher in 2020 compared to 2019. Dental needs tweets were higher in 2020 compared to 2019, while dental advice tweets were lower in 2020 compared to 2019. Statistically significant differences were found between 2020 and 2019 with regards to dental needs well as with dental advice (p < 0.05). In addition, statistically significant differences were found between 2019 and 2020 with presence of pain, urgency of the dental need and type of advisor (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: An obvious impact of the pandemic can be seen in the form of increased self-reported dental needs, pain and urgency among the public in Saudi Arabia. This study highlights the importance of social media, specifically Twitter, in expressing the public needs and utilizing it as a platform for education and advice.

The use of social media for professional purposes among dentists in Saudi Arabia.

AIM: To investigate the dentists' opinions towards social media (SM) use in daily practice and the expected limitations from its use in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: An electronic survey was carried out throughout May-June 2020 among a sample of dentists in Saudi Arabia. The survey covered three parts: the first part covered professional and demographic information, the second part covered the use of mobile phones and SM in dental practice, while the third part assessed dentists' opinion on SM use. Descriptive statistics included frequency distributions and percentages and independent t test/ANOVA test for the relationship between the mean of dentists' opinion towards SM and demographic variables. A p value of 0.05 or less was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The majority of respondents (80%) believe that SM plays an active role in patients' decisions regarding the selection of a healthcare provider. The mean dentists' opinion scores on the use of SM were significantly lower among participants working more than 50 h per week compared with other participants (p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: The majority of sampled dentists believe that SM plays an active role in patients' decisions regarding the healthcare provider's selection. Directed campaigns can help dentists optimize the use of SM for both professional and personal purposes.

Impact of Denture Cleansing Solution Immersion on Some Properties of Different Denture Base Materials: An In Vitro Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of several denture cleansing solutions on the color stability, surface roughness, and flexural strength of three denture base materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven specimens were prepared using heat-polymerized (HP) denture base material, 27 using autopolymerized (AP) denture base material, and 27 using visible-light-polymerized (VLP) denture base, creating a total of 81 specimens. The specimens were randomly divided into three groups (n = 27): the distilled water group (DWG), Corega group (CG), and Renew group (RG). Color changes (ΔE), surface roughness (Ra, nm), and flexural strength (MPa) of each specimen were measured using a spectrophotometer, an optical profilometer, and a universal testing machine, respectively. The results were statistically analyzed using a one-way ANOVA and a post hoc Tukey's test (α = 0.05). RESULTS: The only statistically significant color change detected was in the VLP resin treated with Corega and Renew. There was a significant increase in the surface roughness of all denture resin groups after immersion in Corega. Immersion in Renew significantly increased surface roughness only in the HP and AP specimens. The only significant reduction in flexural strength was detected in the HP resin after immersion in Corega (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that Corega has a significantly greater negative impact than distilled water on the flexural strength of HP resin base materials. Renew significantly increased the surface roughness of AP and HP, while Corega increased the surface roughness of all resin materials.

Influences of parents, close friends and classmates on four co-existing oral health practices in Saudi male teenagers.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate the association between oral health practices and similar practices adopted by parents, close friends and classmates in a group of Saudi male teenagers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, in 2016 including 12-14-year-old intermediate school students (n = 478). A questionnaire assessed socioeconomic background, whether participants, their parents, close friends and classmates brushed twice daily, used tobacco, snacked on sugary foods or sugary drinks and perceiving a supportive classroom environment. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models assessed the association of parents', close friends', classmates' practices and classroom support with participants' four practices, controlling for socioeconomic factors. RESULTS: The response rate was 93.9%. In multivariate regression, close friends' practices had a strong significant association with teenagers' tooth brushing (OR = 4.45; 95%CI = 1.09, 18.12), tobacco use (OR = 5.63; 95%CI = 3.44, 7.88), snacking on sugary foods (OR = 14.42; 95%CI = 7.89, 21.89) and sugary drinks (OR = 7.05; 95%CI = 5.97, 9.20). The percentages of classmates perceived to brush their teeth and use tobacco were significantly associated with the respective practices in teenagers (OR = 1.03 and 1.02). Fathers' snacking on sugary drinks was significantly associated with that of the teenagers (OR = 4.04; 95%CI= 1.03, 15.85). CONCLUSIONS: In early adolescence, four oral health practices of Saudi males were associated with those perceived to be adopted by their close friends. Fathers' use of sugary drinks was also significantly associated with that of teenagers.

The Use of Instagram Among Dental Patients in Saudi Arabia.

Background: The use of social media platforms has become increasingly popular in various professional fields, including dentistry. Among these platforms, Instagram has gained significant attention due to its visual nature and widespread popularity. The potential of Instagram as a tool for dental education, patient engagement, and professional networking has been the subject of several studies. Objective: This paper aims to investigate the use of Instagram among dental patients and examine its implications for the dental industry.. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia between September and December 2023 and involved 478 anonymous dental patients who responded to survey invitations. The questionnaire addressed demographics, Instagram usage, and factors influencing the selection of a dentist. Data analysis employed IBM SPSS Statistics, presented as descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis. Results: Of the respondents, 66.6% preferred Instagram to follow dentists. Demographically, younger age correlated with increased Instagram use. Over half used Instagram 2-3 times daily, with evenings being the preferred time. Notably, 48.3% visited a dentist's Instagram account. Recommendations, qualifications, and online reviews were crucial factors in choosing a dentist, while before-and-after photos, engagement, and content quality mattered on Instagram. Conclusion: Instagram serves as a valuable tool in oral healthcare, fostering patient engagement, education, and community building. Dental practitioners should leverage Instagram judiciously, emphasizing its supplementary role to professional consultations rather than a substitute for personalized dental advice.

Bibliometric analysis on research trends for contribution of photodynamic therapy in periodontitis.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this bibliometric analysis was to ascertain the research trend regarding the application of photodynamic therapy as a treatment modality for periodontal disease. METHODS: An online search was administered using the Scopus database to retrieve all the relevant research literature published from 2003 till 26th Dec 2022. After applying the inclusion criteria articles pertinent to the topic were manually selected. Data was saved as CSV. Data was read using VOSviewer software and further analysis was performed using Microsoft excel. RESULTS: From a total of 545 articles, 117 scientific papers relevant to the field were evaluated. The keen interest of researchers was identified by an increase in the number of publications over the course of time, with the highest citations n = 827 attained during the year 2009. Brazil, India, and USA made significant contribution by publishing highest number of papers. Organizations from the USA produced the highest publications which attained high citations. Author Sculean A. published the highest number of papers. Journal of periodontology was the leading journal, by publishing highest number of papers (n = 15), followed by Journal of Clinical Periodontology. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric analysis provided detailed information regarding the total number of publications from 2003 to 2022 and the number of citations attained. Brazil has been identified as the leading country, whilst all the leading organizations which contributed significantly, were from USA. The Journal of Periodontology published the highest number of papers which had been highly cited. Sculean A, affiliated with University of Bern, Switzerland published the highest number of papers.

The Prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Dental Patients: Why Are My Patients Not Satisfied?

BACKGROUND: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a common disorder that consists of a distressing or impairing preoccupation with imagined or slight defects in appearance. In dentistry, those patients will have unrealistic expectations and usually will be unsatisfied with the outcomes of dental treatment. This study investigated the prevalence of BDD and its associated factors among dental patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional survey-based study, a purposive sample was used to recruit adult patients seeking dental treatment in private and public facilities. Data was collected using the validated Arabic version of the Cosmetic Procedure Screening Questionnaire (COPS) for Body Dysmorphic Disorder, a validated nine-item self-administrated instrument that is scored from zero (least impaired) to five (most impaired). Chi-Square, Mann-Whitney U, and Fisher's Exact tests were used to compare the associations between the study variables and BDD. RESULTS: A total of 507 patients responded to the questionnaire. The prevalence of BDD was 34.1%. The average age of the participants was 35.2 years; the majority were males 290 (57%) and Saudis 436 (86%) with a college education 304 (60%). None of the demographics was associated with BDD but the type of treatment was significantly associated with BDD with teeth crowning and restorations. CONCLUSION: This study provides insights into the prevalence of BDD and its associated factors among dental patients in Eastern Saudi Arabia. The findings highlight the need for further research to better understand the factors contributing to the development of BDD and to guide prevention and intervention strategies in dental settings.

Prevalence of Bruxism and Associated Occupational Stress in Saudi Arabian Fighter Pilots.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of bruxism and occupational stress among Saudi Arabian fighter pilots. Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional study where 110 fighter pilots were compared with 110 control non-pilots. The data collection was carried out by two dentists between February 2018 and May 2019. The subjects who consented to the study completed the Karasek's Demand-Control questionnaire (short version) comprising 11 questions (5 for demand and 6 for control) designed to measure occupational stress. The assessment of bruxism was made using the non-instrumental approach of the International Consensus on the Assessment of Bruxism which includes both clinical examination and self-report of diurnal and nocturnal bruxism. A logistic regression test was performed with bruxism as the dependent variable controlling for occupational stress, type of occupation, and smoking status. Results: The total sample comprising pilots and non-pilots had an overall bruxism prevalence of 41.8%, with more pilots (52.7%) than non-pilots (30.9%) having the condition. Occupational stress was experienced by more pilots than non-pilots (45.5% vs. 27.3%, respectively). Bruxism was significantly associated with type of occupation (pilots vs. non-pilots) controlling for occupational stress in both univariate and multivariate logistic regression tests; odd ratio (OR) = 2.5; (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-5.4, p = 0.016) and OR = 2.6; (95% CI:1.2-5.8, p = 0.020), respectively. Conclusions: The pilots demonstrated significantly higher occupational stress and bruxism than the non-pilots. The pilots were 3.9 times more likely to have a combination of stress and bruxism than non-pilots. Further investigations are necessary to determine whether any causal relationship exists between occupational stress and bruxism.

Awareness of Dental Trauma Management among School Teachers in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Children and young adolescents commonly suffer traumatic dental injuries. Teachers are frequently first responders and responsible for the initial management of the injury; the prognosis of a traumatized tooth is dependent on the initial management. Aim: To evaluate intermediate school teachers' level of knowledge and attitudes toward dental trauma. Materials and Methods: This is a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study where all teachers from eight non-probability selected intermediate schools in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, were invited for participation. The questionnaire elicited data regarding demographics, teaching experience, knowledge and attitudes regarding dental trauma and its management. Results: A total 398 of 433 invited teachers responded (92%). The male-to-female ratio was 2:1. Only 30% of the respondents had previously participated in first aid training; only 11% specifically also focused on dental traumas. Health-care providers represented the main source of knowledge regarding dental trauma. Bivariate analysis revealed that in terms of attitudes toward dental trauma, urgency of care for luxation injuries was significantly associated with teaching experience (P = 0.042), while the urgency of care for avulsed teeth was significantly associated with dental trauma experience (P = 0.007). The only significant association between teaching experience and knowledge about management of avulsed teeth was regarding which tooth should be replanted (P = 0.041). Conclusions: School teachers in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, lack proper knowledge in dental emergency management. Educational training programs are needed to ensure that teaching staff have adequate knowledge to effectively manage dental traumas.

Caregivers' Perception about the Relationship between Oral Health and Overall Health in Individuals with Disability in Qatif, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: In Saudi Arabia, there are many people with disabilities that do not receive adequate healthcare, especially in the field of dentistry. Objective: This study focused on assessing caregivers' perception of the relationship between oral healthcare and the overall health status of individuals with special healthcare needs (SHCN) in Qatif, Saudi Arabia. Methodology Design. This cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire that was divided into two sections. The first part included demographic information such as the age and gender of both the caregiver and the person with a disability and the type of disability. The second part investigated the systemic health of the individual with a disability and the caregivers' perception of the relationship between the management and treatment of systemic health and oral healthcare in relation to the overall health status. The results of descriptive analyses were summarized using frequency distribution tables. Bivariate analyses (chi-square test) were also performed. Significant differences were considered at a p value of 0.05. Setting. Initiated in school setting. Results: A total of 186 caregivers participated in the study. As much as 83.3% agree that oral health affects overall health, and 48.9% agreed that untreated dental problems could affect cardiac health. Age was the only factor found to be significantly associated with caregiver perception as younger caregivers were more likely to rightly understand the relationship between oral health and general health (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study has shown the extent to which caregivers of individuals with special care needs to understand the role of oral health in the general health of an individual. Three-quarters of the caregivers agree that dental health affects overall health, and age is a factor that might influence this understanding.

Perceptions of Patient Safety Competence Using the Modified Version of the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSS) Instrument Among Dental Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Aim: To investigate dental students' self-reported confidence in learning about various domains of patient safety during their clinical training years. Methods: The Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSS) was distributed to the fourth- and fifth-year undergraduate students, interns and postgraduate dental students. The survey explores how the seven domains of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute Safety Competencies Framework and wider cases of patient safety issues are presented in dental education, as well as participants' self-reported comfortability regarding revealing about patient safety issues. A comparison of the patient safety domains scores were assessed through learning scenarios (classroom and clinical), gender, level of study and type of institution. Results: Out of 409 participants, 359 undergraduate dental students and 131 postgraduate dental students responded to the survey. Irrespective of the groups, all dental students were most confident regarding their learning aspects about skills pertaining to clinical safety and effective communication and least confident in learning related to managing safety risks. All the patient safety factors irrespective of the scenario, scored above 75% and thus interpreted as good competence. Statistically significant differences were reported among the genders in the classroom scenario for learning about communicating effectively with the patients regarding patient safety issues (p < 0.05). Male dental students, undergraduates and those in the private institution were significantly less confident about recognizing and reporting to immediate risks in the clinical scenario compared to their respective counterparts (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results, the dental students are quite confident with regard to the learning aspects of clinical patient safety, nevertheless, their confidence in learning certain patient safety aspects warrants further improvement. This implies a need to address the impact of regular interventions, extra motivation and repeated mentoring in both the classroom and clinical scenarios on improving dental students' confidence about patient safety.

Influence of Propolis Extract (Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester) Addition on the Candida albicans Adhesion and Surface Properties of Autopolymerized Acrylic Resin.

Background: Denture stomatitis has been linked to the adhesion and proliferation of Candida albicans (C. albicans) on denture bases, which is a common and recurrent problem in denture wearers. The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of incorporating caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) into autopolymerized polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) acrylic resin on C. albicans adhesion, surface roughness, and hardness as well as the correlation between tested properties. Methods: Autopolymerized acrylic resin discs (N = 100, 50/C. albicans adhesion; 50/C. albicans surface roughness and hardness test) were fabricated in dimensions 15 × 2.5 mm, samples were categorized into 5 groups (n = 10) based on CAPE concentrations; unmodified (control), 2.5, 5, 10 and 15% wt of acrylic powder. Specimens were stored in distilled water for 48 h at 37°C. C. albicans adhesion was evaluated via direct culture method. Profilometer and Vickers hardness tester were used for surface roughness and hardness measurement. Post hoc Tukey's HSD with ANOVA test was performed to compare the difference of means amongst groups. P values were statistically significant at ≤0.05. Results: The addition of 2.5% of CAPE to PMMA has significantly reduced C. albicans counts in comparison to higher CAPE concentrations (p < 0.001). As for surface roughness, it was noticed that it increased with increased CAPE concentrations (p < 0.0001). While surface hardness decreased as CAPE concentrations increased (p < 0.0001). All tested properties showed a significant difference amongst groups for C. albicans colony count and surface parameters. Conclusion: The addition of 2.5% of CAPE to PMMA acrylic resin significantly decreased C. albicans count compared to higher CAPE concentrations. CAPE can be used as an adjunct in the prevention of DS by incorporating in the PMMA acrylic resin.

The pattern and use of Twitter among dental schools in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: Twitter as a social media platform has revolutionized the way we interact with others and receive information. The presence of dental schools in Twitter facilitates the engagement of students, educators, dental professionals, and the community. Given the explosive popularity of Twitter as a social media platform and its potential use in the areas of education and branding, the questions of why and how dental schools use these services warrant comprehensive research. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the pattern and use of Twitter as a social media platform for dental schools in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The tweets were extracted within the timeframe from July 15, 2019, to July 15, 2020. The Twitter data collected included: full text content, the count of retweets, quotes, replies and likes. Extracted tweets were categorized into five main themes: news and announcement, dental professional communication, general communication, oral health education, and promoting participation. Tweets in each main theme were further categorized according to the dental schools' academic roles namely; education, research and community service. In addition, tweets were classified according to originality of the tweet, language used, nature of the tweet and the use of hashtags and mentions. Descriptive analysis presented in the form of frequency tables with percentages and mean (SD) as well as graphical presentation of the pattern and use of Twitter for Saudi dental schools in the form of bar, pie and line charts. Categorical data were analyzed using chi square test, while continuous data were analyzed using ANOVA. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 15 Saudi dental schools with Twitter accounts were included in the analysis. King Saud University (KSU) had the largest number of followers with 17,200. Within the time frame of this study, a total of 1,889 original tweets from dental schools were found. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU) had the highest number of posted tweets (n = 647, 34.3%). The distribution of tweets was highest in September 2019 (n = 239) and lowest in July 2020 (n = 22). Majority of the tweets (81.9%) belonged to five out of the 15 dental schools. News and announcements were the most tweeted thematic subject with 1,034 tweets (55%). While community service was the most tweeted academic role with 803 tweets (42%). The top five active dental schools' performance for both thematic and academic role classifications were significantly different based on the chi square test (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of Twitter as a social media platform, in dental education especially when it comes to presence and branding for dental schools. Twitter is a helpful platform to expose dental schools to the community, this can be seen by their academic achievements as well as their active role with community service.

Micro-osteoperforations and Its Effect on the Rate of Tooth Movement: A Systematic Review.

Prolonged orthodontic treatments have inconvenienced patients and clinicians alike. Surgically assisted techniques for accelerating orthodontic tooth movement have shown promising results in the literature over the years. The minimally invasive nature of micro-osteoperforations (MOPs), however, for enhanced orthodontic tooth movement has recently gained momentum, with many clinical trials conducted on both animals and humans. An electronic search was performed to extract papers using PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. The keywords that were used included "MOP," "accelerating tooth movement," "orthodontic tooth movement," and "regional acceleratory phenomenon." The studies that met our inclusion criteria were extracted and evaluated in this review. MOPs have been proven time and again, in animal and human studies alike, to increase the rate of orthodontic tooth movement. The application of perforations to cortical bone present in the pathway of teeth, which are specifically to be moved creates transient osteopenia. This reduces the density of the cortical bone, hence speeding up the rate of orthodontic tooth movement. Many techniques have been implemented and perfected to enhance orthodontic tooth movement and shorten the treatment time in the literature. MOPs have proven to be a universally applied, nontechnical, repeatable, and minimally invasive method of accelerating tooth movement, with extremely minimal consequences.

Dental students' perception about using videos in teaching professionalism: A Saudi Arabian experience.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development and evaluation of using videos (watched and student-generated) for teaching stronger interpersonal communication skills to dental students. METHODOLOGY: We used the Experiential Learning Theory to develop a professionalism course for third-year dental students. Videos were used as the core method of teaching communication skills. Students were guided to produce videos that addressed an array of communication scenarios. Quantitative data was collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire to assess students' perceptions about watching and generating videos. The questionnaire was divided into 3 parts: the first part assessed students' perceptions and skills gained when producing videos. The second part assessed students' perceptions about watching videos to gain knowledge. The last part assessed their perceptions about their overall learning experience. RESULTS: A total of 110 students, 50 males and 60 females, were enrolled in the course. Developing team skills and a better understanding of professional communication with patients were acknowledged by 85% and 80% of students respectively during video production. Improved problem-solving skills were reported by 77% students while involved in video production. While watching motivational interviewing strategies and interpersonal skills videos, 86% stated that watching the videos improved their understanding of professional behavior with colleagues. Only 33% felt that they had enough time to prepare videos and only 38% were willing to prepare videos in the future. CONCLUSION: Using videos in teaching communication skills was found effective. Producing videos had more benefits than simply watching videos. Caution should be given when allocating time for such activities.