Quality of life and satisfaction outcomes of endodontic treatment.

The purpose of this study was to assess quality of life and satisfaction in relation to endodontic treatment in two Canadian populations and the association of these outcomes with the treatment providers' level of training (generalist or endodontist). New patients aged 25 to 40, presenting at the dental faculties in Toronto and Saskatoon were screened. Patients with radiographically identifiable endodontic treatment were invited for interviews conducted using a questionnaire that measured changes in quality of life after endodontic treatment and semantic differential scales that measured satisfaction with endodontic treatment. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, multiple and logistic regression (p < 0.05), and Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.02). Subjects reported preoperative factors (e.g., pain, sleep disturbances) impacting quality of life, which improved after endodontic treatment, significantly more in the Toronto than in the Saskatoon population. Satisfaction was significantly better when endodontic treatment was provided by endodontists.

Condylomata acuminata in a boy.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomaviruses, or HPV, are etiologic agents of all types of warts, including those associated with sexual transmission. Although previously rare in children, condylomata acuminata in the mouth have been reported for the past 10 to 15 years, and the possibility of sexual abuse needs to be considered. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 4-year-old boy with poor dental health presented with a wartlike mass on his upper lip, as well as two similar penile lesions. The lesions, cauliflowerlike and pedunculated in appearance, were excised, underwent biopsies and were subtyped via in situ hybridization. All of the lesions tested positive for HPV subtypes 6 and 11, which are the subtypes most often associated with anogenital warts (condylomata acuminata). Although both parents reported having genital warts, the specific mode of transmission to the child was not determined. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Cases of oral condylomata acuminata in children need to be treated as possible instances of sexual abuse, and it is incumbent on the dentist to alert the appropriate community agency for follow-up.

Perceptions of Canadian dental faculty and students about appropriate penalties for academic dishonesty.

The purpose of this investigation was to a) compare the opinions of Canadian faculty and students as regards to what they felt was an appropriate penalty for particular academic offenses and b) to analyze the results and create a jurisprudence grid to serve as a guideline for appropriate disciplinary action. Two hundred questionnaires were distributed to the ten dental colleges in Canada. Each college was asked to have ten faculty and ten students complete the survey. A response rate of 100 percent was achieved for students and 92 percent for faculty. The questionnaire required respondents to select what they felt were appropriate penalties for a list of fifteen academic offenses and to render judgment on three specific cases. Statistical analysis of survey responses led to the following conclusions: 1) students gave equal or more lenient penalties than faculty for the same offense; 2) extenuating circumstances introduced via case presentations altered penalty choice only slightly; and 3) offenses could be grouped to correspond with appropriate penalties, thereby establishing a jurisprudence grid that may serve as a guideline for adjudication committees.

Dental characteristics of the Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome: a case report.

Little attention in the dental literature has been given to the dental characteristics of patients with the Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome (WHS). The syndrome is caused by deletions of the terminal portion of the short arm of chromosome 4. This case report provides information on dental anomalies noted in a child with WHS. The dental findings include agenesis of multiple permanent teeth, particularly premolars and molars, taurodontism, and over-retained primary teeth. This syndrome exhibits variable clinical expressivity, possibly due to the extent and the specific locus of the chromosomal deletion. Further studies are required to obtain a clearer view of the clinical oral/dental manifestations of this syndrome.

The University of Saskatchewan's Aboriginal Equity Access Program in dentistry.

Persons of Aboriginal ancestry are underrepresented in the dental profession in North America. In Canada, the University of Saskatchewan College of Dentistry began a proactive program to recruit, retain, and graduate more Aboriginal students in 1996. This program, entitled the Aboriginal Equity Access Program, has seen the inclusion of twenty-two Aboriginal students in the predoctoral program. This article describes the program and reports on the success of the students enrolled via this route. The primary conclusion is that selection of Aboriginal dental students with lower entry scores--who would not have gained entry if the program did not exist--has not impaired their ability to successfully complete the dental undergraduate program and pass the National Dental Examining Board licensure examination.

Penalties for academic dishonesty in a Greek dental school environment.

The aim of this study was to investigate the opinions of the faculty and students of the University of Athens Dental School in Greece regarding the appropriate penalty for specific academic offenses. In addition, faculty and student opinions were compared. A questionnaire was distributed to officially registered seniors and full-time faculty members, and 177 individuals responded anonymously and voluntarily. The respondents were asked to select one from a set of nine penalties for each of fifteen hypothetical academic offenses and three cases with extenuating circumstances. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test, depending on the nature of variables, were used to detect significant differences in penalty scores between faculty and students. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The penalty scores for the fifteen offenses ranged from a mean of 2.23±1.55 to 7.25±2.64. Faculty respondents gave more severe penalties than students did for all offenses, and the finding was statistically significant (p<0.05) for eleven of the fifteen offenses. Where extenuating circumstances were added, the penalty selection altered in two of the three cases. A significantly more lenient penalty was selected by both faculty and students in these two cases. The results of this study suggest that faculty members are harsher than students for the same offenses and that extenuating circumstances can sometimes significantly change recommended penalties.