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Sports dentistry is a branch of oral sciences concerned with the treatment, management, and prevention of the trauma to the orofacial region sustained while participating in any sports activity. Sports have been frequently reported to be an important cause of overall oral trauma in children, as well as adults. There is an evident lack of knowledge in the general population regarding how sports injuries are to be prevented and dealt with. Dentists, if included in sports teams and schools, can help penetrate this knowledge and awareness barrier. Lifestyle, eating habits, stress, etc., have an impact on the performance of the athletes. Stress in athletes can lead to substance abuse, more precisely, tobacco abuse which can affect their performance. Like physiotherapists, even dentists can be made a part of a professional sports team where they can help prevent the complications arising due to facial traumas by the administration of various protective appliances and handle maxillofacial trauma. The present study aimed to evaluate and comprehend the current opportunities for dentists in the field of sports dentistry, whilst emphasising their significance in the professional sports system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Dentistry is a blend of both surgery and medicine. Cavity preparation in dentistry is a routine procedure used to remove defects or dental caries, which is irreversible and requires advanced skills. Preclinical training is done on typhodont, which are replicas of teeth that exhibit tooth morphology, as part of the dental curriculum. The aim of this study was to assess the attitude of dental professionals toward the efficacy of typhodont exercise in clinical practice. Materials and Methods This study was a cross-sectional study conducted on dental professionals to understand the efficacy of typhodont exercise in clinical practice. The questionnaire consisted of 23 close-ended questions. The responses were coded as number/score (1–10). Responses were compiled on a MS Excel Worksheet and subjected to SPSS package. Chi-squared test and Mann–Whitney U test were used to analyze data. Results A total of 250 responses were collected. About 72.8% participants stated that it helped them get oriented to the operating position. Regarding the preclinical exercises relevance to clinical exercise, a score of about 7 was obtained. However, the simulation of gingiva received a score of 5. Suggestions like integration of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), haptic technology along with extracted teeth as a conjunct to the typhodont exercise were received. Conclusion This study suggested that preclinical typhodont exercises help the students in preparing for the upcoming clinical postings. However, the augmentation of typhodont exercise with AR, VR, haptic technology, and use of extracted teeth can furbish the current state of preclinical curriculum for conservative dentistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]