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Background: The decision to save a compromised tooth is a major challenge among dentists and may vary among those with different areas of specialization. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the influencing factors that play a role in decision-making trends when choosing whether or not to save a compromised tooth, either through endodontic treatment or extraction and implant placement. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample to assess decision-making within different dental specialties among various dental schools in Saudi Arabia. Participants were stratified into four groups based on clinical specialties, including endodontists (n = 45, 23.9%), periodontists (n = 51, 27.1%), prosthodontists (n = 55, 29.3%), and oral and maxillofacial surgeons (n = 37, 19.7%). The data of 188 participants were analyzed using Chi-square tests, with significance at p ≤ 0.05. Results: Endodontists were significantly more likely than other specialists (p ≤ 0.002) to decide to retain a compromised tooth rather than place an implant. In difficult prosthetic cases, faculty surgeons were significantly more likely to place an implant than other specialists (p ≤ 0.01). Conclusion: The assessment of decision-making trends demonstrated that retention of the natural tooth by endodontic and restorative treatments was preferred over extraction and implant placement. Increased prosthetic complexity shifted this preference towards implant placement. This study provides a basis to help identify factors contributing to decision-making among dental professionals; these factors could improve existing guidelines to ensure a successful practice.

In recent years, virtual reality and interactive digital simulations have been used in dental education to train dental students before interacting with real patients. Scientific evidence presented the application of virtual technology in dental education and some recent publications suggested that virtual and haptic technologies may have positive effects on dental education outcomes. The aim of this systematic review was to determine whether virtual technologies have positive effects on dental education outcomes and to explore the attitudes of dental students and educators toward these technologies. A thorough search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE (via EBSCO), The Cochrane Library (via Wiley), Web of Science Core Collection (via Thomson Reuters), and Dentistry and Oral Science source (via EBSCO) using the keywords (student, dental) AND (education, dental) AND (virtual reality) OR (augmented reality) OR (haptics) OR (simulation) AND (dentistry) OR (dental medicine). The quality of the reported information was assessed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement for systematic reviews. A total of 73 publications were considered for this review. Fifty-two of the selected studies showed significant improvement in educational outcomes and virtual technologies were positively perceived by all the participants. Within the limitations of this review, virtual technology appears to improve education outcomes in dental students. Further studies with larger samples and longer term clinical trials are needed to substantiate this potential positive impact of various virtual technologies on dental education outcomes.

Objective: To evaluate the level of awareness and attitude among dental practitioners regarding the use of stem cells in dentistry and to determine their knowledge of ethical concerns related to the recent therapy. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted at Taibah University Dental College and Hospital. Medina and at governmental and private dental clinics at the western region of Saudi Arabia. Responses of dental practitioners who completed the survey were recorded between March 2019 and July 2019 without containing any personal identifiers. Level of awareness and attitude and knowledge about ethical issues in relation to stem cell therapy was established. Results: A total of 214 male and female dental practitioners participated in this study and the majority were registered at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialists 128 (59.8%). Dental consultants reported the highest percentage of awareness about dental stem cells (96%, p= 0.005), whereas general dental practitioners (56.2%, p= 0.005) and specialists (52%, p= 0.005), respectively had a lower percentage. When ethical concerns were determined, dental consultants had the highest percentage of knowledge (56%, p= 0.005), whereas dental practitioners (71.2%, p= 0.005) with < 5 years of experience (69.1, p= 0.002) lacked information about related ethical issues. Conclusion: Ways to increase stem cell awareness among dental practitioners in this study recommended including stem cell topics in the dental curriculum and organizing frequent seminars and conferences on this subject. Keywords Stem cell; Awareness; Ethical; Dental practitioner.

Objectives: To assess the masticatory performance of restored short span Kennedy class III edentulous area with respect to non-restored side in patient treated with either fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) and/or removable partial dentures (RPDs).Methods: Fifty Kennedy class III partially dentate patients with age range (35 - 54) years were recruited for this study. FDPs and/or RPDs were made for all patients. Patients were categorized to five groups; ten patients each. Masticatory efficiency has been evaluated one month after prostheses delivery. Data was analyzed using student’s t- test, paired t-test and multi-level linear model test.Results: Statistical significant difference was observed between different groups under study compared to control group (p≤0.05). However, no statistically significant difference was observed between study groups in respect to age, number of teeth or masticatory efficiency (p≥0.05). Conclusions: Masticatory efficiency at the intact side is better than the side restored with FDPs and /or RPDs. Type of the prosthesis whether FDPs and/or RPDs didn’t influence the masticatory efficiency of short span Kennedy class III patients.

Aim To assess the impact of different surface treatment protocols on the shear bond strength (SBS) of metal orthodontic brackets (MOBs) and ceramic orthodontic brackets (CBOs) bonded to provisional crowns via the SBS test. Materials and methods A total of 120 provisional indirect composite crowns (SR Nexco; Ivoclar Vivadent) for maxillary first premolars were fabricated and evenly allocated into two groups: MOBs and CBOs. According to the surface treatment protocol, each group was divided into three subgroups: group CO, no treatment; group HF, the surface was etched with 10% hydrofluoric acid; and group SA, the surface was sandblasted followed by silanization. After bracket bonding, the samples were subjected to 3,000 thermocycles between 5°C and 55°C. SBS was evaluated using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/minute and the adhesive remnant index (ARI) was identified. For statistical analysis, ANOVA and Tukey HSD post hoc tests were performed. Results Mean bond strength values for CBOs cemented to control, HF-, and SA-treated subgroups before and after thermocycling were (9.6 μ 1.4, 6.2 μ 1.1), (17.8 μ 2.1, 13.8 μ 1.3), and (17.2 μ 1.4, 12.1 μ 1.8) MPa, respectively. For the metallic brackets, the results were (7.7 μ 2.3, 3.9 μ 1.4), (15.5 μ 1.6, 12.8 μ 1.2), and (15 μ 1.2, 11.2 μ 1.6) MPa, respectively. There was a significant difference (p = 0.000) between ceramic and metallic bracket groups. Conclusion Conditioning of indirect composite provisional crowns either with HF or SA was significantly affecting the adhesion to both bracket types. Clinical significance Increasing the bond strength between provisional crowns and orthodontic brackets (OBs) may improve the treatment standard provided to patients.

The aim was to evaluate the adaptation of CAD/CAM occlusal veneer with different cement space settings using micro CT scan. Three groups of IPS e.max-CAD lithium disilicate occlusal veneers with different cement space settings (30, 40, and 50 µm) were produced. A circle with 20 different diameters was centered at the center of the same image position of every scanned specimen using micro CT scan to measure four different locations [Occlusal (OCG), axial (AXG), Marginal (MAG), and absolute marginal discrepancy values (AMD)]. Kruskal-Wallis test revealed that there were no statistical differences between (OCG), (AXG), and (AMD) tested groups (p>0.05), and statistical differences between (MAG) group and other two groups (p

Since the first cases of the novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) were diagnosed in China, outcomes associated with this infection in terms of total numbers of cases and deaths have varied widely between countries. While some countries had minimal rates of infections and deaths, other countries were hit hard by the pandemic. Countries with highest numbers of cases continued to change over time, but at the time of submission of this article they are: USA, Brazil, Russia, UK, India, Spain, Italy, Peru and Chile. This is in contrary to many countries in the Middle East, Far East, and Africa, which had lower cases or deaths/cases rates. This raised many questions pertaining to this variation. This overview explores the potential factors that contribute to spread, transmission and outcomes of the COVID-19 infection. It also uses an evidence-based approach in reviewing the available most recent literature that tackled the various factors that modify the populations’ response to COVID-19, namely, factors pertaining to population characteristics, environmental and geographic factors.

Background Occlusal appliances can distribute aggressive loads which are generated by bruxism and can reduce their frequency. The facebow record, when used in the construction of occlusal appliances, helps in minimizing occlusal discrepancies. This study aimed to compare the effect of CAD/CAM stabilization occlusal splint made with and without facebow for management of bruxer patients. Method 24 Patients who were diagnosed as bruxers were randomly assigned into two equal groups and obtained maxillary CAD/CAM occlusal stabilizing splint recorded with centric relation either with or without using a facebow. The patient satisfaction using the visual analog scale (VAS) was recorded at baseline, one month and three months’ follow-up periods. The adjustment time of both splints, from the start of splint delivery until becoming well-fitted and occlusally adjusted, was calculated using a stopwatch. Results The CAD/CAM occlusal splints with or without the use of facebow improved the patient's satisfaction with no statistically significant difference between both groups at baseline, one month and three months with p values of 0.73, 0.24 and 0.45 respectively. The comparison between the two modalities regarding the adjustment time showed no statistically significant difference between both groups (P = 0.06). Conclusion According to the results of this study; no difference was detected in patient satisfaction and the time required for adjustment of CAD/CAM occlus.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and contributing factors of antibiotic self-medication for oral conditions in dental patients. Material and Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to 501 patients attending Taibah University Dental College and Hospital, Al Madinah, Saudi Arabia during late 2016. Questions were on socio-demographic characteristics, and pattern of antibiotic self-medication for oral disease. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS software version 21. Statistical significance level was set at p ≤.05. Results: Age range was 15-64 years (29.08±9.32 years) with 297 females (59.3%) and 204 males (40.7%). 135 patients (27%) self-medicated with antibiotics for oral disease. This practice was statistically significantly associated with the older adults (p=0.001), lack of medical or dental insurance (p=0.014 and 0.007, respectively), and poor dental attendance (p=0.021). A number of 26 (25.7%) perceived analgesics as antibiotics. Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid was the most commonly cited antibiotic by 18 patients (17.8%). Dental pain was the most frequently reported oral condition. Pharmacists were the most common source for antibiotic prescription cited by 58 (57.4%). Conclusion: Antibiotic self-medication for oral disease is associated with the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics for non-indicated clinical oral conditions. The practice was encouraged by lenient behavior of pharmacists, lack of health insurance, and poor dental attendance.

Objective: To investigate the effect of Arabic coffee on bleached teeth in comparison to black coffee. Material and Methods: Forty teeth (sound maxillary or mandibular premolars with no carious lesions) were randomly selected into 4 groups (A, B, C and D). One group (A) did not receive bleaching and was incubated in saline. The second group (B) was bleached and then incubated in saline. The last two groups were bleached and were immersed in either Arabic coffee (C) or black coffee (D). Color recording of the samples was always carried out as near to their mid-buccal surfaces as possible using VITA Easyshade Advance System. Color measurements were carried out using a digital spectrophotometer at baseline and after short-term and long-term immersion. Data were subjected to two way ANOVA and T-test. The level of significance was set at was set at 0.05. Results: Results show that immersion in Arabic coffee resulted only in significant reduction in the b* color value upon long-term immersion (i.e. a reduction in the yellow hue). Black coffee on the other hand resulted in significant: reduction in lightness, increased red tint and increased yellow hue altogether. Conclusion: The use of Arabic coffee did not deteriorate color, with the only significant change being the reduction of yellowish hue. Arabic coffee could be an alternative to black coffee after bleaching.

Objectives: To investigate in women of reproductive age a possible association between particular dental diseases&mdash, dental caries, retained roots, and missing teeth&mdash, with some systemic conditions&mdash, physical status score- ASA (American Society for Anesthesiologists), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Methods: Dental and medical history were retrieved from the electronic files of dental patients. Statistical analysis was performed using cross tabulation with the Chi-square test to explore the significance of an association between variables pertaining to dental diseases and the investigated systemic conditions. Logistic regression was further used to explore the significance of the above dental diseases as predictors for systemic conditions. Results: A total of 1768 female patients in the age range 18&ndash, 55 were included, with a mean age of 31.2 &plusmn, 10.13 years. A total of 228 (12.9%) patients had a chronic systemic disease within the ASA II category, 66 (3.7%) were diabetic, and 76 (4.3%) were hypertensive. Missing teeth were significantly associated with the ASA II category, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension (p &lt, 0.001, p = 0.009, p = 0.005 respectively), while retained roots were significantly associated with the ASA II category only (p = 0.023). Logistic regression showed a low predictive capacity of models describing the three systemic conditions. Conclusions: Diabetes mellitus and hypertension were the most common systemic diseases among the study sample. While carious teeth had no significant association with the investigated systemic conditions, retained roots were significantly associated with the ASA II category only, and missing teeth were significantly associated with all investigated systemic conditions. However, oral diseases expressed a low predictive power of these systemic conditions.

COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, with a high fatality rate that may reach 8%. The disease is caused by SARS-CoV-2 which is one of the coronaviruses. Realizing the severity of outcomes associated with this disease and its high rate of transmission, dentists were instructed by regulatory authorities, such as the American Dental Association, to stop providing treatment to dental patients except those who have emergency complaints. This was mainly for protection of dental healthcare personnel, their families, contacts, and their patients from the transmission of virus, and also to preserve the much-needed supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). Dentists at all times should competently follow cross-infection control protocols, but particularly during this critical time, they should do their best to decide on the emergency cases that are indicated for dental treatment. Dentists should also be updated on how this pandemic is related to their profession in order to be well oriented and prepared. This overview will address several issues concerned with the COVID-19 pandemic that directly relate to dental practice in terms of prevention, treatment, and orofacial clinical manifestations.

AIM To test whether titanium-zirconium (Ti-Zr) 3.3 mm diameter implants perform differently from titanium (Ti) 4.1 mm diameter implants with respect to marginal bone level (MBL) and clinical parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty patients in need of a single-implant crown in the anterior or premolar regions were enrolled in two centres. Following random allocation, either a Ti-Zr or a Ti implant was inserted. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns were inserted 6 months after implantation. Implant survival, change in MBL, clinical parameters, change in mid-facial mucosa and papilla levels, and the occurrence of biological and technical complications were assessed at the 3-year follow-up. RESULTS At 3 years, 32 of the 40 included patients were examined (15 Ti, 17 Ti-Zr). There were no implant failures. From the implant placement to 3 years, the median change in mean MBL amounted to 0.21 mm (mean: -0.31) in the Ti group and 0.10 mm (mean: -0.40) in the Ti-Zr group. There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to the change in MBL, the change in mucosa levels, and the occurrence of complications. CONCLUSIONS Ti-Zr implants with 3.3 mm diameter used for the support of single crowns in the anterior and the premolar regions did not differ from Ti implants with 4.1 mm diameter regarding the clinical performance over a 3-year period. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.