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Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the attitudes and practices of dentists from Chennai with respect to their roles in tobacco cessation counseling and to identify the barriers. Method of Investigation: Survey design was used to conduct the study. Multistage sampling method was adapted to select the participants. In Stage 1, cluster sampling was used to select the practicing dentist in Chennai city. In Stage 2, simple random sampling was used to select a subset of dentist covering Chennai city. A total of 250 dentists of Chennai city were selected for the study. A semi-structured questionnaire was given to them and the responses were recorded. The questionnaire comprised demographic details and 13-item questionnaire related to attitudes, practices, and barriers among dentists for tobacco cessation counseling. Results: A total of 200 questionnaires were returned with the response rate of 80%. Of 200 respondents, 160 (80%) were male dentists and 40 (20%) were female dentists. Age of dentists varied from 25 to 48 years, with the mean age of 34.2 ± 7.3 years. Most of the dentists strongly believed that it is their responsibility to educate the patients regarding tobacco cessation counseling. The lack of proper training was found to be the major barrier for tobacco cessation counseling among dentist. Conclusion: Dentist has a positive attitude for tobacco cessation counseling, but lack of proper training is a significant barrier for their failure. Hence, dentists should be given proper orientation and training toward tobacco cessation counseling during their curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and distribution of musculoskeletal symptoms among dentists in Chennai and also its impact in their daily activities. Materials and Methods: The survey instrument was a self-administrated questionnaire, which was responded by 130 dentists in Saveetha Dental Hospital, Chennai, India. The following aspects were investigated age, gender, working hours per day, years of practice, pain symptoms during the past 12 months, and its interference in the daily work during the past 12 months. Questions also included the data on operating posture of the dentists, clock position, and practice of regular exercise daily. Results: The results showed 89% of the dentist reported at least one musculoskeletal complaint in the past 12 months. The mean age of the study population was 30.4 years. The most prevalent sites with symptoms reported during the past 12 months were the neck (67%), shoulders (58%), and lower back (51%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the awareness about latex allergy among dental practitioners in Chennai city. Materials and Methods: A total of 247 dental practitioners in the Chennai city comprised the sample. A questionnaire comprising 20 responses was used. Results: The present study revealed that 68.01% of them are aware of signs and symptoms of latex allergy and 7.69% dentists are allergic to latex. More than 70% of dental clinics in Chennai are not equipped with Medical Emergency Kit. Conclusion: Allergic reactions to latex occur in significant numbers among dental practitioners, and they must become aware of the processes which limit exposure to latex and promptly address the adverse skin reactions. To ensure safe practice, health-care professionals must understand the source of latex allergies and must follow precise guidelines during practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the study is to compare the efficiency of the commercially available calcium hydroxide preparation with custommade calcium hydroxide used as intercanal medicaments. Background: Calcium hydroxide is an age-old compound widely used as intercanal medicaments due to its antimicrobial activity. The custom-made calcium hydroxide will have additional properties due to the inclusion of different vehicles proven to be adjunct in contributing to its efficacy. Materials and Methods: An in vitro evaluation is done using natural teeth, grouping them into control and sample groups and contaminating it with bacteria followed by dressing the canal with medicaments to evaluate their efficacy. Result: The efficiency of commercially available and custom-made calcium hydroxide intercanal medicaments are found to be different and custom-made calcium hydroxide intercanal medicaments were found to be more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sealants are considered to be more effective in preventing and arresting pit and fissure caries of primary and permanent molars. Laboratory in vitro tests play a key role in providing the necessary information regarding the efficacy of new products in a short period of time. Therefore, the aim of the present study to compare and evaluate the shear bond strength of conventional and hydrophilic fissure sealants applied to the enamel on the buccal surface of permanent molars. Materials and Methods: Twenty extracted third molars were included in the study. The teeth were randomly divided into two groups. Group I: Conventional sealant (Clinpro3M ESPE) and Group II: Hydrophilic sealant (Ultraseal XT Hydro). Buccal surfaces of each tooth were pretreated with the acid etchant, and respective sealants were placed perpendicular to the polished surfaces using an elastomeric mold. All the samples were embedded in resin block, and shear bond strength was evaluated using universal Instron machine. Independent t-test used to compare the difference in the mean shear bond between the groups and the level of statistical significance was set at a value of P < 0.05. Results: The mean shear bond strength of Group I sealant was found to be 13.71 ± 0.94 MPa and for Group II, it was 20.39 ± 0.98 MPa. Group II presented a significantly higher shear bond strength than that of Group II (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Ultraseal XT Hydro (Group II) had maximum shear bond strength than that of Clinpro sealant (Group I). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]