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Introduction: Peer assessment in dental and medical education is a key tool for evaluating attitudes and communication skills, serving as an effective formative learning method. It not only boosts academic performance and encourages lifelong learning and reflective practice but also fosters collaboration, effective communication, and constructive feedback among peers. Objective: This study aimed to assess dental students' satisfaction and perceptions regarding implementing peer assessment in case presentations, including contribution to their learning. Methods: This cross‐sectional study involved third (n = 26), fourth (n = 54), and sixth (n = 71) dental students divided into five groups. Each student received peer assessments (n = 8) from the students of the other groups regarding their clinical presentation. At the end of the process, students were invited to complete an anonymous 9‐item questionnaire to assess student perceptions of the peer‐assessment process. Data were analyzed to evaluate students' perception and satisfaction with the peer assessment task. The bivariate analysis explored associations among questionnaire items. Results: A total of 151 students participated in the current study. Results showed a high level of agreement for most of the students regarding their preparedness for peer and self‐assessment. More than 75% of the students at all academic levels found it challenging to evaluate their peers. Student satisfaction scores increased with the level of education, (4.076, 4.214, and 4.246 out of five, respectively) with moderate correlations between peer evaluation characteristics. Conclusion: Peer assessment appears to enhance learning and professional development in dental students. Students' satisfaction with peer assessment grows with education level, reflecting its role in fostering critical evaluation skills and feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the effect of nano-hydroxyapatite incorporation into resin infiltrant on the mineral content, surface tomography, and resin tag penetration of demineralized enamel. Forty specimens were exposed to a demineralized solution to form subsurface caries lesions. The lesions were treated with negative control, a resin infiltrant (ICON), ICON with 5% nano-hydroxyapatite (NHA, Sigma-Aldrich), or ICON with 10% NHA. Mineral density was assessed using microcomputed tomography scans at various stages of the experiment. Specimens were scanned by scanning electron microscope (SEM) for surface analysis and resin tag penetration. Analysis of variance was used to assess the difference among groups. Specimens treated with ICON and 5% or 10% NHA showed the most favorable mineral density regarding the percent change in mineral content (32.4% and 29.7%, respectively), compared to 8.8% in teeth treated with ICON alone and -1.8% in teeth in the control group. SEM showed that teeth treated with ICON or ICON with 5% or 10% NHA had a smooth surface. The resin penetration in all tested groups showed high-quality resin tags, regardless of the treatment protocol. NHA resin infiltrant (ICON with 5% or 10% NHA) effectively enhanced the artificial enamel caries surfaces in terms of smooth surfaces, mineral density, and resin penetration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In 2017, Saudi Arabia introduced a 120% tax on energy drinks and a 50% tax on soft drinks. The impact of this policy on the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) among schoolchildren is not known in this country. The present study evaluated the impact of the excise tax on SSB consumption in the tri-city metropolitan area of Dammam-Khobar-Dhahran, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.Materials and Methods: A repeated cross-sectional design was used to examine the difference between pre- and post-tax SSBs consumption among schoolchildren (12-14 years old) in Dammam-Khobar-Dhahran cities. A beverage-consumption frequency questionnaire was completed by 453 participants before the tax implementation and 334 participants after the tax implementation. The tax on soft drinks was increased by 50% and on energy drinks by 120%. Pre-tax data were collected in May 2017 and post-tax data in April 2018.Results: The proportion of participants who consumed energy drinks was 46.1% (95% CI: 42-51) before tax implementation, decreasing to 38.4% (95% CI: 33-44) after tax implementation, a reduction of nearly 8%. 92.5% (95% CI: 90-95) of the participants consumed soft drinks before tax implementation and 94.6% (95% CI: 92-97) did so after tax implementation, an increase of about 2%.Conclusions: The study showed no statistically significant impact of tax implementation on the consumption of energy drinks and soft drinks in this sample of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the influence of gross domestic product (GDP), government expenditures on education and health (% of GDP), per capita sugar consumption, and years of schooling on caries experience (DMFT) in 12‐year‐old children globally. Methods: The study analyzed global data of GDP, sugar consumption, years of schooling, expenditure on education and health, and DMFT from 69 countries. Information about DMFT and sugar consumption was retrieved from the World Health Organization while data of other study variables were available from the United Nations Development Program. Data were compared among low, middle, and high‐income countries. Results: Sugar consumption (p = 0.005) and years of schooling increased progressively from low‐income to high‐income countries (p < 0.001). The greater percentage of GDP was spent on health (6.55 ± 2.94) than on education (3.48 ± 2.60). Upper‐middle‐income countries had the highest mean DMFT score (2.23 ± 1.23) and per capita sugar consumption (33.28 ± 14.06). High‐income countries spent 4.33% of their GDP on education followed by low‐income countries (3.92%) (p = 0.037). Similar trends were observed with regards to the percentage of GDP spent on health (p = 0.003). Univariate analysis showed a significant negative correlation between the percentage of GDP spent on education (r = −0.252, p = 0.037) and DMFT. Significant correlation remained in multivariate analysis; the percentage of GDP spent on education and DMFT in children (B = −0.128, p = 0.028). Conclusion: Low, middle, and high‐income countries demonstrated significant inequalities regarding caries experience, sugar consumption, and share of GDP spent on health and education. Increasing the share of GDP on education may reduce caries burden in children globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in children frequently occur in schools where teachers can play an important role in their management. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess schoolteachers' knowledge and the factors that determine their management of TDIs. Materials and methods: This cross‐sectional study was conducted in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia from January to June 2018. Data were collected through an online pre‐tested questionnaire. The questionnaire collected demographic data and included questions that assessed participants' knowledge and management practices for TDI. Chi‐square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. Results: A total of 443 teachers were included in the study, and 72.5% of the participants were females. The prevalence of TDIs was 49% yet only 7.2% of the participants reported managing dental trauma. Fights (22.8%) and falls (21.7%) were the most common causes of dental injuries. Mean TDI knowledge score was 2.75 ± 2.05, but only 47.2% were willing to receive training about TDI management. Regarding supportive environments, 75.8% of teachers reported having safety playgrounds, however 10.6% reported having a nurse in schools. After controlling for other variables, male respondents were 3.85 times more likely to manage TDIs than female respondents (P =.001). Similarly, previous knowledge of dental trauma management (OR = 4.32, P <.001) and having less than 50 students in class (OR = 2.61, P =.021) were significantly associated with TDI management. Conclusion: The teachers demonstrated inadequate knowledge about TDIs which were highly prevalent in primary schools. Male gender, having knowledge of TDI management and teaching less students were associated with increased likelihood of TDI management. There is a crucial need for the reinforcement of policies that support school safety and a supportive environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate awareness and attitudes of dental students and interns about patient safety culture in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods: This cross‐sectional study was conducted on 272 undergraduate dental students and interns using the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) from November 2019 to January 2020. The SAQ consists of six domains: teamwork climate, safety climate, job satisfaction, stress recognition, perception of management and work conditions. The score of SAQ ranges from 0 to 100, and a cut‐off ≥75 is considered a positive attitude of patient safety. Results: The study included 47.1% of males and 52.9% of females with a mean age of 22.58 ± 1.3 years. Few participants (9.9%) showed a positive attitude of patient safety culture. Nearly one‐third of participants (35.7%) attended a course on patient safety and 31.6% reported experiencing adverse events by them or their families. Out of six domains, job satisfaction showed the highest mean score (70.25) and 75.4% of participants felt proud to practise in the dental clinic. Female students demonstrated a significantly higher mean score of stress recognition (64.28 ± 18.98) than male students (56.98 ± 22.53) (P 0.004). The mean SAQ score increased significantly from fourth year students to interns (P <.001). Conclusions: A small percentage of students demonstrated a positive attitude of patient safety and only one‐third attended a patient safety course. The job satisfaction domain was highly rated and patient safety culture significantly improved from junior to senior students. Dental curricula should include patient safety courses to improve the quality and safety of patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]