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Background: Dental anxiety has been found to play a key role in avoidance and postponement of dental treatments. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of dental anxiety on patients referred for replacement of missing teeth with dental implants. Methods: Two hundred ninety-nine patients (57.9% were males and 42.1% were females) referred to the Department of Prosthodontics were assessed for dental anxiety by using Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale. Mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage were calculated depending on the nature of the data. The chi-square test was used to determine the association between age and sex with anxiety level, whereas Fisher's exact test was used to determine the association between education level and level of anxiety. Results: The mean Dental Anxiety Scale score was 7.67 (standard deviation = 3.664). Among them, 96 (32.1%) showed some level of dental anxiety, out of which 32 (10.7%) had a high level of anxiety. Younger age groups and those with formal education exhibited higher levels of anxiety compared to other groups. Conclusion: The majority of the patients showed a normal level of anxiety, while others exhibited a higher level of anxiety while assessing the patients referred for dental implant as a prosthetic option. Younger age groups and those with formal education had higher levels of anxiety. Dental practitioners should consider the anxiety levels of patients before performing dental implants so that they can pursue better patient management strategies before treatment for improved outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Most of the dental research has focused on dentist's perceptions of patients based on their demographic proiles, while little is known about patient's perceptions of their dentists. Further, there is a lack of data regarding patient preferences in selecting prosthodontists based on gender and age in Nepal. This study aims to investigate the influence of various demographic factors on patient preferences in selecting their prosthodontist. Methods A sample of 358 patients presenting at the Department of Prosthodontics, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine for replacement of missing teeth took part in this questionnaire-based study. The questionnaire was designed to assess the influence of sex and age of the prosthodontist on the decision to select a prosthodontist. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version 16. Results Majority (258, 72.1%) preferred treatment by a prosthodontist of age <44 years. There was a signiicant association seen between participants' age, sex, and educational status and age preference for prosthodontists. Also, their sex, educational status, and prosthodontist among family and friends were signiicantly associated with prosthodontist's sex preference. Conclusion There was preference for younger prosthodontists by the study participants but they had no gender preference for having their treatment done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prosthetic rehabilitation of a large anophthalmic socket is always a challenge. It demands an equally sized ocular prosthesis to replace lost tissue volume. A conventional solid acrylic ocular prosthesis may be deterrent to retention and esthetics because of its weight, which can be reduced by eliminating the mass of material within it. This article attempts to present a simplified and accurate technique to fabricate a hollow ocular prosthesis using silicone putty cavity form. It is removed prior to final processing and serves to ensure appropriate uniform thickness of acrylic resin and optimal weight reduction of the definitive prosthesis without compromising mobility, esthetics, and structural integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate positioning of the iris is critical for the success of an ocular prosthesis. Precise duplication of size and location of the iris is essential for the establishment of realism, symmetry, and a natural‐appearing gaze. This article explores an alternative procedure for positioning the iris in a custom‐made ocular prosthesis using a pupillary distance ruler (PD ruler). The orientation and mediolateral dimension of the iris of the natural eye was measured from the graduated scale on a PD ruler and transferred on to the sculpted scleral wax pattern. The iris button was positioned in the marked area, and the established orientation was evaluated for symmetry and a natural‐appearing gaze. Accurate, predictable, and easy positioning of the iris with the transfer of these dimensions to the definitive prosthesis provided a good result in terms of patient esthetics and satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maxillary defects resulting from ablative oncologic surgery can be extensive and usually have complex contours. Impression procedures for such defects can be time consuming and cumbersome, challenging the skills of even the most‐experienced clinician. A well‐oriented impression tray with proper extension and adequate contour is essential for successfully capturing the relevant details in impression. This article describes a method using the patient's existing obturator prosthesis to simplify and expedite the fabrication of a lightweight individualized impression tray directly on an irreversible hydrocolloid impression, thus avoiding the preliminary impression procedure for the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]