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Journal of Dental Research, Dental... 2024Preterm birth is a heterogeneous condition with multiple underlying causes, and periodontal diseases are one of them. Approximately 900000 preterm births are reported in...
BACKGROUND
Preterm birth is a heterogeneous condition with multiple underlying causes, and periodontal diseases are one of them. Approximately 900000 preterm births are reported in Pakistan each year. Oral infections such as periodontitis during pregnancy are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight and preterm births. However, different studies have reported contradictory findings. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the association of preterm birth with oral infection in pregnancy.
METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional analytical study on 400 postpartum pregnant women in Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. Only women within the age bracket of 18‒40 years were recruited. Data were collected by an interview-based structured questionnaire. The extent and severity index were used to assess the periodontal health of participants. Frequency tables were generated, and the chi-squared test was used to determine associations between different categorical variables.
RESULTS
The mean age of the participants was 25.8±4.9 years. Approximately 87.5% of the women had generalized periodontitis. Approximately 68% of mothers had moderate severity of periodontitis. The extent index showed no notable difference between the preterm and full-term birth groups. In contrast, the severity index displayed a statistically significant difference between the preterm and full-term birth groups.
CONCLUSION
The majority of women had generalized periodontitis. The severity index demonstrated a significant association between maternal periodontitis and preterm births. There was no association between the age of mothers and preterm births. Complications in pregnancy were not associated with preterm births.
PubMed: 38881641
DOI: 10.34172/joddd.40860 -
Clinical and Experimental Dental... Jun 2024This study aimed to assess undergraduate dental students' communication skills in relation to patient sociodemographic factors using a three-perspective approach; the...
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to assess undergraduate dental students' communication skills in relation to patient sociodemographic factors using a three-perspective approach; the student, the patient, and the clinical instructor perspective.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted using validated modified-communication tools; Patient Communication Assessment Instruments (PCAI), Student Communication Assessment Instruments (SCAI), and Clinical Communication Assessment Instruments (CCAI). Moreover, 176 undergraduate clinical year students were recruited in this study whereby each student was assessed by a clinical instructor, a patient, and self-evaluation.
RESULTS
The clinical communication skills domains were not significantly influenced by patient sociodemographic factors, including sex, educational background, and the number of visits (p > .05). However, this study revealed a statistically significant difference in the domain of "caring and respectful" of the SCAI between the low- and middle-income groups.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, most of the patient sociodemographic factors did not affect clinical communication skills. However, patient income groups played a significant role in one of the communication domains.
Topics: Humans; Students, Dental; Male; Female; Cross-Sectional Studies; Communication; Adult; Dentist-Patient Relations; Young Adult; Clinical Competence; Sociodemographic Factors; Education, Dental
PubMed: 38881260
DOI: 10.1002/cre2.897 -
European Journal of Medical Research Jun 2024Minimizing muscle strain and reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders associated with intraoral scanner (IOS) usage require ergonomic awareness, device selection,...
BACKGROUND
Minimizing muscle strain and reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders associated with intraoral scanner (IOS) usage require ergonomic awareness, device selection, and workplace adjustments in dental practice. This preliminary clinical study aimed to simulate intraoral scanning tasks using wired and wireless IOSs and assess muscle activation and fatigue for both types.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Fourteen participants performed intraoral scanning tasks using wired and wireless IOSs (i700; MEDIT), with weights of 280 g and 328 g, respectively. The same computer system and software conditions were maintained for both groups (N = 14 per IOS group). Electrodes were placed on arm, neck, and shoulder muscles, and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) was measured. Surface electromyography (EMG) was performed during the simulation, and EMG values were normalized using MVC. The root mean square EMG (%MVC) and muscle fatigue (%) values were calculated. Statistical comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney U and Friedman tests, with the Bonferroni adjustment for multiple comparisons (α = 0.05).
RESULTS
Arm (flexor digitorum superficialis) and neck muscles (left sternocleidomastoid and left splenius capitis) showed significantly higher EMG values with wireless IOS (P < 0.05). The neck (left sternocleidomastoid and right levator scapulae) and shoulder muscles (right trapezius descendens) demonstrated significantly higher muscle fatigue with wireless IOS (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The consecutive use of heavier wireless IOS may increase the risk of muscle activation and fatigue in certain muscles, which may have clinical implications for dentists in terms of ergonomics and musculoskeletal health.
Topics: Humans; Male; Adult; Electromyography; Female; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Muscle Fatigue; Muscle, Skeletal; Ergonomics; Young Adult; Muscle Contraction
PubMed: 38879517
DOI: 10.1186/s40001-024-01895-4 -
Journal of Dentistry Jun 2024Segmentation of anatomical structures on dento-maxillo-facial (DMF) computed tomography (CT) or cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans is increasingly needed in...
OBJECTIVES
Segmentation of anatomical structures on dento-maxillo-facial (DMF) computed tomography (CT) or cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans is increasingly needed in digital dentistry. The main aim of this research was to propose and evaluate a novel open source tool called DentalSegmentator for fully automatic segmentation of five anatomic structures on DMF CT and CBCT scans: maxilla/upper skull, mandible, upper teeth, lower teeth, and the mandibular canal.
METHODS
A retrospective sample of 470 CT and CBCT scans was used as a training/validation set. The performance and generalizability of the tool was evaluated by comparing segmentations provided by experts and automatic segmentations in two hold-out test datasets: an internal dataset of 133 CT and CBCT scans acquired before orthognathic surgery and an external dataset of 123 CBCT scans randomly sampled from routine examinations in 5 institutions.
RESULTS
The mean overall results in the internal test dataset (n = 133) were a Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 92.2 ± 6.3% and a normalised surface distance (NSD) of 98.2 ± 2.2%. The mean overall results on the external test dataset (n = 123) were a DSC of 94.2 ± 7.4% and a NSD of 98.4 ± 3.6%.
CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained from this highly diverse dataset demonstrate that this tool can provide fully automatic and robust multiclass segmentation for DMF CT and CBCT scans. To encourage the clinical deployment of DentalSegmentator, the pre-trained nnU-Net model has been made publicly available along with an extension for the 3D Slicer software.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
DentalSegmentator open source 3D Slicer extension provides a free, robust, and easy-to-use approach to obtaining patient-specific three-dimensional models from CT and CBCT scans. These models serve various purposes in a digital dentistry workflow, such as visualization, treatment planning, intervention, and follow-up.
PubMed: 38878813
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2024.105130 -
Cureus May 2024Introduction Dental caries is a worldwide disease affecting children and older populations. There are multiple interventions to treat dental caries that could be...
Introduction Dental caries is a worldwide disease affecting children and older populations. There are multiple interventions to treat dental caries that could be sometimes hard to deliver, due to the general status of patients such as insufficient cooperation or medically compromising conditions. Therefore, another alternative to control dental caries is being used and has been recently introduced and approved by the Saudi FDA which is silver diamine fluoride (SDF). Objectives This study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices about the use of SDF among dentists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted using pretested, an online digitally designed questionnaire sent to 500 Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) registered dentists working in the following specialties: general practitioners, interns, restorative, family, pediatric, and public health dentists who are working in public and private hospitals and clinics. One-way ANOVA was used to determine the comparison of participants' knowledge and Practice with three variables (participants' specialty, place of work, and years of experience), while Chi-square was used for the comparison of respondent's attitudes about the use of SDF and the above same variables. Result A total of 265 responses were received (response rate is 53%). The majority of the respondents were general practitioners and interns 144 (54.3%). Over 50% of dentists believed that they were very informed about SDF. The mean score of knowledge and practices of SDF of participants was found below average 49.13 (19.81) and 43 (26.12), respectively. Correlation of the mean score knowledge and practicing SDF with the type of specialty showed that pediatric dentists had statically significant (P<0.05) higher mean of knowledge 66.94 (SD=17.64) and practicing of SDF 61.93 (22.12) as compared to other specialties, while no statistically significant differences were found among the groups in the overall knowledge and practices based on years of experience and workplace. Attitudes were correlated with the three above variables (specialty, years of experience, and place of work) and showed that pediatric dentists had the highest satisfaction with the results of SDF (85.3%) and were more willing to recommend using it to others (91.2%) as compared to the other groups(P<0.05). No statistically significant differences were found with respect to the later variables. Conclusion The findings of this study showed that irrespective of the positive attitude of participants towards SDF, pediatric dentists were found to have higher knowledge and use SDF more than other dentists in different specialties. Furthermore, they showed higher satisfaction with its use. Years of experience and workplace had no effect on the level of knowledge or practice among participants.
PubMed: 38872691
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60245 -
PloS One 2024Oral health is high on the global agenda following the adoption of the 2022 global strategy on oral health at the 75th World Health Assembly. Given the global burden of...
Oral health is high on the global agenda following the adoption of the 2022 global strategy on oral health at the 75th World Health Assembly. Given the global burden of oral disease, workforce development to achieve universal health coverage [UHC] is crucial to respond to population needs within the non-communicable disease agenda. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of the oral health workforce [OHWF] globally in relation to key contextual factors. Data from the National Health Workforce Accounts and a survey of World Health Organization [WHO] member states were integrated for analysis, together with country-level data on population and income status. Data are presented using the WHO categorisation of global regions and income status categories established by the World Bank. Workforce densities for key OHWF categories were examined. Multiple regression was used to model workforce density and contextual influences. Challenges and possible solutions were examined by country income status. There are approximately 3.30 dentists per 10,000 population globally, and a combined OHWF [dentists, dental assistants/therapists and dental prosthetic technicians] of 5.31 per 10,000. Marked regional inequalities are evident, most notably between WHO European and African regions; yet both make greater use of skill mix than other regions. When adjusted by region, 'country income status' and 'population urbanization' are strong predictors of the workforce density of dentists and even more so for the combined OHWF. Maldistribution of the workforce [urban/rural] was considered a particular workforce challenge globally and especially for lower-income countries. Strengthening oral health policy was considered most important for the future. The global distribution of dentists, and the OHWF generally, is inequitable, with variable and limited use of skill mix. Creative workforce development is required to achieve the global oral health agenda and work towards equity using innovative models of care, supported by effective governance and integrated policies.
Topics: Humans; Oral Health; Health Workforce; Global Health; World Health Organization; Health Inequities; Dentists
PubMed: 38870162
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292549 -
Heliyon Jun 2024Stress and burnout rank among the foremost dentistry-related concerns. Understanding stress and burnout among Palestinian dentists is crucial for developing targeted...
INTRODUCTION
Stress and burnout rank among the foremost dentistry-related concerns. Understanding stress and burnout among Palestinian dentists is crucial for developing targeted interventions and support systems. The study aimed to assess stress levels among dentists in Palestine, identify factors contributing to stress, and determine the relationship between stress and burnout in this professional group.
METHOD
ology: A cross-sectional study was conducted, employing a self-administered questionnaire to gather data from 271 dentists from March to June 2023. The Maslach burnout inventory was utilized to measure burnout across emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment dimensions, while the 10-item perceived stress scale was employed to measure stress levels.
RESULTS
The findings revealed that 81% of Palestinian dentists reported experiencing moderate to high levels of stress. Emotional exhaustion was a prominent aspect of burnout, with 48% of participants reporting high levels. The multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between stress scores and female participants (p = 0.001), daily sleeping hours (p = 0.016), as well as emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment burnout subscales (p ≤ 0.001 for both).
CONCLUSION
The study revealed high-stress levels among Palestinian dentists, which were associated with sex and daily sleep hours. Furthermore, burnout was prevalent among dentists, particularly in terms of emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment, which were strongly associated with increased stress levels. The results underscore the need for targeted interventions and support mechanisms tailored to factors facing dentists, especially among females and those who receive inadequate sleep. The relationship between burnout and stress levels highlights the intricate connection between these phenomena.
PubMed: 38868015
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32034 -
Dental Press Journal of Orthodontics 2024Soft skills represent a range of personal skills, attitudes and characteristics relevant to success and adequate work performance. (Observational Study)
Observational Study
INTRODUCTION
Soft skills represent a range of personal skills, attitudes and characteristics relevant to success and adequate work performance.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and usage of soft skills in Orthodontics.
METHODS
The participants answered a questionnaire containing 27 objective questions on awareness and frequency of soft skills in their professional activities. Participants were also asked to rank the soft skills in a crescent order of importance. The sample was divided into subgroups: A) residents in Orthodontics; B) orthodontists with less than 5 years of experience and C) orthodontists with more than 5 years of experience. Intergroup comparisons were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Sexual differences were compared using Mann-Whitney test (p< 0.05).
RESULTS
The sample of this observational study comprised 129 experienced orthodontists and residents in Orthodontics (92 women, 37 men) with mean age of 35.3 years. From the total sample, 54,6% of respondents reported no previous instructions on soft skills. All respondents reported using the analyzed soft skills with a similar frequency (median 4-5). Residents reported accessing reliable sources in bibliographic research less frequently (46%). Female orthodontists reported to seek help from teachers and other professionals more often than males. Ethics and communication were frequently ranked as the most important soft skills. Information management and leadership were frequently less ranked as important soft skills.
CONCLUSION
Poor knowledge of soft skills was demonstrated by residents and orthodontists. Communication skill was highly used and frequently ranked as the most important soft skill.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Orthodontics; Adult; Internship and Residency; Surveys and Questionnaires; Orthodontists; Clinical Competence
PubMed: 38865516
DOI: 10.1590/2177-6709.29.2.e242370.oar -
Cureus May 2024Silver amalgam, glass ionomer, resin-modified glass ionomer, compomers, light polymerized hybrid composite resin, and hybrid glass ionomer are among the most frequent...
INTRODUCTION
Silver amalgam, glass ionomer, resin-modified glass ionomer, compomers, light polymerized hybrid composite resin, and hybrid glass ionomer are among the most frequent restorative materials used as cavity-based or post-endodontics. Thus, to meet the needs of both patients and dentists, Cention N reimagines the traditional filling by integrating bulk placement, ion release, and durability into a dual-curing, aesthetically pleasing solution. Hoewver, we do not have enough information from studies comparing this hybrid restorative material's shear bond strengths to dentin to draw any firm conclusions. Cention N, zirconomer, and Vitremer are three hybrid tooth-colored restorative materials that were evaluated for their shear bond strength to dentin. This research aimed to compare and evaluate these materials.
METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this research was to use a universal Instron machine to measure the shear bond stress of three distinct hybrid tooth-colored restorative materials in relation to dentin. The research samples consisted of 45 extracted lower first premolars from humans. The teeth were then assigned into three groups of 15 samples each according to different color acrylic resin blocks, namely, group A (pink acrylic blocks), which had Cention in cement; group B (white acrylic blocks), which has zirconomer cement; and group C (violet acrylic blocks), which had Vitremer cement.
RESULTS
There was no statistically significant difference between the three groups and the normal distribution, as shown by the negligible values in the tests involving the three groups. Put simply, each of the three categories exhibits data that follows a normal distribution. This allows for further data analysis to be conducted using the parametric test of significance.
CONCLUSION
The shear bond strength of hybrid glass ionomer restorative materials has to be further investigated in both laboratory and living organism settings.
PubMed: 38864074
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60123 -
BMC Medical Education Jun 2024The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly altered dental practice, training, and education. This study investigates the pandemic's impacts on the clinical training experiences of...
BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly altered dental practice, training, and education. This study investigates the pandemic's impacts on the clinical training experiences of dental and dental hygienist trainees at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
METHODS
Using data from post-doctoral general practice dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienist trainees who completed the VA Trainee Satisfaction Survey before and during COVID-19, we performed logistic regression and thematic content analyses to determine whether COVID-19 was associated with training satisfaction and likelihood of considering future VA employment.
RESULTS
While post-doctoral dentist and dental specialty trainees did not report significant differences, dental hygienist trainees reported increased overall satisfaction and an increased likelihood to consider future VA employment during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. Similar reasons for dissatisfaction were identified for both the pre-pandemic and pandemic groups.
CONCLUSIONS
Research outside VA indicates the pandemic's association with trainees' intentions to leave health profession education programs. Our results suggest the likely existence of factors that could lead to positive changes for at least some portion of the dental workforce. Future studies should explore those potential factors as some may be replicable in other settings or may apply to other health professions.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; United States; United States Department of Veterans Affairs; Dental Hygienists; Male; Female; Personal Satisfaction; Adult; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2; Surveys and Questionnaires; Dentists
PubMed: 38862948
DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05628-3