OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the degradation effects of each dietary solvent on the microhardness of the different CAD/CAM dental composites and to observe the degradation effects of dietary solvent on the inorganic elements of the dental composites investigated.
METHODS: Fifty specimens with dimensions 12 mm x 14 mm x 1.5 mm were prepared for direct composite (Filtek Z350 XT [FZ]), indirect composite (Shofu Ceramage [CM]), and three CAD/CAM composites (Lava Ultimate [LU], Cerasmart [CS], and Vita Enamic [VE]). The specimens were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 10) and conditioned for 1-week at 37°C in the following: air (control), distilled water, 0.02 N citric acid, 0.02 N lactic acid and 50% ethanol-water solution. Subsequently, the specimens were subjected to microhardness test (KHN) using Knoop hardness indenter. Air (control) and representative postconditioning specimens with the lowest mean KHN value for each material were analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Statistical analysis was done using one-way ANOVA and post hoc Bonferroni test at a significance level of p = 0.05.
RESULTS: Mean KHN values ranged from 39.7 ± 2.7 kg/mm2 for FZ conditioned in 50% ethanol-water solution to 79.2 ± 3.4 kg/mm2 for VE conditioned in air (control). With exception to LU, significant differences were observed between materials and dietary solvents for other dental composites investigated. EDX showed stable peaks of the inorganic elements between air (control) and representative postconditioning specimens.
CONCLUSIONS: The microhardness of dental composites was significantly affected by dietary solvents, except for one CAD/CAM composite [LU]. However, no changes were observed in the inorganic elemental composition of dental composites between air (control) and 1-week postconditioning.
METHODS: Thirteen dental educators from East and Southeast Asian countries (Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan) participated in the present study. The present study adopted a transcendental phenomenological approach. One-to-one semi-structured online interviews were conducted. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns in the educators' experiences.
RESULTS: Three themes emerged from the present study. First, perceptions of the importance of dental materials science, highlighting its relevance in clinical practice, patient care, and lifelong learning. Second, the challenges faced in teaching dental materials science include limited instructional time, complex content, and insufficient resources. Third, specific strategies, such as applying interactive teaching methods, integrating clinical scenarios, and promoting critical thinking skills have been suggested to enhance teaching and learning.
CONCLUSION: Understanding dental educators' experiences can improve dental materials science education, curriculum development, teaching methods, and faculty training programmes, ultimately enhancing the knowledge and skills of dental students in this field.
METHODS: All undergraduate second-year dental students were invited to participate in the dental materials science practical session and were randomly allocated into two groups: Group 1 (feedback) sandwich and Group 2 (ATA). The session began with the teacher giving a short briefing on the commonly used dental materials, followed by a short demonstration of the manipulation of those materials. Students were then allowed to mix and manipulate the materials, and teachers provided feedback accordingly. At the end of the session, 16 close-ended (five-point Likert scales) and an open-ended questionnaire were distributed to students to evaluate their perceptions of the feedback given. Internal reliability of the questionnaire items was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Mean feedback scores were analysed using an independent t-test with ANCOVA for controlling gender and ethnicity. Thematic analysis was used to code the qualitative data.
RESULTS: Sixty-nine students participated in the present study with the majority being females (72.5%) and Chinese (79.7%). Cronbach's alpha analysis suggested removing three Likert-scale items, with the remaining 13 items being accepted. Generally, no significant difference was noted between the two groups (p = 0.197), but three items were found to be significant (p
METHODS: This study aimed to evaluate the level of oral cancer awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and practices among dental undergraduates in Malaysia. A total of 595 students from years 3, 4, and 5 in both public and private universities participated.
RESULTS: The results showed that a higher percentage of dental undergraduates from private universities were aware of oral cancer and had satisfactory knowledge compared to those from public universities (p
METHODS: External root resorption was simulated on 88 extracted premolar teeth using tungsten bur in different depths (0.5 mm, 1 mm, and 2 mm). All teeth were scanned using a Cone beam CT (Carestream Dental, Atlanta, GA). Afterward, a training (70%), validation (10%), and test (20%) dataset were established. The performance of four DLMs including Random Forest (RF) + Visual Geometry Group 16 (VGG), RF + EfficienNetB4 (EFNET), Support Vector Machine (SVM) + VGG, and SVM + EFNET) and four hybrid models (DLM + FST: (i) FS + RF + VGG, (ii) FS + RF + EFNET, (iii) FS + SVM + VGG and (iv) FS + SVM + EFNET) was compared. Five performance parameters were assessed: classification accuracy, F1-score, precision, specificity, and error rate. FST algorithms (Boruta and Recursive Feature Selection) were combined with the DLMs to assess their performance.
RESULTS: RF + VGG exhibited the highest performance in identifying ERR, followed by the other tested models. Similarly, FST combined with RF + VGG outperformed other models with classification accuracy, F1-score, precision, and specificity of 81.9%, weighted accuracy of 83%, and area under the curve (AUC) of 96%. Kruskal Wallis test revealed a significant difference (p = 0.008) in the prediction accuracy among the eight DLMs.
CONCLUSION: In general, all DLMs have similar performance on ERR identification. However, the performance can be improved by combining FST with DLMs.
METHODS: The development of the RAPID guidelines was based on the Guidance for Developers of Health Research Reporting Guidelines. Following a comprehensive search of the literature, the Executive Group identified ten themes in Pediatric Dentistry and compiled a draft checklist of items under each theme. The themes were categorized as: General, Oral Medicine, Pathology and Radiology, Children with Special Health Care Needs, Sedation and Hospital Dentistry, Behavior Guidance, Dental Caries, Preventive and Restorative Dentistry, Pulp Therapy, Traumatology, and Interceptive Orthodontics. A RAPID Delphi Group (RDG) was formed comprising of 69 members from 15 countries across six continents. Items were scored using a 9-point rating Likert scale. Items achieving a score of seven and above, marked by at least 70% of RDG members were accepted into the RAPID checklist items. Weighted mean scores were calculated for each item. Statistical significance was set at p
METHODS: Recently extracted lower first premolars were randomly categorized into three experimental groups (n = 15 samples), positive control (n = 5 samples), and negative control group (n = 5 sample). Samples from the experimental groups and positive control group were subject to cavity Class I occlusal preparation followed by modified coronal pulpotomy. Different types of bioceramic dressing material were placed in 3 mm thickness accordingly, group 1 (Biodentine), group 2 (MTA Angelus), and group 3 (ProRoot MTA). No dressing material was placed in the positive control group (group 4). All samples were placed in the incubator for 24 h at 37℃, 100% humidity, for the materials to be completely set. The final restoration was placed using the Z350 resin composite. A double layer of nail varnish was applied over all the sample surfaces except the occlusal site. Whereas the samples' surfaces in the negative control, were completely covered. A 3 mm length was measured from the root apex of the samples from each group, before proceeding with the resection. The bacterial leakage test was performed using Enterococcus faecalis TCC 23,125, and a sample from each experimental group was randomly chosen for SEM. Data analysis was conducted under the One-way ANOVA test, completed by Tukey's post hoc test.
RESULTS: There is a significant difference in sealing ability and marginal adaptation between the groups. (p
METHODS: A total of 200 teeth from 20 patients undergoing fixed orthodontic therapy were assessed and biofilm formation around the brackets were recorded using the Bonded Bracket Index (Plaque index) at baseline and weekly for 6 weeks. The bacterial count and plaque pH at corresponding weekly intervals were also recorded. Following bracket bonding, the patients were cluster randomised to receive chitosan-based varnish-CHS (UNO Gel Bioschell, Germiphene corp., Brantford, Canada) or chlorhexidine-fluoride varnish-CFV (Cervitec F, Ivoclar Vivadent, Schaan, Liechtenstein) every week on the representative teeth respectively. BBI proportions were compared between groups at all time intervals using Chi square test. Mean plaque bacterial count and plaque pH were compared using Mann Whitney U test and Tukey's HSD test respectively.
RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups: Mean age was CHS = 23 and CFV = 21; male to female ratio was CHS = 5/5, CFV = 7/3. At the end of 6 weeks, chitosan-based varnish performed equal to chlorhexidine-fluoride varnish (P > 0.05) with 98% and 95% of teeth with acceptable scores respectively. The plaque bacterial count significantly reduced at 6 weeks for both varnish compared to the baseline; The value for CHS was 0.43 ± 0.4 × 104 and CFV was 0.77 ± 0.64 × 104 CFU (P
METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 92 preschool children (4-6 years) were invited to participate with their parents/guardians. Nine parameters of toothbrushing behaviour were assessed from parental responses (questionnaire) and observation of child and parents/guardians (video recording). Oral examination included recording plaque, gingival and dental caries indices. BORIS software was used to assess toothbrushing parameters and Smart PLS was used to perform association with a second-generation multivariate analysis to create models with and without confounding factors.
RESULTS: Girls were slightly more (53%) than boys (47%). Children aged 4 years were slightly more in number (38%), followed by 6-year-olds and 5-year-olds. Nearly, 90% parents had tertiary education and 46% had more than 2 children. Differences were recorded in the reported and observed behaviour. Thirty-five percent parents/guardians reported using pea-size toothpaste amount but only 28% were observed. Forty percent reported to brush for 30 s-1 min, however 51% were observed to brush for 1-2 min. Half the children were observed to use fluoridated toothpaste (F
METHODS: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of malignant odontogenic tumours diagnosed at the Institute for Medical Research, Malaysia, from 2009 to 2019. All cases were independently reviewed and reclassified following the criteria set out in the latest edition of the World Health Organization 2017 reference text. Demographic and clinico-pathological data were recorded for each case.
RESULTS: Twenty-four cases of malignant odontogenic tumours were identified. The patients' age ranged from 16 to 79 years with the mean age at diagnosis being 50.8 years (SD = 16.18). There was a male predominance (66.7%) in this cohort of patients. The ethnic distribution appeared to reflect the Malaysian population with most cases seen amongst the Malay ethnic group (66.7%). Ameloblastic carcinoma was the most frequently diagnosed malignant odontogenic tumour (45.8%) and was also predominantly seen in males (90.9%). All patients with clear cell odontogenic carcinoma were females. There was no obvious sex predilection in primary odontogenic carcinoma not otherwise specified (NOS). The mandible (79.2%) was more frequently involved compared to the maxilla.
CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis and management of malignant odontogenic tumours are challenging due to the rarity of these tumours. Our study has elucidated the clinico-pathological features of malignant odontogenic tumours seen in a multi-ethnic Asian population.
METHODS: A total of 26 pre-schools in Seremban, Malaysia were randomly selected using the probability proportional to size sampling. Dental examination was performed by a dentist to record the number of decayed teeth (dt). Weight and height of the pre-schoolers were measured. The mother-administered questionnaire was used to gather information pertaining to the sociodemographic characteristics and second-hand smoke exposure. Total sugar exposure was calculated from a 3-day food record.
RESULTS: Among the 396 participating pre-schoolers, 63.4% of them had at least one untreated caries, with a mean ± SD dt score of 3.56 ± 4.57. Negative binomial regression analysis revealed that being a boy (adjusted mean ratio = 1.42, 95% CI = 0.005-0.698, p = 0.047), exposed to second-hand smoke (adjusted mean ratio = 1.67, 95% CI = 0.168-0.857, p = 0.004) and those who had more than 6 times of daily total sugar exposure (adjusted mean ratio = 1.93, 95% CI = 0.138-0.857, p = 0.013) were significantly associated with dental caries among pre-schoolers.
CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of dental caries was reported in this study. This study highlights the need to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke and practice healthy eating behaviours in reducing the risk of dental caries among pre-schoolers.
BACKGROUND: Teledentistry is a branch of telemedicine that has rapidly advanced in the last few years and has the potential to provide solutions to oral health problems of patients and locations that do not have prompt and immediate access to a dentist or dental services. The Covid-19 has increased the adaption of all digital health technologies and teledentistry is no exception.
METHODOLOGY: The study utilized online databases such as Pubmed (Medline), Scopus (Embase) and CINAHL for the purpose of document search. Newcastle Ottawa (NOS) scale was used to determine the quality of the studies included in our systematic review. PRISMA guidelines were used as the criteria for reporting items in the systematic review.
RESULTS: A total of 1297 documents were found after applying the search criteria and the keywords for the selected study. After applying the Prisma guidelines, removal of duplicates and irrelevant entries, 10 studies that were conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic were selected, fitting the inclusion criteria. All the studies included were evaluated for quality and risk of bias through the Newcastle Ottawa scale. Only high-quality studies were included for the final review.
CONCLUSION: Teledentistry is a cost-effective solution to screen, diagnose and treat dental patients from a distance. Teledentistry also has the potential to continue seamless continuation of dental education to dental students, during disruptive and non-disruptive periods. ASEAN countries should fully utilise the potential of teledentistry, however sound and effective legislation would be the key first step to achieving that potential.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey including 706 six-year-old children was conducted in 2017 in Benghazi, Libya. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire assessing socioeconomic status and oral health behaviours, and the Arabic version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (A-ECOHIS) to assess the OHRQoL. Clinical examination assessed caries experience at tooth level (dmft) and the number of decayed, missing due to caries and filled teeth (dt, mt and ft). Poisson regression analysis was performed to determine the association between dmft scores and the independent predictors. Linear regression analysis was conducted for ECOHIS scores with the children's gender, SES and OHB. The statistical significance was set to ≤ 0.05.
RESULTS: Data were available for 706 children. Caries prevalence (dt) and dmft of ≥ 1 were 69.1% and 71% respectively. The mean ± SD dmft score was 3.23 ± 3.32. There was a significant and direct association between dmft scores and daily consumption of sugary snacks (B = 1.27, P = 0.011) and a significant inverse association with teethbrushing twice daily (B = 0.80, P = 0.041). There was a significant and direct association between A-ECOHIS and dmft (B = 1.14, P ≤ 0.001) and a significant and inverse association between A- ECOHIS and high and intermediate family income compared to low income (B = -3.82, P = 0.0001 and B = -2.06, P = 0.028).
CONCLUSIONS: 6-year-old Libyan children had a relatively high caries experience an untreated decay with impact on OHRQoL. Social disparities, sugar consumption patterns and oral hygiene practices were associated with high caries experience.
METHODS: Hundred fifty pre-orthodontic study casts comprised of 52 Malay, 54 Chinese, and 44 Indian patients were selected. Digital calipers (Fowler Pro-Max) linked to Hamilton Tooth Arch Software were used to measure the tooth width and ratios. Statistical analysis was carried out to test for gender differences (independent t-test), to identify the effects of malocclusion and ethnic groups (Two-way ANOVA), and to compare the means of the current study with Bolton's standards (one sample t-test).
RESULTS: This study showed that there was no significant difference between the genders of the sample of each ethnicity. There was no correlation found between ethnic groups and malocclusion classes. There was a significant difference when comparing Bolton values with the Malay sample for both ratios. It was found that more Malay subjects presented with maxillary excess contrary to Chinese and Indians who presented more maxillary deficiency for the anterior and overall ratio.
CONCLUSION: There was a significant difference found between the TSD of the three major ethnicities in Malaysia. The Bolton standards can be applied to Malaysian Chinese and Indians but not to Malays orthodontic populations for both anterior and overall ratios. Subsequently, a specific standard should be used for the Malays orthodontic population. It was found that more Malay subjects presented with maxillary excess contrary to Chinese and Indians who presented more maxillary deficiency for the anterior and overall ratio.
METHODS: A total of 121 PLWHA receiving medical care in Kota Bharu (Kelantan, Malaysia) participated in this cross-sectional study. The Malay version of the short Oral Health Impact Profile (S-OHIP(M)) and the Malay version of the 36-item Medical Outcome Study Short Form (SF-36) were used to assess OHRQOL and HRQOL, respectively. A higher S-OHIP(M) score indicates greater oral impact and worse OHRQOL; a higher SF-36 score indicates better HRQOL. An additional structured self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain other variables of interest from the participants.
RESULTS: Most participants had at least one oral symptom (69.4%), and the most common oral symptom was a cavitated tooth (55.4%). The prevalence of oral impacts was 33.9%, and the mean S-OHIP(M) score was 8.8 (SD = 7.92). The mean S-OHIP(M) score was significantly higher in participants who had toothaches, cavitated teeth, gum abscesses, and bad breath. In addition, participants with lower S-OHIP(M) scores had significantly higher scores in all SF-36 domains.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence for an association among oral symptoms, OHRQOL, and HRQOL in PLWHA from Malaysia. In particular, the presence of oral symptoms was significantly associated with more severe oral impacts and poorer OHRQOL. The presence of less severe oral impacts was associated with a better HRQOL.
METHODS: Ten subjects (n = 10) who had upper and lower fixed appliances (MBT, 3 M Unitek, 0.022″ × 0.028″) were recruited for this study. Human gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) was obtained using periopaper strips at pre-treatment (T0), 1 month (T1), 3 months (T3), and 6 months (T6) of orthodontic treatment. Periapical radiographs of the upper permanent central incisors were taken at T0 and T6 to measure the amount of root resorption. Identification of changes in PA was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Student's t-test was then performed to determine the significance of the differences in protein abundance before and after orthodontic treatment.
RESULTS: Our findings showed that all ten subjects had mild root resorption, with an average resorption length of 0.56 ± 0.30 mm. A total of 186 proteins were found to be commonly present at T0, T1, T3, and T6. There were significant changes in the abundance of 16 proteins (student's t-test, p ≤ 0.05). The increased PA of S100A9, immunoglobulin J chain, heat shock protein 1A, immunoglobulin heavy variable 4-34 and vitronectin at T1 suggested a response to stress that involved inflammation during the early phase of orthodontic treatment. On the other hand, the increased PA of thymidine phosphorylase at T3 suggested growth promotion and, angiogenic and chemotactic activities.
CONCLUSIONS: The identified proteins can be potential early markers for root resorption based on the increase in their respective PA and predicted roles during the early phase of orthodontic treatment. Non-invasive detection of root resorption using protein markers as early as possible is extremely important as it can aid orthodontists in successful orthodontic treatment.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for relevant studies published up to April 15th, 2023. Studies that evaluated the association between PD and COVID-19 were included. Risk of bias was evaluated by two reviewers, and meta-analyses were performed using RevMan 5.3 software.
RESULTS: A total of 22 studies involving 92,535 patients from USA, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South America were included; of these, 12 were pooled into the meta-analysis. Most of the studies (19 studies) reported a significant association between PD and COVID-19. The pooled data found a significant association between PD and COVID-19 outcomes: more severe symptoms (OR = 6.95, P = 0.0008), ICU admissions (OR = 3.15, P = 0.0001), and mortality (OR = 1.92, P = 0.21). Additionally, compared to mild PD, severe PD was significantly associated with higher risks of severe COVID-19 outcomes: severe symptoms (P = 0.02); ICU admission (P = 0.0001); and higher mortality rates (P = 0.0001). The results also revealed 58% higher risk for COVID-19 infection in patients with PD (P = 0.00001).
CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest a possible association between poor periodontal health and the risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes. However, owing to the observed methodological heterogeneity across the included studies, further prospective cohort studies with standardized methodologies are warranted to further unravel the potential association between periodontal disease and COVID-19 and its adverse outcomes.