Materials and Methods: Randomized controlled trials comparing pulpal anesthesia of various LA on vital asymptomatic teeth were included in this review. Searches were conducted in the Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, Google Scholar and 3 field-specific journals from inception to May 3, 2019. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment using Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool were done by 2 independent reviewers in duplicate. Network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed within the frequentist setting using STATA 15.0. The LA was ranked, and the surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) line was plotted. The confidence of the NMA estimates was assessed using the CINeMA web application.

Results: The literature search yielded 1,678 potentially eligible reports, but only 42 were included in this review. For maxillary buccal infiltration, articaine 4% with epinephrine 1:100,000 was more efficacious than lidocaine 2% with epinephrine 1:100,000 (odds ratio, 2.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-3.89). For mandibular buccal infiltration, articaine 4% with epinephrine 1:100,000 was more efficacious than various lidocaine solutions. The SUCRA ranking was highest for articaine 4% with epinephrine when used as maxillary and mandibular buccal infiltrations, and lidocaine 2% with epinephrine 1:80,000 when used as inferior alveolar nerve block. Inconsistency and imprecision were detected in some of the NMA estimates.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using consecutive sampling. Each participant went through screening using the PUFA index, orthopantomography assessment using PAI, and comprehensive clinical examination to derive pulpal and apical diagnoses. The outcomes were dichotomized. Reliability was estimated using the Cohen kappa coefficient. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was compared using the chi-square test.

RESULTS: A total of 165 participants were examined, 98.2% of whom had a decayed, missing, or filled tooth index >0. Of 4115 teeth assessed, 16.2% (n = 666) were diagnosed with pulpal disease and 7.9% (n = 325) with periapical disease. Interexaminer reliability for the PUFA index and PAI was 0.87 and 0.80, respectively. Intraexaminer reliability was 0.83 and 0.76 for the PUFA index and 0.75 and 0.72 for PAI. For pulpal diagnosis, the sensitivity of the PUFA index and PAI was 67.6% and 41.7%, respectively; the specificity of the PUFA index and PAI was 99.8% and 99.2%, respectively. For apical diagnosis, the sensitivity of the PUFA index and PAI was 87.7% and 75.4%, respectively; the specificity of the PUFA index and PAI was 95.4% and 98.4%, respectively. The PUFA index is statistically more accurate than PAI for pulpal diagnosis and apical diagnosis (P < .05).

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Two videos of access cavity preparation were filmed, one showing the occlusal view (OV) and one showing the sectional view (SV). Third-year dental students (n=57) who consented to participate in the study were divided into two groups to watch one of the videos. The perception and performance of both groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS: At baseline, group OV (n=29) and group SV (n=28) were not significantly different in terms of operative scores (P=0.330). After watching the videos, the basic understanding of the theories was similar in both groups. However, the SV group responded more positively towards the helpfulness of the video in visualizing the inner anatomy of the tooth and in implementing the procedures (P<0.05). The SV group also completed the exercise within a shorter time (P<0.001). Nevertheless, the quality of the prepared access cavities was not significantly different between groups.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at rugby tournaments in 2009 and 2010 on players aged 16 and over. Convenient sampling was performed. A total of 456 self-administered questionnaires were returned. Data collected were analysed using SPSS 21. Descriptive analysis was undertaken for the demographic data. The subjects were classified according to their experience of sustaining each type of injury. Cross-tabulation and chi-square tests were carried out to compare the responses. When the expected cell count was less than five, Fisher's exact test was used. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05.

RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported dental injuries was as follows: tooth fracture (19.3%), luxation (6.6%) and avulsion (1.1%). Significant differences were found, whereby 52.2% of those who had no history of tooth fracture were more likely to seek immediate treatment (P < 0.001), whereas 42% of those who previously experienced tooth fracture claimed that they would only visit a dentist if they experienced pain (P = 0.001). Management of luxation and avulsion did not differ significantly between the groups. However, about half of those who did not have a history of tooth avulsion admitted to not knowing the correct answer, while three of five casualties would keep the tooth iced.

METHODS: A random sample of digital panoramic radiographs from the database of a dental hospital was evaluated. Two calibrated examiners (κ ≥ 0.89) assessed the technical quality of the root fillings and the radiographic periapical health status by using the periapical index. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out, followed by multilevel modeling by using tooth-level and patient-level predictors. Model fit information was obtained, and the findings of the best-fit model were reported.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty national rugby players received custom-fitted mouthguards. Questionnaire responses and speech recordings were collected before mouthguard use and at various intervals after using mouthguards: immediately, 1 week, 2 month, and 6 months. Spectrographic analysis was performed to measure voice onset time (VOT) for /p, b, t, d/ phonemes. Questionnaire responses were assessed with Friedman's test, while VOT changes were examined using one-way repeated measure analysis of variance.