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Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the levels of knowledge and attitude of dental practitioners (DPs) toward vital pulp therapy (VPT) of young permanent teeth in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out by taking convenient sample of general DPs and specialist attending Saudi International Dental Conference, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 200 DPs administered a structured, self-administered questionnaire to evaluate their knowledge and attitude toward VPT. The questionnaire comprised four parts: Part I: Characteristics of the study participants; Part II: Items related to indications and diagnosis of VPT; Part III: Questions related to the different VPTs for immature permanent teeth; and Part IV: Dental materials used in VPT and restoration. All the data were entered into the statistical analysis software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY) and analyzed by using descriptive statistics of frequency distribution and percentages for the categorical variables. Results: A total of 193 (men = 57% [110] and women = 43% [83]) DPs participated in this study with a response rate of 96.5%. Less than half of correct responses were observed with (Item 1) related to the duration of complete closure of root apex (43%) and (Item 14) use of sodium hypochlorite to serve as an excellent diagnostic tool to differentiate irreversible from reversible pulpitis. A high percentage of correct responses were seen with the (Item 9) indirect pulp capping––a procedure performed in a tooth with a deep carious lesion without signs or symptoms of pulp degeneration (75%). All other item responses ranged in between 52% and 72%. Conclusion: DPs showed fair-to-good knowledge and attitude toward VPT of young permanent teeth. In general, there is a need to improve knowledge and attitude of dental professionals about the VPT by attending continuing dental educational programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess the efficacy of the antimicrobial properties of charcoal vs. noncharcoal toothbrushes and the level of bacterial contamination in the oral cavity using a charcoal toothbrush. Materials and Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind controlled study in which both male and female subjects aged from 18 to 35 were included (n = 30; 15 males and 15 females). The subjects were selected from (students) of Riyadh Elm University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Subjects were informed about the study and signed the consent form before participation. From January to April 2019, subjects were given charcoal and non-charcoal toothbrushes. Results: The Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that there was a significant difference in bacterial counts between non-charcoal and charcoal toothbrushes (P = 0.000). Of the subjects, 70% showed a decrease in the number of bacterial counts while 30% showed no increase in bacterial counts. There was a statistically significant decrease in the number of bacteria in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) with charcoal treatment (P < 0.001). Of the subjects, 96.6% showed a decrease in the count of bacteria in GCF after using a charcoal toothbrush. Only 3.3% of the subjects had the similar counts of bacteria in GCF after using the charcoal toothbrush. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that charcoal toothbrushes reduce bacterial contamination and the poor effects on oral health after 1 week of use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the faculty members' attitude toward establishing a business center in the College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A structured questionnaire comprised three sections: demographic variables such as gender and age, questions regarding the faculty's attitude toward a dental college business center, and a comparison between a business center and private clinics. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the groups with scale response variable; independent t-test, analysis of variance, and factor analysis were also conducted. Results: The study results show that 43 respondents were men and 26 were women. Twenty respondents were ranked in the position of assistant professor, whereas 38 were ranked as associate professors, and 11 as professors. In total, 88.5% of female faculty members supported the idea of establishing a business center at the dental college, whereas 65% of male faculty members supported the same idea. There is a statistically significant difference among them (P < 0.05). The factor analysis extracted three factors named as "treatment accessibility," "treatment effectiveness," and "treatment cost." The factor loading ranges from 0.652 to 0.867, and altogether they explain 79% of the total data variance. Conclusion: Our study proved that 65.1% of male and 88.5% of female dental faculty of the college supported the idea of establishing a business center at the dental college as funding is needed to invest in dental education and research programs in order to formulate the next generation of practitioners to serve the population. This study will add to the progress of establishing a business center in dental education and provides the patient with a treatment accessibility and effectiveness in a low-cost budget. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between dental caries and exposure to secondhand smoking in mixed teeth among Saudi children. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed to target schoolchildren aged between 6 and 13 years in their mixed dentition stage. A cluster random sample of schools teaching first to sixth grades from different regions in Riyadh city was used. Data were obtained by self-reported questionnaires and clinical dental examinations. Questionnaires comprised sections related to sociodemographic, behavioral, health characteristics, and questions related to mother and father smoking status, type, and duration of smoking, and whether parents smoked inside homes or not. The clinical dental examination was based on the basic methods of the World Health Organization criteria for decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) (1997). Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, t test, and one-way analysis of variance. Results: Of the 302 participating schoolchildren, 56% were females, 72% were Saudi nationals, and 84% were of normal weight. Of the total 3246 teeth examined, DMFT was found in 1922 teeth (mean DMFT = 6.36). Only eight mothers (2.7%) were smokers, seven of them smoked inside their homes. Majority of fathers were smokers (110, 37%) and 82% smoked inside their houses. It had been found that 26% of schoolchildren were exposed to secondhand smoking. The mean DMF scores were higher among schoolchildren with smoking fathers and mothers, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.05). Conclusion: The DMFT among Saudi schoolchildren was 6.36. Children, who are exposed to secondhand smoking by their family members, are more likely to have dental caries in their mixed dentitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Missing teeth are routinely replaced with fixed dental prostheses (FDPs); thus, knowing the patient's oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL) after placement of FDP and factors affecting their quality of life in addition to their oral hygiene practices is important. This study aimed to measure OHRQoL with FDPs and oral hygiene practices of adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A survey was distributed in hard and soft copy forms. Target subjects were adults older than 18 years with FDP and living in Riyadh. The questionnaire contained four domains: demographic data, medical history, characteristics of the prostheses and oral hygiene practices, and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-14 questionnaire, which measures OHRQoL. Results: The study included 528 subjects. More than half of the participants (56.6%) had poor OHRQoL, which was associated with female gender, full-time employment, and low income. The presence of toothache, periodontal diseases, oral abscess, and broken teeth were all associated with poor OHRQoL. Participants with diabetes were also found to have poor OHRQoL. As for oral hygiene practices, 47% of subjects did not receive oral hygiene instructions after the placement of their FDP. It was also found that 53.4% of the study population brush only once daily. Conclusion: Many factors can have an influence on OHRQoL. Both dentist and patient awareness regarding postoperative oral hygiene instructions should be increased to ensure the durability of the prosthodontic appliances and improve patients' OHRQoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]