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Objective: To evaluate dental students' perceptions of manual and digital cephalometric landmark identification methods based on their preferences, difficulty level, and procedure time required to provide insights into the future of dental education, considering incorporating digital technology in dental schools. Materials and methods: Fifty‐five second‐year dental students were randomly divided into two groups: (1) group A, students who performed manual landmark identification first, followed by digital method; and (2) group B, students who performed digital method first, followed by manual method. The duration of the procedure was recorded. Subsequently, all students completed a questionnaire regarding the difficulty they experienced using a visual analog scale and their preferences. Landmark identification accuracy was measured. Results: Digital landmark identification was preferred by 93% of students. The mean procedure time for digital method was significantly lower than that of manual method (13.00 ± 5.60 vs. 9.70 ± 4.60; p = 0.002). Group B completed manual and digital methods in a shorter time than group A. Group A experienced less difficulty with manual procedure than group B. However, statistically significant differences were not observed in the difficulty level of digital technique. A statistically significant difference in the mean accuracy was shown in favor of the manual method. However, this difference is clinically insignificant (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Students considered digital method to be effective for learning and preferred it over manual method. Furthermore, digital landmark identification demonstrated better performance and was faster than manual method, suggesting that this must be incorporated in undergraduate dental education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new form of basis functions structures has been constructed. These basis functions constitute a mix of Chebyshev polynomials and Legendre polynomials. The main purpose of these structures is to present several forms of differentiation matrices. These matrices were built from the perspective of pseudospectral approximation. Also, an investigation of the error analysis for the proposed expansion has been done. Then, we showed the presented matrices' efficiency and accuracy with several test functions. Consequently, the correctness of our matrices is demonstrated by solving ordinary differential equations and some initial boundary value problems. Finally, some comparisons between the presented approximations, exact solutions, and other methods ensured the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we analyze the fractional order by using the Caputo-Hadamard fractional derivative under the Robin boundary condition. The topological degree method combined with the fixed point methodology produces the desired results. Finally to show how the key findings may be utilized, applications are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The literature on the use of static magnetic field (SMF), particularly in orthodontics, has certain gaps. Furthermore, the mechanism by which SMF affects orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) is still unclear and quite contradictory. Thus, the goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess SMF's effect on OTM. This study also sought to analyse the variability of the studies included in the analysis and the size of the impact of SMF on OTM. Methods: Using the PRISMA guidelines, reviewers implemented a search strategy across several online databases, filtering out the initial articles that were obtained by applying relevant inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The overall effect size for the odds ratio was found to be 0.58, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.40 to 0.86. This indicates that exposure to static magnetic fields is associated with a significantly reduced likelihood of orthodontic tooth movement in the animal studies analysed. Similarly, the overall effect size for the risk ratio was calculated to be 0.71, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.55 to 0.91. The risk ratio also suggests a significant impact of SMF on OTM, with animals exposed to magnetic fields being at a lower risk of experiencing substantial tooth movement compared to those not exposed. However, it is important to note that moderate heterogeneity was observed among the included studies. Conclusion: The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that there may be a causal relationship between OTM and SMF. However, the small number of studies included in this review and their poor methodological quality limit the available data, highlighting the need for further well-designed research to support these conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides valuable insights into the cosmetic impact of orthodontic appliances on job-hiring prospects in Saudi Arabia. Both ceramic braces and clear aligners are considered cosmetic corrective devices compared to traditional metallic braces. This survey-based, cross-sectional study used two models, one male, and one female. Four standardized smiling frontal photographs were taken for each model: one without any appliance and three with different orthodontic appliances (i.e., metal braces, ceramic braces, and clear aligners). The photographs of each model were shown to potential employers, followed by three questions for each photo to assess the employers' views on the applicants' professionalism, communication skills, and the likelihood of being hired. The survey was distributed via an electronic questionnaire to employers in Saudi Arabia, collecting feedback from 189 participants. The sample was collected from October 2022 to February 2023. The models' scores while wearing metal and ceramic bracket appliances were significantly lower than when the models were wearing clear aligners or were not wearing any appliance in each domain. In conclusion, orthodontic appliances have cosmetic implications that affect job-hiring prospects, with a higher chance of being hired if the candidate does not have an orthodontic appliance., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Alsaeed et al.)