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Oral health is a pivotal sign of overall health, well-being, and quality of life. With the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), insights into the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and oral diseases are urgently needed to elucidate the oral manifestations of SARS-CoV-2. The current review aims at analyzing various reports available on oral symptoms along with possible causation, their relationship to the time of occurrence of clinical symptoms, and to shape guidelines for dental practices that could help in combating this global pandemic. The common symptoms that patients report to the dental office even at the presymptomatic stage are ageusia (loss of taste), non-specific anosmia (loss of smell—not associated with rhinitis), and hyposalivation. Few studies also report unexplained ulcers in the oral cavity, desquamative gingivitis, herpetiform ulcers on attached gingiva, blisters/irregular ulcers on the tongue's dorsal surface enlargement of submandibular glands, and cervical lymph node enlargement. Dental surgeons should abide by the prevalent precautionary guidelines. They are at very high risk due to their close contact with patients and exposure to saliva and blood during treatment.

Dentists are at higher risk due to COVID-19. The proximity during patient management, contacts with aerosols and saliva increases the chances to COVID-19 exposure. The patient management under prevailing COVID situation is done with greater preventive measures. Knowledge on virus, mode of transmission, advices on protection protocol to patient, dentist, and operatory units are essential to prevent the disease. Comprehensive protocol and many reports have been proposed on the preventive measures by the various organizations. In addition, it has been appraised periodically. In these situations, the basics are overlooked and can lead to confusion among the dentists. The review summarizes on the essential recommendations proposed by various organizations that can be followed by the dentists. Further it provides evidence on managing specific aspects on dental procedures, armamentarium, and clinical environment that were overlooked earlier.

Postoperative bleeding is one of the common complications encountered in dental practice after routine dental extractions. Preoperative assessment of the patient is an integral aspect of managing and delivering dental care effectively to a patient. However, a patient with unknown and previously undiagnosed systemic illness can further complicate the treatment and result in defective hemostasis postextraction. We report a rare case of a 23-year-old male, who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia following uncontrolled hemorrhage postsimple dental extraction procedure.

Background: The newly emerged pandemic has created many dilemmas in dental clinical practice all over the world. Most of the practicing dentists and dental students are at higher risk of getting infected and transmitted the disease. The study aimed to explore the knowledge and attitudes among dental interns in Saudi Arabia related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: An online questionnaire survey was carried out among dental students pursuing their internship at different universities in Saudi Arabia. A combination of convenience and snowball sampling was used to identify interns from each province of the Kingdom. The questionnaire was validated and pretested, which recorded the knowledge, attitude, and concerns related to dental practice and COVID-19. Results: The knowledge related to COVID-19 and its importance in clinical dental practice was below average among dental interns, and only 22.2% gave a correct response to all questions. About 80.8% and 85% of the dental students were worried about contracting the infection during dental practice and transmitting it to family and friends, respectively. Conclusion: Dental students showed satisfactory knowledge, attitude, and practices related to COVID-19, and most of them were aware and adhering to the preventive guidelines set by the ministry of health.

After W.D. Miller proved a causal relationship between microbes and dental caries and periodontitis, the repair and replacement of damaged or lost teeth resulting from microbial activity dominated 20th century dental practice. In this study, I predict that in the 21st century dental practice will shift to the treatment of those dental diseases not caused by microbes. As dentists already treat some nonmicrobial diseases, I will focus on craniofacial malformations, the group of nonmicrobial diseases usually called birth defects. Some examples include dental dysplasias, cleft lip and palate, and malocclusion. In this study, I introduce the word “dysmorphogenesis” (to replace the term birth defect) as it more appropriately ascribes this subset of nonmicrobial diseases results to mistakes during the formation of craniofacial structures. As dysmorphogenic diseases occur during gestation, their diagnosis and especially their treatment require intervention during embryogenesis. Fortunately, decades of research have shown that mutations are involved in malformations during amelogenesis, palatogenesis, and odontogenesis. Knowledge of which genes are involved, together with recent breakthroughs in Crispr gene editing, make interventions during gestation possible. Those dentists performing gene editing procedures I have previously called Biodontists, because creating the Biodontics specialty will take time. The dental profession including dental educators, dental practitioners, and dental manufacturers should begin discussions now on how best to proceed.

Introduction: Dental practitioners, being the highest risk category of healthcare workers for contracting COVID-19, are required to practice in compliance with the revised infection control guidelines as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the compliance of general dental practitioners of Kerala toward the CDC infection control guidelines, especially personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, and if such modifications had any effect on the occurrence of musculoskeletal (MS) pain, accessibility, visibility, and overall operator efficiency. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire prepared in Google forms was conducted among 49 dental practitioners across Kerala who were selected by simple random sampling. Data were entered into Excel sheets, and analysis of data was done using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows (Version 25.0, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: There was a statistically significant (P-value=.001) increase in the usage of PPE from 20.8% (n = 10) during the pre-COVID period to 67.3% (n = 33) during the pandemic. About 85.7% (n = 42) of the practitioners reported to have difficulty using PPE mostly attributed to decreased visibility, accessibility, and communication gap. About 67.3% (n = 33) of the participants experienced an onset or increase in MS pain while practicing with PPE, head and neck region (81.8%, n = 27) being most affected. About 32.7% (n = 16) of the dental practitioners did not receive any form of training to work with PPE, and 56.5% (n = 26) were physically strained, whereas 43.5% (n = 20) were physically and emotionally strained while working with PPE. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that lack of proper training, cumbersome nature of PPE, long procedures demanding increased accessibility and visibility, and extra time spent on donning and doffing have all added to increased strain on dental practitioners and occurrence of MS pain and affected their operative efficiency.

Background: The potential of an improved understanding to prevent and treat a complex oral condition such as root caries is important, given its correlation with multiple factors and the uncertainty surrounding the approach/material of choice. Deeper insights into risk factors may improve the quality of treatment and reduce the formation of root surface caries. Aim: The present work aims to gain knowledge about dentists’ opinions and experiences on assessing the risk factor related to the development of root caries and to help identify any overlooked factors that may contribute to less efficacious clinical outcomes. Methodology: A questionnaire related to root surface caries was distributed among practicing dentists in nine different countries, namely the United Kingdom, Libya, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Brazil, India, Malaysia, and Iraq. Questionnaire responses were analyzed, and the results were compared among the groups. Results: Dentists around the world ranked the oral hygiene status of patients as the most important factor in the development of root surface caries. Patients with poor oral hygiene, active periodontal disease, reduced salivary flow, and gingival recession are perceived to have a higher risk of developing new root surface caries. There is a greater focus on prevention in the UK and greater levels of untreated dental disease in other countries, especially those recovering from civil wars. Conclusion: This work identified some overlooked factors that may have contributed to the less efficacious clinical outcomes reported in the literature. It is hoped that this deep dive into risk factors coupled with the findings presented in Part I of this study will be used as a basis for a more comprehensive investigation into the management of patients with root surface caries.

Antimicrobial resistance is an important concern for the public health authorities at global level. However, in developing countries like India, recent hospital and some community based data showed increase in burden of antimicrobial resistance. Research related to antimicrobial use, determinants and development of antimicrobial resistance, regional variation and interventional strategies according to the existing health care situation in each country is a big challenge. This paper discusses the situational analysis of antimicrobial resistance with respect to its problem, determinants and challenges ahead with strategies required in future to reduce the burden in India. Recent data from Google search, Medline and other sources were collected which was reviewed and analyzed by the authors. Hospital based studies showed higher and varied spectrum of resistance in different regions while there are limited number of community based studies at country level. There exists lacunae in the structure and functioning of public health care delivery system with regard to quantification of the problem and various determining factors related to antimicrobial resistance. There is an urgent need to develop and strengthen antimicrobial policy, standard treatment guidelines, national plan for containment of AMR and research related to public health aspects of AMR at community and hospital level in India.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a declared public health emergency of international concern. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) classified health-care professionals and exposure risk to coronavirus (COVID-19), identifying dental professionals in the very high-risk group due to the specificity of dental procedures and instrumentations used. Guidelines from relevant authorities suggested providing only emergency and urgent dental treatment during the pandemic which has led majority of dental practice to stop, thus instilling anxiety in the dental professionals. A study to assess the attitude, practice and experience of dental professionals from Gujarat state during the COVID-19 pandemic was planned. Materials and Methods: An online questionnaire consisting of 32 questions using Google Form was distributed to 315 dental professionals. Data obtained were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 22.0. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to describe variables. Chi-square test was used to find a significant association between parameters, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Overall, 194 dental professionals (104 general dentists and 90 specialists) filled the questionnaire. Nearly half of the participants (49.5%) said that personal protective equipment (PPE) is uncomfortable while performing dental procedures. The majority of them (86.6%) insisted on increasing the cost of dental treatments. Regarding new practices adapted during the pandemic, 53 dental professionals (27.3%) did not find teledentistry effective in resolving the patient's problem. Only 75 dental professionals (38.7%) followed all the screening criteria for patients. Fifty-nine participants (30.4%) got the COVID-19 test for patients requiring the aerosol-generating procedure. While 125 participants (64.4%) performed aerosol-generating procedures either in urgent/emergency cases or elective cases, only 115 (59.3%) used full PPE with an appropriate mask. One hundred and thirty-seven (70.6%) of them reported a decrease in income during the pandemic, while 74 (38.1%) suffered from anxiety and depression. Conclusion: Dental health-care providers are at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19. Thus, they should execute proposed precautionary measures more diligently. Regular training and screening of dental professionals should be undertaken by state regulatory bodies. Adapting and adhering to change in work protocols by dental professionals will ensure not only their safety but also their patients. The emergence of COVID-19 has been great learning for the field of dentistry, and the dental practice is going to change for the better.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) pandemic has stilled the world, due to its highly contagious nature, lack of specific drugs, or vaccine availability. To prevent the nosocomial spread of COVID-19 infections, several countries summoned for closure of dental practice. There is increasing demands of dental public health need in the community. This article highlights on specific guidelines to prevent nosocomial infections and to meet the demands of the public dental health in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic.

Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan is considered obligatory for all Muslims. It is regarded as one of the five pillars of Islam in which all the followers observe complete abstinence from food and fluid during daylight hours. Such a strict practice has built up hesitations among the followers to go for a dental treatment. This article aims to describe the modifications in the dental practice required for Muslims during this month alongside the oral health-care tips. A dentist should consider these alternatives and appreciate the religious custom so as to provide a compassionate service.

Accidental aspiration and ingestion of the dental instrument and material is an infrequent occurrence in dental practice. The location of the foreign body should be confirmed with radiographs. Radiographic examination will allow the correct diagnosis and the treatment to be conducted according to the specific situation of the object in the lungs or gastrointestinal tract. This is a case report of an accidental ingestion and medical retrieval of dental implant hex driver.

Introduction: The aim of this survey study was to interpret the level of awareness, attitude, knowledge, and viewpoint toward regenerative endodontic treatments among general dental practitioners, pedodontists, and endodontists. Materials and Methods: A self-administered short questionnaire comprising 20 questions was circulated through WhatsApp mobile application among general dental practitioners, pedodontists, and endodontists of all the regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire consisted of four parts: demographic information, professional status, ethical opinions/beliefs, and information regarding clinical practice. The answers were tabulated and statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 311 duly filled-in questionnaires were received. The majority of the respondents were male (69.1%). Only one-third (38.3%) had received continued education in stem cells and/or regenerative dental treatments (P = 0.000). Two-thirds (75.6%) of the respondents were willing to save teeth/dental tissue and incorporate regenerative endodontic treatments in dental practice. The results suggested that one-third (33.8%) of the respondents were already using some kind of regenerative endodontic procedure in their clinical practices (P = 0.000). Conclusions: The level of awareness regarding the stem cell and regenerative dental procedures was low among the respondents in general.

Aims: Patient's awareness and knowledge of the treatment is highly essential in everyday dental practice as it significantly influences the treatment outcome. Hence, the objective of this study is to assess the patient's satisfaction with root canal treatment (RCT) under various aspects. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 130 patients in a tertiary care setting using a questionnaire which included pain perceived during the treatment, duration of treatment, esthetics and chewing ability of treated tooth, pleasantness of treatment, and the overall satisfaction. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Statistical Analysis Used: Scores were compared using Kruskal–Wallis test. Results: The level of significance was set at 0.05. Median scores did not show a statistical difference in criteria scores between the teeth (P > 0.05). Among 130 patients, 81 preferred to undergo treatment in our institution due to the superior quality of treatment provided. Seventeen patients felt that the treatment provided was compromised. Of these 17 patients, nine patients reasoned it toward low standards due to cost-free treatment and eight patients felt that it was due to negligence or incompetency of the clinician. Conclusions: Pleasantness and satisfaction from treatment are very high due to a decrease in pain post-RCT, and most of them did not feel that the treatment was compromised in terms of quality or clinicians' negligence or incompetency.

Aim: In India, dental care scenario is unique and unequally available to the general population with both government-run hospitals and private dental clinics catering to the oral healthcare needs of the patients. There is lack of studies to address how periodontal diseases are managed in general dental practice in India. This study aimed to understand the periodontal referral patterns of general dental practitioners (GDP) to a periodontist in Karnataka state, India. Materials and Methods: This study employed a qualitative approach. Purposive samples of 400 referring dentists were interviewed using structured in-depth questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of a combination of selected response to the questions and close-ended questions, which was distributed to the GDPs of Karnataka state. Results: This survey shows deficient delivery of definitive periodontal treatment. Only 2% of the GDP reported that 80%–100% of their patients received scaling. Location of the practice appeared to have a major role in periodontal referral. Farther the location of the practice from district headquarters, poor was the referral. Clinical skill of the specialist appeared to have a major influence on the selection of specialist followed by academic qualification. Conclusion: This survey provides insight into the periodontal referral process by GDPs in India

Coronavirus Disease 2019 is a rapidly progressing pandemic that has affected 12.3 million individuals while causing 5,54,061 deaths worldwide till date. In India, approx 7,94,000 individuals (including approximately 4,96,000 recovered patients) have been affected with approximately 21,604 deaths. The sheer extent of the disease makes it imperative to increase awareness among our professional peers regarding the nature of the disease and its transmissibility while formulating standard operating procedures to mitigate the same. The present article disseminates the evidence to date and is based on available literature, brief working experiences, and relevant recommendations that can be implemented at various dental centers and units at all levels.

Coronavirus originated from Wuhan, China in December 2019 was designated initially as an epidemic but later in a short period it was declared as a pandemic. Currently, this pandemic has spread to 210 countries. There is a steady increase in the number of people getting infected with COVID and a surge in mortality as well. It is an alarming situation for health-care professionals. Dental professionals, by the very nature of treatment (direct contact with the patient’s mouth, saliva, aerosols, and droplets), carry a potential risk of getting infected or transmitting infection. Various associations have developed guidelines for an approach to the dental treatment in COVID crisis. With current knowledge, prevention and isolation seem to be the best method reiterating the old-age saying “Prevention is better than cure.” In this review, we will discuss with the help of flowcharts various preventive measures to decrease the spread of infection and precautions for the dental practice.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents one of the major medical challenges that the World Health Organization (WHO) had to declare the situation as a pandemic and public health emergency. As the virus spreads very rapidly across the world through droplets and direct contact, dental professionals are at the highest risk of exposure to the infection. The emergence of COVID-19 has totally changed the way we practise dentistry. However, the true impact of COVID-19 towards pediatric dental practice is under-reported. Literature search was conducted through PubMed, CINAHL, and SCOPUS databases using the combination of terms such as “Covid19,” “coronavirus,” “pediatric dentistry,” and “paediatric dentistry” to identify relevant documents. This review was written around the impact of COVID-19 on scheduling appointments, infection control practices, and clinical settings and impact on dental care practices. With limited available sources, recommendations were summarized from included guidelines and clinical recommendations. Pediatric dentists are advised to remain vigilant to recent international and local institutional guidelines; appropriate professional clinical judgment should be considered when making decisions.

Geriatric patients have different oral healthcare needs than young individuals; they need special infrastructure and training to deal with. During this ongoing pandemic, the geriatric patients' oral healthcare needs take a back seat because of the lockdown and because of the frail health status of the individuals. There is a need to find ways to deal with geriatric patients' unique oral healthcare needs during these testing times and tailored to individual needs.

Application of electricity in the field of medicine is not a new invention. In fact, it has been used over the past 150 years ago to treat bone fractures. Electromedicine was not in much use, and it has been recently revived due to its therapeutic benefits. Electrotherapy modality, especially transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), is traditionally used for a pain relief and also frequently used modality in the management of dental-related pain. However, microcurrent electrical therapy which is fairly a new technology used for tissue repair along with electroanalgesia for a variety of clinical conditions has been less explored in dental practice microcurrent electrical nerve stimulation (MENS) uses theoretically negligible amount of current at cellular level in relieving pain and promoting accelerated healing of damaged and inflamed tissue, which makes it as an efficient treatment modality in the management of pain with least number of side effects than drugs in chronic situations. It is also proposed that MENS is a superior modality in the treatment of masticatory muscle pain due to its electroanalgesia and tissue repair action. Hence, this article briefly reviews the application, effects, and side effects of MENS compared to traditional TENS.

Background: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a new technology, in which two-dimensional detectors and conical beam are used instead of fan shaped beam in conventional computed CT. In CBCT, volumetric data are collected by the rotation of beam and detectors around the desired area of interest. The principal advantages of CBCT are in the smaller footprint of the machine and lower radiation dose. The knowledge of this imaging modality is limited and hence the application in clinical practice is not fully achieved. Aim: The present study aimed to assess the knowledge about Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) among interns of two Dental colleges in Chennai and their willingness to use this piece of imaging for their routine dental practice. Material and Methods: A closed-ended questionnaire was circulated to the interns of two dental colleges after obtaining necessary consent. Results: The results showed that there is a lack of knowledge regarding the application of this imaging modality and it is being applied in some areas where it is prone to give false-positive results. Conclusion: Overall, dentists had an average level of knowledge for CBCT. It is recommended that qualification programs to held for dentists to strengthen their awareness toward cone-beam computed tomography.

Context: Dental personals are more prone to acquire infections through saliva and aerosols. Surgical masks (SMs) are used by dental professionals to reduce microorganism shedding from the mouth, nose, and face of the patient. Aims: This aim of the study is to assess the bacterial and fungal presence and their prevalence over the contaminated surgical mask in dental practice. Settings and Design: This study was conducted with sample size 240 used surgical masks collected from 130 dental personnel. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted with analysis involved inoculation of external and internal surfaces in an enrichment media for isolation of bacteria and fungi. Group of isolated bacteria and fungi were preliminarily identified by morphology and using Gram's stain and lacto-phenol cotton blue mediums. Data were analyzed using paired t-test; the significant level of P < 0.050. Results: Microbiological analysis of samples revealed bacteria Staphylococci 26.35% as a predominant species followed by Pseudomonas 17.82% and Streptococci 15.50%. Aspergillus fungal species was also present in 6.97%. Mean ± SD of bacterial and fungal contamination on inside/outside area of the used masks was 48 ± 26 and 180 ± 110 cfu/ml/piece and 14 ± 6 and 32 ± 13 cfu/ml/piece, respectively, P < 0.001. The used surgical masks from dental department personnel working outpatient dental department had relatively higher bacterial and fungal contamination than the other dental departments. Conclusions: To reduce a load of microorganism contamination in the clinical environment, more awareness campaigns should be implemented in daily routine and air quality of dental departments should be improved with necessary protective measures.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the globe and is the greatest challenge faced by world nations today. The first outbreak of this disease occurred in a seafood market of Wuhan City, China. The community pattern of spread was alarming and has gripped the entire international society. The dentists and other health care professionals should take stringent measures to prevent the spread of infection while providing care. In this article, we discuss the etiology, clinical manifestations, route of transmission, general and specific infection control protocols to protect the dental health care professionals as well as patients from COVID 19 disease while providing emergency dental care.

Background: The dimension of maxillary sinus is dynamic and might complicate the dental practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze maxillary sinus dimension with respect to different ages, genders, tooth sites, and relationships between root of posterior maxillary teeth (RPMT) and adjacent maxillary sinus floor, using cross-sectional images from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods: The 320 qualified cross-sectional posterior maxillary images of CBCT from 50 patients retrieved from the database were used to analyze the maxillary sinus area. Five types of relationship between RPMT and adjacent maxillary sinus floor were classified accordingly. The associated factors, such as age, genders, and tooth sites, were also examined. The one-way analysis of variance with Tukey's post hoc test was performed to compare the maxillary sinus cross-sectional area in different classifications of RPMT relative to adjacent maxillary sinus floor. Results: There were significant differences of mean maxillary sinus area between different genders (P < 0.001) and age groups (P = 0.01). The mean sinus area measured from cross-sectional images was greater in Type 3 classification of RPMT relative to maxillary sinus, compared to Type 2, Type 1, and Type 0 (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The RPMT relative to adjacent sinus floor may be associated with area of maxillary sinus. The maxillary sinus with greater area in cross-sectional images of CBCT would be closer to the RPMT and might complicate the dental practice.

Viral infections of the oral cavity usually manifest as either ulceration or blistering presentation of oral tissues. Oral viral infections are encountered in dental practice but received less clinical interest due to the lesser frequency of patients and diagnostic challenges. The clinical presentation, pathogenic mechanism, investigations, and management of oral viral infections are integrated into the article which will enable general dentists to develop critical thinking processes on differential diagnosis and management through a multidisciplinary approach with specialist dentists.

In the recent years esthetic dentistry has been the area of focus amongst the public. Esthetics is an important dimension in dental practice and the upcoming dentists need to be enabled to demonstrate their competencies for an efficient clinical outcome. The purpose of this study was to institute a cultural change within traditional didactic dental education towards student centred learning to cope up with the accelerating pace of medical technological change and achieving positive impact on patient care and patient satisfaction. Intervention that was considered for the project included David Merrill's first principles of instruction. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with all the students from four cohorts of final year dental undergraduate students, divided into an intervention group (n = 40) and a control group (n = 40). A professional assessment questionnaire is used to evaluate the relationship between the students and professional's assessment of esthetic treatment needs. The results of the study indicated that the ranking of the most and least noticeable dental features differed significantly (p = 0.0061) between the intervention and non intervention group and the indicates the intervention group to be in better agreement with professional assessment than the non intervention group of students with z value of 2.7435. The relative agreement between intervention group of undergraduate students and the professional assessment of esthetic treatment need shows the importance of intervention of Merrill's first principles of instruction in learning, emphasising the significance of PBL and therefore indicating a positive impact on successful esthetic treatment for patients.

Dentin dysplasia (DD) type I is a hereditary disturbance in dentin formation. In this anomaly, the teeth generally appear clinically unremarkable with normal crowns; and radiographically it is characterized by normal appearing crowns, absence or severe restriction of root formation, obliterated pulp chambers, and periapical radiolucencies without an obvious cause. Clinically, the teeth can be poorly aligned, drifting and mobile, and can prematurely exfoliate due to abnormal root formation. This condition is rarely encountered in dental practice. Little is known about the specific treatment of this disorder and management of patients with DD has presented with problems. This report documents a case of DD type I in a 19-year-old male and the clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic findings of this condition and treatment are described.

Marked bactericidal activity of the electrolyzed acid water (EAW) and its less undesirable effects on biological tissues and the environment has been successfully utilized in dental practice. A review of literature reveals that not many studies have been performed to determine the disinfection effect of EAW on heat cured acrylic denture bases. The objective of the study is to determine the efficacy of EAW in disinfecting heat cured acrylic resin specimens as compared to the efficacy of disinfecting the specimens using 2% glutaraldehyde. Heat cured acrylic resin plates were immersed in Bacteria suspensions of Staphylococcus aureus and later disinfected using EAW which was produced using a custom made electrolyzing apparatus and 2% glutaraldehyde for different time intervals. The numbers of surviving bacteria were counted. As the control, the bacteria attached on the specimens were counted with out any disinfection treatment. The results obtained were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and post-hoc test. The disinfection potential of 2% glutaraldehyde was better than EAW when the specimens were disinfected for 1 and 3 min. Where as when the disinfection time was increased to 5 min there was no difference between EAW and 2% glutaraldehyde. However considering that the disinfecting time can be easily extended to 5 min, EAW can be effectively used for disinfecting the acrylic denture.

Accidental ingestion or aspiration of a variety of foreign bodies is a common pediatric emergency. A foreign body in the tooth, however, is rare. Retrieval of foreign objects from the teeth in children is a challenging aspect of pediatric dental practice. In most of the situations, the foreign objects are diagnosed in routine radiographs, which play a vital role in analyzing the location, size, and type of the foreign object. Removal of the foreign body is not very difficult if it is confined to the pulp chamber or root canal. This article describes two cases of foreign object embedded in the teeth, the possible etiology, and treatment.

Evidence-based dentistry and its application in making diagnosis result in a significant reduction of errors. The frequency of errors depends not only on accuracy of a diagnostic pathological test but also on the prior chance of disease being present. For deciding the usefulness of diagnostic test, an added component to take into account is the relative value of the probable health states resulting from diagnosis and therapy. These can be determined by information obtained from the patient and the numerical values of the probable dental health status with the help of a visual analogue scale (VAS) technique. Clinical decision analysis can then be accomplished to calculate the applicable diagnostic approach for the patient. Clinical decision analysis is commencing to imprint the development of guidelines for the diagnostic convenience of radiographs although its further use in dentistry needs refinement and development.

The COVID-19 pandemic, still on the growth curve, has had a devastating effect on the dental health sector for the past 3 months. This has become an area of enormous concern for the dentists professionally and the patients in terms of dental health. Dentistry at this point needs a complete structural change to prevent cross-infection among the patients and dentists owing to the unique characteristic of a dental health-care setting as well as to offer a sense of safety and security to the patients. This article highlights the salient points to be considered for the post-COVID phase in dentistry.

Objectives: Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) as silicate-based cement material may provide better bioactivity than Biodentine material which used as a replacement to MTA in dental practice in different endodontic uses. Also the modifying MTA and Biodentine by adding eggshell powder (ESP) may improve their bioactivity and promote the formation of a reliable sealing through formation a thick and continuous interfacial layer at root dentine/material interface. Aim: This study was aimed to investigate marginal adaptability, the presence or absence of interfacial layer, and enhanced bioactivity's of MTA and Biodentine modified by addition of ESP, at the root dentine/material interface. Materials and methods: Thirteen root dentine segments of about 2 mm thickness were obtained from extracted human teeth and mechanically prepared by endodontic files to enlarge their canals. The specimens were then divided into six groups (n=5), each group were filled with unmodified MTA and Biodentine and modified with 0.5 and 1% ESP. The specimens were immersed in Hank's Balanced Salt Solution simulating body fluid for 30 days. The specimens were then, examined by scanning electron microscopy and energy disperse x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to examine the presence or absence of interfacial layer and Ca/P ratio. Results: The interfacial layer can be seen in MTA and Biodentine groups that modified with 1% ESP. Also, MTA showed better marginal adaptability than Biodentine groups. There was a statistically significant difference in the Ca/P ratio among the all investigated groups. Conclusion: Addition of ESP to MTA and Biodentine can improve the mineral deposition at root dentine/material interface and also improve their sealing ability through the formation of interfacial layer.

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of the dental graduates regarding the clinical application of the theories of child psychology during the behavior guidance while treating children in the routine dental practice. Materials and Methods: A structured close-ended questionnaire comprising of 14 questions related to the theories of child psychology and behavior guidance was prepared. The validity was tested by mailing the questionnaire to 10 experienced pediatric dentists and modified based on their suggestions. The modified questionnaire was distributed to 300 (postgraduates [PGs]; students on compulsory regular rotatory internship/interns; undergraduates [UGs]) dental students belonging to a private institution. The data were obtained, tabulated, and analyzed statistically. Results: Many of the respondents had knowledge regarding basic behavior guidance techniques (BGTs) such as tell-show-do, positive reinforcement, distraction, and modeling. Knowledge and practice on advanced BGTs was minimal. Conclusion: PGs had better knowledge, compared to the UG students. Hence, there is a need to build awareness among the UGs, relates to child psychology and its application during treatment.

Background: Patient–professional communication is a fundamental skill of medical practice. Health-care professionals have to be aware of their own communication practices and need to undergo periodic appraisal of the same. Overzealous and unrepressed use of jargon hinders effective communication between the doctors and patients, leading to a series of misunderstanding. The aim of the study was to assess the use of jargon and its acceptance in clinical history taking among dental students and interns in a dental teaching hospital of Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was carried out, consisting of 16 questions on BDS 3rd-year, 4th-year dental students and dental interns. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were computed. Differences between groups were examined using Chi-square test. The level of statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: Two hundred and sixty-seven individuals participated in the present survey, representing an overall response rate of 92.4%. Nearly, 78.9%, 89.6%, and 78% of BDS 3rd-year, 4th-year, and dental interns, respectively, used jargon in case history taking. Almost 61.6% of dental interns admitted that they always used jargon and 22% admitted that they used jargon only when there was a lack of time. Conclusion: This study showed widespread use of jargon/abbreviations in case history taking among the respondents. More medical/dental schools, residency programs, and continuing education programs for practicing physicians need to include training in clinical communication skills to enhance health outcomes.

Aim: Gingivitis has been defined as the reversible dental plaque-induced inflammation of the gingiva without detectable bone loss or clinical attachment loss. It is frequently encountered in dental practice and affected people of all ages and describes the condition of the dental soft tissue. There is always a correlation between the presence of calculus and the prevalence of gingivitis. The aim of this clinical study was to assess the efficacy of anticalculus mouthwash on reduction of plaque and calculus with and without professional intervention. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 volunteers with clinical signs of moderate gingivitis were selected and after a washout period of 2 weeks divided into groups, with and without any professional intervention. The patients were instructed to use anticalculus mouth twice daily. Clinical assessment was carried out using the plaque index based on Silness and Loe method, gingival index based on Loe and Silness method, and calculus index of Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified at baseline, 1 month, and 2-month days of the anticalculus mouthwash use. Statistically analysis was carried out using the Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney test for comparative analysis. Results: The study proved that anticalculus mouthwash was effective in lowering all the clinical scores both with and without any professional intervention. However, the optimal results were achieved when combined with professional scaling. Conclusion: Anticalculus mouthwash is effective in controlling plaque-induced gingivitis and lowering clinical scores.

Dentistry is a health-care profession, provides oral care as physician does. Currently, due to transient transformation in dental practice, dentistry reached its zenith level. In this segment, moral and legal aspect is one of the leading concerns in dental practice management. The duties of dentist are allied with many confront along with regulations of moral and legal compliance. The aim of this article is to endow with uncomplicated explanations of dissimilar attitude and knowledge of morality that might affect the dental profession as a whole. The literature on acuity of morality in dental practice management was identified by searching the biomedical databases as a primary research material. The databases were searched for publications from 2001 to 2016, with key articles obtained primarily from Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane. The literature for the present review was obtained from the following sources such as published articles, unpublished literature, internet news clippings, and online manuals and books.

In dental practice, discovery of a foreign body entrapped within the root canal is not uncommon. The foreign object may have been accidently lodged due to traumatic injury, iatrogenically during treatment or it may be a self-inflicted injury. The patient usually reports only when he/she experiences pain and then the foreign object is discovered in radiographic examination. In this article, we present a case report of a 43-year-old woman with a staple pin lodged in a permanent maxillary first molar.

Introduction: Oral and maxillofacial radiology is the daily part and parcel of dental practice. It does contribute a major section to the biomedical waste generated in the dental clinic. Pollution can be controlled only if the clinicians are aware about appropriate waste collection and disposal methods. This study aims toward evaluating the knowledge of clinicians toward this issue. Materials and Methods: A survey was performed for a sample size of 100 dental clinicians. A multiple-choice response type of questionnaire was designed with close-ended questions with a maximum choice of four responses. Responses were evaluated to extract the results. Results: An overall analysis yields total correct results which have been reported to be

Aim and Objective: The aim of the current study is to evaluate the knowledge of dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia about managing physically challenged patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional digitalized survey was conducted among dental practitioners including both male and female. The questionnaire consisted of 20 items which included years of dental practice, previous experience treating a physically challenged patient, and any difficulties handling such cases. The survey was distributed through E-mail, social media official accounts. Chi-square test was used to investigate associations between factors using SPSS Pc+ version 22.0 statistical software package (Chicago, IL. WA). Results: A total of 2030 dental practitioners participated in this study. The majority (91.0%) reported that their university was not good enough in preparing them to treat a physically challenged patient and they need to have more knowledge to treat them. Hearing impairment reported as the hardest to manage. Two-third (66.6%) reported that their clinic does not have the facilities to help in managing such patients. Statistically, a significant association was found between gender and most of the items of perception (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Treating physically challenged patients considered as a challenge for most of the dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia. Dental school should provide more courses and training programs about how to manage physically challenged patients. The use of communicating technology tools is highly recommended to manage those patients.

The purpose of this paper was to review the dental service marketing and the use of social media marketing within the field of dentistry. The literature was searched using appropriate keywords related to dental service marketing and social media. The concept of dental service marketing reviewed under 8Ps (product elements, place and time, price and other expenses, promotion and education, physical environment, people, process, and productivity and quality) and the role of social media in marketing were briefly reviewed and reported. To become a successful practitioner, dental professionals need to understand the theory and practice of marketing strategies. The eight “Ps” of the service marketing can be effectively utilized for successful marketing of the dental services. Social media has a lot of potential for marketing dental services in a cost-effective manner to influence the modern dental practice.

Background: Code of ethics has to be maintained by the dentists at all levels, however for marketing reasons this has been ignored to a greater extent to establish or grow a dental practice, but does this degrade or have a negative impact by undermining the profession as a whole? Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the level of cognizance and implementation of marketing dentistry among dental interns. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based study survey comprising 25 multiple-choice questions was provided to 300 dental interns from different colleges. The filled questionnaires were collected in 15 days and the results were tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis using Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test is used. Results: 24.7% of interns report marketing is ethical and 59.3% of interns think that without marketing, dentistry is seen inferior on the whole. Despite 56.4% of interns agreeing that it does have a negative impact on the profession, around 87.6% of them strongly agree that it has served the community when combined with better quality services. Conclusion: An attitude change seems to be emerging in the upcoming budding dentists. It should be understood that the Council did not intend to moralize, but to guide and a truthful advertising can be a solid foundation for building a trusted dentist-patient relationship. The emergence of modern technology and socialization itself is another challenge, with the nature of change ethical issues remains the same.

Aim: This exploratory qualitative research is an attempt to assess the health care ethical challenges in dental practice in an Indian scenario. Methodology: Qualitative indepth interview was conducted on 20 dental professionals to assess the ethical challenges prevailing in dental practice in Indian scenario. After obtaining the responses the verbatims were categorized into categories and finally 36 themes emerged. Later from two group of 6 panellists each after conducting focus group discussion the themes of ethical issues occurring in dental practice were ranked based on order of significance impact on the practice, patient and society using Delphi method. Result: The top ten ethical challenges listed by the panellists are inadequate sterilization and waste management in dental clinics, poor knowledge and attitude towards ethics among our dental practitioners, in competence among dental professional, increase in cost of oral health service, poor informed consent process, requirement of consensus about the treatment procedures among dentists, Conflict in Advertising, clustering of dental clinics in urban areas, disagreement with treatment modalities among dentist and patient, poor medical record maintenance among our dental practitioners. Conclusion: The study attempts to bring the prevailing ethical challenges in oral health care practice in Indian scenario.

Introduction: Dentistry has witnessed various innovative advancements, and there is a requirement of evidence-laden progress to cater better oral care and clinical knowledge. Good and sound dental practice relies not on fragments of selected evidence but rather on the collection of best available research evidence. Aim: To determine the various factors affecting utilization of evidence-based practice among dental academicians, clinicians, and academicians with clinical practice. Materials and Methods: A close-ended questionnaire on evidence-based dentistry (EBD) was distributed among the dental fraternity in Modinagar city, India, to analyze their awareness, understanding, transitional views, and major barriers faced in practicing EBD. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19.0 and were subjected to Chi-square test to determine the significant difference between the dental professionals (P < 0.05). Results: A significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) was noted between the percentage scores of all the three groups of dentists under comparison, except the context of awareness about systematic review and databases along with a term “number needed to treat.” Among all the dentists, 90% of full-time clinicians had only heard about EBD but had not utilized it in clinical practice and felt need for lengthy discussion with a patient to be the primary barrier to evidence-based practice, while 83.33% of academicians with clinical practice had read through scientific literature. Transitional views of 79.37% of academicians suggested seeking and applying evidence-based summaries to practice than applying conventional skills in EBD. Conclusion: Full-time dental practitioners were not sufficiently familiarized in utilizing EBD in comparison with the full-time academicians or dentists carrying out both academics and clinical practice. Clinicians relied on conventionally told facts than utilization of information technology to improve evidence-based practice.

Computer-aided facilities have been realized to improve medical diagnosis and consequent treatment in terms of precision, cost-effectiveness, and shorten the procedures time. A variety of dental restorative aspects including diagnosis, rehabilitation, and maintaining of patients with complex clinical conditions have been dramatically improved through the nowadays employed digitized techniques compared with conventional procedures. This review overviews the ways of how digitization could improve dentally related aspects and to discuss the educational procedures needed to acquire such an approach in dental practice. An electronic search was conducted using specifically related keywords. The relevant and most appropriate articles for systematic reviews were selected.