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Background. Dental caries is the localized destruction of dental hard tissues (enamel and dentine). Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index is the most commonly used dental caries index. Thickness of the outermost part of the tooth called the enamel is determined by the rate of deposition of enamel proteins. Relative enamel thickness (RET) gives a measure of enamel thickness with respect to dentine. Dental caries is influenced by a genetically determined factor called dermatoglyphics (DG). As the genes responsible for RET and DG lie on the same chromosome and develop during the same time of intrauterine life, it is biologically plausible to correlate RET and DG. Aims. This study consists of two primary aims: (1) to assess RET using cone beam computed tomography images and correlate it with caries and (2) to correlate RET with DG. Materials and Methods. 148 dental subjects were assessed for DMFT caries score and were categorized as Group 1 with DMFT = 0 and Group 2 with DMFT ≥ 1 . Following this, their DG pattern was recorded digitally. The CBCT images of these subjects were assessed for RET, and the data were analyzed statistically. Results. Mean RET in our sample population is 18.45 (SD 3.79) while mean DMFT is 5.34 (SD 5.13). Mean RET in Group 1 subjects was 19.82 (SD 4.05) while that in the Group 2 was 17.68 (SD 3.43). RET and DMFT showed a statistically significant negative correlation ( p = 0.007 ). The “Single Loop” DG characteristic showed a statistically significant difference between males and females ( p = 0.031 ). The “Simple Arch” type of DG was positively correlated with RET. Conclusion. This is the first in vivo study to assess RET using CBCT images and correlate with DMFT and DG. RET is inversely related to DMFT while directly proportional to the “Simple arch” DG pattern. Males and females differed in their “Single Loop” DG characteristic.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a mystified cryptic virus has challenged the mankind that has brought life to a standstill. Catastrophic loss of life, perplexed healthcare system and the downfall of global economy are some of the outcomes of this pandemic. Humans are raging a war with an unknown enemy. Infections, irrespective of age and gender, and more so in comorbidities are escalating at an alarming rate. Cardiovascular diseases, are the leading cause of death globally with an estimate of 31% of deaths worldwide out of which nearly 85% are due to heart attacks and stroke. Theoretically and practically, researchers have observed that persons with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions are comparatively more vulnerable to the COVID-19 infection. Moreover, they have studied the data between less severe and more severe cases, survivors and non survivors, intensive care unit (ICU) patients and non ICU patients, to analyse the relationship and the influence of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health of an individual, further the risk of susceptibility to submit to the virus. This review aims to provide a comprehensive particular on the possible effects, either direct or indirect, of COVID-19 on the cardiovascular heath of an individual.

BACKGROUND Dental appearance influences the facial aesthetics that includes smile harmony, tooth colour, shape, arrangement and visibility. METHODS The current study aims to identify and evaluate factors affecting patients' satisfaction towards the appearance of teeth & gums; and dental treatments that facilitate facial and dental aesthetics. 300 patients were surveyed with a questionnaire containing close-ended questions on their gender, age, education, tooth appearance, orthodontic and teeth whitening treatments, tooth & gum-related problems and satisfaction levels towards dental and facial aesthetics. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed on the collected data. RESULTS A majority (76 %) of the study population desired to undergo bleaching treatment for teeth whitening. 70 % of the respondents also wish for composites, while only 40 % desired orthodontic appliances. Satisfaction with dental appearance is significantly found to affect facial appearance. Also, similar to dental appearance, there is a statistically significant relation between the desire for tooth bleaching, orthodontic appliance, and composites and satisfaction towards facial appearance. Satisfaction with gingival appearance, tooth-colour, and satisfaction with smile appearance are found to affect the satisfaction towards facial appearance. CONCLUSIONS Tooth colour was observed to be a crucial aspect that affects the overall dental aesthetics and satisfaction levels of the participants. It was realized from this investigation that dental care, better hygiene and treatments for improving dental aesthetics are relevant for patients’ satisfaction regarding overall facial appearance and aesthetics. KEY WORDS Dental Aesthetics, Facial Aesthetics, Orthodontic Treatment, Tooth Whitening

Background: Lifestyle therapy with resistance training is a potent measure to counteract age-related loss in muscle strength and mass. Unfortunately, many individuals fail to respond in the expected manner. This phenomenon is particularly common among older adults and those with chronic diseases (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD) and may involve endocrine variables such as vitamin D. At present, the effects of vitamin D supplementation on responses to resistance training remain largely unexplored. Methods: Ninety-five male and female participants (healthy, n = 71; COPD, n = 24; age 68 ± 5 years) were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin D3 or placebo supplementation for 28 weeks in a double-blinded manner (latitude 61°N, September-May). Seventy-eight participants completed the RCT, which was initiated by 12 weeks of supplementation-only (two weeks with 10 000 IU/day, followed by 2000 IU/day), followed by 13 weeks of combined supplementation (2000 IU/day) and supervised whole-body resistance training (twice weekly), interspersed with testing and measurements. Outcome measures included multiple assessments of muscle strength (nvariables = 7), endurance performance (n = 6), and muscle mass (n = 3, legs, primary), as well as muscle quality (legs), muscle biology (m. vastus lateralis; muscle fibre characteristics, transcriptome), and health-related variables (e.g. visceral fat mass and blood lipid profile). For main outcome domains such as muscle strength and muscle mass, weighted combined factors were calculated from the range of singular assessments. Results: Overall, 13 weeks of resistance training increased muscle strength (13% ± 8%), muscle mass (9% ± 8%), and endurance performance (one-legged, 23% ± 15%; whole-body, 8% ± 7%), assessed as weighted combined factors, and were associated with changes in health variables (e.g. visceral fat, -6% ± 21%; [LDL]serum , -4% ± 14%) and muscle tissue characteristics such as fibre type proportions (e.g. IIX, -3% points), myonuclei per fibre (30% ± 65%), total RNA/rRNA abundances (15%/6-19%), and transcriptome profiles (e.g. 312 differentially expressed genes). Vitamin D3 supplementation did not affect training-associated changes for any of the main outcome domains, despite robust increases in [25(OH)D]serum (∆49% vs. placebo). No conditional effects were observed for COPD vs. healthy or pre-RCT [25(OH)D]serum . In secondary analyses, vitamin D3 affected expression of gene sets involved in vascular functions in muscle tissue and strength gains in participants with high fat mass, which advocates further study. Conclusions: Vitamin D3 supplementation did not affect muscular responses to resistance training in older adults with or without COPD. Keywords: Cholecalciferol; Muscle plasticity; Strength training. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders. publishedVersion

Objective The current research was conducted to evaluate the frequency of color-vision deficiency among dental students of King Khalid University College of Dentistry, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study was performed among 203 dental students working as interns at male and female dental clinics of King Khalid University College of Dentistry (KKUCOD), Saudi Arabia. The Ishihara color-vision deficiency (CVD) test with 24 plates was used for diagnosis of the problem. Analysis of the data was done by performing Chi-square tests using SPSS software version 20. Results The frequency of total CVD was found to be 3.9%. While the association of gender with total CVD was observed to be statistically nonsignificant, a statistically significant relation was drawn with red-green color deficiency. Out of the total of 203 patients, 44 males were identified with red-green color deficiency, whereas only three females were found to have this condition, therefore revealing that CVD is more prevalent in males. Age was found to have a significant association with red-green color vision deficiency, protanopia, and total CVD. Conclusion A total of 20.19% male dental students had red-green color vision deficiency compared to 1.4% in female students. The dental students must be aware of their congenital color vision deficiency and its impact on their professional life. Screening of such dental students and professionals is quite important so that they can tackle the color vision problems well without having detrimental effect on their future dental practice.

© The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publi cdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. The biological relevance and accuracy of gene expression data depend on the adequacy of data normalization. This is both due to its role in resolving and accounting for technical variation and errors, and its defining role in shaping the view point of biological interpretations. Still, the choice of the normalization method is often not explicitly motivated although this choice may be particularly decisive for conclusions in studies involving pronounced cellular plasticity. In this study, we highlight the consequences of using three fundamentally different modes of normalization for interpreting RNA-seq data from human skeletal muscle undergoing exercise-training induced growth. Briefly, 25 participants conducted 12 weeks of high-load resistance training. Muscle biopsy specimens were sampled from m. vastus lateralis before, after two weeks of training (week 2) and after the intervention (week 12) and were subsequently analysed using RNA-seq. Transcript counts were modelled as (1) per-library-size, (2) per-total-RNA, and (3) per-sample-size (per-mg-tissue). Result: Initially, the three modes of transcript modelling led to the identification of three unique sets of stable genes, which displayed differential expression profiles. Specifically, genes showing stable expression across samples in the per-library-size dataset displayed training-associated increases in per-total-RNA and per-sample-size datasets. These gene sets were then used for normalization of the entire dataset, providing transcript abundance estimates corresponding to each of the three biological viewpoints (i.e., per-library-size, per-total-RNA, and per-sample-size). The different normalization modes led to different conclusions, measured as training-associated changes in transcript expression. Briefly, for 27% and 20% of the transcripts, training was associated with changes in expression in per-total-RNA and per-sample-size scenarios, but not in the per-library-size scenario. At week 2, this led to opposite conclusions for 4% of the transcripts between per-library-size and per-sample-size datasets (↑ vs. ↓, respectively). Conclusion: Scientists should be explicit with their choice of normalization strategies and should interpret the results of gene expression analyses with caution. This is particularly important for data sets involving a limited number of genes or involving growing or differentiating cellular models, where the risk of biased conclusions is pronounced.

Solitary median maxillary central incisor (SMMCI) is a rare dental anomaly. It is estimated to occur in 1 : 50,000 live births. The SMMCI tooth differs from the normal central incisor in that the crown form is symmetric and it develops and erupts precisely in the midline of the maxillary dental arch in both primary and permanent dentitions. The presence of SMMCI with hemifacial microsomia (HFM) is a very rare clinical condition. We report a case of SMMCI in a female of African ethnic origin, who presented with SMMCI in permanent dentition with mild nasal stenosis. An early diagnosis of SMMCI is important, since it may be a sign for other severe congenital or developmental abnormalities. Therefore, systematic follow-up and close monitoring of the growth and development of SMMCI patients are crucial.

Objective A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out among 251 pregnant women to assess their level of knowledge and perception regarding pregnancy gingivitis and the oral health of new born children. Materials and Methods A self-administered validated questionnaire was distributed among pregnant women visiting the Child and Maternity Hospital, Ministry of Health, Aseer, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire included the questions related to their knowledge/awareness about cause, treatment, preventive measures, and the adverse effects of gingivitis on oral health of a woman. Statistical Analysis The data was entered into Microsoft excel sheet and put to statistical analysis using SPSS (version 17). Descriptive analysis and also chi-squared test was used for comparison. Results Majority of pregnant women were found unaware about developing of pregnancy gingivitis as well as the cause, effects, treatment, and preventive measures for the same. Most of the subjects agreed that it was essentially required to have oral health education before their pregnancy term would start. Conclusion Most of the pregnant women said that they were unaware about pregnancy gingivitis, though few reported of being aware about it. It is inferred that the collaborative efforts between general dentists, pediatric dentists, public health dentists, and medical professionals are needed to raise awareness among pregnant women regarding timely dental care to avoid the adverse pregnancy related outcomes due to gingivitis and periodontitis.

SUMMARY: During development, bony changes in the palate are reflected in the palatal rugae. Therefore, we hypothesized that the palatal dimensions (PD) influence the shape and number of palatal rugae (PR). The objectives were to record the palatal rugae characteristics (PRC) and palatal dimensions (intercanine distance (ICD), intermolar distance (IMD), palatal height (PH) and palatal area (PA) in Classes I, II and III malocclusion patients and investigate their interrelationship, and statistically examine the possibility of predicting PRC with the PD. Four hundred eighty-one pre-orthodontic study casts of healthy patients with normal palate anatomy were grouped as Classes I, II and III and scanned using 3D cast scanner. The PRC, ICD, IMD, PH, and PA were recorded digitally using 3D enabled software. The data was statistically analyzed. A strong statistically significant difference was observed between PA and number of straight and wavy rugae. ICD and the number of straight rugae were also related. A weak correlation exists between malocclusion classes and PA. The remaining rugae characteristics did not exhibit any relation with palatal dimensions. PA is positively related to the number of straight rugae and negatively related to the number of wavy rugae. Bigger palates have more straight rugae and less number of wavy rugae. A weak correlation between PA and Angle’s class I malocclusion exists. We also propose that PA has a developmental association with the number and shape of PR.

Classification is one of the most considerable supervised learning data mining technique used to classify predefined data sets the classification is mainly used in healthcare sectors for making decisions, diagnosis system and giving better treatment to the patients. In this work, the data set used is taken from one of recognized lab of Kashmir. The entire research work is to be carried out with ANACONDA3-5.2.0 an open source platform under Windows 10 environment. An experimental study is to be carried out using classification techniques such as k nearest neighbors, Support vector machine, Decision tree and Naïve bayes. The Decision Tree obtained highest accuracy of 98.89% over other classification techniques.

Objective: A study was conducted among parents/guardians of children attending the Outpatient Department of King Khalid University College of Dentistry, Abha, to assess the attitude and knowledge regarding children's first dental visit and related aspects. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among a convenient sample of 320 parents/guardians. All the parents/guardians willing to participate in the study and whose children visiting the dentist for the first time were included in the study. Children's behavior was assessed using Frankl's scale. Results: Majority (29%) of the children visited the dentist for the first time at the age of 3–6 years, while the least percentage (8%) visited the dentist for the first time at the age of 0–1 year. A statistically significant difference was found between the responses (P ≤ 0.05). Most (72.67%) of the children were being accompanied by parents during their first dental visit. About 40.33% of the parents said that overall experience of the first visit of their children was good. About 39.67% of the children had positive behavior during their first dental visit. About 37.33% of the participants said that pain was the main reason for them to get their children to dentist. Conclusion: It was concluded that bulk of the parents were unaware about the appropriate age of their children's first dental visit. Most of the parents brought their children to dentist after their children experienced pain or suffered from dental caries. There is a need to raise awareness among masses regarding the importance of taking oral health care of their children quite seriously at the earliest budding stage of their life.

Graphical abstract, Antibiotic resistance poses a major threat to public health. More effective ways of the antibiotic prescription are needed to delay the spread of antibiotic resistance. Employment of sequencing technologies coupled with the use of trained neural network algorithms for genotype-to-phenotype prediction will reduce the time needed for antibiotic susceptibility profile identification from days to hours. In this work, we have sequenced and phenotypically characterized 171 clinical isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae from Norway and India. Based on the data, we have created neural networks to predict susceptibility for ampicillin, 3rd generation cephalosporins and carbapenems. All networks were trained on unassembled data, enabling prediction within minutes after the sequencing information becomes available. Moreover, they can be used both on Illumina and MinION generated data and do not require high genome coverage for phenotype prediction. We cross-checked our networks with previously published algorithms for genotype-to-phenotype prediction and their corresponding datasets. Besides, we also created an ensemble of networks trained on different datasets, which improved the cross-dataset prediction compared to a single network. Additionally, we have used data from direct sequencing of spiked blood cultures and found that AMR-Diag networks, coupled with MinION sequencing, can predict bacterial species, resistome, and phenotype as fast as 1–8 h from the sequencing start. To our knowledge, this is the first study for genotype-to-phenotype prediction: (1) employing a neural network method; (2) using data from more than one sequencing platform; and (3) utilizing sequence data from spiked blood cultures.

Background Subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are prone to accelerated decay of muscle strength and mass with advancing age. This is believed to be driven by disease-inherent systemic pathophysiologies, which are also assumed to drive muscle cells into a state of anabolic resistance, leading to impaired abilities to adapt to resistance exercise training. Currently, this phenomenon remains largely unstudied. In this study, we aimed to investigate the assumed negative effects of COPD for health- and muscle-related responsiveness to resistance training using a healthy control-based translational approach. Methods Subjects with COPD (n = 20, GOLD II-III, FEV1predicted 57 ± 11%, age 69 ± 5) and healthy controls (Healthy, n = 58, FEV1predicted 112 ± 16%, age 67 ± 4) conducted identical whole-body resistance training interventions for 13 weeks, consisting of two weekly supervised training sessions. Leg exercises were performed unilaterally, with one leg conducting high-load training (10RM) and the contralateral leg conducting low-load training (30RM). Measurements included muscle strength (nvariables = 7), endurance performance (nvariables = 6), muscle mass (nvariables = 3), muscle quality, muscle biology (m. vastus lateralis; muscle fiber characteristics, RNA content including transcriptome) and health variables (body composition, blood). For core outcome domains, weighted combined factors were calculated from the range of singular assessments. Results COPD displayed well-known pathophysiologies at baseline, including elevated levels of systemic low-grade inflammation ([c-reactive protein]serum), reduced muscle mass and functionality, and muscle biological aberrancies. Despite this, resistance training led to improved lower-limb muscle strength (15 ± 8%), muscle mass (7 ± 5%), muscle quality (8 ± 8%) and lower-limb/whole-body endurance performance (26 ± 12%/8 ± 9%) in COPD, resembling or exceeding responses in Healthy, measured in both relative and numeric change terms. Within the COPD cluster, lower FEV1predicted was associated with larger numeric and relative increases in muscle mass and superior relative improvements in maximal muscle strength. This was accompanied by similar changes in hallmarks of muscle biology such as rRNA-content↑, muscle fiber cross-sectional area↑, type IIX proportions↓, and changes in mRNA transcriptomics. Neither of the core outcome domains were differentially affected by resistance training load. Conclusions COPD showed hitherto largely unrecognized responsiveness to resistance training, rejecting the notion of disease-related impairments and rather advocating such training as a potent measure to relieve pathophysiologies. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02598830. Registered November 6th 2015, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02598830

The aim of this study was to test the accuracy of estimating chronological age using Nolla's method of dental age assessment in a Saudi Arabian population considering sex and age group variables.This cross-sectional study involved a retrospective evaluation of 458 orthopantomographs (187 males and 271 females) of 5-11 years old healthy Saudi children. Seven permanent left mandibular teeth were assessed as per Nolla's method to record dental age. The mean difference between dental age and chronological age was calculated using a paired t-test. Correlation between chronological age and dental age was analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient.There was a statistically significant difference (P0.05) between the estimated dental age and chronological age in all age groups irrespective of gender. The mean difference between estimated dental age and chronological age in males ranged from -2.68 to -6 months and -2.17 to -4.24 months in females. Pearson's correlation coefficient showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.95 for males and r = 0.94 for females) between estimated dental age and chronological age.Nolla's method is suitable for estimating chronological age in Southern Saudi children, as the mean difference between estimated dental age and chronological age was within an acceptable range.

Background Human skeletal muscle responds to weight-bearing exercise with significant inter-individual differences. Investigation of transcriptome responses could improve our understanding of this variation. However, this requires bioinformatic pipelines to be established and evaluated in study-specific contexts. Skeletal muscle subjected to mechanical stress, such as through resistance training (RT), accumulates RNA due to increased ribosomal biogenesis. When a fixed amount of total-RNA is used for RNA-seq library preparations, mRNA counts are thus assessed in different amounts of tissue, potentially invalidating subsequent conclusions. The purpose of this study was to establish a bioinformatic pipeline specific for analysis of RNA-seq data from skeletal muscles, to explore the effects of different normalization strategies and to identify genes responding to RT in a volume-dependent manner (moderate vs. low volume). To this end, we analyzed RNA-seq data derived from a twelve-week RT intervention, wherein 25 participants performed both low- and moderate-volume leg RT, allocated to the two legs in a randomized manner. Bilateral muscle biopsies were sampled from m. vastus lateralis before and after the intervention, as well as before and after the fifth training session (Week 2). Result Bioinformatic tools were selected based on read quality, observed gene counts, methodological variation between paired observations, and correlations between mRNA abundance and protein expression of myosin heavy chain family proteins. Different normalization strategies were compared to account for global changes in RNA to tissue ratio. After accounting for the amounts of muscle tissue used in library preparation, global mRNA expression increased by 43–53%. At Week 2, this was accompanied by dose-dependent increases for 21 genes in rested-state muscle, most of which were related to the extracellular matrix. In contrast, at Week 12, no readily explainable dose-dependencies were observed. Instead, traditional normalization and non-normalized models resulted in counterintuitive reverse dose-dependency for many genes. Overall, training led to robust transcriptome changes, with the number of differentially expressed genes ranging from 603 to 5110, varying with time point and normalization strategy. Conclusion Optimized selection of bioinformatic tools increases the biological relevance of transcriptome analyses from resistance-trained skeletal muscle. Moreover, normalization procedures need to account for global changes in rRNA and mRNA abundance.

BackgroundLifestyle therapy with resistance training is a potent measure to counteract age-related loss in muscle strength and mass. Unfortunately, many individuals fail to respond in the expected manner. This phenomenon is particularly common among older adults and those chronically diseased (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD), and may involve endocrine variables such as vitamin D. At present, the effects of vitamin D supplementation on responses to resistance training remain largely unexplored.MethodsNinety-five male and female participants (healthy, n=71; COPD, n=24; age 68 ± 5 years) were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin D3 or placebo supplementation for 28 weeks in a double-blinded manner (latitude 61°N, September-May). Seventy-eight participants completed the RCT, which was initiated by 12 weeks of supplementation-only (in average, 3333 IU.day-1), followed by 13 weeks of combined supplementation (2000 IU.day-1) and supervised whole-body resistance training (twice weekly), interspersed with testing and measurements. Outcome measures included multiple assessments of muscle strength (n=7), endurance performance (n=6), and muscle mass (n=3, legs, primary), as well as muscle quality (legs), muscle biology (m. vastus lateralis; muscle fibre characteristics, transcriptome), and health-related variables (e.g. visceral fat mass and blood lipid profile). For main outcome domains such as muscle strength and muscle mass, weighted combined factors were calculated from the range of singular assessments.ResultsOverall, 13 weeks of resistance training increased muscle strength (13% ± 8%), muscle mass (9% ± 8%) and endurance performance (one-legged, 23% ± 15%; whole-body, 8% ± 7%), assessed as weighted combined factors, and were associated with changes in health variables (e.g. visceral fat, − 6% ± 21%; [LDL]serum, −4% ± 14%) and muscle tissue characteristics such as fibre type proportions (e.g. IIX, −3%-points), myonuclei·fibre-1 (30% ± 65%), total RNA/rRNA abundances (15%/6-19%), and transcriptome profiles (e.g. ∼336 differentially expressed genes). Vitamin D3 supplementation led to robust increases in [25(OH)D]serum (Δ49% vs placebo), but did not affect training-associated changes for any of the main outcome domains, with no interaction being evident with disease status or pre-RCT [25(OH)D]serum. In secondary analyses, vitamin D3 affected expression of gene sets involved in vascular functions in muscle tissue, strength gains in participants with high fat mass, and [cortisol]serum (Δ20%), all of which advocate further study.ConclusionsVitamin D3 supplementation did not affect muscular responses to resistance training in old adults with or without COPD.

The aim of the present clinical trial is to evaluate the clinical, bacterial, and immunological outcomes of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in adolescent patients with orthodontic treatment-induced gingival enlargement (OTGE).A total of 26 adolescent patients, 16 girls and 10 boys, of mean age 16.8 years, undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment for at least 6 months (mean duration in months, 8.3 ± 1.9) and presenting with GE were included in the clinical trial. All patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment with clinical diagnosis of OTGE were divided into two groups: Patients receiving full-mouth periodontal debridement (FMPD) 'Group-FMPD' and 'Group-PDT' included participants receiving methylene blue-assisted PDT in the selected area along with FMPD. Clinical periodontal assessments included the evaluation of plaque scores (PS), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD) and hyperplastic index (HI). The total bacterial counts of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), Treponema denticola (T. denticola), and Tannerella forsythia (T. forsythia) were estimated and expressed as log CFU/mL of each bacteria. Cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.The mean percentage of PS and BOP statistically significantly reduced with both FMPD and PDT from baseline to 4 weeks (p0.05). Although mean PD significantly reduced in both the groups at all time points, there was significantly higher reduction with PDT as compared to FMPD at 2 weeks post treatment (p0.05). Inter-group comparison showed PDT demonstrated significantly higher HI at 2- and 4-weeks post treatment (p0.05). The mean log CFU/mL of P. gingivalis and T. forsythia showed statistically significantly higher reduction with PDT than FMPD (p0.05) at both 2-and 4-weeks follow-up. T. denticola reported significantly reduced levels at 2 weeks follow-up period only with PDT (p0.05). No statistically significant difference appeared when both treatment modalities were compared with one another (p0.05). Four weeks after periodontal treatment, IL-6 significantly reduced with PDT compared to FMPD (p0.05).PDT assisted in reducing bacterial counts and improving hyperplastic index in OTGE.

Background There are certain reported cases of unusual displacements of teeth involved in a maxillofacial trauma to the maxillary sinus, nasal cavity, gastrointestinal tract or the airway, if worst. All these usually lead to complication the worst being death. So enquiring about them is a very essential part of surveying a maxillofacial trauma patient involving dentition. Case This patient was referred to our department for a dental consultation for his ill-defined firm, mildly tender, non-suppurative, submental swelling unresponsive to medication. He had undergone a polytrauma involving his face two months back. An orthopantomogram was ordered which showed a lower central incisor from the fracture site had slipped through the fracture gap into the submental space possibly missed by the CT scan. There was also a lower border splaying at the fracture site. A layer-wise dissection was done extra-orally to retrieve the tooth. Conclusion This case envisages the importance of an OPG as an adjuvant to the basic radiographic study, in the emergency room, for a patient with oral and maxillofacial trauma. It also establishes the importance of a meticulous secondary survey, including counting the number of teeth and establishing a correct occlusion to avoid a complication and re-operation. Besides, a medical negligence lawsuit can also arise as some teeth may slip to lungs even.

Objective The current study aims to find out the dietary pattern among undergraduate dental students and evaluate its impact on their biophysical profile and academic achievement. Methods A convenient sample of 150 Saudi female dental students was selected as study participants, and a close-ended questionnaire divided into two parts was distributed among them.The questionnaire included questions on their eating habits, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and blood pressure. The collected data was statistically analyzed using SPSS version 19, and the chi-square test, correlation analysis, and descriptive statistics were performed. Results It was observed that a majority (40%) of the study participants replaces their meals with snacks, and 26% did not take regular meals.The results reveal a significant association between blood pressure, BMI, and WHR among University female students. No significant association has been found between grade-point-average (GPA) and dietary pattern. Conclusions The study concluded that the majority of university female students consumed unhealthy diets such as snacks. Fruit intake was lower than the recommended amount by World Health Organisation (WHO). Conducting appropriate nutrition related-public health programs would be beneficial in raising awareness regarding different aspects of dietary habits.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the mesiodistal tooth sizes and to see the gender dimorphism among three ethnic groups of southern part of Saudi Arabia, that is, Asir, Najran, and Jizan region. Subjects and Methods: The sample composed of 90 individuals (45 of each gender) from 3 different regions of southern Saudi Arabia, having mean age of 26.9 years. The measurements were done directly on the models with the aid of the digital calliper measuring the largest mesiodistal measure of incisors, canines, premolars, and molars in both sides. Results: Almost all the mesiodistal tooth widths were statistically significant between the groups except maxillary and mandibular permanent third molars. Regarding sexual dimorphism, the groups were combined; almost all the mesiodistal tooth widths were not shown statistically significant difference between the males and females except that right first permanent premolars were significantly larger in the females than in the males. Conclusion: The present study has provided norms of the mesiodistal permanent tooth diameters of a Saudi population that are newer and more complete than the previously published norms. There appear to be some secular trends in the mesiodistal diameter of the Saudi permanent teeth toward sexual dimorphism.

Objectives: To assess correlation of dermatoglyphic (DG) pattern with quantitative palatal anatomic parameters measured using three-dimensional (3D) scanning of dental casts and to explore the possibility of utilizing these to predict future occurrence of malocclusion. Materials and Methods: Pretreatment casts of 477 Saudi Arabian patients were divided into Class I, II, and III malocclusion groups. Fingerprints were recorded for all hand digits using a digital biometric device. Maxillary arch analysis was accomplished including intercanine, intermolar distance, palatal height, and palatal area. The results were statistically analyzed. Results: The mean surface area of the palate was highest in Class II malocclusion. The DG pattern was not significantly associated with the type of malocclusion, except in the instance of the double loop characteristic (P = .05). There was a strong correlation, however, between DG characteristics like simple arch, loop, and double loop and palatal dimensions (intercanine, intermolar distance, and palatal height). Heterogeneity of DG pattern could be reliably used to predict palatal dimensions. Logistic regression revealed that only tented arch, symmetrical, spiral DG patterns and palatal area were significant but weak predictors of Angle malocclusion (P < .05). Conclusions: A novel correlation of DG pattern with 3D palatal anatomic characteristics was assessed in different Angle malocclusion classes. Few of the DG characteristics and palatal dimensions showed significant correlations. However, only some of these were significant predictors of Angle malocclusion.

Background The occurrence of self-inflicted soft tissue injuries following administration of local anesthesia in pediatric patients who have received dental treatment has been reported. Aim: To evaluate the attitudes and knowledge regarding cheek, lip, and tongue bite post administration of local anesthesia among dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the efficacies of three types of intraoral appliances on the prevention of self-harm were evaluated in pediatric patients. Material and methods A total of 301 practitioners were provided with a questionnaire consisting of 9 items. In addition, three types of intraoral appliances made of polyethylene terephthalate were designed as follows: design 1 (consisted of an anterior extension with numerous perforations); design 2 (had a buccal flap extension); and design 3 (comprised of serrated borders). The appliances were placed in the oral cavities of 45 children (age, 3-15 years) immediately after the completion of the dental procedure. The patient was asked to retain the appliance for 3 h. After 24 h, both parents and children were required to respond to a checklist to evaluate the effectiveness the appliances. Results Almost half of the dental practitioners had never encountered self-inflicted soft tissue injury in children after local anesthesia administration. About 60% of the dentists were of the opinion that provision of adequate instructions after treatment could prevent the occurrence of lip, cheek, and tongue biting. Furthermore, among the three appliances used, design 1 was most well accepted. Conclusions Intraoral appliances used in this study may be considered for use to prevent self-inflicted soft tissue trauma in children following administration of local anesthesia. Key words:Cheek biting, lip biting, intraoral appliance, local anesthesia.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between salivary 1,5-anhydroglucitol (AG), vitamins A (VA), C (VC), and E (VE), and caries risk in children. 100 healthy children aged between 6 and 13 years were divided into two equal groups of caries-free (DMFS/dmfs=0) and caries active (DMFS/dmfs>3). Unstimulated midmorning saliva was collected from all the children and the levels of salivary AG and vitamins A, C, and E were measured. Caries risk assessment was done using American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Caries Assessment Tool. Analysis of salivary AG and vitamins was performed using a commercially available ELISA kit. Low levels of AG were present in caries active and high caries risk groups compared to caries-free and low/medium caries risk groups. This difference is statistically significant (p < 0.05). A strong negative correlation between AG and caries activity was observed in the caries active group. VA was not related to caries activity, while VC and VE displayed a statistically significant correlation (p < 0.05). Similarly, a strong negative correlation was observed between the levels of AG and high caries risk group. Salivary AG, VC, and VE together are related to caries risk in caries active children. These salivary parameters can act as indicator of caries status in children.

Background: Dental professionals are prone to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and other nerve-related disorders as they perform repetitive wrist work with static physical position for long hours. Objectives: To evaluate the relationship of thumb radial abduction angle with handgrip strength, hand dexterity, and CTS susceptibility among Saudi senior dental students and interns. The study also intends to compare thumb radial abduction angle based on the gender. Methods: A convenient sample of 100 Saudi dental students and interns participated in the study. Their handgrip strength, dexterity, and thumb radial abduction angle were measured by the use of Jamar dynamometer, nine-hole peg test, and goniometer, respectively. Questionnaires were distributed among the participants to assess CTS susceptibility and its association with thumb radial abduction angle. Regression analysis, Pearson's correlation, and independent t-test were performed to analyze the data. Results: A significant correlation between thumb radial abduction angle and handgrip strength was observed. An association of handgrip strength with CTS susceptibility was also found. No significant relationships were drawn considering hand dexterity. Handgrip strength and dexterity were found to be higher in males when compared to females, however, females were observed to be more susceptible to CTS. Conclusion: The study concludes a significant association between thumb radial abduction angle and handgrip strength that is further related with CTS. The results of the study can be used as a foundation for several academicians' research in this domain.

Norway is known for being one of the countries with the lowest levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR, through acquired genes located on transposons or conjugative plasmids, is the horizontal transmission of genes required for a given bacteria to withstand antibiotics. In this work, bioinformatic analysis of whole-genome sequences and hybrid assembled data from Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from Norwegian patients was performed. For detection of putative plasmids in isolates, the plasmid assembly mode in SPAdes was used, followed by annotation of resulting contigs using PlasmidFinder and two curated plasmid databases (Brooks and PLSDB). Furthermore, ResFinder and Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) were used for the identification of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The IncFIB plasmid was detected as the most prevalent plasmid in both E. coli, and K. pneumoniae isolates. Furthermore, ARGs such as aph(3″)-Ib, aph(6)-Id, sul1, sul2, tet(D), and qnrS1 were identified as the most abundant plasmid-mediated ARGs in Norwegian E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates, respectively. Using hybrid assembly, we were able to locate plasmids and predict ARGs more confidently. In conclusion, plasmid identification and ARG detection using whole-genome sequencing data are heavily dependent on the database of choice, therefore, it is best to use several tools and/or hybrid assembly for obtaining reliable identification results.

Background External stressors such as high altitude and low oxygen are known to affect the human microbiome, and in light of the increased occurrence of dental caries and periodontitis in orthodontic patients, the effect of high altitude and the altered oral environment in orthodontic patients on the oral salivary microbiome was researched. Materials & methods 31 orthodontic patients from high altitude, Aseer region and 25 orthodontic patients, residing at sea level, as controls were included. DNA isolation was done from the saliva collected from the study participants. V3 area of 16s RNA was targeted by universal primers through PCR to decipher the salivary microbiome in both the groups. Results A total of 11 genera belonging to 4 phyla of bacteria were identified in both groups. The most abundant microbiome at the phylum level was: Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes Proteobacteria, and Cyanobacteria. The salivary microbiome was more diverse in sea level controls compared to that of the orthodontic patients at high altitude wherein the presence of only two main phyla: Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were seen. The controls revealed Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria. Conclusions The findings of the study suggest that the biodiversity of the salivary microbiome is severely perturbed under the cumulative influences of high altitude and presence of fixed orthodontic appliance. Under these circumstances, a strict and meticulous oral hygiene regimen should be recommended and followed to avoid harmful effects on the periodontal tissues.

Background Early childhood caries (ECC) is a common disease affecting very young children in today's era. The prevention of ECC depends upon the vital information parents are available with during the upbringing of the child. Aim This survey was undertaken to evaluate the awareness among parents about preventive aspects of ECC in Abha City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methodology A questionnaire study was conducted among young parents about preventive aspects of ECC in Abha City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Descriptive statistics was used to observe the awareness. Results A total of 157 parents participated in the study of which 126 were mothers and 31 fathers. The mean age of the parents participating in the study was 34 years, and 55% of the participants had education till the university level. About half (53%) of the parents were unaware that the child should be taken for the first dental visit by 1 year of age. Around 60% of the participants had taken their children to the dentist only when the dental problem was in persistence and 48% of the participants allowed their child to sleep with milk bottle or juice in their mouth. Conclusion Hence, it can be concluded that the parents in Abha, KSA, are moderately aware of dental needs of their young children. How to cite this article Togoo RA, Al-Shahrani I, Al-Absi WS, Al-Shahrani FS, Al-Shahrani ASS, Bijle MNA. Awareness among Young Parents about Preventive Aspects of Early Childhood Caries in Abha City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. World J Dent 2016;7(1):10-13.

Subjective perceptions and perceived needs for dental care in a population can provide important information for policy-makers. This study aimed to assess self-perceived personal oral health status among the Saudi Arabia population who could be accessed through social media. A pre-tested questionnaire for completion online was designed to assess self-perceived oral health via 13 items in 4 domains with weighted scores from 1-3. The questionnaire was uploaded to the Internet and the link to it was made available through popular social networking sites in Saudi Arabia. With respondents recruited by snowball methods a total of 4618 people (57.2% males, 42.8% females) completed the questionnaire. The total mean score for the participants was 23.0 (SD 5.0) (scale range 13-39). Self-perceived oral health was rated as poor by 24.2% of respondents, average by 50.6% and good by 25.2%. Educational level, age and region but not sex were significantly associated with self-perceived oral health.التصور الذاتي لصحة الفم الشخصية لدى السكان السعوديين: نهج لوسائل التواصل الاجتماعي.إبراهيم بن سليمان الشهراني، شيرياس تيكاري، رافي أحمد توقو، يحيى هضبان العسيري، أحمد عبد الله الأسمري.إن التصورات الشخصية والاحتياجات المُتَصوَّرة للعناية بالأسنان لدى مجتمع ما يمكن أن تقدم معلومات هامة لواضعي السياسات. وقد هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى تقييم حالة التصور الذاتي لصحة الفم الشخصية لدى سكان المملكة العربية السعودية الذين يمكن الوصول إليهم من خال وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي. فتم تصميم استبيان مختر مسبقاً لتتم الإجابة عليه عر الإنترنت من أجل تقييم التصور الذاتي لصحة الفم عر 13 بنداً في 4 مجالات، ذات أحراز مرجحة من 3-1. وتم تحميل الاستبيان عى شبكة الإنترنت، وجُعل الرابط إليه متاحاً عر مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي الشهيرة في المملكة العربية السعودية. وقام بملء الاستبيان ما مجموعه 4618 شخصاً (57.2% ذكور، 42.8% إناث) من المستطلَعين الذين استقطبوا للاشراك بطريقة تراكمية (كرة الثلج). وكان المتوسط الكلي للدرجات بالنسبة للمشاركين 23.0(SD 5.0) (نطاق الدرجات 39-13). وتم تصنيف التصور الذاتي لصحة الفم عى أنه ضعيف من قبل 24.2% من المستطلَعين، ومتوسط من قبل 50.6% وجيد من قبل 25.2 %. وكان المستوى التعليمي والعمر والمنطقة (وليس النوع) مرتبطن - بشكل كبر - مع التصور الذاتي لصحة الفم.Auto-perception de la santé bucco-dentaire personnelle dans la population saoudienne : approche par les médias sociaux.Les perceptions subjectives et les besoins perçus en matière de soins bucco-dentaires dans une population peuvent fournir des informations importantes pour les responsables de l’élaboration des politiques. La présente étude visait à évaluer l’état de santé bucco-dentaire perçue par l’individu dans la population saoudienne utilisant les médias sociaux. Un questionnaire préalablement testé et destiné à être rempli en ligne a été élaboré pour l’évaluation de la santé bucco-dentaire perçue par l’individu, au moyen de 13 items dans quatre domaines ayant des scores pondérés compris entre 1 et 3. Le questionnaire a été mis en ligne et le lien a été rendu accessible sur des sites de réseaux sociaux populaires en Arabie saoudite. Grâce à l’effet d’entraînement pour recruter les répondants, 4 618 personnes (57,2 % d’hommes, 42,8 % de femmes) au total ont rempli le questionnaire. Le score moyen total des participants était de 23,0 (ET 5,0) (extrêmes : 13–39). La santé bucco-dentaire a été auto-évaluée comme mauvaise par 24,2 % des répondants, comme moyenne par 50,6 % et comme bonne par 25,2 %. Le niveau d’études, l’âge et la région étaient significativement associés à l’état de santé bucco-dentaire perçu par l’individu, mais pas le sexe.

Introduction: Patient satisfaction is important for ensuring patient’s adherence in orthodontic treatment. As teaching institutions, dental college clinics must constantly strive to find a balance between satisfying the needs of the patients and ensuring proper training of the students. The objective of the present study was to assess dental patient’s satisfaction with orthodontic treatment and related services at King Khalid University, College of Dentistry (KKU COD), Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods: A 19 item closed end questionnaire was developed and pretested to assess patient’s satisfaction with orthodontic care. The questionnaire items were designed under three domains: 1) Reception and work environment, 2) doctor-patient relationship, and 3) treatment expectations and satisfaction. The study sample consisted of all patients consulting the orthodontic clinics during the time frame of the survey and those who were willing to participate. Results: A total of 72 patients completed the survey within the time framework. The mean age of the patients was 21.2±8.06 of which males were 69.5% and Females 30.5%. The highest subscale score was found to be with patient’s treatment expectations and satisfaction (92.6%) followed by reception and work environment (89.3%) and dentist-patient relationship (82.7%). The overall patient’s satisfaction for orthodontic services among the patients was found to be 87.1%. Conclusion: There was a high dental patient’s satisfaction with orthodontic services at COD KKU, Saudi Arabia as a teaching institution. The dentist-relationship was found to be key factor in determining dental patient’s satisfaction. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.14(2) 2015 p.146-150

The purpose of this review is to discuss the viability of multicoloured dental restorations in children including possible technical, clinical and psychological aspects of multicoloured restorations. Multicoloured restorations utilizing different colours and glitter inclusions are a restorative option within the context of pediatric dentistry. Furthermore, custom shade guides involving different favourite cartoon characters also may improve a child’s positive interest in dental treatment. Multicoloured compomers have been available for use in the restoration of deciduous molars since 2002. In contrast to conventional poly-acid-modified resin composites, a small amount of glitter particles are included in order to produce colour effect shades of red, pink, blue, gold, etc. The filler content is similar to conventional compomers. Even though a coloured compomer is made to be decorative, it has physical properties that apparently are sufficient to hold up in the mouth until the restored deciduous tooth is lost. Short-term laboratory studies offer some information about the physical properties of new materials. Nevertheless, long-term clinical studies complement these studies and provide further information regarding the performance of these materials over an acceptable time period.

This questionnaire survey of recent graduates was carried to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the undergraduate training program for dentists at the King Khalid University College of Dentistry (KKU/COD), Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire focussed on seven key areas of interest to a pioneer dental school, in a region where many patients are visiting the dentist for the first time. Almost all the graduates surveyed returned completed questionnaires (99% response rate). Study was conducted at the end of the internship year. Respondents were generally satisfied with the quality of their training, skills acquired, the adequacy of tools of training (clinical and laboratory equipment). Training was also adjudged relevant and adequate for future practice as General Dental Practitioners. Most of the respondents planned to undergo postgraduate training in a dental specialty after the internship year. Two areas of weakness were cited by survey participants—inadequate patients and patient referral system, clinical support staff-related issues. Much more was expected of faculty and support staff than the program provided during their training. It is hoped that findings of this survey will be considered along with other on-going evaluations of the KKU/COD program in the continuous improvement of the BDS training. How to cite this article Al-Shahrani I, Togoo RA, Syed S. Recent Graduates’ Perspective of Bachelors of Dental Surgery Program at KKU, College of Dentistry, Saudi Arabia: A Report. World J Dent 2014;5(3):174-179.

The Division of Pedodontics at King Khalid University College of Dentistry Abha is one of the major service providers patient's instruction manual is provided to all patients in Arabic and English and is hereby presented as sample for other institutions in Southern Saudi Arabia. A patient's instruction manual is an important component of any institution providing dental services to the community. This instructions manual of the Division of Pedodontics covers the services provided and general patient information for Pre and post treatment procedures. The aim of the manual is to ensure that patient and parents are well aware of all aspects of comprehensive pediatric dental treatment. This patient's instruction manual is provided to all patients in Arabic and English and is hereby presented as sample for other institutions.

Cleft deformities of the face are one of the major congenital anomalies seen in our environment. There is a dearth of data from this major Southern city of Saudi Arabia on the incidence of the deformities and associated anomalies. This preliminary report aims to record the pattern of cleft lip/palate and associated anomalies at Aseer Central Hospital in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted at Aseer Central Hospital, Abha, to identify all cleft lip and palate patients that reported or were treated between 2005 and 2011. Cleft lip and/or palate records were obtained from patient's files in Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Pediatrics and Medical records. Gender of patient, type of cleft and any associated congenital anomalies/syndromes were recorded. Results: Of the patient records studied, 60% were patients male and 40% female. Isolated cleft palate was the most common at 60% followed by combined cleft lip palate at 24% and isolated cleft lip at 16%. Eleven percent of the patient's studies showed associated anomalies with isolated cleft palate. Conclusion: The study concluded that isolated cleft palate cases are more common than other variants of orofacial clefts. The pattern of cleft observed in the current study was similar to reported studies for Arab populations. This preliminary report lays the foundation for large population and birth registry based studies for prevalence and frequency of orofacial anomalies in Saudi Arabia. Key Words: Preliminary report, Cleft deformities, Anomalies, Cleft lip and Palate

Background: This study aimed to assess the oral health status and dental treatment needs of children with Sickle Cell disease (SCD) in Abha and Khamis Mushait cities of southern Saudi Arabia.Methods: A total of 82 children were included in the study, 41 children with SCD and 41 control group. A total of 82 children having age group of 2 to 13 years from Abha and Khamis Mushait cities of southern Saudi Arabia were examined. The clinical examinations were performed by experienced clinicians in those children who fulfilled the required inclusion criteria. Intraoral examination was done using Decayed-Missing-Filled Teeth Index (DMFT Index) and other dental conditions were examined. Statistical analysis was done with Chi square test and level of significance was set at p

Background: The vaccination of dentists against various vaccine-preventable infections is the most important measure of primary prevention against such diseases which would otherwise prove fatal for both the dentists and their patients. Aim: A study was conducted among the general as well as specialist dentists to evaluate their attitude towards vaccine-preventable infectious diseases (VPIDs) in Asir, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was formulated and sent through E-mails to the dentists (both general and specialist dentists) who gave the consent in participation. For most of the questions, a 5-point Likert scale was used ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The responses were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Majority (76.5%) of the respondents strongly agree that a dentist should be compulsorily immunized against Hepatitis B, while 11.4% of the respondents strongly disagreed for the same. The difference between the responses was found to be highly significant (P = 0.0000**). Nearly 42.4% of the dental professionals agreed, while 27.3% strongly agreed that dentists should get vaccinated against influenza, compulsorily. Most of the respondents (19.7%) neither agreed nor disagreed that the dentists should be compulsorily vaccinated against influenza. Conclusion: It is concluded that dentists were aware as well as vaccinated against most of the VPIDs, except for influenza which was not considered much harmful by the subjects that resulted in less section of dental professionals being vaccinated against influenza.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the oral health knowledge, behavior, and practices related to use of miswak (chewing stick) in population of Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia. Subjects and Methods: Of the 2023 participants, 1666 (83.3%) were females and 334 (16.7%) were males. The questionnaires having 10 online questions were used to assess the knowledge of oral hygiene methods, including frequency, reason, and methods for miswak use. Statistical Analysis Used: The survey data were collected and organized into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (Microsoft Inc., USA) and were statistically analyzed utilizing the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0 software (IBM Inc., USA). The statistical test used here was the Chi-square test, and P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). Results: Participants responded regarding the primary oral hygiene methods; 46.5% respondents used toothbrushes, 44.5% used both toothbrushing and miswak, and 8% used only miswak as their primary tooth cleaning method. 28.2% respondents cleaned their teeth with tooth brush or miswak at least once a day, 37.6% twice, 28.4% whenever required, and 5.9% infrequently. Majority of the participants, i.e. 70.2% were using miswak with taper and as a brush to clean all tooth surfaces. About 84.7% feel fresh, and teeth are whiter after the use of miswak. Nearly, 84.7% prefer to continue using miswak in combination with other teeth cleaning methods, which may have more benefits. Conclusions: In our study, most common type of oral hygiene method employed is toothbrush and in combination with miswak. Chewing stick use was common among participants with religious advice being the dominant reason for usage.

Twenty- four year young female presented with a 6-year history of recurrent chest infections with exertional dyspnea. Radiological imaging revealed hyertransluscency of the right lung with reduced lung volume and reduced prominence of the right pulmonary vasculature. CT of the chest revealed air trapping and hypertranslucency of the right lung with reduced volume and a less prominnet right pulmonary artery and its branches. CT angiography confirmed a hypoplastic right pulomonary artery and its branching, features consistent with Sweyer James Macleod's syndrome. CT angiography could be the preffered modality for non invasive diagonosis of Macleod's syndrome. (J Med Sci 2009;12(1):14-17)

Some novel chemically synthesized 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles from aryl aldehydes and 1,2-diketones or alpha-hydroxyketone were screened against eight different human pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Seven compounds were found to be active against different bacteria. These compounds showed variation in activity and were found to be active against Gram-positive as well as Gram-negative bacteria. Compound 4-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-phenol, 3d was the only compound which showed activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae while rest of the compounds did not show significant activity against this micro-organism. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of the compounds were in the range of 0.50 to 6.1 microg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration ranges from 1.11 to 12.9 microg/mL. The candidature of active compounds to be an effective and novel drug was examined based on Lipinski's rule of Five which explained ClogP, LogS, H-bond acceptors, H-Bond donors and rotational bonds. Compounds 3a-d and 3f satisfies Lipinski's rule of Five and could be proposed as potent new antibacterial drugs.

Mature cystic teratomas are a form of ovarian germ cell tumor and often called ‘dermoid cysts’ because they are mostly cystic. Many teratomas have teeth with morphologically identifiable crowns and roots. The objective of this study was to carry out morphometric measurements of teratomatous teeth extracted from a mature cystic teratoma excised from a 28-year-old female patient. The extracted teeth were stored in normal saline till they were subjected to morphometric analysis. All measurements were done using digital calipers (Derby, France), repeated twice and the average was recorded. The teeth were labeled as teratomatous tooth 1 (TT1), teratomatous tooth 2 (TT2) and teratomatous tooth 3 (TT3). The gross morphology of TT1 resembled a maxillary deciduous canine whereas TT2 and TT3 resembled a deciduous incisor and a mesioden respectively. The teratomatous broadly resembled normal intraoral teeth. With all of them primarily resembling maxillary deciduous teeth it would not be out of place to postulate that the displaced embryonic tissue leading to the formation of these was from the upper front region of the stomodeum. How to cite this article Togoo RA. Morphometric Analysis and Characterization of Teeth Extracted from Mature Cystic Teratoma of the Ovary. World J Dent 2013;4(3):155-157.