Search

To determine changes in mandibular position after the treatment of patients presenting with Class II division 2 malocclusions and to test the null hypothesis that there is posterior displacement of the mandible in these patients, in comparison with a control group of Class II division 1 subjects.

Background: Primary splenic hydatidosis, a rare manifestation of Echinococcus granulosus infection, presents unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This study compares spleen-preserving surgeries with total splenectomy for treating primary splenic hydatid cysts, focusing on short- and long-term outcomes in the Jordanian context, a region particularly affected by this condition., Methods: This retrospective analysis was conducted on 18 patients diagnosed with primary splenic hydatid cysts at two Jordanian hospitals from January 2015 to June 2021. Selection criteria included confirmed diagnosis and complete medical records. Surgical approaches, including laparoscopic partial splenectomy, cystectomy, and cyst deroofing, supplemented by albendazole therapy, were compared based on patient demographics, symptoms, surgical details, complications, and recurrence rates., Results: The study group was composed of ( n =7, 38.9%) male and ( n =11, 61.1%) female patients, with an average age of 33.7 years. Most presented with left upper quadrant pain. Postoperative complications occurred in 22% of patients, with an 11% recurrence rate during follow-up. No significant statistical difference in recurrence rates was observed between spleen-preserving surgeries and total splenectomy. These findings highlight the efficacy of less invasive, spleen-preserving techniques in managing primary splenic hydatidosis, showing comparable outcomes to total splenectomy with minimal impact on recurrence rates., Conclusion: Spleen-preserving surgery offers a viable alternative to total splenectomy in treating primary splenic hydatid cysts. This approach maintains immune functionality and reduces septic risks, especially in pediatric patients. The study underscores the importance of individualized treatment approaches and suggests further research with larger cohorts for more comprehensive insights into managing this rare condition. The limitations of this study include its small sample size and retrospective nature., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose relevant to this article.Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease marked by social and repetitive or restricted behaviors, as well as communication difficulty. Objectives This survey aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) of parents with ASDs in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia using the brief form of the World Health Organization (WHO-QOL) questionnaire. Furthermore, we sought to measure the severity of discrimination experienced by parents of children with ASDs and their impact on QoL. Methodology Using a Google form, a cross-sectional study was carried out online between March and April 2023. The patient records from four different regions of Saudi Arabia were used to recruit study participants. The survey was distributed through well-known social media channels (Instagram, Telegram, Facebook). Results A total of 99 parents were included in this study. The Southern region accounted for the bulk of participants (81.8%, n=81), nearly three-fourths of the children were boys (70.7%), mothers were more common among respondents (65.7%, n=65) than fathers, 66.7% of respondents reported being married, and 78.8% fall into the middle economic class category. The main source of information among the studied population was the Internet (39.4%, n=39), followed by relatives (23.0%, n=23), physicians (8.1%, n=9), and finally books (4%, n=4). The mean scores for the various domains are as follows: physical (58.48 ± 13.84), psychological (62.04 ± 18.08), social relations (61.20 ± 23.24), environment (24.12 ± 14.62), general QoL (72.93 ± 4.30), and general health (73.94 ± 4.63). Nearly half (46.5%) of parents have encountered stigma or discrimination toward their child or family. Individuals who reported experiencing discrimination exhibited significantly lower mean scores in multiple QoL domains than those who did not report discrimination for physical (54.11, ± 14.36vs, 62.26±12.28, p=0.003), psychological (55.80 ± 20.33 vs 67.45 ± 13.94, p=0.002), and social relations (55.43± 24.17 vs 66.20 ± 21.40, p=0.022). Multivariate analysis revealed that discrimination was the only significant predictor of QoL (p < 0.001). Conclusions The QoL of parents having a child with autism is low, moreover, the coincidence of discrimination and stigma significantly lowered QoL., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, AlHefdhi et al.)

Objectives: To compare between two archwire (AW) sequences in terms of alignment speed and root resorption (RR)., Materials and Methods: Fifty-four patients (14 males, 40 females) requiring orthodontic treatment were randomly allocated into two groups; in group A (mean age 18.3) treatment started with 0.014″ nickel titanium (NiTi) followed by 0.019″×0.025″ NiTi AW while group B (mean age 18.9) the AW sequence was 0.014″ NiTi, 0.018″ NiTi, 0.016″×0.022″ NiTi, 0.019″×0.025″ NiTi. The primary outcome was to compare the alignment speed of the crowded upper and lower teeth between the two different AW sequences. The secondary outcome was to assess the magnitude of upper and lower incisors' root resorption (RR) measured by digital periapical radiographs taken at the start of treatment and 1 month after the placement of the working AW. t-test was used to compare the alignment speed and RR between the two groups. Statistical significance was predetermined at the P ≤ 0.05 level for all tests., Results: The 54 patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either group. Seven patients were excluded and complete data were obtained for 47 patients; 24 and 23 patients in group A and group B, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the alignment speed in the lower arch (P>0.05, mean difference=-0.44, 95% CI=-0.9 to 0.03) and root resorption (P>0.05). Alignment of upper arch was faster in group A (P < 0.0001, mean difference= - 0.9, 95% CI =-1.4 to -0.5)., Conclusions: There is no significant difference between the two groups in the alignment speed in the lower arch and incisors' RR. Upper arch alignment was faster in group A., Trial Registration: Not registered., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: To evaluate and compare the perception of different dental professionals and laypersons toward altered gingival characteristics (microesthetics) and to identify those characteristics that are most negatively and positively rated., Materials and Methods: A smiling photograph of a female dental student was selected and digitally manipulated to create changes in different microesthetic parameters. These altered images were rated by the following five groups: 120 orthodontists, 45 periodontists, 49 prosthodontists, 130 general dentists, and 172 laypersons. Smile esthetics scores were calculated, and comparisons between groups were performed using the univariate general linear model., Results: The presence of black triangles between the upper incisors was the most negatively rated, and the ideal smile was the most positively rated. Significant differences were detected in the rating scores among the different study groups (P < .05). Orthodontists, prosthodontists, and general dentists scored the presence of a black triangle in the smile as the least attractive, whereas periodontists and laypersons perceived the inflamed gingiva and pigmented gingiva as the least attractive, respectively. Dental specialists tended to give the altered smile images lower scores than the laypersons., Conclusions: The ideal smile and that with black triangles between the upper incisors were rated as the most and the least attractive smiles, respectively. Orthodontists, prosthodontists, and general dentists scored the presence of black triangles in the smile as the least attractive, whereas periodontists and laypersons perceived the inflamed gingiva and pigmented gingiva as the least attractive smiles, respectively. Dental specialists tended to give the altered smile images lower scores than the laypersons., (© 2022 by The EH Angle Education and Research Foundation, Inc.)

Background: Organizational justice (OJ) is important for organizational success; it reflects employee perceptions of fair treatment. OJ promotes employee retention and work engagement toward high performance. Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is a discretionary behavior, describing how employees contribute to a smoother organizational performance. OCB enhances employee satisfaction, quality of care, patients' satisfaction with hospital performance, and the use of best hospital practices. Moreover, OJ increases employee satisfaction and is perceived as a factor that encourages workers to go "above and beyond" their responsibilities, while avoiding OCB in the workplace may reduce awareness of justice. Previous efforts have shown that perceptions of a just workplace promoted OCB at different industrial companies. Still, few studies have investigated this relationship in hospitals., Objectives: This study addressed this gap by investigating the significant relationships of OJ and OCB in a large Jordanian hospital., Methods: A fuzzy approach to Pearson's correlation was applied to test the formulated hypothesis, with an aim to better understand causal correlation of vague data., Results: A statistically significant, positive correlation existed between OJ and OCB. Maximum correlations existed between distributive justice and altruism, procedural justice, courtesy, and interactional or interpersonal justice and conscientiousness. This study showed that procedural justice was the best predictor of OCB., Conclusion: This study revealed a correlation between OJ and OCB, reflecting the diversity of these correlation relationships, which can help decision makers to form their strategic plans., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)