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Adaptations to the teaching and learning during the pandemic affected dental students’ ability to achieve clinical competency. This study aimed to: (1) assess the self-reported competencies of dental students affected by the pandemic; (2) describe the enablers and barriers to achieving clinical competency among these students; and (3) to elucidate factors related to the resilience of the teaching and learning system during the pandemic for future adaptations and implementations. A questionnaire consisting of eight domains with 43 questions was sent to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s (UKM) recent dental graduates from the 2021 cohort. Eight students from the cohort were also interviewed. The semi-structured, in-depth interviews were recorded and transcribed. A total of 56 questionnaires were returned, resulting in a 100% response rate. Seven out of the eight studied domains had a high self-perceived competency score, while only six of the 43 skills had a self-perceived competency score of less than 80%. Eight participants were interviewed for the second part of the study. Multiple enablers and barriers were identified and categorised into five themes, which were clinical time, student mental health, clinical teaching, cross-infection protocols, and communication and other faculty policies. Dental graduates affected by the COVID-19 pandemic had a good level of self-perceived clinical competency. The multiple factors identified as enablers and barriers to achieving clinical competency can be utilised as references in curriculum development, planning and policymaking, especially with regards to adaptations made to the undergraduate dental curricula worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Assessment of the thickness of gingival tissues using the probe visibility test is regarded as the method of choice during routine examinations. However, the probe visibility test has not been validated for patients with gingival pigmentation and its accuracy in populations with physiological gingival pigmentation is yet unknown. This study aims to evaluate different methods for the clinical assessment of gingival thickness in participants with varying levels of gingival pigmentation. Materials and Methods: Buccal mucosa of the maxillary right central incisor teeth of 171 participants was evaluated using four methods, which were direct measurements using calliper, transgingival probing method using an endodontic probe, and probe visibility method using Colorvue biotype probe (CBP) and UNC‐15 probe. The pigmentation of the gingiva was assessed using the Dummett–Gupta oral pigmentation lesion index. Results: The average gingival thickness of the selected population was 1.22 ± 0.38 mm with a distribution of 70% thick and 30% thin gingiva. Transgingival and calliper methods showed good agreement and significant correlation (r = 0.229; p =.003). Visual assessment using CBP and UNC‐15 probe showed poor agreement with the direct measurement methods. Gingival pigmentation significantly affected the probe visibility assessment, reducing the visibility of both the CBP (odds ratio [OR] = 4.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.83–8.74) and UNC‐15 probe (OR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.05–3.23) while controlling for thickness of the gingiva. Conclusion: The probe visibility method using either CBP or the UNC‐15 probe is affected by the degree of gingival pigmentation. Direct measurements using either a calliper or transgingival probing are recommended as methods to measure the gingival thickness in populations with gingival pigmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the common sexual disorders affecting many men worldwide. Owing to shared common risk factors, periodontitis is related to ED. However, the prevalence of periodontitis among Malaysian patients with ED is currently unknown. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of periodontitis in patients with ED in Malaysia and the factors associated with this relationship. Forty-one subjects aged 27-59 years old were recruited to participate in this study. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) was used in assessing the presence of ED. Their periodontal health was assessed through comprehensive periodontal examination including plaque index, bleeding on probing and clinical attachment level. The subjects were categorised according to the severity of their periodontal health and ED. A questionnaire on general health and oral habits was administered. The prevalence of periodontitis (95.5%) among subjects with ED was significantly higher than those without ED (52.6%). Subjects with ED had the worst periodontal health, as indicated by the mean clinical attachment loss and percentage of sites with bleeding on probing. No differences in oral hygiene habits were found between subjects with and without ED. The prevalence of periodontal disease among Malaysian patients with ED was high. Periodontitis was positively associated with the severity of ED, supporting a dose-dependent association between the two diseases. Oral hygiene habits were not significantly related to any periodontitis parameters nor were significantly different between subjects with and without ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]