Aspects Of Dental Care Research Articles

Recent Advances in Intraoral Scanners.

Intraoral scanners (IOSs) have emerged as a cornerstone technology in digital dentistry. This article examines the recent advancements and multifaceted applications of IOSs, highlighting their benefits in patient care and addressing their current limitations. The IOS market has seen a competitive surge. Modern IOSs, featuring continuous image capture and advanced software for seamless image stitching, have made the scanning process more efficient. Patient comfort with IOS procedures is favorable, mitigating the discomfort associated with conventional impression taking. There has been a shift toward open data interfaces, notably enhancing interoperability. However, the integration of IOSs into large dental institutions is slow, facing challenges such as compatibility with existing health record systems and extensive data storage management. IOSs now extend beyond their use in computer-aided design and manufacturing, with software solutions transforming them into platforms for diagnostics, patient communication, and treatment planning. Several IOSs are equipped with tools for caries detection, employing fluorescence technologies or near-infrared imaging to identify carious lesions. IOSs facilitate quantitative monitoring of tooth wear and soft-tissue dimensions. For precise tooth segmentation in intraoral scans, essential for orthodontic applications, developers are leveraging innovative deep neural network-based approaches. The clinical performance of restorations fabricated based on intraoral scans has proven to be comparable to those obtained using conventional impressions, substantiating the reliability of IOSs in restorative dentistry. In oral and maxillofacial surgery, IOSs enhance airway safety during impression taking and aid in treating conditions such as cleft lip and palate, among other congenital craniofacial disorders, across diverse age groups. While IOSs have improved various aspects of dental care, ongoing enhancements in usability, diagnostic accuracy, and image segmentation are crucial to exploit the potential of this technology in optimizing patient care.

Laser Dentistry: Illuminating the Future of Dental Care

In recent years, there has been a significant technological advancement in the field of dentistry with the introduction of laser technology. Laser dentistry, a minimally invasive approach, has revolutionized various aspects of dental care, offering numerous benefits for both patients and practitioners1. This editorial aims to shed light on the promising potential of laser dentistry and its impact on modern dental practice.

University Students’ Satisfaction with the Quality of Primary Dental Healthcare Services and Dentists in Croatia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Measuring satisfaction can be an essential method for evaluating and improving healthcare quality. Therefore, this survey aimed to determine university students' satisfaction with dental care at the primary healthcare level and the factors that influence students' decisions when choosing a dental provider. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered electronic questionnaire that assessed satisfaction with various aspects of dental care (patient-staff interaction, professional and technical competence, and administrative efficiency) on a 5-point Likert scale. A total of 806 students participated in the survey, of whom 56.6% were from a biomedical science background, and 43.4% from other scientific fields. Near-minimal differences were found between respondents studying in biomedical fields and those from other scientific fields, when evaluating satisfaction with dental services. More significant differences were found in the factors influencing their choice of dentist. The dentist's experience (p = 0.031), cost of service (p ≤ 0.001), office location (p = 0.034), waiting time (p = 0.029), qualifications (p = 0.033), and gender (p = 0.007) were more important for students pursuing one of the non-health-related majors. Overall, respondents were very satisfied with their dentists and the services provided. The highest satisfaction score was found on the "professional and technical competence" and "administrative efficiency" subscales, while the lowest satisfaction score was found on the "patient-staff interaction" subscale.

The Effect of Virtual Reality Box on Children Who Experience Anxiety during Primary Tooth Extraction

Dental anxiety is a state of concern that something terrible will happen in connection with dental care or certain aspects of dental care. The level of dental anxiety was most commonly found in children (20, 48%). Therefore, an alternative to overcome this problem is to use a virtual reality box. This tool is designed to evoke a 3-dimensional atmosphere so that the user seems to be able to see in real. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the virtual reality box on the child's anxiety level at the time of primary tooth extraction. This research is a quasi-experimental research with a case-control design. With research subjects selected through Non-Probability Sampling with Purposive Sampling technique. With a total sample of 58 people consisting of children in the age category 6-12 years. Data were analyzed bivariately using Independent T Test. After the entire series of activities is carried out, then the distribution data results show a significance value lower than the probability value, which is 0.000 0.05. This shows that there is an effect of using a virtual reality box on the level of anxiety in children who have their primary teeth extracted.

Assessment of Children's Oral Health-Related Knowledge and Self-Efficacy in Expectant Mothers of Najran, Saudi Arabia

Objective: To assess the knowledge of pregnant women regarding their child’s oral health. Material and Methods: A questionnaire was developed and the 1st section comprised sociodemographic variables. The second section contained questions about the eruption of teeth, fluoride importance, cariogenic food, and dental visits. The questionnaire was shared electronically via a link to the receptionist of the gynaecologist at different health centres of Najran to be filled by expectant mothers. The convenient sampling method was used to collect the responses. Data were presented using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 572 pregnant women participated in this survey. Three hundred and fifteen (55.1%) knew that 1st primary tooth erupts at the age of 6 months. The majority of the respondents (n=332) agreed that toothbrushes and toothpaste could be used to clean a child's teeth; only 5.4%, 10%, and 24.5% preferred miswak, mouthwash, and toothbrush, respectively. Participants were well familiar with cariogenic food and occasionally allowed their children to take it. They have enough knowledge about fluoride toothpaste, but they were not familiar with the benefits of fluoride varnish. Almost 50% of the respondents agreed that the child should visit the dentist within six months, and 27.4% said they should visit the dentist whenever there is a problem. Conclusion: Almost 50% of participants showed a positive attitude towards most questions. However, there is a need to improve their behaviour and knowledge about many aspects of dental care.

CLINICAL EFFECT OF ENDODONTIC DEBRIDEMENT FOR ACUTE APICAL INFLAMMATION

Background: Accurate diagnosis and effective management of acute toothache is one of the important aspects of dental care. In the past, with acute periapical inflamation, 19.4% - 71.2% of the surveyed clinical endodontists would open the space between appointments, however recent literature suggests that this method is prone to complications. Currently, there is a tendency not to open for drainage but to proceed with immediate endodontic treatment. Objectives: To compare the results of endodontic treatment of acute periodontitis by immediate endodontic debridement and open tooth methods. Materials and methods: Interventional prospective study on patients with teeth diagnosed with acute periapical inflammation. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: group I for immediate root canal treatment and group II for open tooth. Patients recorded pain levels and the number of pain medications used 5 days after the first treatment session. Treatment results are considered successful when the patient has no pain or mild pain after surgery, failure when the pain is moderate or severe after surgery. Comparison of mean time to completion of treatment between the 2 study groups. Results: In group I, values of pain were recorded lower than in group II during days 3 to 5 after treatment. The immediate root canal treatment group had a higher success rate of 77.8% compared to the open tooth group of 62.9%, with pain levels ranging from no pain to mild pain. The maximum number of pain medication used in group I was 5.44 ± 0.50, in group II was 5.54 ± 0.50. Then gradually decreased in the next 4 days. However, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the level of pain medications use. The number of treatment times of group I was mainly 2 and 3 times: accounting for 35.1% and 48.6%, less than group 2, mainly over 3 appointments, accounting for 77.8%. Conclusions: Patients improved pain symptoms after 5 days in both study groups. The immediate root canal treatment group had a higher success rate than the open tooth group. Key words: acute periapical imflamation, endodontic debridement, endodontic pain.

Dental Care in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy.

External beam radiotherapy is an integral part of the management of head and neck cancer. Radiotherapy for head and neck cancer lead to many treatment-related toxicities, including a wide range of dental morbidities. These complications depend on the various patient and treatment-related factors. Patients with poor oral hygiene, pre-existing periodontal disease, and the conventional mode of radiotherapy delivery are major factors leading to acute and severe late dental problems. Most of the complications are preventable with proper oral and dental care before, during and after radiotherapy. Pre radiotherapy dental evaluation to diagnose patients with potential risk and timely intervention can reduce long-term morbidities like carries, osteoradionecrosis, etc., thereby improving patients' quality of life. This article highlights the various aspects of dental care and management in head neck cancer patients before, during and after radiation therapy.

Mechanical and Optical Properties of the Experimental and Commercial Dental Composites: A Systematic Review

Highly demand of aesthetic needed made dental composites become a major role as dental restorations. Minimal invasive of sound tissue and the ability to mimic the original teeth also have the recommendation to choose dental composites. The developments of dental composites mostly focus on filler systems to improve mainly in the mechanical and optical properties due to the esthetic aspect of dental care recently has become increasing importance. According to the component of dental composites, the fillers had a big role to determine the properties of dental composite. Many kinds of fillers have been utilized to improve the properties. Two kinds of dental composites had been known based on their fabrication procedure; i.e. experimental and commercial. The experimental dental composites had been produced by the researcher on their formula to obtain good properties while commercial dental composites were made by many manufacturers which have each brand that has each product of excellence, especially in mechanical and optical properties. The aim of this review focused on the mechanical and optical properties of experimental dental composites and commercial dental composites including describes many factors that affect those properties.

Dental Care Implications in Coronavirus Disease-19 Scenario: Perspectives

The aim of this review is to discuss the implications of COVID-19 on various aspects of dental care. The COVID-19 pandemic had suspended dental practice globally for over 3 months. While dental practice is being resumed cautiously, standard infection control protocols that were traditionally overlooked are now being strictly implemented. Post-COVID-19, dental care is expected to see a drastic change in the way it is practiced. With a view on the natural history and disease dynamics of COVID-19, this review reports various aspects of dental care, viz., patient triaging, engineering and work practice controls, and administrative, financial, and ethical aspects of dental care during and after COVID-19 pandemic. Current evidence-based recommendations with regard to infection-control practices are discussed. A call for universal oral health care with suggestions regarding integration of medical and health care is also proposed. COVID-19 is expected to be a watershed moment in the field of dentistry. While we expect to see positive changes in safe delivery of dental care, an increase in cost of availing care is imminent. The practice of dentistry and dental infection control has undergone dimensional changes due to bloodborne infectious diseases such as hepatitis B virus infections and human immunodeficiency virus epidemic. Due to these pandemics, many regulatory organizations have provided safety recommendations and guidelines that impact the dental practice. Currently, we are faced with a highly infective disease with a high mortality rate among people with comorbidities and of predominantly droplet transmission and no concrete safety recommendations and guidelines. This manuscript addresses multiple issues, gaps, and pragmatic solutions in controlling transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in dental settings, during and after the pandemic.

Local anaesthesia in dentistry – achieving effective painless injections

A feared aspect of dental care for patients is their expectation of pain and injections. Local anaesthesia in dentistry is an important means of reducing procedural pain and increasing patient comfort during treatment. However, it can be a source of pain in itself. Fear of needles and painful injections is a significant contributing factor to dental anxiety and is a commonly reported concern among patients. This review aims to discuss modes by which the painless and effective injection can be achieved, exploring the causative factors of discomfort and how they can be modulated. Although a wide array of techniques and technologies exist within the field of local anaesthesia (which are outlined in this paper), there is no definitive method for delivering the perfect injection for each and every patient. By being more mindful of current research and understanding with regards to local anaesthesia, however, clinicians may become more confident in their ability to provide a more atraumatic experience. CPD/Clinical Relevance: The aim of this review is to make clinicians aware of evidence-based suggestions for reducing the discomfort associated with delivering conventional local anaesthesia in routine dental practice, as well as to inform clinicians about alternative modes of administration of local anaesthesia which may serve as adjuncts in the management of anxious patients.

Some aspects of dental care in Russia

Some aspects of dental care in Russia

Wie bewerten Patienten ihre zahnärztliche Versorgung? Ergebnisse einer schriftlichen Befragung von Patienten bei niedergelassenen Zahnärzten

1,317 patients from 18 dentists took part in a written survey on patient evaluation of dental care. General satisfaction was high, but patients were critical concerning some aspects of dental care. On average, the aspects rated most often with "excellent" were hygiene in the practice, the possibility to get through to the practice on the telephone and quick service in case of urgent health problems. Most critical evaluations (on average) were given for waiting times, costs of the dental treatment for the patient and the range of magazines and written information in the waiting room. The highest statistical correlation to overall satisfaction (willingness to recommend this doctor to friends) showed the patients' assessments concerning the questions whether the doctor was listening to them and took enough time, as well as the result of the dental treatment from the patients' point of view. Differences of the survey results between practices were high. On average, patients of female dentists were more satisfied than patients of their male colleagues. Patients younger than 50 years and male patients were less satisfied than older patients and female patients. The patient surveys give important clues for quality management in the participating dental practices. The results of a patient survey should be evaluated against the background of the individual situation of the practice.

Occlusion, TMDs, and dental education.

The paradigmatic shift to evidence-based dentistry (EBD) that relates to occlusal therapy, selective occlusal adjustment (OA) and stabilization splints therapy (SS) for TMDs has had an unfavourable impact on the teaching of many of the important aspects of occlusion needed in dental practice. The teaching of OA systematically in dental schools has been nearly abandoned because of the belief that OA is an irreversible procedure and gives the impression that it is without merit elsewhere in the management of occlusion. However, a particular dose of knowledge and practice of occlusion that is necessary for all aspects of dental care should be taught systematically in dental schools. The uses and misuses of OA and SS and their limitations should be emphasized because of their importance to bring clinical reality into the dental curriculum. Thus, and irrespective of EBD induced contradictions, OA and SS should still have a significant place in systematically teaching of occlusal therapy. However, there are many more aspects of the management of occlusion that should to be considered. Hopefully, because of their importance, other aspects of the management of occlusion will once again become a significant part of the dental curriculum.

Oral Health during Pregnancy: Current Research

This report describes recent efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Oral Health, to understand more fully women's knowledge and attitudes regarding oral health and dental visits during pregnancy. Using data from the CDC Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), investigators are conducting both quantitative and qualitative research on these issues. PRAMS is an ongoing state-based and population-based surveillance survey of women's attitudes, experiences, and behaviors before, during, and after pregnancy. Findings have shown that most mothers did not make a dental visit during pregnancy, and of those who reported having oral problems, one-half did not seek care. Preliminary analysis of qualitative results shows that some women may believe that poor oral health status during pregnancy is normal; also, they may fear certain aspects of dental care during pregnancy. For example, some women may believe that they or their fetus could be harmed by treatment. If pregnancy modifies perceptions of oral health and dental care in women, it may contribute to women's avoidance of dental treatment while pregnant. Therefore, researchers and health program planners should give increased attention to the oral health needs and behaviors of pregnant women.

U.S. and Canadian Dental School Involvement in Extramural Programming

This project was undertaken from July 1999 to August 2000 to identify the status of extramural programming (that is, a program that has undergraduate dental students providing any aspect of dental care to individuals in settings outside the main clinical facility of the school) in North American dental schools. A survey instrument was mailed to all United States and Canadian dental schools concerning student involvement in extramural programming. The response rate was 79.7 percent. Of the schools responding, 3.9 percent did not offer extramural programming. The type of extramural sites, the percentage of schools offering each type of site, and the mean number of weeks students are at each site were as follows: hospital clinics--71 percent, 2.5 weeks; public health clinics--65 percent, 6 weeks; schools and day care centers--49, 1.7 weeks; private dental offices--37 percent, 2 weeks; and "other"--29 percent, 2.5 weeks. The average number of weeks spent at extramural site(s) per class was: freshman 1.9 weeks (SD=4.3); sophomores 2.3 weeks (SD=4.2); juniors 2.6 weeks (SD=1.9); and seniors 5.3 weeks (SD=6.7). Of total student time in extramural programming, 43.3 percent was spent delivering basic clinical services, 24.4 percent comprehensive clinical services, 11.8 percent health education, 11.8 percent preventive dentistry, and 8.7 percent community activities. From the data collected it is apparent that the majority of North American dental schools are providing a variety of extramural experiences for their dental students. It was found that student involvement in extramural programming increases gradually from the freshman to the senior year.

Oral hygiene, dentition, sexual habits and risk of oral cancer.

In an Italian case-control study of oral cancer, number of missing teeth and other aspects of dental care were similar, but the general condition of the mouth, as indicated by gum bleeding, tartar deposits and mucosal irritation, was worse among oral cancer cases than controls. No differences were detected in sexual practices (including oral sex) and (previous) sexually transmitted infections. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign

The quality of general dental care: public and users' perceptions.

BACKGROUND: Systematic evidence about how the public and users perceive and experience the quality of general dental care is in short supply, particularly in light of the recent changes in...

The miswãk, an aspect of dental care in Islam

There was a pre-Islamic custom of cleaning the teeth with the miswāk to get them white and shiny.It was certainly very popular in the Islamic period. We can derive this from the different Hadīth narrations about the intensive use of the miswāk by the Prophet.The physicians recommended strongly the moderate use of miswāk, because it would whiten the teeth and strengthen the gums.

Economic aspects of dental care in Finnish health centers

In recent years economic evaluations of publicly funded governmental and community based activities have become more common. Although the Public Dental Service in Finland has been in operation for 17 yr, little is known of the effectiveness of the system. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness, output and costs of dental care using available data from 34 randomly selected health centers during 1982-85. Great differences were found in running expenses and productivity between the health centers studied. The study indicated that dental care arrangements tended to be more expensive in communities with high governmental subsidies than in those with low ones. The ratio of chairside assistants to dentists was also shown to have a statistically significant positive correlation with the cost of a dental visit.

Clinical Studies Concerning Re-Restoration of Teeth

Re-restoring teeth is an important component of operative dentistry, and the perceived presence of secondary caries is a major reason for undertaking it. In the absence of a diagnosis of secondary caries, a morphological discrepancy at the margin of a restoration commonly provides the necessary justification for replacement. However, several studies have demonstrated enormous variation among dentists, both in their diagnosis of secondary caries and in the clinical decisions they make regarding whether or not to restore or re-restore. Many of these decisions must have been wrong. Decisions to re-restore teeth have been shown to be particularly idiosyncratic, and some patients apparently become involved in a repeat restoration cycle whereby the more restorations they have, the more re-restorations they receive. The desire by some dentists to replace large numbers of restorations, for reasons other than the presence of disease, shows a fallibility of operative treatment. At the same time it suggests that these dentists have considerable faith in this aspect of dental care. There would appear to be a prima facie case for investigating more deeply the factors involved in the clinical assessment of restorations. It should then be possible to improve the standard of diagnosis and treatment decision-making, especially with respect to the need to re-restore teeth.