Dental Program Research Articles

Oral Health Status and Dental Care of Disable Children

Now a days disability has becomes a great problem. But in dental care, facilities for them are very rare. For the purpose of doing something for disable children a study on oral health status and dental care of disable children was conducted in CRP, Mirpur, Bangladesh. To identify the oral health status of disable children in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. A cross sectional study to assess the oral health condition of disable children was conducted. Data were collected from 125 disable children attending in CRP, Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh through purposive sampling technique. Study shows that there was very poor knowledge on brushing technique. 55% brushed their teeth like brush upper teeth from above downward, lower from below upward and side to side movement.64.8% brushed their teeth before breakfast and 17.4% before breakfast and after dinner and others brushes their tooth in other times. 60% had halitosis, and caries rate was 49%. Most of them had abnormal oral habit.80% children had bruxism, 75% had multiple abnormal oral habit. 38.9% had mouth breathing. 63% never visit to a dentist and 20% had visit dentist when they suffered from dental pain.12% visit dentist once a year and only 4% visited dentist for regular check-up. 34% of respondents did not follow proper oral health hygiene. They took care of their teeth by their own method. 20% informed by dental health professional, 18.4% by dentist, 1.6% by radio, 24% by television and 0.8% from printed materials. Most of the participants did not have proper hygienic knowledge as a result they did not take proper dental care. Caries rate was increased with the increase of their age because they did not brush their teeth regularly. Dental health professionals and dentist should work to aware people about oral health status and proper dental care especial program should be arranged for disable children.

Prevalence Of Dental Caries Among Primary School Students In Madurai City, Tamilnadu, India

Aim: Dental caries is an important public health issue,influenced by various socio–demographic factors. The occurrence of carious teeth in school children is very much of concern as it will restrict their daily activities at the schools and homes instigating reductant loss of study, work and play hours.Therefore, the present study was aimed to determine the prevalence of dental caries amongprimary and middle school going childrenin Madurai city. Materials & Methods: For this study, an overall of 40 Corporation schools were randomly selected from the Madurai city. About 3380 children aged between 6-10 years were selected from these schools.Assessment of dental caries prevalence was performed using WHO Basic Oral Health Surveys – Oral Health Assessment Form for the Children (2013). Each child was examined in their respective school by dental surgeons. Result: Out of the 3380 school children that wereexamined, 1475 were boys and 1905 were girls.43% school children had dental caries.Prevalence of dental caries was highest among the10-year-old school students (22.70%) and the lowest in 6- year-olds (17.62%). The dominance of dental caries was higher in girls (55.21%) than boys (44.78). Conclusion: The overall prevalence of dental carieswas 43% and it was higher in 10years old when compared to other age groups.Increased prevalence suggeststhat furtherfollow ups and likewise improving the awareness among teachers, parents and students are necessary too.Also, immediate oral health promotion strategies such as an increase in school dental health programmes are recommended.

Evaluation of national dental curriculum in Iran using senior dental students’ feedback

BackgroundDental curriculums require regular revision to stay up to date in scientifical and societal fields. Senior dental students are among the main stakeholders of such curriculums. The present study investigated the opinions of Iranian senior dental students regarding the adequacy of their dentistry program and the national dental curriculum in training a competent dentist, the program’s content, and its structure.MethodsA previously designed and validated questionnaire on the opinion of senior dental students regarding curriculum adequacy was sent to a representative in each of the country’s dental schools. Before the COVID pandemic terminated data collection, a total of 16 schools (438 students) managed to respond (37%). The questionnaire asked the students to assess the adequacy of the training received in curriculum’s theoretical and practical competencies with the help of a five-point Likert scale that ranged from “Completely inadequate” to “Completely adequate”. It also questioned them on its teaching methods and intensity. SPSS software version 24 and Chi-square test served for statistical analysis.ResultsIn total, the study has 438 participants, 245 female and 193 male. Significant sex differences were spotted in the responses concerning both theoretical and practical training. Regarding general training adequacy, 50 (22.6%) female students and 50 male ones (30.7%), P = 0.08 agreed that the program was acceptable. The numbers for students of old (more than 15 years of activity) and new schools were 47 (21.7%) and 53 (31.7%), respectively (P = 0.03). Nearly one-third deemed the teaching methods appropriate. Regarding the duration of curriculum phases, 33 students (8.3%) believed that basic science required extension, while 108 (28.6%) and 266 (69.1%) reported such need for pre-clinical and clinical phases. The school’s years of activity emerged as significant, as 38.1% of students from new schools versus 21.7% of those from old ones deemed the extension of pre-clinical phase necessary (P < 0.001).ConclusionA significant number of Iranian senior dental students found the undergraduate dental curriculum inadequate regarding competencies, content, and teaching. Further investigations will determine whether it’s the curriculum or its implementation that warrants revision.

Perceptions of dental students, dental faculty, practicing dentists and industry dental professionals on the acquisition of dental competencies and clinical skills in the Dominican Republic.

This study gathered perceptions from four stakeholder groups in the Dominican Republic (DR) regarding acquiring professional dental competencies and clinical skills. Researcher-created surveys covering core dental competencies and clinical skills were distributed to stakeholder groups associated with nine different DR dental programs. Respondents included 153 undergraduate dental students, 153 dental faculty members, 108 practicing dentists (who had graduated in the past 5 years) and 42 industry professionals (who hire and supervise dentists). Data were examined using descriptive statistics, univariate ANOVA and multiple linear regressions. Dental school students and recent graduates now practicing dentists in the DR reflected moderate to solid confidence that they had learned most of the dental skills and competencies covered in the survey. Industry professionals were a bit less confident overall, while dental faculty offered the lowest scores, although those were often still in the moderately confident range. ANOVAs revealed significant differences when broken down by individual university dental programs. Regressions also revealed that individual university dental programs significantly predict confidence that dental skills and competencies were achieved. Data show that DR's dental stakeholder groups generally felt optimistic about the learning occurring. However, the lower mean scores and higher standard deviations from faculty responses raise concern, as do the significant differences between individual dental programs and the dental program itself a significant predictor. Further review of programs is needed, and a national set of dental competencies should be considered in this country.

Evaluation of Knowledge and Awareness of Periodontal Health and its relation to General Health among Medical Doctors-A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Survey

Background: Maintaining good oral health plays crucial in upholding one’s general health in a good shape. Present study has aimed to evaluate the knowledge of the above statement and awareness, and its relation to its general health among medical doctors. Materials and Methods: The study encompasses of 400 medical doctors (Clinical and Non-Clinical) having &gt; 26 years of age. A questionnaire proforma, having 18 questions was provided to the participants and answered data was gathered. Further, collected data was subjected to statistical analysis. Frequency distribution percentages were calculated and depicted. Results: In case of periodontal awareness, significance difference was obtained between the non-clinical and clinical doctors regarding right brushing technique (p=0.048) favouring clinical doctors and dental visit for every 3 months favoured non-clinical doctors (p&lt;0.001) while rest of the questions didn’t show any significant difference. Regarding periodontal knowledge, significant difference between clinical and non-clinical doctors were recorded in poor oral hygiene affecting the general health (p=0.0304) whereas rest of the parameters were non-significant. Conclusion: Conducting periodic dental awareness programs among medical doctors would be beneficial for early detection of dental problems and treating them at appropriate time. So that local infections nidus would not become systemic problems.

Innovative Pedagogical Strategies in Health Professions Education: Active Learning in Dental Materials Science.

Dental materials science education is frequently delivered via traditional didactic lectures in preclinical dental programs. This review aimed to appraise the current evidence on innovative pedagogical strategies in teaching dental materials science courses. English-language articles on teaching methods for dental materials science published between January 1990 to October 2022 were searched in nine online databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science [WoS], Science Direct, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, LILACS, Open Grey, and EMBASE) according to PRISMA guidelines. The risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using the Cochrane RoB-2 and ROBIN-I tools, whereas the level of evidence was determined based on the OCEBM guidelines. Only 12 primary studies were included. Two randomized studies (RCTs) were deemed as being of "some concern", and one showed a high risk of bias (RoB). Three non-randomized controlled studies (NRS) demonstrated a moderate RoB, whereas the remaining seven were low. Most studies were ranked at Levels 2 and 3 of evidence. Several innovative pedagogical strategies were identified: flipped classrooms, clinical-based learning, computer-assisted learning, group discussion, microteaching with the BOPPPS (bridge-in, learning objective, pre-test, participatory learning, post-test, and summary) model, and game-based learning. The evidence suggested that students generally showed positive perceptions toward these pedagogical strategies. Dental educators should revise their current undergraduate dental materials science curricula and integrate more effective teaching methods.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors among Oral Hygiene toward Dental Students

Dentists are the role models for the society as far as oral health is concerned. However, student’s attitudes and practices were found to differ across academic levels and gender. The present study aimed to assess oral health attitudes and behavior among undergraduate dental students, and to analyze the variations in oral health attitudes based on level of education and gender using the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI). A self-administered questionnaire based on the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) was distributed to 260 undergraduate dental students at the International University of Rabat. Overall, the mean questionnaire score for the total sample was 6.33±3.16. Most clinical students reported brushing each of their teeth carefully. More clinical (33.88) than preclinical (2.87) students have used a dye to see how clean their teeth are (p<0.001). Moreover, larger proportion of men (27.4) than women (16.2) use a toothbrush with hard bristles (p=0.03). A higher proportion of women (100) do check their teeth in a mirror after brushing (p<0.001). Prompt initiatives should be launched to critically revise the dental program and the education processes, and to redesign these programs in a constructive and productive manner to positively influence students’ behavior and attitudes.

Integrating an innovative social work practice into a pediatric dental residency program

Summary This article describes the implementation and outcomes of a social work program in a university pediatric dental clinic serving low-income families. The goal was to decrease barriers to dental care access, decrease appointment failure, and improve interprofessional practice (IPP). Funding was obtained through a foundation to hire a social worker and two interns, and cover program costs. A survey identified barriers families faced to obtain and complete pediatric dental care. Residents, dental students, and faculty make referrals to the social workers who intervene to help families overcome challenges for their children's care. Findings The program started in January 2019 and outcomes are reported through June 2021. The largest barriers families identified were lack of a pediatric dentist near home accepting public insurance (91%), the dentist who saw their child only did exams and cleanings but not fillings (84%), and need for specialized dental care (77%). Five hundred and eleven families were referred to the social workers, most commonly for resources, information or other referrals (30.5%), dental insurance lapse (14.9%), caregiver guidance on oral health (10.6%), mental health concerns (10.4%), and poor treatment compliance (9.6%). Social workers provided 424 interventions, mostly about information regarding community resources (26.8%), transportation issues (15.9%), and telephone consults (14.2%). Appointment failure rates decreased from 17% to 13.5%, while the cancelation rate decreased from 19.2% to 14.3% from January 2019 to June 2021, respectively. Applications Social workers helped decrease barriers to pediatric dental care, improve attendance to dental appointments, and enhance IPP for pediatric dental residents, students, and faculty.

Perceptions on pregnancy and parenthood among program directors in pediatric dentistry.

This cross-sectional study assessed the perceptions of pediatric dental residency program directors (PDs) regarding policies and attitudes on pregnancy and parenthood during residency training. A 28-item electronic survey was administered to PDs of pediatric dental residencies in the United States. Statistical tests were performed. Variables were reported as counts (percentages) and compared using Fischer's exact test and chi-squared tests at a significance level of 0.05. Forty-two of the 97 PDs completed the survey for 43% response rate. Almost all programs had a formal maternal leave policy, but perceptions and policies varied regarding the effects of both pregnancy and parenthood on residents during training. Chi-square results compared if parenthood had a negative impact on the well-being a female trainee versus a male trainee had a p-value<.05. There appeared to be a lack of national uniformity regarding program policies on parental leave. Most PDs perceived having a child during residency had at least one negative effect on their female residents. Finally, PDs were likely to perceive parenthood to adversely impact the well-being and work of female trainees more so than their male counterparts.

Teaching of composite restoration repair in Brazilian dental schools

ObjectivesThe aim was to investigate aspects of the teaching of restoration repair as a minimally invasive alternative to replacing defective direct composite restorations in undergraduate curricula teaching programs in Brazilian dental schools. MethodsA 14-item validated survey questionnaire was mailed to directors/coordinators of operative/restorative dentistry teachers of Brazilian Dental Schools. Data were collected on demographic characteristics of the teachers and institutions, together with questions on the teaching of the repair of defective resin-based composite restorations as part of the school curriculum; the rationale behind the teaching; the nature of the teaching (preclinical and/or clinical); how techniques were taught, indications for repair, operative techniques, materials used, patient acceptability and expected longevity of completed repairs. ResultsTwo hundred and twenty-two (94%) directors/ coordinators of dental curricula in Brazil were contacted. One hundred and thirty-one directors/coordinators (59%) replied, providing the e-mail address from the teacher responsible for the operative/restorative dentistry program in their school. Of these, 104 responded to the questionnaire (79% response rate). Ninety-three (89%) of the participating schools reported teaching composite repairs as an alternative to replacing restorations. Of the theoretical content, 43% was taught at preclinical and clinical levels, whereas most practical experience (53%) was acquired at clinical levels. Eighty-eight schools (95%) reported tooth substance preservation being the main reason for teaching repair techniques. All schools that taught repairs reported high patient acceptability. ConclusionsThe teaching of composite restoration repair as an alternative to restoration replacement is established in undergraduate programs in most of the Brazilian dental schools surveyed. Clinical significanceThe reasons for teaching restoration repair in Brazil were found to be quite unanimous among teachers, especially regarding the preservation of tooth structure. Variations were found in the clinical indications for repair, suggesting the need for further investigations. Monitoring repaired restorations should be encouraged and could contribute to future studies.

Assessing Faculty Preference Regarding Online Tools for Assessment in Medical Education: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Center Study

Purpose: E-assessment is a novel practice in developing countries; hence it is essential to determine the online platforms and tools preferred by health sciences education faculty for online assessment. The purpose of this study was to assess the preference of faculty in medical and dental education regarding the online tools for e-assessment of undergraduate students. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted from June until August 2020 on the faculty of medical and dental undergraduate programs of private and public sector institutes across Karachi, with a sample size of 152. Data was collected through convenience sampling using a validated questionnaire and was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Mean and standard deviation was calculated for numerical data while frequencies and percentages analyzed for categorical data. Results: A total of 125 faculty members participated in the study, having mean age of 37.8±9.99 years, with the majority affiliated with medical program (78%), working in private institutes (58.4%), and teaching basic sciences (64%). Faculty of both basic and clinical sciences preferred Question and Answer (Zoom) for formative assessment (37.6% and 20.8% respectively). Although most faculty were found to not use any online tool for summative assessment, nonetheless, Socrative was preferred for this purpose (23.2% basic sciences, 12.8% clinical sciences). Almost 68% of the faculty faced difficulties in conducting e-assessments and reported that their issues were not resolved effectively (48.2%). Conclusion: Formative assessment was found to be preferably conducted by the Question-and-Answer feature of Zoom. Even though most of the faculty reported not utilizing any online tool for conducting summative assessment, it was found that quiz-based platforms were preferred.

The impact of dental caries prevention program on the anthropometric measurements of preschool children

Was to compare body mass indices (BMI) of children receiving and not receiving dental caries prevention program in preschool institutions at the age of 3-6 years. The study comprised163 children (76 boys and 87 girls) initially examined at the age of 3 years in nurseries of the Khimki city region. In one of the nurseries 54 children received dental caries prevention and educational program for 3 years. Other 109 children not receiving any special programs served as controls. Data on caries prevalence and intensity as well as weight and height were collected at baseline examination and 3 years after. BMI was calculated by standard formula and WHO criteria for weight deficiency, normal weight, overweight and obesity for children aged 2-5 and 6-17 years were applied. Caries prevalence in 3-years-old was 34.1% with dmft median of 1.4 teeth. After 3 years the prevalence of dental caries reached 72.5% in controls and was almost twice as low in the main group (39.3%). Caries intensity growth was also significantly higher in controls (p<0.0001). There was statistically significant difference on the rate of underweight and normal weight in children receiving and not receiving dental caries preventive program (p<0.05). The rate of normal and low BMI in the main group was 82.6% (vs. 66% in controls) and 7.7% (vs. 22%), correspondingly. The higher the caries intensity the more is the risk for being underweight (11.5% in caries-free children vs 25.7% in having DMFT+dft more than 4, p=0.034). Our study showed positive impact of dental caries prevention program on the anthropometric measurements of children aged 3-6 years which increases the significance of this type of programs in pre-school institutions.

Establishment of an intravenous conscious sedation service at a University Dental Clinic in Tanzania.

With advances in safety measures for anesthesia, conscious sedation has gained popularity in the field of dentistry and has become essential in dental practice worldwide. However, in Tanzania, intravenous (IV) sedation is rarely practiced in the dental field. Therefore, we report the establishment of sustainable IV conscious sedation in dental practices and subsequently train local OMS residents in Tanzania. In 2019, intravenous conscious sedation was initiated at the University Dental Clinic of the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science (MUHAS), Tanzania. During the preparatory phase of the program, local oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs) were given a series of lecture notes that concentrated on different aspects of IV conscious sedation in dentistry. During the on-site training phase, an oral surgeon from the United States joined the OMSs for case selection, IV-conscious sedation procedures, and patient follow-up. Patients were recruited from existing patient records at the MUHAS Dental Clinic. The first conscious IV sedation program in dentistry was successfully launched at the University Dental Clinic in Tanzania. The local team of OMSs was trained on the safe administration of sedative agents (midazolam or ketamine) to perform various minor surgical procedures in a dental office. Nine patients with different ages, body masses, and medical conditions benefited from the training. No complications were associated with IV conscious sedation in the dental office. This was the first successful "hands-on" training on IV conscious sedation provided to OMSs in Tanzania. It laid the foundation for the sustainable care of patients with special needs requiring oral health-related care in the country.

Work-related stress in Medical and Dentistry programs.

Stress occurs more frequently in groups in which the degree of responsibility and decision-making power play notable roles in society, such as professors and health professionals. To measure and understand the stress of professors in the undergraduate course of Medicine and Dentistry of a private educational institution in northeastern Brazil. Observational, descriptive and exploratory study with a quantitative approach was conducted between November 2018 and September 2019. A total of 184 professors participated in the study, answering the following instruments: demographic sociodata questionnaire, Stress Symptoms Inventory and the Preliminary Burnout Identification Questionnaire. The Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Scale was applied to the 60 professors with stress. The data obtained were submitted to data analysis through Pearson's chi-square test and logistic regression. Stress was present in 40.3% of the professors, with a predominance of the resistance phase (85%) and signs indicative of burnout. There was a significant correlation between the presence of stress and the time of traumatic event either with the individual himself or with some relative and/or close friend. There was no correlation between the traumatic events and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, although a significant correlation was observed between Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and burnout. The results point to the need to properly identify and manage stress so that the teaching experience is healthy and conducive to the teaching-learning process.

Effect of pipelines on enrollment of underrepresented students in healthcare: A systematic review

Study Design: Systematic review. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of pipelines in increasing enrollment of underrepresented students into graduate healthcare programs. Materials and Methods: Eight databases (CINAHL, Medline, Nursing and Allied Health Premium, OVID, ScienceDirect, Education Index, Proquest, Google Scholar) were searched in October 2021. Inclusion criteria: studies investigating the effect of pipeline programs on enrollment of underrepresented students in individual graduate healthcare programs within the USA. Studies evaluating a pipeline program where students went on to be enrolled at another institution were excluded. Two reviewers screened articles, extracted data and assessed study quality, with a third reviewer resolving disputes. Primary data collected was percentage of underrepresented students enrolled per cohort. Additional data included the profession of the healthcare program, entrance point into the pipeline and interventions used in the pipeline. Study quality was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool for pre/post studies with no control group. Results: After duplicates were removed, 1524 studies were evaluated, with five studies included. Following initiation of a pipeline, fifteen institutions reported increased enrollment of underrepresented students, three reported decreased enrollment, and one reported no change. All studies were of low quality for drawing associative conclusions. Conclusion: Pipelines may be effective at increasing underrepresented students enrolled in graduate healthcare programs. Results are limited in scope, representing only medical and dental programs, and lacking in long-term outcomes.

Experience of primary caregivers in utilising an mHealth application for remote dental screening in preschool children.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to address the acceptance of mHealth applications for a dental screening app that facilitates patient information entry and captures dental photos remotely to assist in caries diagnosis in preschool children in Australia.MethodsAll participants were recruited through the ORIGINS Project, a community-based interventional birth cohort study in Western Australia. Forty-two primary caregivers, who were the users of a teledental screening app, were given a questionnaire with 17 questions; these were constructed based on the theme of the Technology Acceptance Model: perceived ease of use (PE), perceived usefulness (PU), behavioural intention to adopt (BI), anxiety (ANX), attitude toward a behaviour (ATB), and self-efficacy (SE). Cronbach's alpha was estimated to determine internal consistency. Path analysis was employed to quantify the relationship between each theme.ResultsThe mean values for most themes indicated high satisfaction with the intervention among caregivers (scores out of 5): PE (4.54 ± 0.55), PU (4.65 ± 0.49), BI (4.40 ± 0.65), ATB (4.23 ± 0.70), SE (4.36 ± 0.64). Results indicated high consistency in response in the PE, PU, ATB, and SE (α = 0.74-0.84) and moderate consistency was observed in ANX and BI (α = 0.50-0.62). The overall intention of using the dental screening app was significantly related to both PU and ATB (P < 0.05); in addition, the SE and PE also positively affected the PU.ConclusionThe perceived usefulness and attitude toward behaviours influenced the overall behavioural intention of the participants to use the telehealth model in dental screening. Recognising these relationships indicates community readiness for implementing the telehealth application in the dental program and enables identification of areas for improving its diffusion.

Factors Responsible for the Performance of Final-Year Dental Surgery Students in Their Professional Examinations in Nigeria.

Little is known about the factors responsible for the academic performance of clinical dentistry/dental surgery students, particularly those in their finals in Nigerian universities. The objectives of the study were to identify the subjective factors that may affect the performance of dental surgery finalists at the undergraduate level in Nigerian dental schools and to proffer realistic suggestions to improve dental surgery education. A cross-sectional survey of final-year dental surgery students in Nigeria was conducted using a well-structured validated online questionnaire distributed randomly through online platforms. Descriptive and inferential data analysis was done with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Chi-squares and Fischer's exact values were calculated. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Consent was obtained from all participants. Sixty-nine final-year dental surgery students completed and submitted the questionnaire. The hours spent on clinical hands-on-dental practice, dental surgery lectures/clinics attendance, and impact of particular course lecturers were the top three most agreed factors influencing the performance of dental surgery students in their examinations. A significant relationship (P = 0.027 [<0.05]; X2 = 4.873) exists between gender and the perception in that the greater cumulative number of study hours was alluded to significantly influencing performance in examinations. More females unlike males indicated that the total number of hours studied does not affect performance. A statistically significant association (P = 0.004 [<0.05]; X2 = 13.274) was also found between age grades and the influence of repeating an examination on performance. A majority of the respondents across all age grades indicated that repeating students do not always perform better or even pass the examinations. A majority of the respondents across all age grades indicated that those that have completed a degree before medical school do not always perform better in examinations. This finding also had a statistically significant association (P = 0.048 [<0.05]; X2 = 7.886). There is a need to coordinate efforts in the management of dental institutions to ensure that adequate attention is given to the dental surgery students at every stage of their training. Creation of dental surgery mentorship programmes may also help in the overall quality of the programme.

A Message from the JADE Editorial Board Chair

V9 Issue 1 of JADE includes perspectives on controversies in educating the dental therapist (DT) and standardization of educational practices. More states are authorizing dental therapy practice, and new dental therapy education programs are opening and becoming accredited. The topic is controversial, with disagreement over the capacity of this innovative workforce to address access to care issues and advance health equity.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding different domains of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea among pediatric dentists from Kerala: A cross-sectional study.

Pediatric dentists should play an essential role in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) screening, referral, and management of their child patients. However, few studies have investigated pediatric dentists' knowledge, attitude, and practice aspects regarding different domains of pediatric OSA. This cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice aspects of different domains of pediatric OSA among pediatric dentists from Kerala. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Kerala. The sample frame consisted of 163 dentists, and the minimum required was 115. Ethical approval was obtained before starting the study. An invitation E-mail explaining the purpose of the study with a survey link was sent to the pediatric dentists from Kerala (n = 163). Nonrespondents were contacted at timely intervals. Categorical and quantitative variables were expressed as frequency (percentage) and mean ± standard deviation, respectively. Chi-square test was used to find an association between categorical variables. Statistical analysis was performed using a statistical software package, SPSS, version 20.0. This cross-sectional study showed that pediatric dentists in Kerala have a moderate-to-good level of knowledge, along with a positive attitude toward different domains of pediatric OSA, but lag behind in the practice aspects. Hence, they are required to direct themselves toward continuing dental education programs in order to boost their routine practice. For this, steps must be taken to ensure proper networking of the practitioners and amendments in the dental billing system similar to the medical counterpart.

Impact of Protracted War Crisis on Dental Students: A Comparative Multicountry Cross-sectional Study.

The impact of conflict and war crisis on dental students is poorly understood. Given the prolonged conflicts and political instability in the Arabic-speaking countries, it is crucial to investigate the effect of these conditions on dental students. This study aimed to assess the impact of protracted war on dental students by comparing the personal, university, and wider context challenges they face across war-affected and unaffected countries. A cross-sectional study was conducted including a convenience sample of dental students from 13 universities in 12 Arabic-speaking countries. Respondents were those at entry and exit points of their undergraduate dental training. A self-administered paper questionnaire collected anonymized data on sociodemographics, and personal, university, and wider context challenges that students were facing. Multivariable Poisson regression analyses were carried out. The overall response rate was 64.8%. The mean age was 21.2 (standard deviation = 2.1) years, with 68% of participants being female. After adjusting for age and sex, dental students in Arabic-speaking countries affected by protracted war crisis were significantly more likely to report wider context challenges compared to their counterparts in unaffected countries (n = 2448; beta = 1.12; 95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.13; P < 0.001). Dental students in Arabic-speaking countries affected by protracted war crisis were more likely to suffer from wider context challenges such as difficulties in attendance due to the deterioration of security and lack of flexibility of teaching time to accommodate the different circumstances induced by the war crisis. Supporting dental students in areas affected by protracted war crises is needed and may include developing online dental education programs.