Dental Teaching Hospital Research Articles

GIS to Explore the Geographical Mysteries of Oral Cancer: Geospatial Distribution of Patients Diagnosed with Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders at the University Dental Hospital Peradeniya

Background: Oral cancers which are often preceded by an oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) carries the highest mortality rate among all cancers in Sri Lanka. Dental Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya is one of the tertiary centres in Sri Lanka for treating OPMD with a high patient turnover. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the geospatial distribution of OPMD patients who attended Dental Hospital, Peradeniya (DHP) using geocoding methods. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was done by obtaining data of 869 OPMD patients who visited DHP within the last 4 years to geo-code their addresses using GIS software. Results: The majority of the sample consisted of oral lichen planus (OLP) (52.47%). 29% and 18.64% of the patients were diagnosed with leukoplakia and oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) respectively. Most of the OPMD patients (60.64%) who visited the clinic were from the Kandy district and surprisingly the majority of OPMD patients had been reported from non-estate areas. The second and third highest number of patients were respectively from Nuwaraeliya (11.28%) and Kegalle (7.48%). More than half (57.19%) of the patients were living within 20 km of the hospital. Conclusion: The composition of patients with OPMDs visited the DHP had deviated from the national data. More than half of the sample residing within a reasonable travel distance to a specialist care centre.

Medical Conditions, Oral Health Practices, and Barriers to Treatment among Patients Visiting a Teaching Dental Hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia.

Objective To assess the prevalence of medical conditions, oral hygiene practices, and dental visits among patients who attended a teaching dental hospital in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Materials & Methods. This retrospective cross-sectional study used patient records from 2009 to 2015 from the dental hospital of the College of Dentistry Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam. Patients' demographics, medical history, oral hygiene practices, reasons for attending the facility, attendance patterns, and smoking habits were studied. Results The study included 1502 records of patients with 65.1% of males and 34.9% of females. The prevalence of medical conditions was 25.7% in the study. The most common medical conditions included diabetes mellitus (7.2%), hypertension (6.5%), and anemia (4.7%). Only 21.8% reported visiting the dental hospital in the past one year. The prevalence of smoking was 16.7%, and this did not differ significantly between healthy and medically compromised patients (P=0.165). Fillings were the most common (21.6%) reason for visiting a dental hospital, followed by treatment for periodontal problems (12.9%) and oral lesions (12.6%), whereas treatment for braces (orthodontics) was the least common (5%) reason for visiting the hospital. The reasons for visiting the hospital did not differ significantly between healthy and medically compromised patients (P > 0.05). The three most common barriers to dental visits included long waiting time (18.1%), fear of dental treatment (14.4%), and difficulty in getting an appointment (11.3%). Conclusion The study showed that dental patients had a high prevalence of medical conditions. Diabetes mellitus was the most prevalent problem. Most patients visited the dental hospital to receive restorative treatment, and a long waiting time was the most common barrier to dental visits. Public health measures should be taken to improve the general health and oral care of patients.

Periodontal Disease Prevalence and its Relation to Risk Factors Among Patients Attending Umm Al-Qura University Dental Teaching Hospital

Periodontal Disease Prevalence and its Relation to Risk Factors Among Patients Attending Umm Al-Qura University Dental Teaching Hospital

Quantification of single use plastics waste generated in clinical dental practice and hospital settings

ObjectivesTo quantify (by number and mass) single use plastic waste generated from the provision of oral healthcare in primary and secondary care clinical dental settings in the UK. MethodsAn observational study of four dental practices and the clinics of a UK undergraduate dental teaching hospital was conducted. A range of routine common procedures were observed by trained and calibrated observers; these were: Examinations, endodontics, periodontics, direct placement restorations, fixed and removable prosthodontics and oral surgery. The PPE items used before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were also included. ResultsRoutine ‘surgery set up’ generic items present a significant proportion of SUP plastic waste as these are used in every instance of patient treatment. An average of twenty-one (n = 21) SUP plastic waste items are used for every procedure with a mean mass of 354 g per procedure (including set up and clean up). The use of PPE increased from 14 items (pre-COVID -19) to 19 items during the pandemic. SUP items are constructed from a single plastic or from multiple plastics forming compound structures (heteropolymers); with an approximate 50:50 distribution. ConclusionsThe dental profession, at the point of care, uses a high volume of single use plastic that becomes clinical waste. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) significantly increased during the COVID 19 pandemic and this accounts for the single greatest contribution of single use plastic, as this is used for every clinical procedure. Clinical SignificanceManufacturers, distributors and oral healthcare providers have an opportunity to consider and implement approaches that include effective waste management with reduction, recovery and recycling at its core, towards transforming oral healthcare to a circular plastics economy.

Unmet Dental Treatment Needs and Barriers to Dental Care of Patients with Special Needs Attending a Dental Teaching Hospital

Objectives: This work attempted to determine the unmet dental treatment needs and self-reported barriers to continued care, in patients with special needs, attending a dental teaching hospital in the English-speaking Caribbean. Methods: A chart audit of patients who were planned for comprehensive treatment for the period from August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2017 was used to determine the types of treatment required for the sample of patients. Treatment was classified as either urgent, preventive, or restorative. Restorative treatment was further divided into operative, endodontic, periodontic, and prosthodontic treatment. Reasons for not returning to the clinic to complete planned treatment care were ascertained via a telephone interview. A non-parametric McNemar change test for related samples at an alpha level of 0.05 was used to compare planned treatment with completed treatment. Results: 34% of patients with special needs had comprehensive treatment plans developed for the period under investigation. Preventive dental treatment was included in most comprehensive plans (96.1%). Large proportions of patients also required care for periodontal disease (65.7%) and operative management of caries (52.9%). While there was no significant difference between preventive treatment planned and received, there were significant differences in treatment planned and received for all types of restorative care. Major identified barriers included cost, accessibility, and psychosocial issues. Conclusions: There was an unmet need for restorative and periodontal treatment. Major self-reported barriers to dental care included cost, accessibility to care in terms of transportation issues, and psychosocial issues.

Evaluation of knowledge and attitude of dental students regarding COVID-19: A multicentric study.

Despite the life-threatening risk that corona virus disease (COVID-19) poses to dentists, their role in suppressing its transmission and the need to deliver dental care to the patients is inevitable. In this regard, it is essential to determine the awareness and knowledge among Indian dental students regarding COVID-19 and to assess their preparedness to handle the current situation. This cross-sectional study enrolled 408 dental undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students from private and government dental teaching hospitals. A closed-ended online questionnaire containing crucial elements of COVID management during dental procedures was given to the participants assessing their knowledge and perception pertaining to COVID-19 regarding dental practice. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were employed for statistical analysis. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study consisted of 64.71% UG and 35.29% PG dental students, with a mean age of 25.75 ± 3.69 years and M: F ratio of 0.5:1. COVID-19 knowledge increased significantly with age (P = 0.0055) and educational level (P < 0.01). Awareness was also significantly greater in students from government institutions in comparison with private colleges (P < 0.001), with 91.67% of participants being aware of the transmission routes. However, familiarity with survival of virus in aerosols, considerations regarding the use of masks, and strategies for confirmed/suspected COVID-19 health-care workers to return to work after recovery were seen in only 35%, 53.9%, and 38.9% of the students, respectively. COVID-19 awareness among Indian dental students is significantly related to their education level. The lacunae in this knowledge need to be filled by adequate training by incorporating it as a part of their education.

Impact of Second Wave of Corona Virus Disease-2019 on Utilisation Pattern of Dental Services in a Dental Teaching Hospital

Introduction: COVID-19 brought fear in utilisation of dental services and a critical challenge to dental institutions on how to respond to the dental emergency conditions. Objective: To assess the impact of second wave of COVID-19 on utilisation patterns of dental services in a dental hospital of Kathmandu. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among all individuals visiting outpatient department of a dental teaching hospital, Kathmandu during lockdown and were assessed for chief complaint, examined orally and referred to specialty departments according to treatment need. It was then compared with referral done in pre-lockdown period. Data were analysed in SPSS. Frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were calculated depending upon the nature of data. Chi-square test was done for determining association between different variables. Results: During lockdown, majority (67, (28.5%) complained of dental pain, trauma or had hopeless tooth requiring referral to Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery followed by dental problems of endodontic concern (50, 21.3%) with need of referral to Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics. However, during the pre-lockdown period, majority (377, 33.1%) were referred to Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics followed by referral to Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (275, 24.1%). The proportional difference in referral between two periods were statistically significant (P &lt;0.001). Conclusion: The study concluded that the second wave of COVID-19 lockdown had impact on utilisation of dental services. Safety protocols including proper infection control measures need to be implemented to reduce the risk of transmission and provide quality oral health services.

Psychological Impact of Malocclusion among Teenagers

Objective: The current study was aimed to assess the psychological impact in terms of self-esteem due to malocclusion among teenagers and to determine the incidence of severity of malocclusion among teenagers Method: This was survey based descriptive crossectional study conducted in the department of orthodontics in a private dental teaching hospital of Lahore. Data was collected from the patients coming to orthodontic department for treatment. Sample size was 130 patients who required orthodontic treatment between ages ranging from 13years of age to 18 years of age. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25. Frequencies and percentages were calculated as descriptive statistic. Results: Data was segregated according to the IOTN divisions according to which mild/little treatment was required for 18.46% participants, moderate treatment was required for 31.54% participants, severe treatment was required for 35.38% participants and extreme treatment was required for 14.62% participants. Majority of participants were reported low self-esteem due to the malocclused teeth. Conclusion: The occurrence and severity of dental malocclusions has an adverse psychological impact among teenagers. Keywords: Dental Malocclusion, Psychological impact, Self-esteem, IOTN

Reproducibility and speed of cephalometric tracing between manual versus digital method

Introduction: Cephalometric tracing is an indispensable method for the evaluation of the growth and development of the facial skeleton. The clinical implication of the tracing may be utilized in many branches of dentistry for diagnosis and treatment planning. The research based cephalometric tracing has been widely used over a period of time by various specialist. The purpose of this study was to compare the cephalometric tracing method between manual and the digital method. Materials and Method: Lateral cephalometric radiographs of 120 patients who came for orthodontic treatment during Jan 2020 to Dec 2020 were randomly selected from Tribhuvan University Dental Teaching Hospital and one orthodontic center. Only the cephalograms with clarity and without artefacts were selected. The samples were randomly selected without any discremation of gender, occlusal type or skeletal pattern. The two methods were compared in terms of reproducibility and the speed of cephalometric tracing. The cephalograms were compared using both the manual and the digital method using Vistadent OC 1.1 software program (GAC International Inc, Bohemia, New York, USA). The mean tracing time for each method was also estimated. Paired t –test was used to compare the differences in individual measurement between the two methods. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to measure the repeatability of the measurements. Results: On comparing two methods, 3 out of 20 measurements showed statistically significant difference while others showed no statistically significant difference. The mean time needed to perform cephalometric analysis by the digital method (4.61±0.63 minutes) was significantly less as compared to the manual method (11.23±0.71 minutes) and the difference of performance duration were statistically significant (&lt;0.05). Intraclass correlation coefficient showed strong correlation (0.86 to 0.99) for each repeated cephalometric measurements carried out by both manual and digital methods. Conclusion: Both conventional manual and digital cephalometry methods showed good reproducibility with strong correlation for repeated measurements. The digital method exhibited significant reduction in time compared to manual method. Incorporation of digital methods by the clinicians can increase their efficiency

FREQUENCY OF DENTAL ANXIETY AMONG CHILDREN AGED 5–12 YEARS VISITING A DENTAL TEACHING HOSPITALS IN KOHAT, PAKISTAN

Background: Dental anxiety in children is recognized as a public health problem in many countries. Anxiety among dental patients directly affects their oral hygiene. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of anxiety among children 5–12 years of age visiting dental hospital in Kohat city of Pakistan. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 children attending the dental teaching hospital in Kohat, Pakistan. ‘Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale’ (MCDASf) was used to assess the level of anxiety in children. Results: Out of 400 participants, only 60 (15%) children were non-anxious, 119 (29.7%) were mildly anxious, 89 (22.2%) were moderately anxious while majority of the patients (132, 33%) were severely anxious. Statistically significant differences were observed between the level of anxiety and different age groups (p&lt;0.01). As the age increased the mean dental anxiety score decreased from 20.70 in the age group 5–8 years to 16.35 in age group 9–12 years. Conclusion: Our study confirms age differences in dental anxiety and found to be lower in older age group. Strategies like recognizing the symptoms before starting any dental treatment and managing it with counselling and other therapies would have effect in reducing anxiety in younger age group. Pak J Physiol 2021;17(4):39–41

Palatal Rugae as an Indicator of Sexual Dimorphism

Introduction: Palatoscopy or palate rugoscopy has been studied over the years to identify its unique characteristics to utilize for the human identification process. The unique anatomical location of the palatal rugae provides stability which along with the uniqueness of the palatal rugae pattern can contribute in human identification. Despite its simplicity and reliability, the palatal rugae is unexplored in the Nepalese population. The objective of the present study is to identify the rugae pattern and assess its sexual dimorphism. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted in Tribhuvan University Dental Teaching Hospital (TUDTH). The characteristics of palatal rugae based upon number, length, shape, and unification were analyzed on 100 dental casts. The rugae patterns were marked with a black color graphite pencil under adequate illumination. The length of the rugae was measured with the help of a digital vernier caliper and brass wire. The independent sample T-test and Mann Whitney U tests were used to assess the sexual dimorphism. Results: The predominant type of rugae according to the size in both males and females was primary rugae. According to the shape of the rugae, the predominant type of rugae was wavy followed by curved, straight, diverging, converging, and circular in both the sexes. However, no significant difference was seen in the rugae pattern in males and females. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, the use of palatal rugae for sex determination is not recommended.

Implementation of Antibiotic Guidelines in a Dental Teaching Hospital in Sudan

Dental professionals routinely use root canal treatment (RCT) worldwide to treat pulpal and periapical infections. Antibiotics are overprescribed for RCT patients with little regard to the prescription guidelines, as documented in many recent studies; this results in irreversible effects on public health. This study measures dental students' knowledge at the University of Gezira (UoG) for the most current American Dental Association (ADA) guidelines and assessing their relative compliance with these guidelines. Material and Method: This a cross-sectional study conducted among fourth and fifth-year students (142) at the Faculty of Dentistry at the UoG, using a multi-sectional questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of sections that evaluate the students' knowledge of the 2019 ADA guidelines, implement these guidelines, and students' opinions regarding bacterial resistance and the curriculum of the dental schools in Sudan. Results: 41.6% of the students' responses regarding the 2019 ADA guidelines were wrong, 30% of all the prescribed antibiotics for RCTs in Wad Madani dental teaching hospital were not in line with the recent guidelines. 81% reported a lack of knowledge about antibiotics prescription guidelines among dentists and dental students in Sudan, and 87% said there is a need to refine the curriculum of dental schools in Sudan. Conclusion: There was a lack of familiarity among dental students about the 2019 ADA guidelines and the incomplete implementation of these guidelines in RCTs; there is a need to refine dental education, clinical systems, and legislation to minimise unnecessary antibiotics prescriptions.

Prevalence of Denture-Related Stomatitis in Edentulous Patients at a Tertiary Dental Teaching Hospital.

Oral mucosal lesions can be uncomfortable and can result in a poorer oral health related quality of life. This can be seen especially in edentulous patients who are mostly elderly and have comorbid diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus, which can impair their ability to withstand oral infections. In South Africa, one of the most unequal countries in the world, almost 50% of the population is edentulous and this prevalence increases as age increases. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of denture-related stomatitis in subjects who presented to a tertiary institution in Cape Town, South Africa for new complete dentures and to determine the risk indicators associated with it. Three hundred and ninety-six folders of participants who received complete dentures during the period 2014–2019 were included in this study. Categorical data was displayed as frequencies and percentages and a multiple adjusted logistic regression was used to determine associations between Candida and certain risk indicators. The prevalence of denture-related stomatitis was 25.76% (n = 102). Almost 75% (n = 225) females and 72.63% (n = 69) males had no denture-related stomatitis. The most common site for candidiasis in this population was the palate and tonsillar area (40.2%, n = 41) and the least common site was the upper ridge (2.94%, n = 3). Candidiasis, in edentulous patients are highly prevalent in this population and more needs to be done to prevent it.

Socio-demographic Determinants, Patterns, and Treatment Outcomes of Dental Trauma Patients Treated at a Restorative Dentistry Unit, National Dental Teaching Hospital (NDTH), Sri Lanka

Aim: This study aimed to determine the socio-demographic determinants, patterns, and treatment outcomes of dental trauma patients treated at a Restorative Dentistry Unit, National Dental Hospital (Teaching) (NDTH), Sri Lanka. Material and methods: This retrospective hospital-based study analyzed data of a total sample of 422 patients according to age, gender, cause, number, and the type of traumatized teeth from the clinical records of traumatized patients. The sample consisted of patients who attended the Restorative Dentistry Unit A of NDTH, Sri Lanka for traumatic dental injuries between January 2017 to January 2021. The data covered the period from 1st January 2017 to 1st January 2021. This period comprised the pre-COVID-19 era, and the COVID-19 era commenced from 11th March 2020, with the detection of the first local case and first and second waves of the pandemic. The data were entered and analyzed using SPSS-21 Statistical Software Package. The data are presented by frequency distributions and chi-square test of statistical significance for group comparisons in selected variables.

Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture in Dental Hospitals in the Twin cities, Pakistan

Objective: The purpose of our research is to evaluate the patient safety culture at Islamabad and Rawalpindi teaching hospitals. Materials and methods: A validated and slightly modified questionnaire was sent as a google forms link via WhatsApp and email to different teaching dental hospitals in the twin cities. The returned questionnaires were examined with IBM's statistical package for social sciences (version 22).). Results: 139 complete questionnaires were analyzed and results were calculated as average positive and average negative responses. Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrated that degree of patient safety in general in the Hospitals of Pakistan was acceptable. The number of incident reports were very low. Many participants also stated that the hospital is only concerned about patient safety after an unfavorable incident occurs., but they also reported that mistakes always lead to positive outcomes and the departments coordinate well with each other. Key words: Patient safety, incident reports, dental teaching hospital.

Knowledge and Attitude about Dental Trauma among House Officers of Dental Surgery

Background: Dental trauma is trauma of teeth, periodontium and surrounding tissues. It occurs frequently in children and young adults. Traumatic injuries are one of the commonest injuries, it occurs at schools, homes, accidents or sports. The most common site of dental trauma is maxillary central incisors. Aim: To assess the knowledge and attitude about dental trauma among house officers of dental surgery. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was performed on house officers from four dental teaching hospitals of Islamabad, affiliated with Islamabad Medical and Dental College, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences and Riphah University from September 2020 to February 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and attitude of house officers about dental trauma. Those who were not willing to participate and incompletely filled questionnaires were excluded. IBM-SPSS version 22 was used for data entry and descriptive analysis. Results: Out of the 200 distributed questionnaires, 156 completed questionnaires were received so the response rate was 78%. Among 156 participants, 47 (30.1%) were male and 109 (69.9%) were females. Descriptive analysis of the knowledge showed that almost half of participants had good [n=82, (52.56%)] knowledge regarding dental trauma while house officers showed variable responses regarding their attitude toward dental trauma. Conclusion: The percentage of house officers with good knowledge and attitude about dental trauma was relatively high and the percentage of the ones with poor knowledge was more or less the same. Keywords: Attitude; Dentistry; House Officer; Knowledge; Surgery; Trauma.

Characterization of immune cell infiltrate in tumor stroma and epithelial compartments in oral squamous cell carcinomas of Sudanese patients.

BackgroundTumor immune infiltrate has been explored in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but studies on simultaneous characterization of multiple immune cell subtypes separately in stromal and intraepithelial tumor compartments are limited.ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the immune cell infiltrate in OSCC by using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for a panel of inflammatory cells in stromal and epithelial tumor compartments for a better characterization of the tumors.MethodsThirty‐six OSCC lesions and nine normal oral mucosa (NOM) samples from patients attending Khartoum Dental Teaching Hospital, Sudan were investigated for presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, tumor‐associated macrophages, tumor‐associated neutrophils, and PD‐L1 positive cells in the inflammatory infiltrate by single and double IHC. Digital quantitative analysis (Aperio Technologies Inc.) was performed separately for stromal and epithelial compartments.ResultsOSCC cases displayed a higher inflammatory infiltrate in the associated stroma, but not in the epithelial compartment when compared to NOM. The immunosuppressive type of inflammatory infiltrate, that is, T regulatory cells (FoxP3+ cells) was identified to be significantly higher in the epithelial compartment of tumors with advanced clinical state. An immunoscore developed by combining intraepithelial FoxP3+ and CD4+ cells was found significantly higher in lesions from elderly patients, localized at toombak dipping‐related sites, poorly differentiated OSCCs, or with loco‐regional lymph node spreading.ConclusionsDespite heavy immune cell infiltration in tumor‐associated stroma, the majority of OSCCs in this cohort displayed a low intraepithelial immune infiltration. An immunoscore based on combined CD4 and FoxP3 intraepithelial expression may serve as an indicator of advanced tumor progression and should be further investigated for its use as potential prognostic biomarker in OSCC.

Evaluating impact of removable acrylic dentures on oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) of patients

Objective: To manage patient expectation and provision of relief, it is vital to assess the impact of different domains of oral health associated with denture wearing which affect OHRQoL. Hence, study aimed to evaluate impact of removable acrylic dentures on OHRQoL of patients and assess influence of sociodemographic variables on OHRQoL. Methods and Material: A cross-sectional study with purposive sampling strategy was used to collect data from denture wearing patients presenting in prosthodontics department of dental teaching hospital of Lahore. A translated version of OHIP-14 (Oral Health Impact Profile) was employed. Mann-Whitney test was used to find association between variables (gender, age, missing teeth, type of denture, denture wearing time) and OHIP-14 items. ANOVA and T-test was performed to evaluate associate between OHIP-14 domain mean and variables. Results: 206 patients were included in the study. OHIP prevalence was 61.2%, whereas OHIP Score was 19.17 ± 10.1. Most affected domain was psychological discomfort (mean=1.81) followed by physical pain (1.76) and functional limitation (1.52). Significant association was observed amongst gender with female more likely to have an impact on OHRQoL due to physical disability, functional limitation and physical handicap. Patients with complete dentures were more likely to experience an impact on their OHRQoL due to physical disability and physical pain (p=0.04, 0.04) Conclusions: OHRQoL was satisfactory in our study however, majority of patients experienced problems associated with denture wearing. Most patients experienced psychological discomfort, physical pain and functional limitation. Female gender and patients with more than 5 missing teeth were more likely to have low OHRQoL. Keywords: Oral health, quality of life, dentures

Knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding periodontal health in patients visiting a dental teaching hospital

Background: Periodontal diseases, despite being preventable have an increasing prevalence worldwide. Mechanical plaque control methods are most effective to prevent and control these diseases. Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding periodontal health among patients visiting department of Periodontics, Kantipur Dental College and Hospital. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted by administrating pretested questionnaire to 384 patients in Kantipur Dental College and Hospital from Sep 2020 to Aug 2021. The study was conducted for one year after taking ethical clearance. All the patients who first visited the department of Periodontics were requested to participate by convenience sampling method. Statistical analysis was done to correlate among knowledge, attitude, and practices. Results: Positive attitude and practices towards dental floss 165 (43%), tongue cleaning 273 (71.1%), replacing tooth brush 268 (69.8%), and regular dental visits 202 (52.6%) was demonstrated. There was lack of knowledge on interdental brushes 79 (20.52%), probiotics 52 (13.5%), gingival massage, and their use to improve periodontal health 17 (4.4%). Conclusion: The majority of the respondents had good oral hygiene practices with favourable knowledge and attitude with respect to periodontal health and its measure to control the disease. Various preventive programs must be conducted regularly to brush up their knowledge. Further improvements should be focused on knowledge and attitude which can increase and improve the practice of oral health.

Assessment of Teachers and Students Experiences on Online Teaching during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case-Study at a University Dental Teaching Hospital

Background: COVID-19 disease is a global phenomenon that is exerting its influence on a lot more than just health sector. Colleges, Institutes, and Schools were also part of the lockdown that followed the outbreak. Educational institutes have shifted from classroom teaching to online teaching-learning platforms.&#x0D; Aim: The study aimed to assess teachers' and students' experiences on online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic at university dental teaching hospital Pune, India.&#x0D; Methodology: The study design was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. The research setting was online. Eligibility Criteria of the study were the teaching staff of the College who had taken to online teaching and undergraduate students who had attended online classes. Custom-made questionnaire link using 'Google form' was sent to teachers and students through WhatsApp and E-mail.&#x0D; Results: 63% of students and 90% of staff responded with the questionnaires. During COVID-19, 96.7% of teachers and 98.4% of students had used Zoom as an online teaching platform. 25.6% of teachers had experienced network issues as the main problem. 90% of staff did not prefer online teaching over classroom teaching. 10% of teachers did prefer online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. 82.4% of students didn't prefer an online learning method. The most common difficulties faced by students were network issues.&#x0D; Conclusion: Knowledge of teachers' and students' experiences on online teaching is important to overcome the issues faced by them. Teachers' opinions are vital for improvising and dealing with issues with online teaching. The result of this study can be used as a guide for improving effective online teaching.