Explore the vast range of titles available.

Objective Safe patient care can help reduce treatment costs, morbidity, and mortality. This study aimed to assess dentists’ perceptions of patient safety culture and related factors in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study used a sample of 271 dental professionals working in private and public dental hospitals and clinics in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia. The Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ), a validated tool consisting of 36 items on a 5-point Likert scale, was used to assess dentists’ perceptions of patient safety culture. The score of SAQ ranges from 0 to 100 and a cut-off ≥ 75 is considered a positive attitude toward patient safety culture. Results There were 53.9% males and 46.1% females in the study with a mean age of 35.56 ± 6.87 years. Almost half of the participants (52%) attended a course on patient safety and 22.1% experienced medical error in the last month. The mean score of the SAQ of the sample was 65.14 ± 13.03 and the patient safety score was significantly related to the marital status ( P  = 0.041), attendance of patient safety course ( P  < 0.001), and experience of medical error ( P  = 0.008). The highest mean score (73.27 ± 20.11) was for the job satisfaction domain, followed by the safety climate domain (67.69 ± 16.68), and working conditions domain (66.51 ± 20.43). About one-quarter of the participants (22.5%) demonstrated positive attitudes toward patient safety culture. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that dental professionals who attended a patient safety course were 4.64 times more likely to demonstrate positive attitudes toward patient safety than those who did not attend a course ( P  < 0.001). Conclusion This study showed that patient safety culture was significantly related to the attendance of safety courses, marital status, and experiencing medical error. About one out of four dental professionals demonstrated a positive attitude towards patient safety culture which was significantly associated with the attendance of the safety course.

Background This study aimed to assess the knowledge of dental professionals in Saudi Arabia regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods A questionnaire was developed to assess various dental professionals from both governmental and private sectors through online and social media outlets. Results A total of 1,033 questionnaires were collected (273 dental students, 193 dental auxiliary personnel, 544 dentists). In all, 63.4% of the respondents worked in hospitals. Of all the respondents, 44.9%, 33.4%, and 21.7% worked in governmental clinics, academia, and the private sector, respectively. Overall knowledge of the incubation period and route of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was consistent across all dental professions. Knowledge of hand-soap cleaning time was significantly different among dental professionals ( p  < 0.001). Dental professionals displayed significant disagreement on the survival of SARS-CoV-2 outside the host ( p  < 0.001). Furthermore, 75.1% of the respondents were reluctant to treat a suspected COVID-19 patient, and 92% of the participants believed that the mode of transmission was droplet inhalation. Fever, coughing, and shortness of breath were identified as the most common symptoms of COVID-19. Most standard methods of prevention in the dental office were selected by at least 50% of the participants. Conclusions Dental professionals seem to be consistent regarding their knowledge of the incubation period of SARS-CoV-2. However, knowledge of viral survivability and recommended hand-soap washing time was significantly variable among the professionals. A high degree of apprehension toward suspected COVID-19 patients existed among all dental professionals. Pandemic-awareness campaigns are essential among healthcare providers.

Predicting dental development in individuals, especially children, is important in evaluating dental maturity and determining the factors that influence the development of teeth and growth of jaws. Dental development can be accelerated in patients with an accelerated skeletal growth rate and can be related to the skeletal growth pattern as a child. The dental age (DA) of an individual is essential to the dentist for planning treatment in relation to maxillofacial growth. A deep-learning-based regression model was developed in this study using panoramic radiograph images to predict DA. The dataset included 529 samples of panoramic radiographs collected from the dental hospital at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal university in Saudi Arabia. Different deep learning methods were applied to implement the model, including Xception, VGG16, DenseNet121, and ResNet50. The results indicated that the Xception model had the best performance, with an error rate of 1.417 for the 6–11 age group. The proposed model can assist the dentist in determining the appropriate treatment for patients based on their DA rather than their chronological age.

The purpose of this study is to comprehensively review the relationship between malocclusion and anxiety and depression. While the physical implications of malocclusion are well documented, recent scholarship has shifted focus to examining the direct relationship between malocclusion and both anxiety and depression. It has been hypothesized that individuals with skeletal or dental malocclusion experience a range of psychological sequelae, including diminished quality of life (QoL), reduced oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), increased vulnerability and appearance-related bullying, and impaired body image. Furthermore, these factors are postulated to collectively contribute to overall mental health, with malocclusion potentially serving as a contributing etiological factor in the development of elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Contemporary scholarship has established a complex relationship between dentofacial deviations and the psychological well-being of affected individuals. Evidence shows that malocclusion may contribute to increased depression and anxiety levels in some individuals, influencing their social functioning and treatment-seeking behavior. Dentofacial disharmony has also been associated with altered self-perception, potentially impacting an individual’s OHQOL and overall quality of life. While the findings exhibit some inconsistency, a modest body of evidence indicates a possible correlation between pronounced skeletal or dental malocclusion and anxiety and depression. These adverse psychosocial impacts, in turn, contribute to an elevated risk of anxiety and depression, underscoring the far-reaching consequences of malocclusion beyond oral health. Therefore, clinicians need to consider these issues in their treatment plans, incorporating interdisciplinary approaches that address both orthodontic and psychological aspects of patient care.

Background. The number of patients seeking orthodontic treatment has been consistently increasing. During orthodontic treatment, it is recommended to place the provisional restoration and to delay the final restoration until completion of orthodontic treatment. Recurrent bracket debonding necessitates orthodontists to prepare the bonding area with special measures. Objective. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different grit sizes of diamond burs and sandblasting surface treatment on the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets to provisional crowns. Materials and Methods. A total of 75 discs were fabricated from a bisacrylic composite and divided into 5 groups (n = 15) according to surface treatment by black, blue, and green diamond burs and sandblasting in addition to a control group. Metal orthodontic brackets were bonded to discs in a standardized conventional manner. All specimens were subjected to thermocycling with 5000 cycles of alternating 5°C and 55°C waterbaths. The shear bond strength test was performed using a universal testing machine. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to analyze the surface treatment effect and features of debonded surfaces. The amount of composite resin left on the specimen surfaces was analyzed and classified with the adhesive remnant index. One-way ANOVA was performed at α = 0.05. Results. The shear bond strength of specimens treated with sandblasting was significantly higher than that of the control group under thermal aging conditions (p=0.022), as well as blue burs (p=0.001), while no significant differences were found between different grit diamond burs and the controls (p>0.05). Conclusion. Under thermocycling conditions, sandblasting of provisional crowns increases the bond strength of orthodontic brackets.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of different surface treatments on the shear bond strength (SBS) of clear aligner attachments bonded to Bis-acryl provisional crowns. 120 cylindrical bisacrylic composite material (ProTemp type) specimens were prepared and divided into six groups (  = 20) based on surface treatment, control: (no treatment); super coarse grit diamond bur, carbide bur, alumina-blasting, non-thermal plasma treatment, and Er:YAG laser treatment. The features of treated surfaces were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A flowable composite resin (Transbond XT; 3M Unitek) was bonded to the specimens forming the attachment. Half of specimens were subjected to thermal cycling (5,000 cycles). SBS was measured before and after thermal cycling. Each specimen was loaded at the attachment/resin interface at a speed of 0.5 mm/min until failure. The nature of the failure was analyzed using the composite remnants index (CRI). Two-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD were used for data analysis =  0.5. For CRI scores analysis, Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn's multiple comparison were used as test. SEM analysis showed that all surface treatments altered surface properties and increase surface bonding area. The specimens treated with plasma, Er:YAG laser, and alumina-blasting had higher SBS values before and after thermal cycling. In comparison to control plasma, Er:YAG laser, and alumina-blasting showed a significant increase in SBS (  < 0.001) while carbide and diamond bur groups showed no significant differences (  > 0.05). Thermal cycling significantly decreased the SBS of control, carbide bur, diamond bur, and Er:YAG laser while no significant effect of alumina-blasting and plasma group. Er:YAG laser and plasma groups significantly exhibited more dominance for scores 2 and score 3 and the absence of score 0. Alumina-blasting, Er:YAG laser, or non-thermal plasma surface treatments increased the shear bond strength between clear aligner attachments and resin-based restorations.

Background/Objectives: Chlorhexidine (CHX) and alcoholic (A+) mouthwashes are associated with adverse oral effects. Therefore, this study compared the efficacies of non-alcoholic mouthwashes, including fluoride (A−) and herbal (Hr) rinses, for preventing bacterial accumulation and enamel demineralization around metal brackets (MBs), ceramic brackets (CBs), and resin composite attachments (RCAs). Methods: Following the exposure to CHX, A+, A−, and Hr rinses for 1 min, the growth of Streptococcus mutans on MB, CB, and RCA was assessed using colony-forming units and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Controls included attachments without intervention. In another setting, enamel with bonded attachments was exposed to mouthwashes for 1 min and subjected to cariogenic demineralization for 24 h. Enamel’s Vickers microhardness was measured before and after the demineralization challenge. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and one-/two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s tests. Results: CHX mouthwash demonstrated superior antimicrobial efficacy against S. mutans biofilms across all orthodontic attachments (p < 0.05). On metallic brackets, CHX (0 ± 0 log10) and A− (1.7 ± 0.4 log10) significantly (p < 0.001) outperformed controls (6.9 ± 0.1 log10), Hr (6.08 ± 0.2 log10), and A+ (6.2 ± 0.6 log10). Similar patterns emerged for ceramic brackets, with CHX (0 ± 0 log10) and A− (1.4 ± 0 log10) superior to controls (6.6 ± 0.4 log10). On resin composite attachments, CHX (2.9 ± 0.05 log10) and Hr (3.4 ± 0.08 log10) exceeded controls (5.4 ± 0.09 log10) in inhibiting the biofilm growth (p < 0.05). Enamel microhardness reduction was significantly influenced by attachment type (p < 0.0001) and mouthwash type (p = 0.0063), with significant interaction between variables (p = 0.0052). Conclusions: CHX and A− mouthwashes effectively inhibited S. mutans biofilms on orthodontic attachments, while attachment type and mouthwash significantly influenced enamel microhardness reduction.

This study aimed to present a new application of 3D printing technology for crowns integrated with orthodontic brackets as one unit and to assess the strength of the bonded groups and the one-unit printed group. A total of 60 lateral incisors with brackets were obtained and allocated into two main groups: bonded groups and one-unit group. For the bonded groups, there were 40 specimens (20 conventionally fabricated crowns and 20 3D-printed crowns with bonded brackets), while for the one-unit group, there were 20 3D-printed crowns and brackets fabricated as one unit. One lateral incisor and one with a bracket were scanned, forming STL files for designing and printing 3D-printed specimens (20 without, 20 with brackets). Half of the specimens (30, n = 10) were thermocycled (5000 cycles). A universal testing machine was used for the bond strength (MPa) measurement, followed by analysis of the debonded areas and failure mode (adhesive, cohesive, or mixed). ANOVA and the post hoc Tukey’s test were used for analysis of the collected data (α = 0.05). The 3D-printed one-unit group significantly showed high strength compared with the bonded brackets (p < 0.001). The 3D-printed bracket showed the highest SBS (10.14 ± 1.93 MPa). After thermocycling, the bond strength of the bonded brackets significantly decreased (p < 0.001). The adhesive failure was dominant in the bonded groups, while the one-unit group exhibited all the fractures in the brackets. The introduced technique for producing a one-unit 3D-printed provisional crown integrated with orthodontic brackets is considered a clinically plausible option in contemporary orthodontic practice. However, further investigations are recommended to verify the findings of the present study before clinical implementation.

Computer-based technologies play a central role in the dentistry field, as they present many methods for diagnosing and detecting various diseases, such as periodontitis. The current study aimed to develop and evaluate the state-of-the-art object detection and recognition techniques and deep learning algorithms for the automatic detection of periodontal disease in orthodontic patients using intraoral images. In this study, a total of 134 intraoral images were divided into a training dataset (n = 107 [80%]) and a test dataset (n = 27 [20%]). Two Faster Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (R-CNN) models using ResNet-50 Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) were developed. The first model detects the teeth to locate the region of interest (ROI), while the second model detects gingival inflammation. The detection accuracy, precision, recall, and mean average precision (mAP) were calculated to verify the significance of the proposed model. The teeth detection model achieved an accuracy, precision, recall, and mAP of 100 %, 100%, 51.85%, and 100%, respectively. The inflammation detection model achieved an accuracy, precision, recall, and mAP of 77.12%, 88.02%, 41.75%, and 68.19%, respectively. This study proved the viability of deep learning models for the detection and diagnosis of gingivitis in intraoral images. Hence, this highlights its potential usability in the field of dentistry and aiding in reducing the severity of periodontal disease globally through preemptive non-invasive diagnosis.

Despite drawbacks, cold-cured acrylic resin is still the most common material used in denture repair. Zirconia nanoparticles were among the reinforcements added to increase the strength of the resin. The effect on due to the addition of zirconia nanoparticles to the resin has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of zirconia nanoparticles added to cold-cured acrylic resin on adhesion. A total of 120 acrylic resin specimens with dimensions measuring 22×10×2.5 mm were prepared and divided into two equal groups. One group (repair) comprised heat-polymerized specimens that were sectioned at the center and prepared to create a 2 mm repair area that was repaired with cold-cured resin reinforced with 0% wt, 2.5% wt, 5% wt, and 7.5% wt zirconia nanoparticles. The second group contained intact cold-cured acrylic resin specimens reinforced with 0% wt, 2.5% wt, 5% wt, and 7.5% wt zirconia nanoparticles. Specimens were incubated at 37°C in artificial saliva containing , and the effect of zirconia nanoparticles on was assessed using two methods: 1) a slide count method and 2) a direct culture test. Variations in the number of living were observed in relation to the different concentrations of zirconia nanoparticles. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Tukey's tests were performed for data analysis. If the -value was ≤0.05, then the difference was considered as statistically significant. It was found that adhesion to repaired specimens was significantly decreased by the addition of zirconia nanoparticles ( <0.00001) in comparison with the control group. Intact cold-cured groups and groups repaired with cold-cured resin reinforced with 7.5% wt zirconia nanoparticles showed the lowest count. Tukey's test showed a significant difference between the repaired group and the intact cold-cured group, while the later demonstrated a lower count. The addition of zirconia nanoparticles to cold-cured acrylic resin is an effective method for reducing adhesion to repaired polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) denture bases and cold-cured removable prosthesis. Based on the results of the current study, zirconia nanoparticles have an antifungal effect, which could be incorporated in the repair material for repairing denture bases and in PMMA removable prostheses as a possible approach for denture stomatitis prevention.