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Background The temporary anchorage devices (TADs) are presently a viable and popular treatment option for orthodontics all over the world. However, there is a lack of investigation and research on its application among orthodontists in China. This study aims to explore factors influencing temporary anchorage devices usage and compare current perspectives and usage patterns between orthodontic specialists and general dentists, thereby establishing new consensus and guiding future improvements. Methods A cross-sectional study using a multi-center structured questionnaire was designed. The Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and logistic regression were performed. Results Respondents were from 30 provincial-level regions. Most doctors had relatively rich clinical experience in orthodontics, with 65.70% working for over 10 years. Respondents reported a relatively high usage rate (87.54%) and satisfaction with TADs (93.85%). The analysis result showed Chinese orthodontists who received more TADs training ( P  < 0.01), had higher educational attainment ( P  < 0.01), and used more clear aligners ( P  < 0.01) tended to use TADs more frequently. About 95.90% of respondents believed TADs helped achieve higher treatment goals, 68.23% agreed they could shorten treatment duration, and 51.82% believed they reduced the probability of orthodontic-orthognathic treatment. Differences in the understanding of indications for TADs, improvement method of TADs can be observed between orthodontic specialists and general dentists ( P  < 0.05). Conclusions Chinese orthodontists were relatively active in using TADs. The factors most closely associated with TAD usage included related training, the type of orthodontic appliances used and the highest educational attainment. Orthodontic specialists and general dentists might had differing perspectives regarding TADs, but they tended to follow similar management procedures.

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, by gender, of vertical root fracture (VRF) as the main reason for the extraction of permanent teeth in dental clinics in Tokyo. Materials and methods Participating dentists were requested to provide information about extractions of permanent teeth they had performed from 1 January 2013 to 30 June 2013. The main reasons for extraction were categorized as follows: VRF, caries (horizontal root fracture included), periodontal disease and others. Results At a total of 24 clinics, 736 teeth were extracted from 626 patients during the 6-month period. A total of 233 teeth were extracted by VRF (31.7 %), and 93.6 % of these were endodontically treated teeth. Among non-vital extracted teeth, 82.1 % (179/218) had cast posts or screw posts. The percentage of extraction due to VRF was 29.4 % in males and 34.7 % in females. In females, the percentage of extractions due to VRF (34.7 %) was higher than for periodontal disease (28.1 %). In males, the percentage of extractions due to VRF increased with age ( p  < 0.05). The tooth types with the highest percentage of extractions due to VRF were the upper canine (46.7 %), lower second premolar (48.0 %) and lower first molar (50.0 %) in males and the upper first premolar (43.3 %), upper second premolar (44.4 %), lower second premolar (53.8 %) and lower first molar (54.5 %) in females. Conclusions These results indicate that we need to pay more attention to maintaining vital teeth while being aware of the particular tooth types in which VRF most frequently occurs.

To evaluate the association between dentists’ profile and health work management with the performance of primary care dental teams in the Brazilian National Health System, both nationally and regionally. Secondary data analysis from a Brazilian National Programme that evaluated 18,114 Brazilian dental teams, working in the public sector, between 2013 and 2014. Twenty-four independent variables taken from dentists’ profile and dental team management characteristics were analysed to assess their influence on reported “dental team performance.” An estimated score was generated from their performance on 20 dental procedures by an item response theory model. Multiple linear regression models were performed for each Brazilian geographical region, separately and for the whole of Brazil. p values ≤ 0.05 were considered significant. Two variables related to dentists’ profile, “having graduate studies” (β=0.151) and “undertaking continuing professional development training” (β=0.101), were associated with enhanced dental team performance in all five Brazilian geographical regions and nationally. The dental team management variables of “having a flexible dental appointment list” (β=0.218) and “monitoring oral health indicators” (β=0.132) also contributed to improve team performance in each of the regions and nationally. Dentists’ profile influenced the performance of dental teams from south region more than the other regions. The findings suggest that continuing professional development, including postgraduate education, and strategic management characteristics are important for primary dental care performance and should be reflected in health policy initiatives in support of quality care. Regional factors could be considered for health care management.

Results Of the 231 dentists attending the session, 111 (48.1%) responded to the questionnaire. [...]70% of respondents were male, with the median age of 36 years (range, 24–64 years) and median postgraduate duration of 11 years (range, 1–44 years). Discussion The current study revealed that among dentists, behaviors dictating their prescription of antimicrobial prophylaxis against IE, local infections, and complications following common dental procedures varied widely. [...]respondents’ self-reported behavior demonstrated that periprocedural antimicrobial overprescribing apparently stems from deeply entrenched misperceptions about the relevant pathophysiology, litigation fears, and prevailing culture despite putative familiarity with current recommendations against this behavior. In principle, antimicrobial prophylaxis should be administrated before an invasive procedure. [...]continuing postprocedural administration to reduce further the risk of local complications or infections remains controversial.6,7 Previous studies have also cited the inappropriate continuation of postprocedural prophylaxis.3,9 This study has a number of limitations. The sample size was small, and selection bias may have occurred because the respondents were attendees of a regional academic conference. [...]their responses may not reflect their actual antimicrobial prescribing practices.

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the state of endodontic practices and identify factors influencing the use of modern endodontic techniques among dental practitioners in Croatia. Materials and Methods A questionnaire was distributed to all dental offices in Croatia, yielding 819 responses (27% response rate). Data were descriptively analyzed and statistically modeled. Results Nearly 74% of endodontic treatments in Croatia are performed by general practitioners (17 teeth per month per practitioner), while endodontic specialists handle the highest number of treatments per specialist (67 teeth per month, representing 15% of total treatments). 56% of respondents use radiography before the procedure “always” or “almost always” with intra‐oral periapical radiography being the most commonly used technique. Rubber dams are used “never” to “rarely” by 74% of respondents. Apex‐locators are highly prevalent, used “almost always” to “always” by 83% of practitioners. Magnifiers are rarely used, with 63% of respondents reporting they “never” use them. Lasers are never used by 92% of respondents, whereas 59% frequently use engine‐driven instrumentation. 76% of respondents “always” or “almost always” determine the working length of the root canal. Sodium hypochlorite is the most common irrigant (88%), and EDTA for smear layer removal is used by 36% of respondents. The cold lateral condensation is the most popular obturation technique (64%). CBCT is unused by 59% of responders, most probably because it is not accessible. Conclusions Croatian endodontic practices are comparable to those in countries with similar economic status, but there is substantial potential, particularly among general practitioners, to enhance knowledge and awareness of modern technologies through continuous education. Underused techniques in Croatia include rubber dams, magnifiers, lasers, and CBCT.

The dental profession is responsible for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and disorders of the oral cavity and related structures. Although the majority of the US population receives excellent oral health care, a significant portion is unable to access regular care. Along with proposals to develop midlevel providers, the scope of practice for dentists needs to be reconceptualized and expanded. A broad number of primary health care activities may be conducted in the dental office, such as screening for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dermatopathology; smoking prevention and cessation activities; and obesity interventions. More than 70% of adults saw a dentist in the past year, which represents an unrealized opportunity to improve both oral health and general health.

The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, practice, confidence, and perceived barriers to oral cancer screening among teaching faculty in Japan. Results were compared by specialist as well as years of clinical experience. A 25-question survey was used to assess the oral cancer screening practices of faculty dentists at Iwate Medical University, School of Dental Medicine, the only dental school located in the northeast (Tohoku) region of Japan. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Iwate Medical University. The response rate was 83% (n = 110, 71.8% were male). This survey revealed that only 43.6% of the dentists performed oral cancer screening frequently (always or usually) at the initial appointment, and there was no significant differences between specialists and clinical experience. Visual inspection of the oral cavity was the primary screening method, but the frequency and content of the examination (TMJ and tonsil) was significantly different between specialties. A history of cancer and tobacco use motivated providers to perform an examination and was significantly different between various specialists and clinically experienced providers. In contrast, HPV and alcohol consumption were a weak motivator. The confidence level of providers on their examination knowledge/skills was poor, especially among junior faculty. More than 80% of junior faculty indicated a lack of knowledge/skills as a major barrier.

The fissure-sealing of newly erupted molars is an effective caries prevention treatment, but remains underutilized. Two plausible reasons are the financial disincentive produced by the dental remuneration system, and dentists’ lack of awareness of evidence-based practice. The primary hypothesis was that implementation strategies based on remuneration or training in evidence-based healthcare would produce a higher proportion of children receiving sealed second permanent molars than standard care. The four study arms were: fee per sealant treatment, education in evidence-based practice, fee plus education, and control. A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted. Analysis was based on 133 dentists and 2833 children. After adjustment for baseline differences, the primary outcome was 9.8% higher when a fee was offered. The education intervention had no statistically significant effect. ‘Fee only’ was the most cost-effective intervention. The study contributes to the incentives in health care provision debate, and led to the introduction of a direct fee for this treatment.

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to investigate the screening and referral behaviour of Flemish dentists concerning periodontitis and more specific, the use of the Dutch Periodontal Screening Index (DPSI).Materials and methodsAn online questionnaire was electronically distributed through the different professional dental societies. It consisted of two parts: the first aimed at describing the profile of the dentist. The second part inquired the screening method, when this was applied, periodontal risk factors and referral behaviour.ResultsOne thousand fifty dentists attended to the questionnaire. One hundred fifty-nine questionnaires were excluded since they did not match the target audience. Sixty-four percent of Flemish dentists used DPSI as a periodontal screening method, 28% screened based on probing pocket depth, 4% used solely radiographs and 4% had no screening method at all. The usage of DPSI is influenced by the year of graduation: the longer the dentists were graduated, the less they used DPSI. No influence of sex, education centre and location was found. Referral behaviour is influenced by different patient- and dentist-related factors.ConclusionsRegarding the screening behaviour, there seems a consensus among Flemish dentists that a periodontal probe should be used. For referral, there is no consensus about if and when to refer to a specialist.Clinical relevanceIt is encouraging that 92% of the Flemish general dental practitioners use a probe when screening for periodontitis. However, DPSI is mainly used by younger dentists. An effort should be made to encourage all dentists to use this, so that in every patient, periodontitis can be detected timely, securing the best treatment outcome.

An outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China has influenced every aspect of life. Healthcare professionals, especially dentists, are exposed to a higher risk of getting infected due to close contact with infected patients. The current study was conducted to assess anxiety and fear of getting infected among dentists while working during the current novel coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) outbreak. In addition, dentists’ knowledge about various practice modifications to combat COVID-19 has been evaluated. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey from 10th to 17th March 2020. The well-constructed questionnaire was designed and registered at online website (Kwiksurveys) and validated. A total of 669 participants from 30 different countries across the world responded. After scrutiny, completed questionnaires (n = 650) were included in the study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25. Chi-Square and Spearman correlation tests were applied to control confounders and assess the relation of dentists’ response with respect to gender and educational level. More than two-thirds of the general dental practitioners (78%) from 30 countries questioned were anxious and scared by the devastating effects of COVID-19. A large number of dentists (90%) were aware of recent changes in the treatment protocols. However, execution of amended treatment protocol was recorded as 61%. The majority of the dentists (76%) were working in the hospital setting out of which 74% were from private, and 20% were from government setups. Individually we received a large number of responses from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, but collectively more than 50% of the responses were from other parts of the world. Despite having a high standard of knowledge and practice, dental practitioners around the globe are in a state of anxiety and fear while working in their respective fields due to the COVID-19 pandemic impact on humanity. A number of dental practices have either modified their services according to the recommended guidelines to emergency treatment only or closed down practices for an uncertain period.