The scope and pattern of practice in the delivery of endodontic treatment in Malaysia: A survey study

The study aimed to compare the scope and pattern of practice between general dental practitioners (GDPs), restorative dentistry specialists and endodontists. Self-administered postal questionnaires were distributed to 22 restorative dentistry specialists, 16 endodontists and a random sample of 566 GDPs. The pre-tested questionnaire inquired about demographic data, endodontic practices and referrals. Fisher’s exact test with Bonferroni adjustment was performed for pairwise comparisons. The overall response rate was 73.8%. The restorative dentistry specialists and the endodontists performed a wider array of endodontic procedures than the GDPs and were more consistent in the use of specific armamentarium (p<0.017). Endodontists were referred to mostly for cases requiring advanced endodontic skills, while restorative dentistry specialists were mainly consulted for second opinions, pain and restorative management. GDPs should be encouraged to further their education on endodontic practice. Overlapping scope of practice and referrals among the specialists, merits scrutiny to optimize resources and manpower

Guidelines for reporting the quality of clinical case reports in Endodontics: a development protocol.

Case reports are used to communicate interesting, new or rare condition/s, innovative treatment approaches or novel techniques. Apart from informing readers, such information has the potential to contribute towards further scientific studies and the development of newer management modalities. Reporting guidelines are used to inform authors of the quality standards required to ensure their case report is accurate, complete and transparent. The aim of this project is to develop and disseminate new guidelines - Preferred Reporting Items for Case reports in Endodontics (PRICE). The primary aim is to aid authors when constructing case reports in the field of Endodontics to ensure the highest possible reporting standards are adopted. The project leaders (PD and VN) formed a steering committee comprising of six additional members. Subsequently, a four-phase consensus process will be used: 1. Pre-online consensus activities (literature search, creating PRICE guidelines), 2. Online Consensus (Delphi Process), 3. Face-to-face consensus meeting, and 4. Post-meeting activities. The steering committee will develop the PRICE guidelines by identifying relevant items (quality standards) derived from the CAse REport guidelines and Clinical and Laboratory Images in Publications principles, focussing on the content of case reports. Following this, the steering committee will identify a PRICE Delphi Group (PDG) consisting of 30 members including academicians, practitioners, and members of the public. The individual items (components) of the PRICE checklist will be evaluated by the PDG based on a 9-point Likert scale. Only items scored between 7 and 9 by 70% or more members will be included in the draft checklist. The Delphi process will be continued until a consensus is reached and a final set of items agreed by the PDG members. Following this, a PRICE Face-to-Face meeting group (PFMG) will be formed with 20 members to achieve a final consensus. The final consensus-based checklist and flow diagram will be evaluated and approved by selected members of the PDG and PFMG. The approved PRICE checklist will be published in relevant journals, and disseminated via contacts in academic institutions and national endodontic societies, as well as being presented at scientific/clinical meetings. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Survey of attitudes, materials and methods employed in endodontic treatment by general dental practitioners in North Jordan

BACKGROUND: General dental practitioners provide the majority of endodontic treatment in Jordan. The aim of this study was to gather information on the methods, materials and attitudes employed in root canal treatment by dentists in North Jordan, in order to evaluate and improve the quality of current practice. METHODS: A questionnaire was posted to all registered general dental practitioners working in private practice in Irbid Governate in North Jordan (n = 181). The questionnaire included information on methods, materials and techniques used in endodontic treatment. RESULTS: Reply rate was 72% (n = 131). The results demonstrated that only five dentists used rubber dam occasionally and not routinely. The majority used cotton rolls for isolation solely or in combination with a high volume saliva ejector (n = 116). The most widely used irrigants were sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide, which were used by 32.9% (n = 43) and 33.6% (n = 44) of the respondents, respectively. Forty eight percent of the respondents (n = 61) used the cold lateral condensation technique for canal obturation, 31.3% (n = 41) used single cone, 9.9% (n = 13) used vertical condensation and 12.2% (n = 16) used paste or cement only for the obturation. The majority used zinc oxide eugenol as a sealer (72.5%). All, but one, respondents used hand instruments for canal preparation and the technique of choice was step back (52.7%). More than 50% (n = 70) of the dentists took one radiograph for determining the working length, whilst 22.9% (n = 30) did not take any radiograph at all. Most practitioners performed treatment in three visits for teeth with two or more root canals, and in two visits for teeth with a single root canal. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that dentists practicing in North Jordan do not comply with international quality standards and do not use recently introduced techniques. Many clinicians never take a radiograph for determining the working length and never used rubber dam or intra-canal medicaments

Intelligent Insect–Computer Hybrid Robot: Installing Innate Obstacle Negotiation and Onboard Human Detection onto Cyborg Insect

Developing small mobile robots for Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) is a major challenge due to constraints in size and power required to perform vital functions such as obstacle navigation, victim detection, and wireless communication. Drawing upon the idea that insects’ locomotion can be controlled, what if we further utilize the insects’ intrinsic ability to avoid obstacles? Herein, a cockroach hybrid robot (≈ 1.5 cm height, 5.7 cm length) that implements the abovementioned functions is developed. It is tested in an arena with randomly placed obstacles, and a motion capture system is used to track the insect's position among the untracked obstacles. A navigation algorithm that uses an inertial measurement unit (IMU) is developed to heuristically predict the insect's situation and stimulate the insect to escape nearby obstacles. The utilization of insect's intrinsic locomotor ability and low-powered IMU reduces the onboard power load, allowing the addition of a human-detecting function. An image classification model enables the use of an onboard low-resolution infrared camera for human detection. Consequently, a single hybrid robot is established that includes locomotion control, autonomous navigation in obstructed areas, onboard human detection, and wireless communication, representing a significant step toward real USAR application

Rituximab in B-Cell Hematologic Malignancies: A Review of 20 Years of Clinical Experience

Rituximab is a human/murine, chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody with established efficacy, and a favorable and well-defined safety profile in patients with various CD20-expressing lymphoid malignancies, including indolent and aggressive forms of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Since its first approval 20 years ago, intravenously administered rituximab has revolutionized the treatment of B-cell malignancies and has become a standard component of care for follicular lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and mantle cell lymphoma. For all of these diseases, clinical trials have demonstrated that rituximab not only prolongs the time to disease progression but also extends overall survival. Efficacy benefits have also been shown in patients with marginal zone lymphoma and in more aggressive diseases such as Burkitt lymphoma. Although the proven clinical efficacy and success of rituximab has led to the development of other anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies in recent years (e.g., obinutuzumab, ofatumumab, veltuzumab, and ocrelizumab), rituximab is likely to maintain a position within the therapeutic armamentarium because it is well established with a long history of successful clinical use. Furthermore, a subcutaneous formulation of the drug has been approved both in the EU and in the USA for the treatment of B-cell malignancies. Using the wealth of data published on rituximab during the last two decades, we review the preclinical development of rituximab and the clinical experience gained in the treatment of hematologic B-cell malignancies, with a focus on the well-established intravenous route of administration. This article is a companion paper to A. Davies, et al., which is also published in this issue