Knowledge of Dental Residents at Shahid Beheshti Dental School about COVID-19

Objectives After the onset of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2019, it turned out to be one of the most important issues in public health, and the healthcare community must have adequate knowledge about it; therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge level of dental residents at Shahid Beheshti Dental School about COVID-19. Methods The knowledge level of 104 dental residents at Shahid Beheshti Dental School about COVID-19 was evaluated with a standardized questionnaire that was developed, and its reliability and validity were confirmed. The questionnaire had 4 parts of (I) virology, basic information, and epidemiology, (II) clinical and oral manifestations, (III) prevention of virus transmission and vaccination, and (IV) diagnosis and treatment. The questionnaires were administered in both printed and online forms. Results The overall response rate was 72%. The mean number of correctly answered questions was 7.2 ± 2.6 out of 14. Correct answers were 44.5% in virology, basic information, and epidemiology, 49.2% in clinical and oral manifestations, 48,5% in prevention of virus and vaccination, and 69% in diagnosis and treatment. The knowledge level of dental residents was weak in 12%, average in 52%, and good in 36%. Conclusion The majority of dental residents had average knowledge about COVID-19. Considering the importance of adequate knowledge for proper diagnosis and management of COVID-19, it is suggested to arrange educational programs for dental residents’ knowledge enhancement

Epulis fissuratum in the soft palate: Report of a case in a very rare location

Introduction: Epulis fissuratum is a tumor-like hyperplasia developing in association with an ill-fitting denture. Case Report: We report a 73-year-old female with epulis fissuratum in the soft palate as a very rare clinical location. She presented with the chief complaint of an abnormal growth along the posterior border of her ill-fitting upper complete denture as well as pain and discomfort during mastication. Intraoral examination revealed a polypoid fibrous mass, soft in consistency and smooth in texture. On history and clinical examination, a provisional diagnosis of denture-induced hyperplasia was made. The patient was prescribed topical anti-fungal medications for 10 days. Then, the lesion was excised surgically. Discussion: Histopathological examination revealed hyperplastic epithelium as well as a fibrous connective tissue with moderate inflammation which confirmed the clinical diagnosis. Although rare, epulis fissuratum can happen along the posterior portion of the upper denture and should be considered in intraoral examination

Oral White Lesions: An Updated Clinical Diagnostic Decision Tree

Diagnosis of oral white lesions might be quite challenging. This review article aimed to introduce a decision tree for oral white lesions according to their clinical features. General search engines and specialized databases including PubMed, PubMed Central, EBSCO, Science Direct, Scopus, Embase, and authenticated textbooks were used to find relevant topics by means of MeSH keywords such as “mouth disease„, “oral keratosis„, “oral leukokeratosis„, and “oral leukoplakia„. Related English-language articles published since 2000 to 2017, including reviews, meta-analyses, and original papers (randomized or nonrandomized clinical trials; prospective or retrospective cohort studies), case reports, and case series about oral diseases were appraised. Upon compilation of data, oral white lesions were categorized into two major groups according to their nature of development: Congenital or acquired lesions and four subgroups: Lesions which can be scraped off or not and lesions with the special pattern or not. In total, more than 20 entities were organized in the form of a decision tree in order to help clinicians establish a logical diagnosis by a stepwise progression method