Periodontal health awareness among gynecologists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To determine the knowledge of periodontal disease and pregnancy outcomes among the gynecologists practicing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 200 randomly chosen gynecologists from Riyadh was carried out by using a structured, self-administered, closed-ended questionnaire. Knowledge of periodontal disease and possible ways of prevention; knowledge of periodontal disease and pregnancy outcomes; and oral self-care attitudes among gynecologists were assessed. RESULTS: One-quarter of the gynecologists knew the meaning of dental plaque. Almost 57.5% believed that the frequency of toothbrushing should be increased during pregnancy. Eighty percent of gynecologists were aware of the serious effects of smoking on the pregnant woman and her child. Less than half (44.5%) believed that there is a relationship between gum disease and premature labor. Gynecologists working in the government sector were significantly more aware about the causes of inflamed gum in pregnancy, gum disease and its prevention, and negative effects of smoking on pregnancy. A significantly higher percentage of male and senior gynecologists aged between 50 and 54 years answered that gum disease would lead to the delivery of a preterm or low-birth-weight infant. CONCLUSION: Gynecologists considered in the present study showed an acceptable level of knowledge and awareness toward periodontal health and the association between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes

GIS-based site suitability analysis for wind farm development in Saudi Arabia

The harmful effects of traditional methods of power generation on the environment has created a need to strategically plan and develop renewable and sustainable energy generation systems. This paper presents the wind farm site suitability analysis using multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach based on geographic information system (GIS) modeling. This analysis is based on different climatic, economic, aesthetic and environmental criteria like wind resource, accessibility by roads, proximity to the electrical grid, and optimum/safe distance from various settlements and airports. Using information from published literature, criteria constraints like buffer zones, exclusion zones and suitability scores for each criteria is developed. An analytical hierarchy process, AHP is employed to assign appropriate weights to the criteria according to their relative importance. The developed model is then applied to the entire Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The most suitable sites are found to be (i) near Ras Tanura on the coast in the Eastern Province; (ii) Turaif in Al-Jawf region at northern borders and (iii) Al-Wajh on the coast in the western region. The central and southeastern region is found to be unsuitable mainly due to scarce wind resource, few settlements and less connectivity by roads and electrical grid.http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy2018-12-15hj2017Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineerin

Is chlorhexidine mouthwash effective in lowering COVID-19 viral load? A systematic review

OBJECTIVE: This review aims to determine whether there is considerable evidence that mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine (CHX) lower the COVID-19 virus load in saliva. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was carried out in PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, LILACS, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Open Gray, and ProQuest electronic databases using the keywords: “coronavirus infections” or “coronavirus” or “covid 2019” or “sars 2” or “sars-cov-2” or “sars-cov-19” or “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” or “coronavirus infection” or “severe acute respiratory pneumonia outbreak” and “CHX” or “CHX Hydrochloride” or “CHX Digluconate.” A manual search of the articles was also conducted utilizing the reference lists of articles. The in vitro experimental and clinical studies that tested CHX mouthwash were included. Study selection was not restricted or limited to a specific gender, age, ethnicity of individuals, or time of publication. A mix of keywords and proper truncations were used to search for databases. RESULTS: Twelve studies (7 clinical and 5 in vitro) published between 2020 and 2021 were included in this systemic review. Five randomized controlled trials and one clinical case series demonstrated the effectiveness of CHX in reducing the oral viral load; one was inconclusive. Of the five in vitro studies, three showed that CHX is effective against SARS-CoV-2, and two studies denied the effectiveness of CHX. All in vitro studies tested CHX activity concentrations of 0.2, 0.12, and 0.1%. One study reported more than a 99.9% reduction in SARS-CoV-2 viral load in a minimal contact time of 30 seconds. CHX exhibited potent antiviral activity at higher concentrations without cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Despite differences in the published research, CHX at different concentrations may be effective in lowering the SARS-COV-2 viral load in saliva

Knowledge, attitude and practices of gynecologists regarding the prevention of oral diseases in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia

Abstract AIM: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of gynecologists regarding the prevention of oral diseases in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A structured, self administered, close-ended questionnaire was distributed among the randomly chosen sample of 200 gynecologists and their responses were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Nearly half of the respondents knew all the main risk factors of dental caries, gingivitis and malocclusion. An overall mean scores of 16.49 \ub1 5.63, 6.62 \ub1 1.59 and 7.13 \ub1 2.82, were observed for knowledge of risk factors, attitude and practices towards prevention of oral diseases respectively. Gynecologists working in the private hospitals showed signifi cantly higher mean attitude and practice scores towards prevention of oral diseases. A linear positive correlation between knowledge and attitude (r=0.11, p=0.11), knowledge and practice (r=0.07, p=0.26), instead a negative correlation between attitude and practice (r=-0.04, p=0.53) was found by a Spearman's test. CONCLUSION: Gynecologists considered in the present study showed inadequate oral health knowledge, attitude and practices towards prevention of oral diseases. However, gynecologists expressed their need for further information regarding the prevention of oral diseases