Awareness of Dental Interns to Treat Pregnant Patients

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy causes major changes in maternal physiology and metabolism, which may lead to increased susceptibility to oral infection. AIM: Aim of this study is to assess the awareness of dental interns regarding the management of the dental needs of pregnant patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 188 interns of a private dental college in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire comprised of 14 knowledge-based questions regarding their training, awareness and practice management of the pregnant patient in dental clinics. Four questions to record and evaluate their training, the number of pregnant patients treated by them and their confidence level in the dental management of the pregnant patient. Excel spreadsheet was used for mathematical calculations. RESULTS: Almost 62% of our participants never treated a pregnant female during their training. About 65% of the interns knew using antibiotics, almost 55% have a clear idea of the safest NSAIDS, and 43% regarded local anaesthesia to be safe when used among pregnant females. Conversely, about 50% of the participants had no clear knowledge of the FDA category of drugs. Only 24% considered dental radiographs to be safe in pregnant patients. 57% thought to postpone the dental treatment in an acute active dental infection in expecting mothers. Results also showed a lack of confidence among interns to provide dental care to gestating female. CONCLUSION: On analysing the results, we found that there is a need to improve the knowledge, awareness and confidence levels among the interns who are the future dentists treating these patients

CURRENT REALITIES OF DENTAL GRADUATES ABOUT DENTAL PROFESSION: CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY FUTURE PROSPECTS OF DENTAL GRADUATES

Purpose: Dentistry is specialized branch for head and neck region. In this field exponential growth in technology has taken place in the last few decades. At the same time dental graduates also increased. As the patient to doctor ratio has increased, it helped in offering services to the needy, but on the flip side, many qualified dentists are shifting careers due to multiple reasons. This study was conducted to know the awareness of dental graduates on their future prospects in pursuing the dental career.Materials and methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among junior residents who attended the dental conference using a structured questionnaire. Questions are prepared in a customized form which elicits, knowledge and awareness of dental graduates on their future prospects among junior residents.Results: A total of 210 dental graduates/ junior residents participated in the study. Among them, nearly half of the sample, i.e. 42.4% of dental graduates are satisfied only 50% in pursuing dentistry. Most of the participants, i.e., 63.8% are willing to change the profession, while remaining one-third of the sample, i.e., 36.7% are willing to work in government sector. Only a few graduates, i.e. 22.4% of them were interested in teaching or academics.Conclusion: Even though most of the dental graduates were happy in pursuing dentistry, but most of them were willing to change the career option because of a stressful job timing with no expected fruitful returns in terms of income. This problem is also escalating because of fewer job opportunities

Oral health in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with chronic kidney disease

The objective of our study is to assess the subjective and objective oral manifestations and salivary pH in diabetic and nondiabetic uremic patients at a nephrology clinic. A total of 194 diabetic and nondiabetic patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), who were divided into four groups, Group A, B, C, D, and who were attending a nephrology clinic were included in the study. Predialytic unstimulated whole salivary pH was recorded using pH- measuring strips. Subjective and objective findings were evaluated and recorded in the specially designed pro forma. Dental health assessment consisted of decayed, missing, and filled teeth index and community periodontal index (CPI). Dysgeusia was found to be significantly more prevalent in nondiabetic patients on dialysis. Uremic odor showed high significance (P <0.05) with 75% patients being positive in diabetic dialysis. There was no significant difference in the incidence of tongue coating between the four groups. A statistically high significance was observed with the objective oral manifestation of mucosal petechiae, with P = 0.01. There was an increased periodontal pocket depth among diabetic CKD patients as compared to that in nondiabetic patients. A moderate significance was found, with a CPI score showing P <0.05. Increased prevalence of caries was noticed among the diabetic CKD patients (Groups A, B). Recorded salivary pH showed no significant difference among diabetic and nondiabetic CKD patients. Findings suggest that these patients are at risk of developing complications, related to systemic health causing morbidity and mortality. Hence, these patients are to be motivated for comprehensive professional oral care and self oral hygiene instructions. Additional research is necessary to elucidate and correlate the combined influence of diabetes, CKD, and dialysis on oral health

Role of antimicrobial peptides in periodontal innate defense mechanism

The periodontal epithelium neighboring the tooth is precise to form a seal and attachment around the tooth. This exclusive function imparts unique challenges to the tissue and leads to certain vulnerabilities allied with periodontal disease, particularly in view of the continual exposure to the bacterial biofilm (dental plaque) that form that is formed on the tooth surface at the junction of the soft tissue. It is obvious that oral epithelial cells can counter unbroken microbial challenges from dental plaque by the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), chemokines and cytokines that boost inflammation and immune response in periodontal tissues. AMPs are early responders of the innate immune system that search and destroy invading pathogens. The large variety of AMPs presumably allows for an effective response to the large variety of microorganisms that invade the mouth and airways. The present paper portrays the association between altered expression of AMPs and some types of periodontitis along with AMPs and their clinical significance in other oral diseases

"Dental implant radiology" - Emerging concepts in planning implants

Dental radiology has long played an exciting and critical diagnostic role in dentistry. This has been never truer than now with the rapidly expanding array of imaging modalities. Radiography offers the sole method of (non-surgical) analysis of bone required for implant therapy. The choice of when to image, along with which imaging modality to use, depends on a combination of factors including determination of the bone quality and quantity to establish the most favorable position of implant placement, detection of the presence or absence of pathoses and accessibility at a reasonable cost to the patient. In addition, exposing patients to radiation dose as low as reasonably achievable should always be considered when selecting radiographic examinations. This article, reviews the current concepts on implant planning using different radiographic techniques and their applicability to facilitate the clinician′s work in successful implant placement

Awareness of Consumer Protection Act among the dental fraternity in India

Background: The medical and dental professionals have been included in the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) to shield the patients in case of any unethical treatment given by the doctor. Though there is ample literature regarding the CPA and its importance, insufficient data is available from the Indian subcontinent regarding the awareness of dentists in India and the problems faced by them in clinical practice. Thus, there is a need to know the awareness of the dental fraternity in India and their knowledge about CPA. Objective: To evaluate the knowledge, awareness, and practices regarding the CPA among dental professionals in India. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, a total of 467 dental professionals (198 males, 269 females) comprising (117) Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) practitioners, (114) Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) practitioners, (104) interns, and (79) postgraduate (PG) students were surveyed using a self-administered structured electronic questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised 20 questions about the awareness of CPA and whether these professionals were following the recommendations of CPA. Chi-square test was used to know the significance. Results: The CPA awareness scores were significantly higher among MDS practitioners when compared with those of BDS practitioners, interns, and postgraduates. Almost 66% of the participants found the taking of written consent to be time-consuming. Nearly 70% and 69.3% of the BDS and MDS practitioners, respectively, were updating the medical ethics. Conclusion: Considering the present scenario, a better understanding of CPA is necessary for dentists in order to be on the safer side and an educational program would be helpful to increase the knowledge and confidence of dentists in any medical legal jurisprudence to avoid any litigation

Knowledge of Obstructive Sleep Apnea among Dental Fraternity in Riyadhof OSA (Ostructive Sleep Apnea ) among dental fraternity in Riyadh

AIM: To assess and compare the knowledge of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among final years dental students, interns, dental practitioners and faculty working in and around Riyadh. METHODS: A questionnaire-based study comprising of 16 questions was conducted among final year dental clinical students, interns, dental practitioners and faculty working in and around Riyadh. Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS version 21) was used to analyse the statistical data. The p &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 450 respondents took part in the study. When gender comparison was done regarding the awareness of OSA, statistically significant differences were noted for the majority of questions. The response rate for the knowledge-based questions varied statistically concerning their speciality and educational qualifications. 65% of the participants admitted that they were unaware of the diagnostic tests performed for diagnosing these patients. It was noted that 85% of the participants wanted to attend a CDE program to know more about OSA. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that there is a significant lack of knowledge among final year students, interns and general dentists. This study emphasises the need for all dental professionals to regularly update their knowledge and equip themselves to identify and treat such patients at an early stage

Mucormycosis as Post Coronavirus Disease Complication

Mucormycosis is called as black fungus, which is caused by fungus belonged to Mucorales. If this fungus, effects healthy individuals it won't cause any serious complications, but it may cause life-threatening issues when Mucorales affects individuals who have low immunity. The mortality rate of black fungus is more than 50%, and it may also range till 100% if the individual is having any preexisting or chronic disease. This was the case of a 55-year-old male patient complaint of having generalized pain in the maxillary teeth bilaterally and suffering fullness in the maxillary sinus. To check on other possible diseases, doctors have conducted other diagnosis tests, and orthopantomogram revealed in the diagnosis that there was the presence of haziness in the left maxillary sinus, which looked like an incompletely formed soap bubble and additionally he diagnosed with coronavirus disease positive. Then, doctors suggested a chest computerized tomography (CT) along with head CT excluding the brain and further investigation of this case was given below in detail. The report reveals acute necrotizing suppurative sinusitis with dead bony tissue, soft-tissue necrosis with fungal infestation showing broad hyphae with right-angle branching suggestive of mucormycosis

Correlation of Blood and Salivary pH Levels in Healthy, Gingivitis, and Periodontitis Patients before and after Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy

Periodontitis is an infectious illness which leads to the inflammation of protective tissues around the teeth and the continuous loss of alveolar bone and conjunctive tissue. Biomarker analysis in serum and saliva helps in the evaluation of disease progression and activity. It is also established that every inflammatory change along with resultant damage of tissues ends up in altered pH values in the fluids and tissues. Aim: To correlate the connection of pH levels in both blood as well as saliva in healthy, periodontitis, and gingivitis patients. Materials and Methods: The current research involved 145 subjects amidst the age of 20 and 55 years. The subjects were split into three different groups: healthy (Group A), gingivitis (Group B), and finally chronic periodontitis (Group C). The recording of clinical parameters was done by gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), and plaque index (PI). pH of saliva and blood was analyzed with the help of digital single electrode pH meter. Subjects have gone through scaling and root planning (SRP) coupled with the instructions of oral hygiene. They were recalled post 4 weeks, and saliva and blood samples were gathered for analyzing pH. Results: Clinical parameters GI and PI were statistically important in both group C as well as group B post SRP. A crucial change has been observed in attachment levels (AL) and PD in the case of periodontitis group post SRP. The difference in the salivary pH values were significant between group B vs. C and A vs. C before the treatment because the values for group C were acidic, whereas in groups B and A the pH was alkaline. After the treatment, the values were still significant because the pH has become more alkaline compared to preoperative value in both group B and C. Saliva’s pH levels have demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in group C post SRP. Conclusion: Salivary pH levels and blood evidently became alkaline in the group C patients post SRP and there is a positive correlation between them and the clinical parameters

Relationship of skin complexion with gingival tissue color and hyperpigmentation. A multi-ethnic comparative study

Abstract Background and Objective The most frequently seen intra-oral soft tissue is the gingiva. Most often, it is seen as coral-pink tissue that surrounds the neck of the teeth. Gingiva that encircles the tooth necks and covers the alveolar processes of the jaws is an intra-oral tissue that exhibits biomimetic features. The wide range of colors of the gingiva depends on the configuration of gingival vascularity, the degree of epithelial cornification, level of melanogenesis, and the depth of epithelialization. However, the color of the gingiva varies depending on the degree of melanin pigmentation. The current study aimed to identify the different distribution patterns of gingival color and determine the correlation between skin color, gender, and geographical area of origin. Materials and methods A total of 839 subjects were involved in the study where the gingival color and skin tone were measured using the Dummett-Gupta Oral pigmentation Index (DOPI) combined with VITA VMK MASTER and skin shade method developed by Revlon (USA) and L’Oreal (France) for makeup foundation shades. One investigator was calibrated for the examination of the colors after being tested for normal color vision and color aptitude using the line test. Results A significant association was found between skin color and gingival pigmentation (χ2 value (6) = 114.48; P = 0.001). It was also found that females (67.1%) significantly had darker gingiva than males (58.3%). The study statistics display that location of the individual was also statistically associated with melanin pigmentation of the gingiva (χ2 value (57) = 559.33; P = 0.001). Conclusion The study concluded that gender, skin color, and individual location are significantly associated with gingival melanin pigmentation