Primary care physicians' knowledge and attitudes about obesity, adherence to treatment guidelines and its' association with confidence to treat obesity at the Saudi Ministry of Interior primary health care centers.

Background And Aim: Many primary care physicians (PCPs) believed that managing overweight and obesity is essential to their jobs, however, many believe that they were doing it ineffectively, unsatisfying, and had negative attitudes. We conducted this study to explore the knowledge, attitudes and adherence to obesity management guidelines, identify potential barriers that may prevent adherence of PCPs to obesity treatment guidelines.

Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional study and conducted a questionnaire sent via email to all PCPs in the Ministry of Interior centers in Riyadh, Al-Kharj, AlQassim, Wadi Ad Dawasir, Hail and Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.

Flexural strength and degree of conversion of universal single shade resin-based composites.

Background/purpose: Recently, a group of universal single-shade resin-based composites (RBCs) has been developed to simplify the process of shade selection. Excellent mechanical and physical properties are crucial for the ultimate success and clinical longevity of restorations. Therefore, evaluating the properties of the single-shaded RBCs is imperative.

Effect of different finishing and polishing systems on surface properties of universal single shade resin-based composites.

Background: Recently, universal single-shade resin composites have become increasingly available in the dental market. The modification of their composition can have an inadvertent effect on their physical and surface properties, and subsequently determinantal effect on their clinical function and longevity. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of different finishing and polishing (F/P) systems on surface roughness (Ra), surface gloss (GU), and Vickers microhardness (VMH) of universal single-shade RBCs.

Simulated skill complexity and perceived cognitive load during preclinical dental training.

Introduction: Cognitive Load theory (CLT) focuses on the information processing aspect of learning and how the working memory handles the mental effort associated with new task. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the perceived cognitive load and performance amongst dental students during preclinical simulation training at various levels of procedural task complexity. Additionally, some cognitive load-modifying factors were examined.

Do Self-adhesive Resin Composites Release More Monomers? A Comparative High-performance Liquid Chromatographic Analysis.

Purpose: To comparatively evaluate the elution of residual monomers (bis-GMA, bis-EMA, TEG-DMA, and HEMA) from two self-adhesive flowable resin composites, a giomer, and a nano-flowable resin composite over five different time intervals, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Materials And Methods: Four flowable resin composites were investigated (Vertise Flow, Constic, Beautifil Flow Plus F03, and Filtek Z350 XT). Immediately after polymerization, each sample was immersed in 75% ethanol/water solution and stored in amber-colored bottles at room temperature.

Comparative evaluation of Rheological characteristics of Giomers and other Nano-flowable resin composites .

Objective: The purpose of this research was to determine the viscoelastic properties of a group of commercially available nano-flowable resin composites; and to explore the relation between these properties and the materials' composition (with/without fluoride), filler size description (nano-filled, nanohybrid and submicron-filled) and filler loading (by volume).

Methods: Rheological measurements were performed using a rheometer. A Dynamic frequency sweep test was conducted to evaluate the complex viscosity, storage and loss moduli, loss tangent, and complex shear modulus at an angular frequency () of 0.

The utility of haptic simulation in early restorative dental training: A scoping review.

Background: Haptic dental simulators are becoming increasingly available in dental schools around the world; however, there is a paucity of evidence on their pedagogical effectiveness particularly in early dental training for the acquisition of the highly specific fine motor dental skills.

Methods: A scoping review was performed to broadly map the available evidence and to detect knowledge gaps on the utility of haptic dental simulation in early dental training. The review is reported using the PRISMA-ScR guidelines.

Early assessment with a virtual reality haptic simulator predicts performance in clinical practice.

Background: Prediction of clinical training aptitude in medicine and dentistry is largely driven by measures of a student's intellectual capabilities. The measurement of sensorimotor ability has lagged behind, despite being a key constraint for safe and efficient practice in procedure-based medical specialties. Virtual reality (VR) haptic simulators, systems able to provide objective measures of sensorimotor performance, are beginning to establish their utility in facilitating sensorimotor skill acquisition, and it is possible that they may also inform the prediction of clinical performance.

The factors that count in selecting future dentists: sensorimotor and soft skills.

Introduction Dental schools across the world are increasingly adopting 'multiple mini interview' (MMI) approaches to evaluate prospective students. But what skills and abilities are being assessed within these short, structured 'interview' stations and do they map on to the requirements of dental practice? Understanding the fundamental processes being measured is important if these assessments are to serve the purpose of identifying the students with the greatest potential to succeed in dental practice.Materials and methods To this end, we performed factor analysis on data from 239 participants on ten MMI stations used for undergraduate selection at a UK dental school.

Drilling into the functional significance of stereopsis: the impact of stereoscopic information on surgical performance.

Purpose: One suggested advantage of human binocular vision is the facilitation of sophisticated motor control behaviours via stereopsis - but little empirical evidence exists to support this suggestion. We examined the functional significance of stereopsis by exploring whether stereopsis is used to perform a highly skilled real-world motor task essential for the occupational practice of dentistry.

Methods: We used a high fidelity virtual reality simulator to study how dentists' performance is affected by the removal of horizontal retinal image disparities under direct and indirect (mirror) observation.

Capturing differences in dental training using a virtual reality simulator.

Virtual reality simulators are becoming increasingly popular in dental schools across the world. But to what extent do these systems reflect actual dental ability? Addressing this question of construct validity is a fundamental step that is necessary before these systems can be fully integrated into a dental school's curriculum. In this study, we examined the sensitivity of the Simodont (a haptic virtual reality dental simulator) to differences in dental training experience.

Should prospective dental students be screened for colour vision deficits?

A perennial question in dental education is: what skills and aptitudes should be assessed in prospective dental students? Intellectual capacity and manual dexterity understandably rank highly, but are there minimum thresholds for visual perception that applicants need be able to demonstrate before they enter the profession? We have recently flagged this issue with regard to the thresholds of stereoscopic acuity required for a dentist when operating on teeth. In the present article, we highlight the issue of identifying a minimum acceptable level of colour vision.

Feedback and motor skill acquisition using a haptic dental simulator.

Aim: To investigate the effect of qualitatively different types of pedagogical feedback (FB) on the training, transfer and retention of basic manual dexterity dental skills using a virtual reality (VR) haptic dental simulator.

Methods: Sixty-three participants (M = 22.7 years; SD = 3.

Learning style preferences of first-year dental students at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: influence of gender and GPA.

The aim of this study was to investigate the learning style preferences of a group of first-year dental students and their relation to gender and past academic performance. A total of 113 first-year dental students (forty-two female, seventy-one male) at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, participated. The Visual, Aural, Read-write, and Kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire was used to determine the students' preferred mode of learning.

Occluding effect of Nd:YAG laser and different dentin desensitizing agents on human dentinal tubules in vitro: a scanning electron microscopy investigation.

Objectives: This in vitro study aimed to microscopically evaluate and compare the occluding effect of the Nd:YAG laser and different dentin desensitizing agents on human dentinal tubules.

Materials And Methods: The Nd:YAG laser (SunLase™ 800) and four commercially available and professionally applied dentin desensitizers (Gluma® desensitizer, Tenure Quick®, Quell™ desensitizer, and VivaSens®) were investigated in this study. Sixty-four extracted intact human molars were used.