The effectiveness of integrating role play into case-based learning in dental education: enhancing critical thinking and teamwork skills.

Background: Modern dental education necessitates dynamic methodologies to foster critical thinking and teamwork skills, which might include case-based learning (CBL) and role play (RP).

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the combined CBL and RP (CBL-RP) approaches on critical thinking and teamwork skills among dental students by comparing pre- and post-RP evaluation scores.

Methods: This pre-post intervention study was conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Towards Wiser Prescribing of Antibiotics in Dental Practice: What Pharmacists Want Dentists to Know.

Antibiotics have various indications for treatment and prophylaxis in dental practice. While only a handful of antibiotics are typically prescribed in dentistry, unlike in medicine, clear indications and appropriate dosing and duration remain controversial among antibiotic-prescribing dentists, which may result in inappropriate or excessive antibiotic prescriptions. This practice can increase the risk of antibiotic resistance and expose patients to unnecessary side effects.

Outcomes of Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy in Gingivitis and Periodontitis Patients Treated by Senior Dental Students.

Objectives: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of nonsurgical periodontal therapy performed by senior dental students.

Methods: Electronic records of patients treated by senior dental students at the comprehensive care clinic in King Abdulaziz University Dental Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Patients diagnosed with gingivitis or periodontitis who had undergone at least one session of scaling and root planing were included in this study.

Health Effects of Oral Contraceptives on Periodontal Disease and Gingivitis: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Study Among Saudi Women in Jeddah.

Background: Sex hormones strongly influence the health and ailment of the oral cavity. For instance, a woman's oral health is influenced by her menstrual cycle, menopause, pregnancy, and usage of oral contraceptives. The use of various therapeutic medication results in intraoral alterations.

A Role for Salivary Peptides in the Innate Defense Against Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

Background: Diarrheal disease from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) causes significant worldwide morbidity and mortality in young children residing in endemic countries and is the leading cause of traveler's diarrhea. As ETEC enters the body through the oral cavity and cotransits the digestive tract with salivary components, we hypothesized that the antimicrobial activity of salivary proteins might extend beyond the oropharynx into the proximal digestive tract.

Results: Here, we show that the salivary peptide histatin-5 binds colonization factor antigen I pili, thereby blocking adhesion of ETEC to intestinal epithelial cells.

A structural basis for sustained bacterial adhesion: biomechanical properties of CFA/I pili.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are a major cause of diarrheal disease worldwide. Adhesion pili (or fimbriae), such as the CFA/I (colonization factor antigen I) organelles that enable ETEC to attach efficiently to the host intestinal tract epithelium, are critical virulence factors for initiation of infection. We characterized the intrinsic biomechanical properties and kinetics of individual CFA/I pili at the single-organelle level, demonstrating that weak external forces (7.