Oral health status, self-perceptions, and risk awareness among young adult users of electronic cigarettes in Pakistan.

Introduction: The use of electronic cigarettes (ECs) has surged globally, particularly among young individuals. This study aimed to assess the perceptions of vaping-related oral health risks, clinical oral health status, and self-perceived dental and periodontal conditions among young adult users of ECs in Pakistan.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2023 to March 2024, recruiting 142 young users of ECs.

Assessment of Practitioners' Knowledge of the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approach to Endo-Periodontal Lesions in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Endodontic-periodontal diseases frequently pose significant challenges for clinicians in terms of diagnosis, management, and prognosis. Practitioners' knowledge of endo-periodontal lesion (EPL) diagnosis is essential for formulating appropriate treatment plans. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to EPLs among dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia.

Impact of complete dentures treatment on Oral health-related quality of Life (OHRQoL) in edentulous patients: A descriptive case series study.

Objectives: To evaluate the changes in oral health-related quality of life [OHRQoL] before and three months after complete denture oral rehabilitation using the Geriatric oral health assessment index [GOHAI] in Pakistani elderly edentulous patients.

Methods: In this descriptive case series study a total of 80 edentulous patients were recruited from Islamic International Dental Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan from November 2021 to April 2022. The OHRQoL was evaluated twice by using the GOHAI- Urdu version.

Changes in complacency to adherence to COVID-19 preventive behavioral measures and mental health after COVID-19 vaccination among medical and dental healthcare professionals.

Medical and dental professionals should continue to adhere to preventive measures after COVID-19 vaccination due to their increased risk of exposure to the virus, particularly as new variants emerge that may heighten their risk perception and susceptibility. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on complacency to adherence to COVID-19 preventive behavioral measures and mental health among medical and dental professionals. In this cross-sectional study 410 medical and dental professionals were recruited from different medical and dental hospitals in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Comparative bond failure rate of orthodontic brackets when bracket base is treated with micro-abrasive blasting . acid etching: eighteen month randomized control trial and scanning electron microscope study.

Background: The aim of this study was threefold. Firstly, it aimed to introduce and detail a novel method for chemically etching the bases of stainless-steel orthodontic brackets. Secondly, the study sought to investigate the structural alterations within the brackets' microstructure following chemical etching compared to those with sandblasted bases, using electron microscopy analysis.

Clinical Overview of Sarcopenia, Frailty, and Malnutrition in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis.

Sarcopenia, frailty, and malnutrition in patients with liver cirrhosis are commonly observed and are associated with higher long-term mortality. Therefore, recognizing patients with increased nutritional risk and providing recommended interventions are essential in the long- and short-term management of cirrhosis, especially as alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease continues to rise. Various assessment tools are available to gauge frailty and malnutrition but are infrequently used.

The Association Between Economic Status and Religious Identity With Oral Health Disparities and Inequalities Around the World.

Introduction: The inequalities in oral health remain one of the current issues in the global public health agenda. The number of studies investigating health disparity by religious identity is limited and there is currently no such report relating to oral health. Similarly, there is compelling evidence for oral health disparities between socioeconomic statuses, education levels, and ethnic groups.

Caries risk assessment by Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) Protocol among the general population of Pakistan-a multicenter analytical study.

Background: Caries risk (CR) assessment tools are used to properly identify individuals with caries risk and to improve preventive procedures and programs. A tool such as CAMBRA determines the precise protective factors of caries and identifies an individual's specific therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this study was to assess the caries risk using the CAMBRA protocol among the general population of Pakistan.

Microleakage Assessment of Different Preparation Techniques and Pit and Fissure Sealants in Permanent Molars.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the predisposition of microleakage in permanent molar teeth following different preparation techniques for pits and fissure sealants.

Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study, a dye penetration method was employed to evaluate microleakage in dental restorations. A total of 104 extracted molars were randomly assigned into two groups and further subdivided into two subgroups based on a class of sealant (filled/unfilled resin) containing 26 teeth each.

Student Perception and Preferences With Social Media for Enhanced Learning in Health Sciences Following Post-COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities worldwide pivoted to distance education, primarily online, using various blended learning tools. In the contemporary era, characterized by widespread high-speed internet and the ubiquity of social media (SM), SM has become an essential tool, especially among students. This study aimed to assess the perception, impact, and preferences of various SM platforms for learning among health sciences students in the post-COVID-19 era.

Navigating post COVID-19 education: an investigative study on students' attitude and perception of their new normal learning environment.

Background: The incidence and aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a drastic change in health professional education around the world. Traditional classrooms made way for online classrooms in order to ensure that learning continued in a safe and secure environment. However, how well health professional students perceived and accepted these changes have not been fully gauged yet.

Comparison of the elastic recovery and strain-in-compression of commercial and novel vinyl polysiloxane impression materials incorporating a novel crosslinking agent and a surfactant.

This study aims to formulate experimental vinylpolysiloxane (VPS) impression materials and compare their elastic recovery and strain-in-compressions with three commercial VPS materials (Aquasil, Elite, and Extrude). Five experimental materials (Exp), two hydrophobic (Exp-I and II) and three hydrophilic (Exp-III, IV and V) were developed. Exp 1 contained vinyl-terminated poly-dimethyl siloxane and a conventional cross-linking agent (poly methylhydrosiloxane), while Exp- II contained a novel cross-linking agent that is tetra-functional dimethyl-silyl-ortho-silicate (TFDMSOS).

Barriers and challenges faced by orthodontists in providing orthodontic care and implementing new innovative technologies in the field of orthodontics among children and adults: a qualitative study.

Orthodontic treatment requires the cooperation of patients as well as orthodontists. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate and address the challenges and barriers orthodontists have in achieving the desired orthodontic results, as well as make recommendations for ways to address the stated problems and introduce new innovative technologies to the area of orthodontics. This qualitative study wasbased on the grounded theory.

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Oral Mucosal Diseases: Reliability and Validity of Urdu Version of Chronic Oral Mucosal Disease Questionnaire (COMDQ).

The aim of the study was to translate and validate the Urdu version of the Chronic Oral Mucosal Disease Questionnaire (COMDQ) and measure the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in Pakistani patients with chronic oral mucosal disease. One hundred and twenty patients with chronic oral mucosal diseases were recruited for this study. Two types of reliability of the COMDQ were tested.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Psychological Health and Dental Practice of Oral Healthcare Workers: A Scoping Review.

This study aims to identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health and dental practice of oral health-care workers (OHCWs). The search for relevant literature was carried out online using PubMed, Web of science, and science direct databases from January 2020 to February 2021. Those articles were included that provided complete information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on oral health-care workers during covid-19 and were original articles and reviews.

Antituberculous Drug-Induced Hepatitis in a Patient With Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: A Clinical Challenge.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is highly prevalent in Pakistan, and immunosuppressed individuals (including those on long-term corticosteroid therapy) are at an especially high risk of infection. Owing to the limited number of effective antituberculous drugs, treating resistant cases or patients who develop unfavorable side effects from the first-line agents becomes a daunting task. We discuss a patient with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) suffering from pulmonary TB who developed drug-induced hepatitis after being started on recommended first-line anti-TB drugs.

Evaluating a linkage between obesity and the occurrence of dental caries among school going children in Sakaka, Al Jouf, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Background: Obesity and dental caries are global public health problems. There are conflicting reports about the relationship between caries and obesity. The aim of this study was to analyze the type of relationship between the dental caries and obesity among school children in Al-Jouf region of Saudi Arabia.

Validation and Reliability Testing of the Child Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (C-OIDP): Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties in Pakistani School-Going Children.

Background: This study aimed to develop an Urdu version of Child-Oral Impact on Daily Performance (C-OIDP) and assess its reliability and validity for children’s oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) assessment in Pakistan. Methods: A total of 200 school-going children aged 11−14 were recruited from two public schools. For the adaptation process, the original English version of C-OIDP was translated into Urdu, reviewed by an expert committee, back-translated into Urdu, and then reviewed again by the same expert committee and pilot tested on 10 children.

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Their Associated Risk Factors among Pakistani Dental Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have a negative impact on quality of life, and dentists are at risk of WMSDs due to the nature of work being static, repetitious, and for a long duration. The study was aimed at measuring the prevalence and distribution of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and determining the risk factors associated with affliction among Pakistani dentists.

Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted using a validated questionnaire consisting of four sections.

Teledentistry awareness, its usefulness, and challenges among dental professionals in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: This study aims to describe the perception of dental professionals in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia (SA) towards the practice of teledentistry, its usefulness and challenges.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 190 dentists from January 2021 to April 2021. The participants were included in the study using snowball sampling method.

Physico-Mechanical Properties of Commercially Available Tissue Conditioner Modified with Synthesized Chitosan Oligosaccharide.

This study aims to compare the hardness, sorption and solubility of commercially available tissue conditioner [TC] modified with chitosan [CS] and synthesized chitosan oligosaccharide [COS] in antifungal concentration. COS was synthesized by acid hydrolysis and characterized by FTIR and XRD. Experimental materials were formulated by incorporating each per gram of TC powder with effective antifungal concentration of chitosan 1.

Comparison of the Hardness of Novel Experimental Vinyl Poly Siloxane (VPS) Impression Materials with Commercially Available Ones.

Purpose: To determine the hardness and Young's moduli of both commercial and experimental vinyl poly siloxane (VPS).

Methods: The purpose of this study was to develop a medium-bodied experimental (Exp-I, II, III, IV, and V) VPS impression materials and to analyse their effects on hardness and Young's modulus and compare them with three commercial VPS materials (Aquasil, Elite, and Extrude) using Shore A hardness tester. Measurements were recorded after 1, 24, 72, and 168 hours of mixing.

Dimensional changes of commercial and novel polyvinyl siloxane impression materials following sodium hypochlorite disinfection.

Background: Dental impressions are used to record anatomy of teeth and surrounding oral structures. Impression materials become contaminated with saliva and blood requiring disinfection, which may have negative impact on dimensional stability of materials.

Objective: Comparatively evaluate linear dimensional changes of synthesized Tetra-functional (dimethylsilyl) orthosilicate (TFDMOS) containing Polyvinylsiloxane (PVS) impressions following sodium hypochlorite disinfection.