Effectiveness of an oral health curriculum in reducing dental caries increment and improving oral hygiene behaviour among schoolchildren of Ernakulam district in Kerala, India: study protocol for a cluster randomised trial.

Introduction: Children's learning abilities suffer when their oral health is compromised. Inadequate oral health can harm children's quality of life, academic performance, and future success and achievements. Oral health problems may result in appetite loss, depression, increased inattentiveness, and distractibility from play and schoolwork, all of which can lower self-esteem and contribute to academic failure.

Comparative evaluation of implant stability using bone expanders and conventional osteotomy.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare the implant stability and bone implant contact obtained using bone expanders to conventional osteotomy. Materials and methods: In this multiphasic study, the first phase was conducted on ex vivo porcine models to standardize the procedure and to check its feasibility. The second phase was conducted as human clinical trial.

Development and validation of cultural competence assessment tool for healthcare professionals, India.

Culture influences an individual's perception of "health" and "sickness". Therefore, cultural competence assessment of healthcare professionals is very important. Existing assessment scales have limited application in India due to the nation's rich cultural diversity and heterogeneous healthcare streams.

A comparison of clinical outcomes between vaccinated and vaccine-naive patients of COVID-19, in four tertiary care hospitals of Kerala, South India.

The Problem Considered: This multi-centric study analyzed data of COVID-19 patients and compared differences in symptomatology, management, and outcomes between vaccinated and vaccine-naive patients.

Methods: All COVID-19 positive individuals treated as an in-or out-patient from the 1March to 15 May 2021 in four selected study sites were considered for the study. Treatment details, symptoms, and clinical course were obtained from hospital records.

Prevalence of malocclusion among 8-15 years old children, India - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: We designed this review to assess the prevalence of malocclusion among 8-15 years old Indian children.

Methodology: The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO data with register number CRD42020214211. We employed the standard methodological procedures according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.