Artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, and dental education: Implications for reflective assignments and qualitative research.

Introduction: Reflections enable students to gain additional value from a given experience. The use of Chat Generative Pre-training Transformer (ChatGPT, OpenAI Incorporated) has gained momentum, but its impact on dental education is understudied.

Objectives: To assess whether or not university instructors can differentiate reflections generated by ChatGPT from those generated by students, and to assess whether or not the content of a thematic analysis generated by ChatGPT differs from that generated by qualitative researchers on the same reflections.

Multimodal Data Integration Reveals Mode of Delivery and Snack Consumption Outrank Salivary Microbiome in Association With Caries Outcome in Thai Children.

Early childhood caries (ECC) is not only the most common chronic childhood disease but also disproportionately affects underserved populations. Of those, children living in Thailand have been found to have high rates of ECC and severe ECC. Frequently, the cause of ECC is blamed on a handful of cariogenic organisms, such as and .

Expression of human caspase-4 in the gingival epithelium affected with periodontitis: Its involvement in Porphyromonas gingivalis-challenged gingival epithelial cells.

Objective: Implication of human caspase-4 in periodontitis and in sensing periodontal pathogens by gingival epithelial cells (GECs) is unclear. This study aimed to determine caspase-4 and interleukin (IL)-18 expressions in gingival tissues affected with periodontitis and to investigate caspase-4 involvement in mediating innate immune responses in GECs.

Design: Ex vivo, caspase-4 and IL-18 expressions in gingival biopsies, obtained from healthy participants with periodontitis or clinically healthy gingiva (N = 20 each), were determined by immunohistochemistry.

Comparison of Real-Time Quantitative PCR with a Chairside Test for Streptococcus Mutans Assessment.

Objective: To compare two methods for Streptococcus mutans detection and quantification in the human oral cavity: a chairside commercial test and a molecular-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method.

Methods: A total of 688 whole saliva samples were collected from 344 children aged 3 and 5 and their biological mothers. Caries status was examined using a World Health Organisation survey method.

Dental students' reflections about long-term care experiences through an existing model of oral health.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore students' reflective thinking about long-term care experiences from the perspective of a model of oral health.

Materials And Methods: A total of 186 reflections from 193 second-year undergraduate dental students enrolled between 2011/12 and 2014/15 at the University of British Columbia were explored qualitatively. Reflections had a word limit of 300, and students were asked to relate an existing model of oral health to their long-term care experiences.

Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus colonization and caries experience in 3- and 5-year-old Thai children.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the colonization of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus in supra-gingival plaque samples and to determine their correlation with the prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) in Thai children.

Materials And Methods: A total of 344 Thai children, ages 3 and 5 years, were invited to participate in this study. Caries status of the children was examined.

How can dental public health competencies be addressed at the undergraduate level?

Objectives: To discuss the extent to which an undergraduate dental module addresses dental public health competencies via its different learning pedagogies and to explore the relevance of students' written reflections on these dental public health competencies.

Methods: This article uses a literature review to situate the extent to which dental public health competencies are addressed by the University of British Columbia undergraduate dental module entitled "Professionalism and Community Services" (PACS). It also uses students' written individual self-reflections (between 100 and 500 words) on community service learning activities to critically illustrate how dental public health competencies support their learning.

Integrating issues of substance abuse and addiction into the predoctoral dental curriculum.

Methodological discussions about the teaching of substance abuse and addiction in predoctoral dental curricula typically fall short. This article explores the pedagogy employed to present and discuss the relevance of addiction (mostly to illicit drugs) to the dental profession in the first-year predoctoral dental curriculum at the University of British Columbia. These pedagogical approaches are multifaceted and include a role-play scenario with a standardized patient; an interactive guest lecture-based seminar and a community panel of personal testimonials; students' written reflections; and the provision of clinical care to patients with a past or current history of addiction.

Mode of delivery, mutans streptococci colonization, and early childhood caries in three- to five-year-old Thai children.

Objective: To investigate whether mode of delivery is associated with mutans streptococci (MS) colonization and early childhood caries (ECC) in preschool Thai children.

Methods: Three hundred and fifty mothers and their 3- to 5-year-old children (184 born vaginally and 166 born by Caesarean section) participated in the study. Data included a dental examination, MS colonization assessed by the Dentocult(®) SM Strip Mutans method, and a questionnaire survey of family socio-demographic information, as well as children's birth history, dietary habits, and oral health practices.

Best practices for dental sealants in community service-learning.

Community service-learning (CSL) in predoctoral dental education might be an effective tool for increasing sealant use by dentists--thus benefitting underserved children while facilitating students' learning of a clinical procedure in a real-life setting. This study reviewed the scientific literature on this topic in order to 1) evaluate the reasons for low sealant use among dentists, 2) consider important aspects of sealant use in community settings, and 3) identify best practices to use as guidelines for CSL regarding sealant use. As background, the MEDLINE database was searched with the key words "dental sealants" for human and laboratory studies in the English language.

Raised chondroitin sulphate WF6 epitope levels in gingival crevicular fluid in chronic periodontitis.

Aim: To determine the levels of chondroitin sulphate (CS) WF6 epitope, recognized by WF6 monoclonal antibody, in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) from different stages of periodontal disease and healthy periodontium, and to correlate those levels with clinical parameters.

Material And Methods: GCF samples, collected from 389 sites, were analysed for the WF6 epitope levels by the competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: The median WF6 epitope level was significantly higher in chronic periodontitis sites (n=185) than in healthy and gingivitis sites (n=204) (p<0.

Oral colonization of Candida species in perinatally HIV-infected children in northern Thailand.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remains a serious problem in northern Thailand. A high prevalence of perinatally HIV-infected children with oral candidiasis has been observed in the region. The objective of this study was to determine oral colonization of Candida spp.

Analysis of 587 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma in northern Thailand with a focus on young people.

The increasing incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) especially among younger people has been observed in many parts of the world. The objective of this study was to delineate the profile of patients with oral SCC with an emphasis on younger people in northern Thailand between 1991-2000. The medical records of 587 (median age 65, male-to-female ratio 1:3:1) patients presenting oral SCC were reviewed, with details of demographic data, staging, histological grading, treatment modality and risk factor profile being collated in detail.

Oral lesions and dental caries status in perinatally HIV-infected children in Northern Thailand.

Unlabelled: To describe the prevalence of oral lesions and dental caries status in perinatally HIV-infected children.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Setting: Paediatric HIV outpatient department at the Nakornping Provincial Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Increase of mast cells and tumor angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Although mast cells (MCs) have been implicated in promoting angiogenesis in some malignant tumors, especially of the aerodigestive tract, little is known in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to elaborate upon the correlation between MCs and tumor angiogenesis in 26 cases of oral SCC, six cases of oral pre-malignant dysplasia, 10 cases of oral hyperkeratosis, and six cases of normal oral mucosa by means of immunohistochemical technique.

Results: The MCs in all lesions and normal oral mucosa strongly expressed tryptase.

The relationship of dental calculus to caries, gingivitis, and selected salivary factors in 11- to 13-year-old children in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Thai children have been shown to accumulate large amounts of dental calculus. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of calculus to caries and gingivitis, and salivary conditions which may contribute to calculus accumulation. Four-hundred and thirty-nine (439) children from 18 schools in Chiang Mai were selected for this study.

Prevalence of developmental enamel defects and dental caries in rural pre-school Thai children.

The prevalence of developmental enamel defects and dental caries was assessed in 344 Karen children aged 1-4 years who were chronically (70 per cent) and acutely malnourished (9.3 per cent) The teeth were cleaned with gauze to facilitate detection of hypoplastic lesions on labial surfaces of maxillary incisors. At least one tooth with defective enamel was seen in 31.