A new clinical index scale for measuring secondary alveolar bone grafting success based on canine eruption.

Objectives: To develop a reproducible, reliable clinical index of alveolar bone grafting (ABG) outcome based on the eruption position of the cleft canine tooth and determine the association between eruption position and radiographic outcome at 6 months post-grafting.

Methods: Children with complete, non-syndromic, unilateral/bilateral cleft lip and palate in the West of Scotland were identified. Post-ABG radiographic outcome (Kindelan index) and canine eruption position in children with a cleft of the alveolus who had undergone ABG were documented.

Perceptions of undertaking a higher degree alongside dental specialty training: A cross-sectional survey of UK dental specialty trainees.

Introduction: The curricula for UK dental specialty training have recently been under review and until 2024, completion of a research component during training in Dental Public Health, Oral Microbiology and Orthodontics has been mandatory (with an alternative route for Orthodontics involving the submission of two scientific papers for those trainees not wishing to undertake a higher degree). Anecdotally, some trainees in other dental specialties choose to undertake higher degrees alongside specialty training.

Aims: The aims were to investigate how many dental specialty registrars study for higher degrees alongside specialty training, and whether undertaking a higher degree alongside specialty training has an impact on completion of training, research skills, research experience, patient care and career opportunities.

Comparative analysis of diagnostic accuracy in endodontic assessments: dental students vs. artificial intelligence.

Objectives: This study evaluates the comparative diagnostic accuracy of dental students and artificial intelligence (AI), specifically a modified ChatGPT 4, in endodontic assessments related to pulpal and apical conditions. The findings are intended to offer insights into the potential role of AI in augmenting dental education.

Methods: Involving 109 dental students divided into junior (54) and senior (55) groups, the study compared their diagnostic accuracy against ChatGPT's across seven clinical scenarios.

The MAGIC trial: a pragmatic, multicentre, parallel, noninferiority, randomised trial of melatonin versus midazolam in the premedication of anxious children attending for elective surgery under general anaesthesia.

Background: Child anxiety before general anaesthesia and surgery is common. Midazolam is a commonly used premedication to address this. Melatonin is an alternative anxiolytic, however trials evaluating its efficacy in children have delivered conflicting results.

Prevalence of mesio-distal dilaceration in patients presenting for initial orthodontic care: A retrospective study.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of dilaceration in a sample of patients presenting for initial orthodontic care.

Methods: Examining radiographs from a random sample of orthopantomogram images was used to acquire the data. In all, 2,801 dental records were evaluated at Oman Dental College (ODC), Oman.

Evaluating the Role of Inorganic Elements of Camelus Dromedarius Saliva in Protecting Enamel Against Tooth Surface Loss.

The aim of this study was to provide insight into the role of camel's saliva in protecting enamel against erosion and to evaluate the levels of salivary sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphate ions among 2 groups of camels, those with low-grade tooth surface loss and those with high-grade tooth surface loss. Twenty-eight healthy camels, 5 males and 23 females, aged 20 months to 10 years, were divided into 2 groups. Group I comprise camels with "low-grade tooth surface loss" and Group 2 with "high-grade tooth surface loss.

When (and when not) to use the Dahl Concept.

The Dahl Concept describes the re-establishment of occlusal contacts after the provision of a planned localised appliance or restoration in supraocclusion. Initially developed to create space for prosthetic rehabilitation of anterior teeth suffering from localised wear, the principle has later been successfully applied to a variety of situations, including the Hall technique and resin-bonded bridges cemented in supraocclusion. Despite high levels of success seen in the relevant literature and widespread adoption in specialist care, the wider profession appears to be far more cautious in its use.

The practices and beliefs of dental professionals regarding the management of patients taking anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs.

Aim: This study aimed to inform the implementation of the updated Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP) guidance, 'Management of Dental Patients taking Anticoagulant or Antiplatelet Drugs', and to determine training needs by investigating dental professionals' current practice and beliefs regarding management of patients taking these medications.

Methods: Dental professionals were recruited via the NHS Education for Scotland Portal. The online questionnaire collected demographic information, data on current practice and information about beliefs regarding behaviours related to the management of patients on anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication.

The journey to becoming trauma-informed - using pilot trauma training data to highlight the role of dental services in supporting patients affected by psychological trauma.

Rates of psychological trauma are increasing in the community. Psychological trauma symptoms may prevent patients from being able to access or tolerate dental treatment. The importance of dental teams providing equitable person-centred care by adopting a trauma-informed approach is discussed.

Are zirconia crowns the superior choice when restoring primary posterior molars?

Data sources Electronic database searches were carried out using predefined search terms using Embase, Google Scholar, Medline, The Cochrane Library, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature. The Trip medical database was also used to identify randomised control trials investigating stainless steel and zirconia crowns. Studies published from 1 January 2000 until 6 June 2021 were included, and reference lists of included studies analysed to ensure data saturation along with grey literature searches.

COVID-19 Induced Taste Dysfunction and Recovery: Association with Smell Dysfunction and Oral Health Behaviour.

Background and Objectives: Disruption to taste and smell are common symptoms of COVID-19 infection. The current literature overlooks taste symptoms and tends to focus on the sense of smell. Persisting cases (>28 days) of taste dysfunction are increasingly recognised as a major future healthcare challenge.

Relationship between Recovery from COVID-19-Induced Smell Loss and General and Oral Health Factors.

: Loss of smell is one of the strongest predictors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and can persist long after other symptoms have resolved. "Long" cases (>28 days) of smell dysfunction present future challenges to medical and dental professionals, as there is a lack of evidence on the causes and any exacerbating or relieving factors. This study aimed to explore the persistence of COVID-19-induced smell loss and association with physical, lifestyle and oral health factors.

A multi-centre early evaluation of the effectiveness of workshop teaching to improve the confidence of UK and Irish dental students when addressing patient mental health.

Background Dental practitioners can have low confidence when addressing patient mental health as part of wider patient management. This is increasingly relevant due to the rising prevalence of mental health conditions and the relationship that can exist between mental and oral health. Interactive workshop teaching on patient mental health may enhance the confidence of dental students when addressing mental health conditions in patients.

What is the most accurate method for detecting caries lesions? A systematic review.

Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the performance of different methods for detecting carious lesions in permanent and primary teeth, considering all types of tooth surface.

Methods: Two reviewers searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus and other sources up to November 2020 to identify published and nonpublished studies in English. We focused on three caries detection methods: visual inspection (VI), radiographic (RX) and fluorescence-based (LF).

How do different levels of smoking affect dental implants?

Data sources PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Scopus.Study selection Randomised controlled clinical trials, cohort studies, case-control studies and case series reporting data on dental implant failures related to smoking published up to January 2019 were included, with no language restrictions.Data extraction and synthesis Data was extracted by one reviewer and quality assessment of the included observational studies was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.

The impact of wrong-site surgery on dental undergraduate teaching: a survey of UK dental schools.

Introduction: Patient safety within dental education is paramount. Wrong-site surgery (WSS) tooth extraction is not uncommon and is a significant never event (NE) in dentistry. This study aimed to explore dental schools' undergraduate experience of NEs, safety interventions implemented and the impact on student experience.

Are hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine effective in the treatment of SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19)?

Data sources The authors of this rapid review did not disclose which electronic databases were included in their literature search. The inclusion and exclusion criteria for the data sources are not reported in the manuscript.Study selection The authors included six studies on the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in humans.

Reproducibility of subtraction radiography in monitoring changes in approximal carious lesions in children: An in vivo study.

Background: Laboratory studies have shown that digital subtraction radiography (DSR) can be a more effective tool, than conventional radiography, in monitoring changes in carious lesions. The clinical performance of the technique, however, has not been sufficiently researched.

Aim: To compare the reproducibility of DSR to that of bitewing radiographs, in monitoring changes in approximal caries in the mixed dentition.

Promoting Inclusion Oral Health: Social Interventions to Reduce Oral Health Inequities.

To advance our understanding of inclusion oral health and to address the impact of social exclusion upon oral health, this group of papers sets out to provide an argument for the need for social and community-based interventions, theoretically underpinned by pluralistic definitions of evidence-based practice and the radical discourse of health promotion for those experiencing exclusion. Using the definition and framework of inclusion oral health, these papers illustrate the requirement for mixed-methods research, the incorporation of experts by experience in the research process, and the need for co-design and co-produced interventions. The papers in this Special Issue present various sources of evidence used to transform top-down into bottom-up community-based interventions for people experiencing homelessness, people in custody, and families residing in areas of high social deprivation.

A retrospective analysis of hospitalisation for diseases of the pulp and periapical tissues in NHS Grampian 2011-2015: geographic, socioeconomic and increased primary care availability effects.

Objectives A study of hospital admissions for diseases of pulp and periapical tissues in NHS Grampian and the effects of socioeconomic, geographic location and primary dental care availability on hospital admissions.Design Retrospective analysis of hospitalisation data from NHS Grampian Health Intelligence database for the five-year period (1 January 2011 to 31 December 2015), if their primary diagnosis was disease of the pulp or periapical tissues. The influence of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) scores on hospital admissions for pulp or periapical diseases were assessed and compared.