Journal of Dental School
Volume:39 Issue: 1, Winter 2021

Color of ceramic veneers is affected by the thickness and translucency of ceramics as well as the color of the underlying tooth structure. This study aimed to assess the effect of ceramic and composite systems with two different thicknesses on masking of a substrate with C4 color shade.

In this in vitro, experimental study, 90 discs measuring 8 mm in diameter and 0.8 mm and 1.2 mm in thickness were fabricated from IPS e.max Press ceramic with high (HO) and low (LT) translucency, and IPS Empress Direct composite with A1 enamel and dentin shades. The samples were separately placed over a C4 substrate, and the CIE L*a*b* color parameters and color change (∆E) were measured for the seven groups using a spectrophotometer. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Tukey’s HSD test, and two-way ANOVA.

Type of material had no significant effect on ∆E (P=0.086), and the ∆E of ceramic and composite was the same while the mean ∆E in 0.8 mm bilayer samples was significantly higher than that of 1.2 mm bilayer samples (P=0.002). The interaction effect of type of material and thickness on ∆E was not significant (P=0.113).

The masking ability is not influenced by the type of material, but thickness of material and degree of translucency affect it. None of the tested materials could completely mask the underlying color, and selection of a material for this purpose should be based on clinical conditions.

The present study aimed to assess the level of knowledge regarding traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) among mothers and evaluate the efficacy of a simple educational leaflet, as an informative tool, to raise their awareness in this respect.

A total of 150 mothers with their children receiving dental care were included in this study and assigned to two groups of intervention and control. Before the intervention, a questionnaire was distributed among all the recruited mothers (time 0). After its completion, an informative leaflet with basic first aid information regarding what to do in case of TDIs was given to the mothers in the intervention group and their knowledge level was examined immediately after reading the leaflet (time 1). The knowledge of both groups was evaluated again after 3 months (time 2). The data were analyzed by SPSS version 21.

The mean knowledge score was 6.53 out of 10 at baseline. A significant increase in knowledge score was noted in the intervention group (9.20) at time 1 (P<0.001). The knowledge score improved in both the intervention (8.57) and control groups (7.61) after 3 months (P< 0.001). The intervention group had significantly higher score than the control group at time 2 (P< 0.001).

The informative leaflet enhanced the knowledge level of mothers regarding TDIs. Use of leaflets is suggested as an effective tool to inform mothers about the management of TDIs.

Establishment of effective communication between the clinician and patient is essential in order to increase patients' satisfaction and achieve better treatment outcomes. These skills have been less investigated among dental students. The current study assessed the attitude of 5th semester dental students towards communication skills learning at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Iran during 2017-2018.

In this quasi-experimental study, 40 dental students filled out the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) with three domains of needs, operation, and application as self-declaration at two time point points before and after passing the course of “dentist-patient communication skills. Data were analyzed using paired t-test, independent t-test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test.

A significant positive change occurred in students' attitude in general (P<0.001). An improvement in their attitude was observed in domains of needs (P<0.001), operation (P=0.002), and application (P<0.001) after passing the course in comparison with baseline. After passing the course, male students showed a significant positive attitude in domains of needs (P<0.001), operation (P=0.011), and application (P<0.003). But the only positive change in female students' attitude was observed in the domain of application (P=0.004). The positive attitude change in males was significantly higher than that in females in all domains (P=0.023). A significant positive change was observed in the attitude of 21-year-old students in comparison with other age groups (P=0.002).

The results showed positive change in both male and female students' attitude after passing the academic course of dentist-patient communication skills

In line with the World Health Organization's goal of improving the community oral health, Iranian oral health policymakers have integrated dental public health (DPH) courses into the latest dental curriculum to improve the students' competencies. The aim of the current study was to evaluate DPH competency of senior dental students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences according tothe specified educational objectives.

In this cross-sectional study, 195 senior dental students (enrolled in 2014-2015) completed a standardized online questionnaire. The instrument included demographic information as well as 31 statements about 10 domains of DPH. The participants self-assessed the level of their competency on a Likert scale of 0 to 10 for each statement; zero indicating "not competent at all", and 10 indicating "fully competent". The mean score was calculated for each domain. SPSS version 21 was used for data analysis by independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and repeated measures ANOVA.

The sum of scores for each participant ranged from 63 to 310, with a mean of 216.68±43.69. Students were most competent in "providing preventive dental care" (8.22±1.59), "adherenceto professional ethics" (7.56±1.68), and" understanding the determinants of oral health" (7.50±1.52). They were least competent in "understanding the components and functions of the healthcare system" (5.96±2.06), "planning" (6.06±2.45), and "oral health research" (6.24±2.44). Female students had a significantly higher mean score (223.30±38.21) than male students (207.15±49.25; P=0.011).

Failure to achieve the desired competency in domains such as "understanding the components and functions ofthe healthcare system," "planning," and "oral health research" indicates the need for a revision in the content, teaching methods, or both, focusing on the aforementioned areas.

Many adult patients requiring orthodontic treatment have posterior restorations. Bracket bonding to dental restorations is a clinical challenge. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of universal adhesive with the conventional method on shear bond strength (SBS) of orthodontic brackets to amalgam restorations.

Ninety cavities were filled with admixed amalgam and divided into six groups (n=15) according to the surface pretreatment (nomechanical preparation, diamond bur preparation, and sandblasting) and type of bonding agent (alloy primer plus Transbond XT or universal adhesive). Mandibular central incisor brackets were bonded to the restoration surfaces. The primary outcome was the bond strength in megapascals (MPa) which was compared by two-way ANOVA. The mode of failure was the secondary outcome determined by determination of the adhesive remnant index (ARI). The Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare the ARI scores among the groups.

Among the groups with the conventional method, the sandblasted subgroup showed the highest SBS (P<0.05). The three subgroups of universal adhesive were not significantly different in terms of SBS (P=1). Overall, the highest SBS was noted in the sandblasted/conventional adhesive group.

The results demonstrated that sandblasting plus alloy primerand Transbond XT bonding agent could be recommended for bracket bonding to amalgam restorations. Further studies using other bonding agents are recommended.

The aim of this study was to assess dental fear and its relationship with demographic information and dental caries experience in 6 to 12-year-old children residing in Urmia city in 2020.

In this cross-sectional study, 185 children referred to the Pediatrics Department of Alborz Dental Clinic were included. The Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) was used to evaluate dental fear experience of children. Demographic characteristics including sex, gender, parents’ educational level and birth order were also recorded. Intraoral examination was performed by a pedodontist, and dental caries experience was recorded based on the DMFT index. The data were analyzed by the Chi-square and logistic regression test using SPSS version 16.0.

Of 185 children, 83 were boys and 102 were girls; 136 participants had no dental fear while 49 had dental fear. The prevalence of dental fear was 26.48%. There were significant correlations between children's age (P=0.006) and birth order (P= 0.007) with their dental fear. But there was no significant correlation between gender or father’s educational level with dental fear experience (P=0.812), or dmft/DMFT index (P=0.128). Also, dental injection (71%) and drilling (49%) followed by the noise of drilling (45%) caused the highest mean fear among children.

The findings of the present study suggest that dental fear experience is probably not correlated with caries experience in 6 to 12-year-old children

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is defined as “intra-oral burning or dysestheticsensation, recurring daily for more than 2 hours per day for more than 3 months, without clinically evident causative lesions”. It can be associated with relatedsymptoms, such as dry mouth and dysgeusia. The etiology of BMS remains unknown, although a number of local, systemic and psychological factors have been proposed as being of etiopathogenic importance.

A 55-year-old male patient reported with a complaint of burning sensation in the roof of mouth and tongue for the past 4 months. The patient was under anti-hypertensives and anti-coagulants for the past 4 years and also had moderate reflux esophagitis.Intraoral examination revealed generalized pallor involving the dorsal surface of the tongue and the palatal mucosa, and diminished salivary flow.When tested for unstimulated salivary flow rate, it was < 0.5 mL/min.

All the laboratory results were within normal limits. After careful assessment and counselling, he was referred to a gastroenterologist for further treatment and was reassured that the burning sensation he had felt was associated with his gastric issues