OBJECTIVES

This study aims to establish baseline data on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of senior dental clinicians, which may help determine areas of ICDAS that could be reinforced in teaching, training, and open opportunities for future studies in the Philippines.

A quantitative descriptive study design used a 4-part online questionnaire for senior dental clinicians from A.Y. 2020-2021 with 1-2 semesters of clinical experience. The survey tool, via Google Forms, gathered general information about the participants and KAP on ICDAS.

Out of 29 participants, 19 (66%) had 1 semester, and 10 (34%) had 2 semesters of clinical experience. Overall mean score for knowledge was 76.1% and is considered “adequate”. Five participants (17%) failed to reach the cut-off score of 70%. Based on the overall mean score, the participants were found to have a “positive” attitude. Two (7%) were categorized as “very negative”. For the Practice component, all the clinicians showed “good practice.”

The senior dental clinicians have demonstrated adequate knowledge, positive attitude, and good practice on ICDAS. A small percentage of the participants scored lower in their K (17%) and A (7%) scores. Even with good results, there is still a need to reinforce some of the basic ICDAS principles and more clinical exposure to reinforce the clinicians’ skills in diagnosis and encouragement in using ICDAS.

Objective: To explore the relationship between the width ratios of maxillary anterior teeth, the width/height ratios of maxillary central incisor and the esthetic proportions among individual normal occlusion, and to provide reference for the esthetic design of anterior teeth. Methods: A total of 300 Shanxi Medical University students who were residents from Shanxi province with normal occlusion (110 males, 190 females, aged 18-30 years) were recruited in this study from October 2020 to March 2021. Standardized digital photographs of the maxillary anterior tooth in natural head position were obtained, the perceived width of the maxillary anterior teeth (maxillary central incisors, lateral incisors and canines) on the left and right sides and height of maxillary central incisor were measured on the standardized digital photographs, then the width ratios of adjacent maxillary anterior teeth including the lateral incisor/central incisor width ratio (LI∶CI), the canine/lateral incisor width ratio (C∶LI), and the width/height ratios (W/H ratio) of the maxillary central incisor were calculated. The independent sample t test was used to compare the sex differences of each measurement project, Single sample t test was used to compare the difference of adjacent maxillary anterior teeth width ratios with golden proportion (0.618 and 0.618), Preston proportion (0.66 and 0.84), the recurring esthetic dental (RED) proportion (0.70 and 0.70). The percentage of anterior tooth width/intercanine width was calculated, the number and proportion of teeth conforming to golden percentage (25%, 15%, 10%)±1% or modified golden percentage (22.5%, 15.0%, 12.5%)±1% were calculated. The number and proportion of width/height ratio of maxillary central incisor ranged from 0.75 to 0.85 was counted. Results: The widths of maxillary central incisor, lateral incisor and canine were (8.50±0.52), (6.23±0.53) and (5.18±0.55) mm, respectively, the corresponding tooth of male [(8.74±0.49), (6.37±0.52), (5.41±0.47) mm] was significantly higher than that of female [(8.37±0.50), (6.15±0.52), (5.04±0.54) mm] (t=6.40, 3.55, 6.23,P<0.05). The width ratio of maxillary lateral incisor/central incisor was 0.73±0.05, and there was no significant difference between genders (t=-1.06, P>0.05). The width ratio of canine/lateral incisor was 0.84±0.10, and it was significantly higher in male (0.85±0.10) than in female (0.82±0.10) (t=2.42, P<0.05). Two width ratios of maxillary anterior teeth were significantly different from golden proportion and the RED proportion (t=38.50, 35.74, 11.48, 22.20, P<0.05). The lateral incisor/central incisor was significantly different from that of Preston proportion (t=24.66, P<0.05), while the canine/lateral incisor was not significantly different from that of Preston proportion (t=-0.92, P>0.05). In this study, a total of 0% (0/600) of central incisors, 63.0% (378/600) of lateral incisors and 5.8% (35/600) of canines met the golden percentage±1%. There were 42.8% (257/600) of central incisors, 63.0% (378/600) of lateral incisors and 56.7% (340/600) of canines met the modified golden percentage±1%. The width/height ratio of maxillary central incisors was 0.86±0.08, and there was no significant difference between genders (t=-0.88, P>0.05). Only 36.3% (218/600) of the subjects in this study ranged from 0.75 to 0.85. Conclusions: Gender differences should be considered in the esthetic design of anterior teeth; for the width ratios of maxillary anterior teeth, the golden proportion, the RED proportion and golden percentage do not accord with the natural tooth morphological characteristics of Shanxi nationality college students in normal occlusion. Preston proportion and modified golden percentage are of more reference value. The width/height ratio of maxillary central incisors is different from 0.75-0.85.
Cuspid/anatomy & histology* ; Esthetics, Dental ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Maxilla/anatomy & histology* ; Odontometry ; Students

Objective: To evaluate the application effect of smart classroom teaching mode in undergraduate teaching of endodontics. Methods: Through micro-lecture and massive open online course which were closely integrated with clinical practice and frontier advances, we build a new smart classroom teaching mode of endodontics relying on information technology such as the medical education cloud APP platform. The mode was applied to the undergraduate teaching of grade 2017 (110 students) and grade 2018 (107 students) in 2020 and 2021 respectively (experimental group). The theoretical examination was conducted for the grade 2016 (control group, 111 students applied traditional teaching methods) in 2019, and for two experimental grades in 2020 and 2021 respectively. A questionnaire survey was conducted for the 2018 undergraduates to investigate the experience of the smart classroom teaching mode, and the application effect of the smart classroom teaching mode was evaluated by comparing the offline theoretical test scores of grades 2016, 2017 and 2018. Results: The results of the questionnaire showed that students in grade 2018 recognized the overall form of smart classroom teaching mode, and 75.2% (79/105) of the students satisfied with the teaching process, considering that it could enhance learning interest and enthusiasm, improve self-learning ability, facilitate the understanding and memory of knowledge points, as well as increase the extension and expansion of professional knowledge. Thirty-seven point one percent (39/105) of the students thought that smart classroom teaching mode was not conducive to the interaction between teachers and students and couldn't improve learning efficiency. Comparing the final theoretical examination scores of students in three years, it was found that the average scores of 2021 (78.79±9.88) and 2020 (76.45±8.33) were significantly higher than that of 2019 (67.67±10.58) (t=6.77, P<0.001; t=8.51, P<0.001). The average score in 2021 was higher than that in 2020, although the difference was not significant (t=1.79, P=0.223). Conclusions: The application of smart classroom mode improved the teaching effect of endodontics, which is worthy of further promotion to provide a positive reference in improving the educating effects of oral medicine.
Humans ; Learning ; Endodontics ; Students ; Dental Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Introduction: Smartphone addiction is becoming a global concern affecting every part of society, including healthcare professionals. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of risk of smartphone addiction and its associated factors among medical and dental students in a public university in Malaysia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among pre-clinical medical and dental students using convenience sampling. Questions regarding sociodemographic profile and responses to the Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Version (SAS-SV) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Score questionnaire (DASS-21) were collected. Multiple logistic regression testing was used to analyse the factors associated with smartphone addiction. Results: We invited 409 pre-clinical medical and dental students to participate voluntarily, resulting in a response rate of 80.2%. The prevalence of high-risk smartphone addiction among the participants was 47.9%. Male participants, participants who used smartphones mainly for social media, and participants with depressive symptoms were more likely to have a high risk of smartphone addiction. Medical students, participants who spent less than 3 hours per day on a smartphone, and participants who used smartphones for education-related activities were less likely to have a high risk of smartphone addiction. Conclusion Smartphone addiction prevalence among pre-clinical medical and dental students was high. Therefore, the authorities should overcome this problem by implementing early measures.
Internet Addiction Disorder ; Students, Medical ; Students, Dental

Objective To investigate the oral health status and awareness of urban children in Lhasa,aiming to provide a data basis for the prevention and treatment of children's caries and the promotion of oral health education. Methods A total of 504 Tibetan students were selected by cluster sampling from 2 primary schools in Chengguan District of Lhasa.All the participants were required to take oral health examination and complete a questionnaire about oral health awareness and behavior. Results The caries prevalence rate and mean decayed-missing-filled tooth(DMFT)of permanent teeth were 75.00% and 2.18±1.91,respectively.The rates of pit and fissure sealant and filling of permanent teeth were 3.77% and 6.81%,respectively.The caries prevalence rate of first permanent molars was 47.62%.The mean DMFT of permanent teeth and caries prevalence rate of first permanent molar were significantly higher in female group(
Child ; DMF Index ; Dental Caries/epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Oral Health ; Oral Hygiene ; Prevalence ; Schools ; Students ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic ability of undergraduate dental students to detect maxillary sinus abnormalities in panoramic radiographs (PR) and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study based on the evaluation of PR and CBCT images. A pilot study was conducted to determine the number of students eligible to participate in the study. The images were evaluated by 2 students, and 280 maxillary sinuses were assessed using the following categories: normal, mucosal thickening, sinus polyp, antral pseudocyst, nonspecific opacification, periostitis, antrolith, and antrolith associated with mucosal thickening. The reference standard was established by the consensus of 2 oral radiologists based on the CBCT images. The kappa test, receiver operating characteristic curves, and 1-way analysis of variance with the Tukey-Kramer post-hoc test were employed. RESULTS: Intraobserver and interobserver reliability showed agreement ranging from substantial (0.809) to almost perfect (0.922). The agreement between the students' evaluations and the reference standard was reasonable (0.258) for PR and substantial (0.692) for CBCT. Comparisons of values of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy showed that CBCT was significantly better (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: CBCT was better than PR for the detection of maxillary sinus abnormalities by dental students. However, CBCT should only be requested after a careful analysis of PR by students and more experienced professionals.
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Consensus ; Humans ; Maxillary Sinus ; Periostitis ; Pilot Projects ; Polyps ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Students, Dental

BACKGROUND: Breastmilk is the best nourishment for an infant for the first 6 months of life. Health professionals like medical doctors and dentists can help promote and support exclusive breastfeeding. We aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, exposure, and future intentions toward exclusive breastfeeding among final year medical and dental students at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia. METHODS: A total of 162 students participated in this cross-sectional study that was conducted between May and September of 2015. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the variables of interest. RESULTS: Most students knew exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first 6 months of life (98.1%). However, some students incorrectly thought formula milk can be given if the infant appears hungry after having been breastfed (61.7%). Additionally, some incorrectly thought expressed breastmilk can be warmed on direct heat (47.5%) and left-over expressed milk can be re-stored (60.5%). Most students agreed that exclusive breastfeeding is easier to practice than formula feeding and that it is the best choice for working mothers. Most students (93.2%) intend to breastfeed their children, and this intention was significantly associated with their experience being breastfed as infants and attitudes toward exclusive breastfeeding. CONCLUSION: Generally, final year medical and dental students have favorable attitudes and future intentions toward exclusive breastfeeding, although some of them lacked knowledge about certain important aspects of the practice. Past experience of being exclusively breastfed and a more positive attitude toward the practice were associated with their future intentions to practice exclusive breastfeeding.
Breast Feeding ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dentists ; Health Occupations ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Infant ; Intention ; Malaysia ; Milk ; Mothers ; Students, Dental

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the awareness of the students currently attending dental colleges/schools in Seoul regarding the scope of work done by a dental hygienist (DH) and a chair-side dental assistant (DA).METHODS: A direct questionnaire survey was conducted among 950 students who currently attend dental colleges/schools in Seoul. We were able to use a total of 458 samples for final analysis after excluding inappropriate ones. The contents of this structuralized survey included the obligation of proper name badge use for dental health care personnel, the legal work scopes of a DH and a DA in accordance with the revised execution of the ‘Legal Acts on Medical Technicians’, and the inclusion/exclusion of such contents from dental colleges/schools curricula. The results were statistically analyzed via the IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0 software.RESULTS: Many subjects were aware of the difference in scope of work performed by a DH and a DA (P < 0.001), but not their legal obligation to wear appropriate name badges in accordance with the ‘Proposal for the Establishment of the Name Badge Standards for Healthcare Practitioners'. The subjects generally showed higher comprehension of the scope of work performed by a DH (74.3%) than that performed by a DA (57.7%). Without the presence of any corresponding curriculum, accurate responses tended to increase with the students' seniority. Most students (94.4%) agreed with the need to include a class that teaches the scope of work performed by a DH and a DA in their school curricula.CONCLUSIONS: We have found that education regarding ‘Name Badge Standards for Healthcare Practitioners’ and classification of a dental assistant's scope of work is lacking in the existing curriculum. Therefore, it is necessary to establish additional curriculum.
Classification ; Comprehension ; Curriculum ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dental Assistants ; Dental Hygienists ; Education ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Seoul ; Students, Dental

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and incidence of accidents with biological material, the level of knowledge, and compliance to standard precautions (SPs) among dentists, physicians, nurses, and dental and medical students.METHODS: A closed cohort study with a prospective and retrospective component was conducted between August 2014 and September 2015. The participants were contacted in two moments during the follow-up period, during which a structured questionnaire divided into six sections was used; the interviews were conducted during the follow-up period (Month 6) and at the end of the observation period (Month 12).RESULTS: The global prevalence of accidents in the previous 12 months was 10.2%, with a difference between professionals and students (13.0% vs. 5.1%, respectively; p < 0.003). The incidence rate was 6.49 per 100 person/year, with difference between the groups (6.09 per 100 person/year in professionals and 7.26 per 100 person/year in students), type of specialization (hazard ratio, 3.27), and hours worked per week (hazard ratio, 2.27). The mean of compliance to SP was 31.99 (±3.85) points, with a median of 33 (30, 35) points against the expected 27.75 points. Adherence to SP was associated with the accident report (p < 0.020).CONCLUSION: We conclude that the proportion/incidence rate of accidents with biological material was high in relation to that in the literature, being higher in professionals and especially among physicians. The levels of knowledge and adherence to SP were good, with the best found in dentists and dental students.
Cohort Studies ; Compliance ; Dentists ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Needlestick Injuries ; Occupational Exposure ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Students, Dental ; Students, Medical

PURPOSE: This research is to investigate factors that affect dental aesthetics and analyze whether individual perception affects and difference of genders affects the esthetic factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy dental students of Chonnam University aged from 25 to 35 years old without periodontal problems were included. Maxillary dental cast for participants were made, and standardized photo was taken with a digital camera. Maximum visual width and the position of gingival zenith of maxillary anterior teeth and maximum height of the maxillary central incisors were measured by a measurement program and the shape of central incisor was categorized. Questionnaire was conducted to evaluate esthetic perception. SPSS program was used to perform statistical analysis. RESULTS: The average visual width ratio of right maxillary anteriors was 1.38:1:0.78 and 1.41:1:0.81 for the left which differ from the golden ratio. The width to height ratio for right and left central incisor was 0.84 and 0.83 respectively. The gingival zenith position was determined to be: mostly, central incisors and canines were located in the distal side, lateral incisors were located in the center. The visual width ratio of right maxillary anterior teeth, ratio of width to height of central incisor, gingival zenith position, crown morphology and amounts of gingival exposure upon smiling were not significantly different between genders, and facial patterns and these dental esthetic factors were not related to aesthetic perception. CONCLUSION: Even though participants had the visual width ratio of maxillary anteriors or ideal width to ideal height of central incisors that did not agree with the golden ratio, they had high satisfaction for dental esthetics. Esthetic perception depends more on subjective judgements of participants than objective indices.
Crowns ; Esthetics ; Esthetics, Dental ; Humans ; Incisor ; Jeollanam-do ; Smiling ; Students, Dental ; Tooth