Background: Dental records are essential repositories of patient information that support diagnosis, treatment planning, continuity of care, and medicolegal accountability, making them a fundamental component of safe, effective, and transparent dental practices. This study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of academic and nonacademic clinical staff regarding a paper-based patient record system at a Malaysian public dental institute. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design underpinned by the sociotechnical systems theory was employed. Purposive sampling recruited 20 full-time staff (10 academic, 10 nonacademic) with at least 1 year of experience using the manual record system and no prior training in electronic dental records. Semi-structured, one-on-one interviews were conducted between May 2025 and October 2025, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Rigor was enhanced through independent coding, member checking, reflexive journaling, and adherence to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist. Results: Four main themes were identified: (1) inefficiency and accessibility challenges; (2) accuracy, legibility, and record integrity; (3) continuity of care and patient safety risks; and (4) desire for digital transition and system improvements. Conclusion Although manual paper-based dental records remain central to documentation in teaching dental institutions, they present growing inefficiencies and safety concerns, highlighting the need for sociotechnical-informed strategies that align human processes, technology, and institutional support to enhance record-keeping and patient care.

Background: Workplace-based assessments, such as the mini-clinical evaluation exercise (mini-CEX), are increasingly used to evaluate clinical competence in authentic healthcare settings. This study aimed to map and evaluate the global research landscape of mini- CEX in nursing and dental education through bibliometric analysis. Methods: A literature search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection on July 1, 2025, using the terms “mini-CEX,” “mini clinical evaluation exercise,” “nursing,” “nurse,” “dental,” and “dentistry.” Eligible articles were studies published in English that involved learners or educators in nursing or dental education. Data such as publication metrics, authorship, affiliations, keyword co-occurrence, journal impact, and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) alignment were extracted and analyzed. Results: Thirty-seven articles were included. They received 229 citations, with an h-index of nine and an average of 6.19 citations per article. Most were indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded or the Social Sciences Citation Index (67.6%), and 42.9% were published in Quartile 1 journals. The majority aligned with SDG 04 (Quality Education). Nursing-focused studies outnumbered dental studies. Authorship networks were fragmented, with limited cross-institutional collaboration. BMC Medical Education was the leading journal, and 2022 saw the highest number of publications. From 2020 onwards, both publication and citation counts increased significantly (p<0.01). Iran and China contributed the most articles. Keyword analysis revealed five clusters: “skills,” “mini-CEX,” “clinical competence,” “competence,” and “impact.” Conclusion Research on mini-CEX in nursing and dental education is expanding, yet enhanced interprofessional collaboration is needed to maximize its global scholarly and practical impact.

Complete pulpotomy as a treatment option for caries exposure in mature permanent teeth with complete root formation still remains controversial due to lack of evidence on the long-term success. This article highlights a rare complete pulpotomy case done on a mature permanent tooth that survived for 20 years. A 34-year-old female presented with dull spontaneous pain on her right mandibular first molar and showed positive response to both cold test and electrical pulp test. The tooth was previously restored with tooth coloured restoration at the disto-occlusal surface and pre-operative periapical radiograph revealed large radiopacity covering the entire pulp chamber with calcified canals. The tooth was diagnosed as previously initiated therapy with symptomatic apical periodontitis. Endodontic treatment was initiated. All canals were located and corrected working length achieved followed by cleaning and shaping using HyFlex CM rotary files with copious irrigation of 2.5% sodium hypochlorite solution. Intracanal medication (non-setting calcium hydroxide) was placed and the tooth was restored with temporary restoration. After two weeks, obturation was done using single cone technique with EndoRez sealer. Universal composite resin was placed as permanent restoration and follow-up was done after one month and three months respectively without symptoms and evidence of periapical lesion. This minimally invasive pulpotomy procedure may be an alternative treatment option for mature permanent teeth whenever carious exposure to the pulp occurs.