Potential use of natural silk for bio-dental applications

Silks are protein polymers that are spun into fibres by silkworms and spiders under ambient conditions. Silk has been used as a biomaterial in a variety of biological applications for many years, whereas there are few applications in dentistry. The aim of this study was to explore the potential properties of natural silk for dental applications by determining the structure and features that make natural silk a biocompatible candidate. We conducted a literature search through the recognized databases of medline, ISI web of science, SCOPUS, and EBASE to elucidate the natural properties of silk, its processing for biomedical applications and its use in dental applications. Silk has excellent natural properties, such as strength, resistance to light, temperature and humidity and biocompatibility. Once silk has been dissolved, it can be used to produce a variety of materials, such as films, gels, fibres, nanofibres, granules, foams, spheres and electrospun mats, on a micro or nano scale. Applications in dentistry include biomineralization, tissue engineering for scaffold applications and drug delivery. There has been renewed research on silk-based materials for various biomedical applications, including dentistry

Assessment of hepatitis B vaccination and compliance with infection control among dentists in Saudi Arabia

To evaluate hepatitis B virus [HBV] vaccine coverage and the use of infection control among dentists in Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study was carried out during the Third International Conference at the King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Dentistry, held on March 2012 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Saudi or expatriate dentists working in Saudi Arabia were included in the study. The questionnaires were designed to meet the objective of the study. A total of 402 dentists of whom 176 [44%] were male and 226 [56%] female took part in this study. Their mean age was 37.4 years. In all, 246 [61%] were general dentists and 156 [39%] specialists. Four-fifths [80.5%] of them had been vaccinated. Almost half [48.5%] had experience of needle stick injury, but none reported having been infected with HBV. Among the vaccinated dentists, 186 [57.5%] had not been screened for HBV antibodies. Younger dentists were more particular about vaccination and more careful in using protective wear. There was an association between protective barriers and HBV vaccination, but there was no association between history of needle stick injury and vaccination. Dental healthcare workers have a high risk of infection with HBV due to the nature of their work; so there should be a mandatory program to vaccinate dentists against HBV and to ensure application of protective measures during their practice