Trends in dental caries and missing teeth in adult patients in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

The aim of the study was to determine dental caries prevalence and severity among adult patients attending Al-Ahsa Dental Center in Al-Ahsa Region of Saudi Arabia. A total of 544 adult patients, 42% males and 58% females with a mean age of 42.7 +/- 18.1 years, were examined for dental caries utilizing WHO criteria for diagnosis of dental caries. The caries prevalence among the sample was 89.2% with a mean DMFT score of 13.24 +/- 11.53. The mean DMFT scores of the patients from urban areas [14.03 +/- 12.11] were significantly higher than patients from rural areas [11.39 +/- 9.84] [P<0.01]. Missing teeth was the major component of the total DMFT score. About 17% of the patients were edentulous. However, more than half [56.8%] of the patients above 61 years were edentulous. In conclusion, the caries prevalence and severity were very high among the subjects studied

relation of semi-adjustable articulators to clinical outcome-a review

Success or failure of prosthodontic clinical procedures often relies on the proper application of the principles of occlusion. This article reviews in vitro and in vivo studies on strategies that attempt to explain the capabilities of semi-adjustable instruments In the development of occlusion. This critical review enables the clinician to choose the most suitable instrument to improve clinical outcomes. Scientific studies have been reviewed in relation to the following components of semi-adjustable instruments: [1] condylar-fossa mechanism, [2] intercondylar distance, and [3] anterior incisal guidance and type of incisal guide pins. Positive and negative restorative occlusal errors using semi-adjustable articulators are explained and documented. Recommendations are provided for the selection of articulators that meet clinical requirements

Gingival health among individuals on hemodialysis in a saudi population

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the gingival health status among patients on hemodialysis. Ninety Saudi patients on hemodialysis participated in the study, and were divided into three subgroups of those who have been on dialysis for 1] less than one year; 2]1 to 3 years; and 3] for more than 3 years. Four indices: the debris index [Di]; the calculus Index [Cl]; the plaque Index [PII] and the gingival index [GI] were used. Data were analyzed using one way analysis of variance [ANOVA]. The means of debris index were 1.65, 2.07, and 2.15, with SD +/- 0.67, 0.47 and 0.48 respectively for the subgroups.The means of plaque index were 1.72, 2.16 and 2.26, with SD +/- 0.64, 0.36 and 0.42 respectively for the revealed groups. The means of calculus index were 1.58, 2.02 and 2.09, with SD +/- 0.58, 0.28 and 0.39 respectively for the subgroups. The means of gingival index were 1.43, 2.97 and 2.06 with SD +/- 0.67, 0.38 and 0.35 for the subgroups respectively. Results showed a 100% prevalence of mild to moderate gingivitis. Tukey's post hoc test showed significant difference in all indices between the 1st and 2nd subgroups, and between the1st and 3rd subgroups, while no significant difference was found between 2nd and 3rd subgroups. It was concluded that periodontal disease is prevalent in renal dialysis patients who showed unacceptable level of oral hygiene and which may increase with the chronicity of the illness

Infection control measures among dentists practising in Saudi Arabia

A national study of oral health care delivery system was conducted in Saudi Arabia. The methodology was based on the International Collaborative Study of Oral Health Outcomes [ICS-lI]. A part of that study was to survey the dental practitioners for their knowledge. attitudes and practices. A 128-item questionnaire was administered to dentists practicing in multiple countrywide locations [5 provinces] and the number of respondents totaled 481. Results showed that 92% used a new pair of gloves for each patient; 85.32% wore face masks; for all procedures; 50.84% used eyewear or glasses for all procedures; 98.32% used a sterilized disposable needle for each patient 27.14% sterilized with autoclave handpieces after each patient; 90.2% sterilized hand instruments in the autoclave after each use; and 89.3% reported enhanced implementation of infection control procedures since they learned about AIDS. Approximately 26.3% disagreed and 8.5% strongly disagreed that they had adequate Infection control training to treat AIDS patients. Over 37.3% strongly agreed and 30.3% agreed that they felt unsafe treating AIDS patients. It is concluded that Saudi Arabia, a rapidly modernizing middle-income nation, is making excellent progress in implementing barrier techniques in the dental care delivery system. In view of worldwide AIDS epidemic, it is vital that adequate infection control continues and greater efforts made in this area with more information provided to dentists about AIDS

Demand for dental care in Saudi Arabia

In order to assess the demand for dental care in Riyadh, 1, 856 files of adult Saudi from different areas of Riyadh were examined or the chief complications among those who attended the clinics at the College of Dentistry, King Saudi University. The results show that 45.78% of the patients sought comprehensive restorative treatment, 27.42% needed periodontal treatment, 8.45% needed prostheses, 9.85% needed surgical treatment, 3.07% needed endodontic therapy, and 2.31% needed orthodontic treatment. There was no significant difference between the male and female groups [P> 0.01]. The role of preventive dentistry has been emphasized