Effect of N95 filtering facepiece respirators on dental health professionals with an emphasis on pulmonary function and heart rate: an intrasubject comparison.

Despite the ubiquitous use of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (N95 FFR), published literature on the topic remains scarce, especially in relation to dental professionals. This study assesses the impact of N95 FFRs on blood oxygen saturation and heart rate of dental health professionals while performing procedures requiring varying degrees of physical exertion in an aerosol-rich environment. A total of 51 participants, consisting of 43 men and eight women aged between 23 and 31 years were recruited into the study. All subjects were well-versed in wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). A clinical grade pulse oximeter was used with a clamp placed around the fingertip or the earlobe of the participant. The selection of N95 FFR was based on fit and leakage. All data were collected once from the same participants using a surgical mask as a control. Data were collected again from the same subjects after 1, 2, and 3 hours of use. There were significant differences in both oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate between the two groups after 1, 2, and 3 hours of wearing the respective masks. In healthy young individuals, wearing an N95 FFR for an extended period of time during clinical dental procedures reduced the SpO2level and increased the heart rate compared with a standard surgical mask. However, SpO2 levels remained within a healthy range of more than 95%, and heart rate was within acceptable limits.

Enhancement of Skill Competencies in Operative Dentistry Using Procedure-Specific Educational Videos (E-Learning Tools) Post-COVID-19 Era-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

E-learning has completely transformed how people teach and learn, particularly in the last three pandemic years. This study evaluated the effectiveness of additional procedure-specific video demonstrations through E-learning in improving the knowledge and practical preclinical skills acquisition of undergraduate dental students in comparison with live demonstration only. A randomized controlled trial was conducted for the second-year dental students in the College of Dentistry, Jouf University, to evaluate the impact of E-learning-assisted videos on preclinical skill competency levels in operative dentistry. After a brief introduction to this study, the second-year male and female students voluntarily participated in the survey through an official college email. Fifty participants were enrolled in the study after obtaining informed consent. The participants were randomly divided into two groups, twenty-five each. The control group (Group A) was taught using traditional methods, and the intervention group (Group B) used E-learning-assisted educational videos and traditional techniques. An objective structured practical examination (OSPE) was used to assess both groups. The faculty members prepared a structured, standardized form to evaluate students. After OSPE, statistical analysis was done to compare the grades of OSPE between Group A and Group B. Logistic regression analysis was done to express the effect of components of the OSPE on gender, cumulative gross point average (CGPA), Group A and Group B. The results showed a significant difference in the experimental groups after the intervention (p < 0.000). The simulator position parameter demonstrated that the participants had a significant competence level after the intervention by procedure-specific videos (p < 0.000) and an exponential value of 6.494. The participants taught by E-learning-assisted procedure-specific videos and traditional teaching strategies demonstrated an enhanced learning and skill competency level than participants who used only traditional teaching strategies.