Temporomandibular Disorders, Bruxism, Perceived Stress, and Coping Strategies among Medical University Students in Times of Social Isolation during Outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic caught universities along with their students off-guard, enforcing online education. Fear of the unknown, disinformation, and isolation resulted in an increased stress level in the entire population. Medical university students are particularly endangered with high stress levels and developing TMD. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are of multifactorial etiology, and manifest with jaw dysfunction, masticatory muscle tension or pain, as well as headache. Though bruxism can act as an exacerbating factor for TMD, stress can also play crucial role in the onset. The study aimed to measure occurrence of TMD and bruxism symptoms in the medical student population, asses the stress level, and evaluate adopted stress-coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. A survey study was performed among 1018 students at Medical University of Lodz during April 2020. A self-designed questionnaire for screening TMD and bruxism symptoms, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and Brief-COPE questionnaires were applied. TMD and bruxism symptoms were observed in the majority of subjects during social isolation. The perceived stress levels were significantly higher in those experiencing TMD and bruxism symptoms. Mostly maladaptive, emotion-focused coping strategies were chosen by study subjects experiencing high levels of stress. Choosing Self-Blaming as a coping strategy is the strongest predictor of perceived stress.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dental service: A narrative review.

This article describes what changes have had to be made to the functioning of dental practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how the pandemic has affected dental staff. Dentists are at high risk of infection and this is associated with fear, including the fear of being infected by their co-workers and patients, or that they will infect their families. The introduced changes include increased protective measures, and the introduction of additional questionnaires and procedures. In dental practices, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) has been increased and changes have been introduced in the functioning of surgeries in accordance with the recommendations of dental associations and governments. The aforementioned changes have significantly reduced the comfort of dental work, increased the costs of treatment and reduced the availability of dental treatment. A novel solution to this situation has been the implementation of teledentistry, which helps to reduce the number of non-emergency visits. This process involves the remote facilitation of dental treatment by means of technology (i.e., phone or the Internet) without direct contact with the patient. Due to the restrictions implemented during the pandemic, many universities have introduced remote or hybrid teaching for both didactic and practical classes.

Accuracy of Dental Photography: Professional vs. Smartphone's Camera.

There is a scant literature on the accuracy of dental photographs captured by Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) and smartphone cameras. The aim was to compare linear measurements of plaster models photographed with DSLR and smartphone's camera with digital models. Thirty maxillary casts were prepared. Vertical and horizontal reference lines were marked on each tooth, with exception to molars. Then, models were scanned with the TRIOS 3 Basic intraoral dental scanner (control). Six photographs were captured for each model: one using DSLR camera (Canon EOS 700D) and five with smartphone (iPhone X) (distance range 16-32 cm). Teeth heights and widths were measured on scans and photographs. The following conclusions could be drawn: (1) the measurements of teeth by means of DSLR and smartphone cameras (at distances of at least 24 cm) and scan did not differ. (2) The measurements of anterior teeth by means of DSLR and smartphone cameras (at all distances tested) and scan exhibited no difference. For documentational purposes, the distortion is negligeable, and both camera devices can be applied. Dentists can rely on DSLR and smartphone cameras (at distances of at least 24 cm) for smile designs providing comparable and reliable linear measurements.

COVID-19 and Alzheimer's Disease: A Literature Review.

There are a number of potential implications for the field of Alzheimer's disease (AD) stemming from the global spread of "SARS-COV-2". Many studies that were conducted by Cleveland Clinic researchers identified a link between COVID-19 infection and brain abnormalities seen in people with AD. This article explains the association between COVID-19 and AD and how people with AD are affected by COVID-19, whether directly or indirectly. First, this article begins by explaining AD and its types, then giving an overview about COVID-19, its symptoms and the associated complications. Then, direct and indirect consequences of COVID-19 on people experiencing AD are discussed briefly. Some management strategies are recommended at the end of this article in addition to a future perspective on this topic. This article concludes by summarizing the main points mentioned about the association between COVID-19 and AD.