ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious complication primarily affecting patients with cardiac conditions. It is widely recognized that oral microorganisms contribute to the development of IE. OBJECTIVES: The objective is to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perception of parents of children at risk of IE by studying the preventive measures employed by them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A self-constructed questionnaire composed of 14 questions was distributed among parents of children aged 0-12 years with known cardiac diseases. The parents/caregivers who were attending the pediatric outpatient clinics at King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) were selected randomly. Results: A total of 112 parents responded to this questionnaire. Almost 50% of the participants in this study reported that their children do not brush their teeth regularly, with only 12.5% of them brushing twice a day. Regarding the role of parents in supervising oral hygiene, 62.5% of them stated that they only provide advice but do not watch their child brush their teeth, and only 9.8% of parents are actively involved in advising and watching their children brush their teeth. In this study, 95.5% of parents agreed that maintaining good dental health was crucial for overall body health, and 58% of the participants showed interest in receiving more education about oral health and its impact on overall well-being. To assess the statistical significance, a nonparametric Pearson's chi-square test for fitness was employed. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was used to report the statistical significance of the results. Conclusion: While the parents demonstrated adequate knowledge of oral health, their attitudes toward it were lacking. So, both parents and children require a modification in their attitudes toward dental care and oral health.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To measure the flexural strength (FS) of bulk-fill resin composites and assess their long-term water absorption and solubility properties with and without the inclusion of short glass fibres. METHODS: One resin composite, everX Flow with fibres, and four commercially available bulk-fill composites without fibres, namely, PALFIQUE, Activa, SDR Plus, and Filtek Bulk Fill One, were tested. Six specimens (2 × 2 × 25 mm) were fabricated for each material and stored in water for 1 day and 30 days to measure the flexural strength using a three-point bending test. To evaluate water absorption and solubility, circular disks measuring 15 × 2 mm (n = 5) were immersed in water for 60 days, and their weights were recorded periodically. After 60 days, the specimens were dried for an additional 21 days to determine solubility. RESULTS: Flexural strength values ranged from 101.7 to 149.1 MPa. Significant distinctions were observed among the resin composites at the onset of the study (p < 0.05). The highest FS value was identified in everX Flow, while ACT exhibited the lowest (p < 0.05). However, the flexural strength values exhibited a significant decrease with increased storage time (p < 0.05), except for ACT, which demonstrated a noteworthy increase. Concerning water absorption and solubility, ACT displayed the highest absorption, while the range of solubility varied from -0.88 to 5.8 µg/mm3. ACT also had the highest solubility, whereas everX Flow exhibited negative solubility. SIGNIFICANCE: The addition of short fibres, along with potential differences in matrix composition, enhanced the flexural strength of everX Flow. However, the substantial reduction in flexural strength observed in everX Flow and SDR following exposure to water corroborates the manufacturers' recommendation to apply a conventional resin composite cap on these materials.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Infection control procedures are implemented in dental clinics to reduce the risk of cross-contamination; saliva, blood, or airborne droplets containing infective agents are example of direct contamination, while indirect exposure via contact with contaminated surfaces and dental equipments such as dental chair, tray, faucet, air syringe, suction tip, gutta percha, paper points, retraction cords, and dental floss containers. Dental floss is known to be an integral part of most dental procedures. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and awareness regarding cross-contamination of dental floss containers among a selected population of dental assistants in dental clinics at King Saud University (KSU). Material and Methods: A swab was taken from 60 dental floss containers selected by simple random sampling among 60 different dental clinics at KSU and culture test was done using a charcoal transport swab to identify the type of bacteria that might be present on the dental floss containers. Also a Google forms questionnaire which consisted of 20 multiple choice questions, including demographic questions on gender, nationality, and professional experience, followed by questions to evaluate different infection control concepts and practices. Results: This study included 70 dental assistants, most of whom were female (94.3 %). A significant number (41.4 %) of the dental assistants have never heard of OSHA course, and most of them (77.1 %) have never taken an OSHA course. Some participants who attended > 2 infection control courses (37.8 %) did not disagree that it is a waste of material to use new gloves to clean each clinic. Regarding the laboratory results for the collected samples, the highest frequency was noted for Staphylococcus hominis (27.8 %). Conclusion: The present study concluded that there is still further need for implementation of infection control programs and raising more awareness regarding this subject.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The objective was to evaluate the current knowledge, attitude, and perception of adult patients toward SDF and identify related factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, data were obtained from adult participants of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A simple random sampling method was used. An electronic questionnaire was designed to collect data regarding participants' demographics and their knowledge, attitude, and perception toward the use of SDF. RESULTS: The majority (86.6%) of the participants were females. Approximately 58% were ≤ 25 years of age. Overall, 77.1% of the participants had college/higher level education, and 34.2% had a monthly income of > 16000 Saudi Riyals (SAR). Approximately 75.8% of them did not suffer from medical conditions, 60.8% had tooth decay, 82.5% brushed their teeth daily, 77.7% flossed regularly, and 63% used fluoridated toothpaste. Dental pain or inflammation was reported by 87.7% of the participants (P-value < 0.001). A higher proportion of adult patients (47.8%) was strongly satisfied with the speed of treatment, 58.9% were strongly satisfied with advantages, and 24.5% were dissatisfied with disadvantages (P-value < 0.001). Disagreement (24.0%) toward SDF material use for anterior teeth was statistically high (P-value < 0.001). Females (64.5%) demonstrated strong satisfaction with the benefits of SDF material (P-value = 0.004). Participants of male sex (26.0%), education up to high school (33.0%), and income of > 16000 SAR (31.0%) showed statistically strong disagreement (P-value < 0.05) with use of SDF for anterior teeth. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that SDF is acceptable among Saudi adults for the purpose of arresting dental caries. However, pigmentation of anterior teeth is a major concern, especially in male participants with high socioeconomic status.
