ABSTRACT
Background/purpose: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a serious complication among dental patients undergoing treatment with antiresorptive medications such as bisphosphonate and denosumab. The present survey investigated the awareness and practice of dentists in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries regarding MRONJ. Materials and methods: This questionnaire-based study was conducted among dental practitioners in all six GCC countries. A questionnaire was designed and distributed among all potential participants via different social media platforms. SPSS version 22 was used for data analysis, and P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Overall, 1685 dentists from the six GCC countries participated in the present study. The surveyed dentists revealed relatively fair practices and awareness regarding MRONJ and its prevention, with the majority reported asking their patients about history of anti-osteoporotic medications (67.8%), recording name of the medication (73.1%) and duration of treatment (75.5%). However, the majority of the participants were unconfident about the duration of drug holiday prior to dental surgical interventions (70.6%) and the overall good level of knowledge/practice related to MRONJ was just 50.6%. The regression analysis revealed that previous exposure to MRONJ cases and attending a seminar, course, meeting, or conference about osteonecrosis of the jaw were independent predictors for positive awareness/good practice regarding MRONJ (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The results show inadequate awareness and practices of dentists practicing in GCC countries regarding MRONJ, with significant variations among the countries. Therefore, appropriate interventions such as periodic continuous education courses are required to improve dentists' knowledge and practices regarding MRONJ.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Dental implants are considered the first option to replace missing teeth. Alveolar bone resorption gradually progresses following tooth extraction leading to loss of vertical bone dimension for implant placement. The lateral window approach is the most commonly used procedure to treat vertical bone loss. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the Lateral Wall Thickness (LWT) of the maxillary sinus and determine the influence of gender and side on maxillary LWT. METHODS: This study involved a cross sectional retrospective study. Cone- beam computed tomography data were collected from 99 patients with a total of 198 maxillary sinuses that met the inclusion criteria. The patient age ranged between 18 to 35 years. On the selected sagittal section, the points of measurement are determined by a perpendicular line at 5 mm from the lowest point of the sinus floor. Measurements were taken at four different areas; first premolar (P1), second premolar (P2), first molar (M1), and second molar (M2). Descriptive statistics were used to calculate mean lateral wall thickness for each tooth, and student's t-test was used to test the effect of gender and side on maxillary LWT. RESULTS: The greatest mean LWT was observed around the left first maxillary molar (2.43±0.82), while the lowest mean LWT was observed around the right second maxillary premolar (1.62±0.61). There was no significant difference in the LWT around any tooth (M1 p=0.56, M2 p=0.92, P1 p=0.14, P2 p=0.19). CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in both males and females of the lateral wall thickness in the left and right side of maxillary sinus.
