A Potential Role for the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-Products (RAGE) in the Development of Secondhand Smoke-Induced Chronic Sinusitis.

Chronic sinusitis (CS) is characterized by sinonasal inflammation, mucus overproduction, and edematous mucosal tissue. CS impacts one in seven adults and estimates suggest up to 15% of the general U.S. population may be affected. This research sought to assess a potential role for receptors for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE), an inflammatory receptor expressed in tissues exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). Human sinus tissue sections were stained for RAGE and S100s, common RAGE ligands. Wild-type mice and mice that over-express RAGE in sinonasal epithelium (RAGE TG) were maintained in room air (RA) or exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) via a nose-only delivery system five days a week for 6 weeks. Mouse sections were stained for RAGE and tissue lysates were assayed for cleaved caspase 3, cytokines, or matrix metalloproteases. We discovered increased RAGE expression in sinus tissue following SHS exposure and in sinuses from RAGE TG mice in the absence of SHS. Cleaved caspase-3, cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-3, and TNF-α), and MMPs (-9 and -13) were induced by SHS and in tissues from RAGE TG mice. These results expand the inflammatory role of RAGE signaling, a key axis in disease progression observed in smokers. In this relatively unexplored area, enhanced understanding of RAGE signaling during voluntary and involuntary smoking may help to elucidate potential therapeutic targets that may attenuate the progression of smoke-related CS.

Effectiveness of haptic feedback devices in preclinical training of dental students-a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Acquisition of psychomotor skills is of utmost importance for competent preclinical restorative dentistry. Recent advancements in haptic feedback technology have been incorporated into preclinical dental education to augment the conventional phantom head-based training. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of haptic feedback device, Simodont, in improving the skill development and learning outcomes of dental students during their preclinical training. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic databases Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed were searched for relevant studies since inception up until March, 2023. Only English language studies that assessed the effectiveness of haptic feedback devices in preclinical dental education were included. We excluded studies that did not use Simodont as the haptic feedback device or did not involve preclinical restorative work. Study quality was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool and ROBINS-I. The primary goal of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of Simodont as a complementary training modality for dentistry students. RESULTS: Results from 9 high-quality studies were analyzed and synthesized to evaluate the overall impact of haptic feedback devices on various aspects of preclinical training. The studies were conducted on 826 undergraduate dental students enrolled in various years of their training across dental colleges and universities in different parts of the world. A majority of studies showed some concerns regarding risk of bias. Haptic feedback devices added a new layer to Virtual Reality (VR) through the perception of touch and force feedback. It assisted junior dental students improve their psychomotor skills and movement skills. Instantaneous feedback on the students' performance helped enhance their self-assessment and correction, and also eliminated the subjectivity of evaluation. Data derived from virtual simulators helped stratify dental students and predict their clinical performance, providing an opportunity to tailor the learning process to meet individual diversity in students' expertise. CONCLUSION: Based on the limited evidence available, Simodont was effective in preclinical training of dental students, offering advantages such as unlimited reproducibility, objective evaluation of preparation by computer assessment, and cost reduction. And further studies are warranted to explore the incorporation of patient's oral environment simulation for better skill training.

Efficacy of laser in re-osseointegration of dental implants-a systematic review.

Despite their high success rates, peri-implantitis can affect the stability and function of dental implants. Various treatment modalities have been investigated for the treatment of peri-implantitis to achieve re-osseointegration. An electronic literature search was performed supplemented by a manual search to identify studies published until January 2022. Articles that evaluated re-osseointegration in peri-implantitis sites in animal models following laser therapy or antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) were included. Case reports, case series, systematic reviews, and letters to the editor were excluded. Risk of bias and GRADE assessment were followed to evaluate the quality of the evidence. Six studies out of 26 articles identified on electronic search were included in this review. The studies included animal studies conducted on canine models. Four out of six studies reported a higher degree of re-osseointegration following treatment of implants with laser therapy. The findings suggest that laser decontamination shows potential in enhancing re-osseointegration, particularly with the Er: YAG laser, which effectively decontaminated implant surfaces. However, conflicting outcomes and limitations in the evidence quality warrant caution in drawing definitive conclusions. Based on the limited available evidence, laser therapy may show a higher degree of re-osseointegration of implants than mechanical debridement.

The Cytotoxic Effect of Thermoplastic Denture Base Resins: A Systematic Review.

Partial or complete dentures are constructed from thermoplastic resins that are thermally processed and molded. This review examines the presently available evidence for the cytotoxicity of thermoplasticized denture base resins on human gingival epithelial cells, adipose cells, and fibroblasts; human amnion fibroblasts; and mouse fibroblasts. Electronic searches were performed on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases to identify relevant articles to be included in the review until September 2022. Clinical, in vivo, and in vitro studies in English language were searched for. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Toxicological data Reliability Assessment tool (ToxRTool) developed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. GRADE assessment was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence. Seven in vitro studies were included in the review. The overall risk of bias was determined to be high, with the majority of studies assessed found to be reliable with restrictions or not reliable. Only two studies were considered reliable without restrictions based on ToxRTool assessment. The effect of thermoplastic denture base resins on viability and cell adherence of human gingival or amnion fibroblasts and mouse fibroblasts (L929s) is not significant. Conditioned media from unpolished specimens of resins were significantly more toxic to cultured cells than those from polished specimens. This may be of concern in cases of poor post-processing of dentures. Based on the limited evidence available, there is low-certainty evidence that thermoplastic denture base resins appear to be biocompatible and show insignificant cytotoxicity. Further well-designed trials adhering to standard reporting guidelines and using objective measures are necessary before outlining universal guidelines for best practice. Long-term in vivo and clinical assessment is necessary to corroborate laboratory findings with clinical outcomes. Denture base resins are in constant contact with oral tissues, and cytotoxic components released by the resins may irritate or inflame the tissues or provoke an allergic response.

Efficacy of artificial intelligence in the detection of periodontal bone loss and classification of periodontal diseases: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) can aid in the diagnosis and treatment planning of periodontal disease by means of reducing subjectivity. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of AI models in detecting radiographic periodontal bone loss (PBL) and accuracy in classifying lesions. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: The authors conducted an electronic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for articles published through August 2022. Articles evaluating the efficacy of AI in determining PBL were included. The authors assessed the articles using the Quality Assessment for Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy tool. They used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria to evaluate the certainty of evidence. RESULTS: Of the 13 articles identified through electronic search, 6 studies met the inclusion criteria, using a variety of AI algorithms and different modalities, including panoramic and intraoral radiographs. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and pixel accuracy were the outcomes measured. Although some studies found no substantial difference between AI and dental clinicians' performance, others showed AI's superiority in detecting PBL. Evidence suggests that AI has the potential to aid in the detection of PBL and classification of periodontal diseases. However, further research is needed to standardize AI algorithms and validate their clinical usefulness. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Although the use of AI may offer some benefits in the detection and classification of periodontal diseases, the low level of evidence and the inconsistent performance of AI algorithms suggest that caution should be exercised when considering the use of AI models in diagnosing PBL. This review was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42022364600).

Xenogenic Implantation of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Using a Novel 3D-Printed Scaffold of PLGA and Graphene Leads to a Significant Increase in Bone Mineralization in a Rat Segmental Femoral Bone Defect.

Tissue-engineering technologies have the potential to provide an effective approach to bone regeneration. Based on the published literature and data from our laboratory, two biomaterial inks containing PLGA and blended with graphene nanoparticles were fabricated. The biomaterial inks consisted of two forms of commercially available PLGA with varying ratios of LA:GA (65:35 and 75:25) and molecular weights of 30,000-107,000. Each of these forms of PLGA was blended with a form containing a 50:50 ratio of LA:GA, resulting in ratios of 50:65 and 50:75, which were subsequently mixed with a 0.05 wt% low-oxygen-functionalized derivative of graphene. Scanning electron microscopy showed interconnected pores in the lattice structures of each scaffold. The cytocompatibility of human ADMSCs transduced with a red fluorescent protein (RFP) was evaluated in vitro. The in vivo biocompatibility and the potential to repair bones were evaluated in a critically sized 5 mm mechanical load-bearing segmental femur defect model in rats. Bone repair was monitored by radiological, histological, and microcomputed tomography methods. The results showed that all of the constructs were biocompatible and did not exhibit any adverse effects. The constructs containing PLGA (50:75)/graphene alone and with hADMSCs demonstrated a significant increase in mineralized tissues within 60 days post-treatment. The percentage of bone volume to total volume from microCT analyses in the rats treated with the PLGA + cells construct showed a 50% new tissue formation, which matched that of a phantom. The microCT results were supported by Von Kossa staining.

Examining the effects of early patient care and biomedical science integration on predoctoral dental student competence and confidence.

INTRODUCTION: Our study investigates early experiential learning as a method of curricular integration by allowing students to begin their clinical experience in the first year of the programme, as well as distributing biomedical classes throughout the predoctoral dental school curriculum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study utilises a quasi-experimental design with two different groups, Standard Curriculum Group and Integrated Curriculum Group, n = 87. Data were collected from 2017 to 2021. RESULTS: We found that, on average, it took 608 h less for the participants in an integrated curriculum group to reach clinical competence in comparison to peers who did not experience the same methods of integration in their programme. These data were collected through daily faculty evaluations of students' progression as well as participants' own self-assessment. Our results indicate that participants in the Integrated Curriculum Group also experienced a positive effect on their confidence in their ability to apply the biomedical sciences to patient care. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that predoctoral dental programmes may be able to bring about positive outcomes for students' clinical confidence and competence by providing patient care opportunities early in the programme and sequencing the biomedical sciences throughout the curriculum. As such, it appears that early experiential learning may be a viable option for curricular integration that can have a positive effect on both students' confidence in their clinical abilities and their progression to clinical competence.

E-cigarette addiction and harm perception: Does initiation flavor choice matter?

INTRODUCTION: The 21st century was marked by a dramatic increase in adolescent e-cigarette use in the United States (US). The popularity of non-traditional flavor types, including fruit and pastry, is thought to contribute toward growing product use nationally, leading to a variety of federal and state regulations limiting the use of non-traditional flavors in the US. The relationship between flavor type and increased adolescent use suggests a possible link between flavor use and addiction and harm perception. This study assessed if the flavor type used when initiating e-cigarette use predicted addiction and harm perceptions. METHODS: The study utilized data from the multi-wave youth Population Assessment of Tobacco Health Study. It explored the impact initiating e-cigarette use with traditional versus non-traditional flavor types among cigarette users on the outcome variables: e-cigarette addiction and harm perception. Both e-cigarette addiction and harm perception were measured using self-report, Likert scale questionnaires. Descriptive statistics characterized the study variables and linear regression analyses performed to test whether flavor initiation type is associated with addiction and harm perception. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 1,043 youth (weighted N = 1,873,617) aged 12 to 17 years who reported at least one instance of e-cigarette use. After adjusting for age, age of onset, sex, race and annual household income there was no statistically significant difference in addiction levels between those initiating with traditional versus non-traditional flavors (p = 0.294). Similarly, traditional versus non-traditional flavor initiation did not show a statistically significant difference in adolescent e-cigarette harm perceptions (p = 0.601). CONCLUSIONS: Traditionally flavored e-cigarette initiation produces similar risk for addiction and harm perceptions as non-traditionally flavored initiation. These findings suggest that banning non-traditional flavors alone may be ineffective in curbing e-cigarette addiction and harm perception. Additional research is needed to better understand which e-cigarette product characteristics and behaviors may be associated with greater addiction and reduced harm perceptions.

Inflammation and Invasion in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells Exposed to Electronic Cigarette Vapor Extract.

Electronic cigarettes (eCig) represent a new avenue of tobacco exposure that involves heating oil-based liquids and the delivery of aerosolized flavors with or without nicotine, yet little is known about their overall health impact. The oral cavity is an anatomic gateway for exposure that can be compromised by activating myriad of signaling networks. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSSC) is a common malignancy affecting 30,000 people in the United States each year. Our objective was to determine the impact of eCig and nicotine on gingival OSSC invasion and their secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules. Gingiva-derived Ca9-22 cells and tongue-derived Cal27 cells were exposed to eCig vapor extract (EVE) generated from Red Hot or Green Apple (Apple) flavored eCig solution +/- nicotine for 6 hours. Isolation of protein lysates and collection conditioned media was done after treatment. Real-time cellular invasion was assessed using a RTCA DP instrument. Protein expression was determined using western blot. Compared to controls, we observed: elevated NF-kB, TNF-α, ERK, JNK, MMP-13 and cell invasion by Ca9-22 treated with Apple EVE; increased TNF-α and JNK by Ca9-22 treated with Red Hot EVE; and increased TNF-α and JNK by Cal27 cells treated with both Apple and Red Hot EVE. We conclude that eCig flavoring and nicotine orchestrated differential cell invasion and inflammatory effects. This study provides an important initial step in dissecting mechanisms of cancerous invasion and molecular avenues employed by OSCC.

Teledentistry Implementation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 spreads via aerosol droplets. The dental profession is at high risk of contracting the virus since their work includes treatment procedures that produce aerosols. Teledentistry offers an opportunity to mitigate the risk to dental personnel by allowing dentists to provide care without direct patient contact. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the implementation, challenges, strategies, and innovations related to teledentistry during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. METHODS: This scoping review evaluated teledentistry use during the pandemic by searching for articles in PubMed and Google Scholar using the search terms teledentistry, tele-dentistry, covid-19, coronavirus, telehealth, telemedicine, and dentistry. Inclusion criteria consisted of articles published in English from March 1, 2020, to April 1, 2022, that were relevant to dentistry and its specialties, and that included some discussion of teledentistry and COVID-19. Specifically, the review sought to explore teledentistry implementation, challenges, strategies to overcome challenges, and innovative ideas that emerged during the pandemic. It followed the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). This approach is organized into 5 distinct steps: formulating a defined question, using the question to develop inclusion criteria to identify relevant studies, an approach to appraise the studies, summarizing the evidence using an explicit methodology, and interpreting the findings of the review. RESULTS: A total of 32 articles was included in this scoping review and summarized by article type, methodology and population, and key points about the aims; 9 articles were narrative review articles, 10 were opinion pieces, 4 were descriptive studies, 3 were surveys, 2 were integrative literature reviews, and there was 1 each of the following: observational study, systematic review, case report, and practice brief. Teledentistry was used both synchronously and asynchronously for virtual consultations, often employing commercial applications such as WhatsApp, Skype, and Zoom. Dental professionals most commonly used teledentistry for triage, to reduce in-person visits, and for scheduling and providing consultations remotely. Identified challenges included patient and clinician acceptance of teledentistry, having adequate infrastructure, reimbursement, and security concerns. Strategies to address these concerns included clinician and patient training and utilizing Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant applications. Benefits from teledentistry included providing care for patients during the pandemic and extending care to areas lacking access to dental care. CONCLUSIONS: Pandemic lockdowns led to new teledentistry implementations, most commonly for triage but also for follow-up and nonprocedural care. Teledentistry reduced in-person visits and improved access to remote areas. Challenges such as technology infrastructure, provider skill level, billing issues, and privacy concerns remain.

Comparing oral health behaviours of men and women in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: This study used a national database to update and examine current differences in men's and women's oral health and oral health behaviours in the United States. METHODS: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the 2017-2018 cycle were used to explore the relationship between males and females and their oral health. Multivariate analyses assessed for gender differences in oral health behaviors between genders after controlling for sample demographic characteristics. RESULTS: The final sample consisted of 4,741 participants. Males tended to have fewer dental visits, worse perception of their gum and tooth health, poorer flossing habits, and more root caries. Females were more proactive in visiting dentists and displayed a greater awareness of oral health. Females were less likely to report discussing oral cancer screening with their dentist even though they were screened more often. On examination, males were more often advised to seek urgent dental care than females. All these differences were statistically significant at p<0.05, although the effect size for examination variables was small (Phi <0.1). CONCLUSIONS: Oral health and oral health behaviours demonstrate gender differences with men reporting poorer oral health, poorer oral hygiene habits, and fewer dental visits. These findings suggest gender-targeted strategies have the potential to improve oral health and reduce gender-related disparities. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study found that women exhibit better oral health practices and behaviours. These differences may cause a disproportionate burden of oral disease in men and highlight the need for dentists, hygienists, and those interested in dental public health to develop gender-specific strategies to address these inequalities.

Early Preventive Dental Visits: Do They Reduce Future Operative Treatments?

This study assessed the longitudinal impact of early preventive dental visits on the number of dental operative procedures in a prevention-oriented pediatric dental practice. Inclusion criteria consisted of patients zero to four years of age with at least two years of preventive services provided by the practice. Early preventive visits were the intervention and dental operative procedures were the assessed outcome. The goal was to determine if preventive visits at an early age decreased the number of operative procedures needed by the patient. The patients were divided into two groups: those with older siblings in the practice and those without older siblings in the practice. A secondary outcome was to compare these two patient groups to determine if a child who had older siblings previously treated in this preventive practice had better outcomes than those without siblings in the practice. ANCOVA tests were used to compare the average number of operative procedures in two age groups (<2 years and ≥2 years), and for those with and without dental insurance, in addition to children being younger sibling versus children without sibling, adjusting for the effect of covariates. The study sample consisted of 363 pediatric patients. Patients' age at first visit ranged from 0 to 4 years old (mean = 2.13; SD = 1.15). The average number of operative procedures per year increased as the age at first visit increased (p < 0.05). The average number of operative procedures in two age groups (<2 years and ≥2 years) differed (p < 0.05) with those whose age at first visit ≥2 years experiencing more dental operative procedures than the younger group. The average number of operative procedures was similar between younger siblings (mean = 1.91; SD = 7.44) and children without siblings (mean = 1.54; SD = 2.1) (p > 0.05). The difference in the average number of operative procedures in children with insurance (mean = 1.59; SD = 5.25) and children without insurance (mean = 1.58; SD = 2.38) was non-significant (p > 0.05). More dental cleaning examinations were associated with fewer dental operative procedures (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that dental examinations before two years of age and more dental cleaning examinations lead to a decrease in the number of dental operative procedures needed by children.

The association of adolescent e-cigarette harm perception to advertising exposure and marketing type.

BACKGROUND: Despite controversy over their possible health consequences, manufacturers of e-cigarettes employ a variety of marketing media to increase their popularity among adolescents. This study analyzed the relationship between adolescent e-cigarette harm perception and five types of e-cigarette advertising exposures: social media, radio, billboard, newspaper, and television. METHODS: This study used data from Wave 4.5 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (PATH). PATH collects demographic data and interview individuals about issues pertaining to tobacco use, health outcomes, attitudes, and behaviors. This study applied factor analysis to three individual PATH harm perception items to develop a composite harm perception score. Using linear regression, the study explored the relationship of harm perception and participant responses to their recalled viewing of five different types (i.e., newspaper, radio, billboard, television and social media) of advertisements within the past 30 days. A second analysis explored if adjusting for exposure to anti-tobacco messaging and environmental factors such as family approval mitigated the association of harm perception and advertisement types. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 12,570 (weighted N = 23,993,149) individuals aged 12 to 17 years old. Unadjusted past 30-day exposure to newspaper, radio, billboard, and social media advertising all correlated with a reduced harm perception, but only the associations for newspaper and social media were statistically significant (p<0.05). After adjusting for environmental support factors, exposure to warning labels, and anti-tobacco advertisements, the analysis yielded statistically significant associations between increased e-cigarette harm perception and exposure to radio, billboard, and television advertisements (p<0.05). Adjusting for covariates also reduced the association of marketing and harm perception for all forms of media. CONCLUSION: E-cigarette advertising influences adolescent perceptions of harm in e-cigarette use, particularly for social media and newspaper advertisements. This association weakens when adjusted for covariates such as environmental support and exposure to anti-tobacco marketing. These findings provide evidence for policy makers to continue anti-tobacco marketing and incorporate environmentally supportive strategies such as holistic, family-centered educational approaches to reduce e-cigarette use among adolescents.

Relationships between ENDS-Related Familial Factors and Oral Health among Adolescents in the United States.

The influence of familial and social environments plays a significant role in Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) use and may contribute to poor oral health among adolescents. This study utilized the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) database and included youths aged 12 to 17 years who reported no history of dental health issues at baseline. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were used to examine the association between END-related familial factors and oral health among adolescents in the United States, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. The sample consisted of 3892 adolescents (weighted N = 22,689,793). Parents' extremely negative reaction towards ENDS when they found their children using ENDS (AOR = 0.309) was connected to a lower risk of oral health issues. The findings suggest that clinicians and policymakers need to consider the roles of these factors when developing strategies to improve oral health outcomes.

Using machine learning to identify factors associated with practice location of the healthcare workforce.

INTRODUCTION: Past studies examined factors associated with rural practice, but none employed newer machine learning (ML) methods to explore potential predictors. The primary aim of this study was to identify factors related to practice in a rural area. Secondary aims were to capture a more precise understanding of the demographic characteristics of the healthcare professions workforce in Utah (USA) and to assess the viability of ML as a predictive tool. METHODS: This study incorporated four datasets - the 2017 dental workforce, the 2016 physician workforce, the 2014 nursing workforce and the 2017 pharmacy workforce - collected by the Utah Medical Education Council. Supervised ML techniques were used to identify factors associated with practice location, the outcome variable of interest. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 11 259 healthcare professionals with an average age of 46.6 years, of which 36.6% were males and 94.5% Caucasian. Four ML methods were applied to assess model performance by comparing accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Of the methods used, support vector machine performed the best (accuracy 99.7%, precision 100%, sensitivity 100%, specificity 99.4% and ROC 0.997). The models identified income and rural upbringing as the top factors associated with rural practice. CONCLUSION: By far, income emerged as the most important factor associated with rural practice, suggesting that attractive income offers might help rural communities address health professional shortages. Rural upbringing was the next most important predictive factor, validating and updating earlier research. The performance of the ML algorithms suggests their usefulness as a tool to model other databases for individualized prediction.

Health Disparities Associated with Females Reporting Human Papillomavirus Infection in the United States.

Few studies provide detailed findings about the health disparities of women being told by a physician whether they have ever had a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. This study sought to characterize the prevalence and characteristics associated with women age 18 to 59 years in the United States who report being told they were infected with HPV. This study used data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. Descriptive statistics were computed on study variables and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the association of the study variables with the outcome variable. Sampling weights were applied to produce national estimates of prevalence. The sample consisted of 1,669 females, representative of 75,107,170 females in the United States population. Around 11.5% reported being told that they had an HPV infection, of which 60.9% were White, and 82.9% were born in the United States. White women are 2.0 times more likely to be told they have HPV than Asian women and 2.8 times more likely than Black women. United States-born women were 2.1 times more likely told they had an HPV infection than those foreign born. This study found that among U.S. women, less than 12% reported ever having been told they have had an HPV infection. Epidemiologic findings suggest gaps between ever being told of a previous infection and being diagnosed with a clinically relevant HPV infection. Despite epidemiologic data indicating higher HPV prevalence among those less educated and women of color, these groups were less likely to report ever being told they have an HPV infection than White women, and those with a college degree suggesting communication gaps among these subgroups about HPV infection that might exist. Strategies to address potential gaps in communication among these subgroups can potentially reduce the economic burden and health disparities related to HPV infection.

In an era of uncertainty: Impact of COVID-19 on dental education.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic arguably represents the worst public health crisis of the 21st century. However, no empirical study currently exists in the literature that examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental education. This study evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on dental education and dental students' experience. METHODS: An anonymous online survey was administrated to professional dental students that focused on their experiences related to COVID-19. The survey included questions about student demographics, protocols for school reopening and student perceptions of institutional responses, student concerns, and psychological impacts. RESULTS: Among the 145 respondents, 92.4% were pre-doctoral dental students and 7.6% were orthodontic residents; 48.2% were female and 12.6% students lived alone during the school closure due to the pandemic. Students' age ranged from 23 to 39 years. Younger students expressed more concerns about their emotional health (P = 0.01). In terms of the school's overall response to COVID-19, 73.1% students thought it was effective. The majority (83%) of students believed that social distancing in school can minimize the development of COVID-19. In general, students felt that clinical education suffered after transitioning to online but responded more positively about adjustments to other online curricular components. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted dental education. Our findings indicate that students are experiencing increased levels of stress and feel their clinical education has suffered. Most students appear comfortable with technology adaptations for didactic curriculum and favor masks, social distancing, and liberal use of sanitizers.