Availability of emergency drugs and equipment in general and specialist dental settings in Babol, Iran.

AIM: Medical emergencies can frequently happen in dental settings and it is critical to outfit the clinic by emergency drugs and equipment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the emergency drugs and equipment in general and specialist dental settings in Babol, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire containing closed ended questions about the available emergency drugs and equipment was used in this descriptive-analytical study. Data were subjected to descriptive analysis using SPSS 18.0 to identify the most frequent drugs and equipment. Chi-square and t-test were used to evaluate the correlation between the variables. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: One hundred and twelve dentists answered the questionnaire. The most available drug and equipment were epinephrine (67%) and single use syringe (81.3%) respectively. Significant correlation was found between degree of education and availability of first group of emergency drugs and between sex and possession of second group of emergency equipment (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Degree of availability of emergency drugs and equipment was moderate to low and training about emergencies should be included in the didactic topics of universities and workshops. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Information about emergency drug and equipment would help to manage the unwanted emergency situations.

Magnification in dental practice and education: experience and attitudes of a dental school faculty.

The routine use of magnification and enhanced lighting by oral health care providers, educators, and students is growing, but there is little consensus regarding its implementation and use. Many students and faculty at the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry elect to use some form of magnification in their real and simulated patient care activities, even though the school does not mandate or suggest standards for its utilization. A questionnaire was administered to the clinical faculty to assess two parameters: experience with magnification, and attitudes concerning the value of enhanced vision. Eighty-two out of 124 eligible participants completed the questionnaire successfully for a 66 percent return rate. Sixty-one percent of respondents reported their primary practice or teaching activities as "general dentistry or restorative/prosthodontics." The remainder of the respondents represented a cross-section of other departments and specialists. All endodontists and periodontists who completed the survey and 56 percent of the general/restorative dentists indicated they use magnification. This group accounted for 91 percent of all magnification users. Thirty-nine percent in the magnification users group indicated that they avoid using magnification for some procedures. Faculty magnification users are not in full agreement about the value of enhanced vision in a dental education program. Nearly one-quarter of all magnification users indicated it is unlikely they would use magnification in the teaching environment, even though they may use it in private practice. Various explanations were given for this inconsistency. Only 61 percent of magnification users indicated they make a point to talk to students about the uses and benefits of magnification. While 91 percent of users said that magnification offers significant benefits, only 73 percent believe it should be a program requirement, and 61 percent think it should be required beginning in the first year of the curriculum. The findings of this survey suggest that educational institutions would be wise to address faculty concerns and reasons for resistance before moving to the mandated use of magnification.

Access to special care dentistry, part 1. Access.

This first article in the series will define special care dentistry, who requires it and why? It considers recent legislation and its impact on the primary care practitioner, including reasonable adjustments to the way in which dental care is delivered. It offers practical tips to encourage access to the dental practice and transfer to the dental chair and advice on techniques to aid access to the oral cavity for patients with a range of impairments.

Conventional endodontics and the operating microscope.

Patients are increasingly wishing to undergo conventional endodontic treatment rather than to risk the loss of a tooth. Endodontic treatment in teeth that have been previously restored with extensive intracoronal or extracoronal restorations are often difficult to treat. The orientation of the root canals to the crown of the tooth may be lost, and this may often be compounded by the deposition of reparative dentin in the pulp chamber. The operating microscope allows better visualization of the working field, ensuring that the anatomy of the tooth is more readily inspected. This greatly enhances the clinician's ability to locate extra root canals and therefore increase the likelihood of a successful outcome. It should not be forgotten that the operating microscope also has a place in other fields of dentistry, especially restorative dentistry, and is an asset to both the specialist and the generalist.