Children's Oral Health Status Among Urban and Rural Areas of Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND:  Dental caries is a disease that is quite common in children and has a negative impact on their oral health, mental health, and quality of life. This study aimed to collect and correlate information about oral health awareness, oral health status, and oral hygiene practices in the urban and rural areas of Saudi Arabia.  Methods: The cross-sectional study was carried out among three dental clusters of Qassim from November 2022 to April 2023 in 12 schools on seven- to 12-year-old children. Data collection was done using the WHO Oral Health Questionnaire for Children. RESULTS:  The current investigation included 700 children, 360 males and 340 females. Both urban and rural parents were more educated. Most children in rural areas reported excellent gum health than in urban areas (48.2% and 41.3%, respectively). Pain was the most common cause of visiting the dentist in rural more than in urban areas (55.7% and 54.5%, respectively). A significantly higher frequency of sugar consumption was reported for rural children. CONCLUSION:  Most rural and urban children take care of their teeth. The vast majority of them use a toothbrush and toothpaste to clean their teeth. However, the dental visit was not regular and only related to the toothache. They need more oral health education and promotion programs to improve the knowledge of oral health behavior in the Qassim region and the rest of Saudi Arabia.

Effect of Miswak Derivatives on Color Changes and Mechanical Properties of Polymer-Based Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufactured (CAD/CAM) Dental Ceramic Materials.

BACKGROUND Miswak is a form of chewing stick used to clean teeth in different parts of the world, including Saudi Arabia. We present a description of the effects of miswak derivatives, namely toothpaste, mouthwash, and brushing sticks, on the mean color changes (DE00), compressive fracture resistance values, and fracture modes of polymer-based computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufactured (CAM) prosthetic materials. MATERIAL AND METHODS Eighty-one rectangular-shaped samples were prepared from lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (IPS e.max CAD), zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (Vita Suprinity), and monochromatic tooth-colored feldspar (Vitablocs Mark II) CAD/CAM ceramics. The color parameters were recorded using spectrophotometer before and after exposing the specimens to the different miswak oral hygiene derivatives for 15 days. Compressive fracture resistance values and fracture types were also assessed, and statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS Vita Suprinity and Vitablocs Mark II miswak sticks had the highest ΔE00 values. Moreover, miswak mouthwash had the lowest ΔE00 values, with significant differences among groups. IPS e.max CAD miswak sticks had the highest mean values of compressive fracture. Vitablocs Mark II had the lowest values for mouthwash and toothpaste. Significant differences were found within the IPS e.max CAD group. Reparable fractures were found in IPS e.max CAD, while semi-reparable fractures were seen in other groups. CONCLUSIONS Most ΔE00 values were within the acceptable clinical range, with IPS e.max CAD showing superior color stability. The mouthwash group showed minimal ΔE00. IPS e.max CAD had the highest mean compressive fracture resistance values with reparable fracture types.

Effects of the Cervical Marginal Relocation Technique on the Marginal Adaptation of Lithium Disilicate CAD/CAM Ceramic Crowns on Premolars.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of cervical margin relocation (CMR) for crowns designed using CAD/CAM technology and fabricated from lithium disilicate (e.max, CAD) before and after aging; and to compare the fracture forces and failure type of the tested crowns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mesio-occluso-distal(MOD) cavities 1 mm above the cementoenamel junction(CEJ) were prepared on 40 maxillary first premolars. The teeth were divided into four groups. In group A, all cervical margins (CM) were located 1 mm above the CEJ. However, in both mesial and distal proximal boxes of groups B, C, and D, in addition to the MOD cavities, the CMs were extended 2 mm on both sides below the CEJ apically to simulate the CMR technique. In group B, the mesial and distal proximal boxes were filled with flowable composite, while for group C and group D, specimens were filled with composite resin fillings. To simulate the CMR technique, the cavities were filled with composite layers of 3 mm in two increments. Using the CAD/CAM system, 40 standard crowns were prepared on premolars, then cemented using a dual-curing adhesive cement. Assessments of the marginal integrity of interfaces of the proximal boxes of the cemented crowned teeth were recorded. Statistical differences between groups were analyzed using the ANOVA and Bonferroni's posthoc test. RESULTS: The first null hypothesis was accepted since no statistically significant differences were found in marginal integrity before and after aging (p>0.05), while the second was partially rejected since different fractured force values were recorded and a significant difference was detected between group D and group B. The third hypothesis was rejected because the catastrophic fracture rate was the highest among the four groups. CONCLUSION: The implementation of CMR before and after aging had a good effect on the marginal integrity of CM relocation. The CMR technique with resin luting cement of lithium disilicate crowns is effective and recommended for the restoration in deep proximal boxes of premolars or posterior teeth. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: CAD/CAM-generated e. max all-ceramic crowns with composite as the CMR enable the reconstruction of severely destroyed teeth irrespective of the position of the cavity margins.

Dental Anxiety and Fear among Patients in Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study.

AIM: The current study aims to address the patient's dental anxiety (DA) And dental fear (DF) under the treatment of a general practitioner (GP) among different parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 500 patients recruited from different clinics in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through a questionnaire-based form consisting of three parts; the first part was personal and demographic questions whereas the second and third parts were a modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS) and a dental fear survey (DFS) to measure DA and DF among patients. Spearman's correlation was used to measure the relation between DA and DF as well as Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses for analyzing the effect of each variable on DA and DF. RESULTS: All patients fulfilled their eligibility criteria. A high percentage was found in moderate anxiety (36.8%) as well as in moderate fear (46.2%) among different anxiety and fear scales. The association between DA and DF was positively significant (p <0.01). There was a significant effect of gender, age, education, khat use, marital status, monthly income, and type of clinic on patients' DA and DF. CONCLUSIONS: There is a positive relation between MDAS and DFS, thus the DA affects the DF. Female patients had a lower DA and DF than male patients. Furthermore, the government clinics had the highest DA and DF prevalence levels for patients. Moreover, the high school-graduated patients seem to have a high DA and DF vs other patient educational levels. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It would be beneficial to include an educational training program about psychological patient management in the study curriculum as well as to be offered as a special course to newly graduated dentists. This modification will aid to improve the GPs to get rid of DA and DF patients. How to cite this article: AlDhelai TA, Al-Ahmari MM, Adawi HA, et al. Dental Anxiety and Fear among Patients in Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2021;22(5):549-556.