RESUMO
Flare-ups following root canal therapy (RCT) are of significant concern in dentistry. They are characterized by the occurrence of pain or swelling during or even after a root canal procedure. They affect a considerable proportion of cases, up to 16% and occasionally even 50%, and they often necessitate unscheduled appointments. Whenever a flare-up occurs within hours or days following RCT, it demands emergency treatment. Flare-ups can be attributed to multiple factors, including mechanical, chemical, and microbial causes. Identifying these factors beforehand and utilizing the expertise of clinicians can help better manage patients after the procedure and assure a long-term successful outcome. It has been observed that retreatment cases with periapical periodontitis treated in a single appointment have higher flare-up rates. Despite the prevalence and the impact of flare-ups, the endodontic community has yet to adopt scientifically validated and approved preventive measures to manage and prevent flare-ups. Hence, in this case report, the ethical letter was approved (TUCDREC/250923). It provides insight into the management of an interappointment flare-up with an overview.
RESUMO
In recent years, virtual reality and interactive digital simulations have been used in dental education to train dental students before interacting with real patients. Scientific evidence presented the application of virtual technology in dental education and some recent publications suggested that virtual and haptic technologies may have positive effects on dental education outcomes. The aim of this systematic review was to determine whether virtual technologies have positive effects on dental education outcomes and to explore the attitudes of dental students and educators toward these technologies. A thorough search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE (via EBSCO), The Cochrane Library (via Wiley), Web of Science Core Collection (via Thomson Reuters), and Dentistry and Oral Science source (via EBSCO) using the keywords (student, dental) AND (education, dental) AND (virtual reality) OR (augmented reality) OR (haptics) OR (simulation) AND (dentistry) OR (dental medicine). The quality of the reported information was assessed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement for systematic reviews. A total of 73 publications were considered for this review. Fifty-two of the selected studies showed significant improvement in educational outcomes and virtual technologies were positively perceived by all the participants. Within the limitations of this review, virtual technology appears to improve education outcomes in dental students. Further studies with larger samples and longer term clinical trials are needed to substantiate this potential positive impact of various virtual technologies on dental education outcomes.
