Silver Nanoparticles in Dental Applications: A Descriptive Review.

Silver nanoparticles have been a recent focus of many researchers in dentistry, and their potential uses and benefits have drawn attention in dentistry and medicine. The fabrication and utilization of nanoscale substances and structures are at the core of the rapidly developing areas of nanotechnology. They are often used in the dental industry because they prevent bacteria from making nanoparticles, oxides, and biofilms. They also stop the metabolism of bacteria. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are a type of zero-dimensional material with different shapes. Dentistry has to keep up with changing patient needs and new technology. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can be used in dentistry for disinfection and preventing infections in the oral cavity. One of the most interesting metallic nanoparticles used in biomedical applications is silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The dental field has found promising uses for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the elimination of plaque and tartar, as well as the elimination of bacterial and fungal infections in the mouth. The incorporation of AgNPs into dental materials has been shown to significantly enhance patients' oral health, leading to their widespread use. This review focuses on AgNP synthesis, chemical properties, biocompatibility, uses in various dental fields, and biomaterials used in dentistry. With an emphasis on aspects related to the inclusion of silver nanoparticles, this descriptive review paper also intends to address the recent developments of AgNPs in dentistry.

Role of the Clinical Data Managers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Overview.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the implementation of clinical trials. A large focus has been directed on clinical trial design, timeline, and best practices. It has led clinical trial study teams to update the existing processes and perform a risk assessment to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic according to ICH-GCP (Good Clinical Practice) requirements. Data management plays a crucial role in understanding the study team's needs and developing innovative solutions. The Clinical Data Manager (CDM) is a core clinical trial Study Team member, responsible for promptly collecting, managing, and delivering complete, highquality data. OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic required the Clinical Data Manager (CDM) to respond to changing needs by adapting data collection tools, data review strategies, and data management processes to answer new questions and address new challenges. CDMs became responsible for identifying how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted current data management processes and documentation and implementing changes to reflect new ways of working. The present article reviews the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical trials and the solutions adopted by the Clinical Data manager. CONCLUSION: The collection of COVID-19-related data points provides a better understanding of patient safety during the pandemic and proactively fulfills the growing regulatory interests. Strategies and innovative solutions adopted by the Clinical Data Manager serve as guidance for the clinical research team during the crisis to make the trials more robust and patient-centered.

Covid-19 Knowledge and Perceptions Among Dental Specialists: A Cross-Sectional Online Questionnaire Survey.

BACKGROUND: The recent outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) caused a significant impact on dentistry. It is imperative to have sufficient knowledge of COVID-19 to manage patients in the dental operatory. AIM: To assess the knowledge and perceptions of dentists from different specialities about COVID-19 disease. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Cross-sectional online survey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used a descriptive cross-sectional study design with a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included three sets of 23 questions [Demographic-4; Source of information-1; Knowledge-10 and Perceptions-8]. The comparison of mean scores of knowledge and perceptions were interpreted based on the occupation of dental specialists. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The association between demographic variables and dental specialists' knowledge and perception scores was carried out using SPSS (Version IBM 21.0, NY, USA). RESULTS: A total of 429 dentists from various specialties participated in the present study. The study had obtained a overall good knowledge score (92.7%) with a mean value of 8.86 + 0.22, and a perception score (70.7%) with a mean value of 5.4+0.3. The present study reports a statistically significant difference between age (p=0.03) and knowledge source (p<0.05). The multi variate regression analysis showed that dentists' specialty had no significant effect on knowledge and perception. CONCLUSION: The study reports sufficient knowledge and perception scores. Oral maxillofacial surgeons showed higher knowledge scores, while prosthodontics and periodontics achieved good mean scores for perception on COVID-19. Social media and health authorities played an equally important role in the overall knowledge of the source of information related to COVID-19.

Knowledge and Perceptions Regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) among Pediatric Dentists during Lockdown Period.

AIM: To assess the knowledge and perceptions of COVID-19 among pediatric dentists based on their dependent source of information. METHODS: A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire with 23 questions was sent via Google forms to pediatric dentists. All participants were divided into three groups [postgraduate residents (PGs), private practitioners (PP), and faculty (F)]. The comparison of knowledge and perception scores was made based on occupation, source of information, and descriptive statistics used for the analysis using SPSS 21.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). RESULTS: A total of 291 pediatric dentists completed the survey, and the majority of them were females (65%). Overall, good mean scores were obtained for knowledge (9.2 ± 1.07) and perceptions (5.6 ± 1.5). The majority of the participants used health authorities (45%) to obtain updates on COVID-19, while social media (35.1%) and both (19.6%) accounted for the next two. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was found among different pediatric dentists groups for relying on the source of information. CONCLUSION: Overall good pediatric dentists showed sufficient knowledge regarding COVID-19. The pediatric dentists' age, occupation, and source of information influenced knowledge regarding COVID-19, whereas perceptions were influenced by age and gender of the participants. Health authorities successfully educated pediatric dentists than the social media.