Knowledge and Attitude of Dentists and Patients Toward Use and Health Safety of Dental Amalgam in Saudi Arabia

Exploring Professionalism among Final Year Dental Students and New Graduates: Translating Knowledge to Practice

OBJECTIVES

 The aim of this study was to evaluate senior students' and dental graduates' perception of professionalism as defined by international regulatory bodies and to assess students' ability to apply such knowledge in clinical-based scenarios.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

 Knowledge of professional competencies was conducted using a survey based on domains of professionalism for a newly qualified general dental practitioner as defined by international regulatory bodies. This survey consists of 32 items addressing participants' perception of three domains of professionalism. Application of the perceived professional competencies was tested by asking participants to answer questions following the observation of a clinical-based scenario video where participants needed to identify issues related to professional, ethical, and communication skills, which were embedded in the scenarios.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

 Differences were analyzed using ANOVA and t-tests (p<0.05).

RESULTS

 Data from 146 participants showed no significant differences in the survey scores between the participants' professional levels, place of practice, age groups, and genders. Analyses of correlation between the different domains of professionalism showed significant relationships between pair-wise comparisons of the total domain scores. Paired t-tests revealed that the mean score percentage for each of the three domains of professionalism was significantly higher than the responses reported in the relevant clinical-based scenario questions.

CONCLUSIONS

 This indicates that all domains of professionalism contributed in a similar way to their overall assessment. Furthermore, our findings show that dental practitioners may not be able to apply their knowledge of professionalism in real-life scenarios. This suggests that teaching professionalism at the early stages of the dental curriculum should incorporate innovative approaches to mimic real-life scenarios.

Choice of Restorative Materials for Direct Posterior Restorations among Undergraduate Saudi College Students

Background:

The most common restorative materials used in dentistry are amalgam and composite. Amalgam is a controversial material owing to its mercury toxicity. With recent advances in the properties of composite materials, there has been a shift towards its use.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to understand the perceptions of undergraduate dental students in a northern Saudi Arabian dental school about the choice of restorative materials for restoring posterior teeth.

Methodology:

The study included undergraduate students studying in 4th and 5th year dental program in College of Dentistry, Jouf University. A four-item questionnaire with 18 close-ended questions was developed by the investigators, which were hand delivered to all the students. Data analysis is presented through tables and descriptive methods.

Results:

A total of 98 (out of 131) undergraduate students participated in this study. Overall, the students reported a significantly strong influence of the type of restorative materials in relation to the cavity size and margin of the restorations along with the esthetics factor(p<0.05). There was slight influence on the student’s choice because of the instructor's influence, whereas the students felt they were knowledgeable and had appropriate training to use either amalgam or composite. The study also found that patient’s preference had a strong influence on choosing composite material. The students were mostly not influenced while choosing the material as far as the safety of it was concerned. However, the patient’s influence was slight when it came to the choice of the material. A significant difference was noted among the students when it came to pregnancy-related safety concerns where the choice of material was not influenced by either amalgam or composite (p=.002).

Conclusion:

The undergraduate dental students at College of Dentistry, Jouf University are comfortable in using both amalgam and composite as a posterior restorative material. They are knowledgeable about both the materials and are adequately trained to use either one.

Effect of Ultrasonic Vibration on Structural and Physical Properties of Resin-Based Dental Composites

This study aimed to investigate the influence of ultrasonic heat before photo-polymerization on the structural and physical properties of dental composites. Commercially available bulk-fill, nano-hybrid, micro-hybrid, and flowable composites were used. The samples were divided into three groups i.e., (i) without ultrasonic activation, (ii) ultrasonic activation at 15 Hz for 30 s, and (iii) ultrasonic activation at 15 Hz for 60 s. The degree of conversion percentage (DC%) and structural changes were evaluated with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The presence of voids in restored tooth cavities were investigated with micro-computed tomography. The statistical analysis was performed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) post hoc Tukey’s test. The DC% was significantly increased with ultrasonic application in all groups except for flowable composites, whereby flowable composite showed a significant increase with 30 s ultrasonic activation only. The highest DC% was observed in 60 s ultrasonically activated nano-hybrid and micro-hybrid composites. The voids were reduced linearly with ultrasonic application in flowable and bulk-fill composites; however, non-linear behavior was observed with micro-hybrid and nano-hybrid composites, whereby the difference was significant within the groups. The frequency and time of the ultrasonic application is an important factor to consider and can be used to preheat composites before clinical application.