Knowledge and attitude on tooth wear among Najran population, KSA

Tooth wear is the loss of a hard dental surface. This condition might occur due to some external or internal factors. The physiological, as well as pathological factors also caused loss of tooth surface. The aim of the following survey was to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of the Najran population about tooth wear. A questionnaire-based study was conducted among the people of Najran. Questions regarding attitude and knowledge about tooth wear were asked from the participants. Data were collected and statistically analyzed. It has been seen that participants of both genders almost have the same knowledge about tooth wear. However, females were more concerned with their dietary habits and the use of fluoride toothpaste. The participants of all age groups were well familiar with tooth wear and its prevention. It has been clear from the results that residents of Najran have good knowledge about the causes of tooth wear and its prevention but there is a need to increase their practices and change their food habits to avoid the severity of Tooth wear.

Knowledge and attitude of children about soda and its effects on dental health

The consumption of carbonated beverages or soda drinks has increased due to media advertisements. These drinks have ill effects on dental as well as on general health especially in children and adolescent. Therefore, a study was carried out to check the knowledge and attitude of children in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire-based study was conducted. It comprises of three parts i) demographic details ii) attitude toward consumption of soda drinks and iii) knowledge about soda drinks. A total of 393 primary elementary School Children age range 5 to 15 years old responded the questionnaire. 47.3% children drank soda on weekly basis. More than half participants did not have knowledge about the effects of soda on health (55.2%) and on teeth (53.9%). The knowledge of children about the effects of soda drinks on dental health in not convincing one. However, their attitude was relatively better. There is a need to improve their practices for prevention of dental and general health.

Anxiety among patients undergoing various dental procedures

Dental Anxiety (DA) was the most frequent problem which can lead to the avoidance of treatment. Therefore, is to evaluate the DA level among patients of different treatments. A questionnaire was distributed among the participants. The Modified Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was used to measure dental anxiety. In gender differences, it has been found that females were more anxious than male participants. The younger age group (18-30 years) was less anxious than the older age groups (P < 0.05). Most of the participants in all conditions were slightly anxious. Male participants exhibited less dental anxiety than females. This might be due to males being more stable emotionally.

Dental restoration selection by students at southern Saudi Arabian universities

Dental caries is a serious oral health concern and restoration of teeth is the main solution to this issue. Various restorative materials having different properties are used for posterior restoration. The aim of this study was to find that which factors can affect the choice of selection of material for posterior restoration among dental graduate students. For this purpose, a questionnaire was shared electronically among students of three different universities (King Khalid University, Jazan University, and Najran University). After collection, data were subjected to a chi-square test to check the significance. It has been observed that almost 50% of participants choose composite resin for posterior restoration. Results showed that according to most (more than 50%) of the dental students in Southern Saudi Arabia, different patient and tooth condition related factors can affect the choice for selection of restorative material.

Management of oral mucositis in children

OBJECTIVE

Children undergoing chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may suffer from Oral mucositis. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to find the protocols which are used in the management of oral mucositis (OM) in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A search was performed to find the related studies. After reading the searched articles, 15 studies were selected for this review.

RESULTS

Good oral care, glutamine, some biological agents, and laser therapy, had a significant effect to reduce the pain sensation and occurrence of oral mucositis in children.

CONCLUSIONS

It has been concluded that there are many types of management, such as oral care and laser therapy, which can be used to reduce the severity of oral mucositis.

Knowledge and Practice of Personal Protective Equipment among Students of Different Healthcare Specialties during COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Healthcare professionals who are constantly working to treat the patients of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) are at great risk. So the only method they can prevent themselves while working is the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The use of PPE has increased with the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Aim: To evaluate the knowledge and practice of students of different healthcare specialties regarding the use of PPE. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2020 to December 2020 on healthcare students of different healthcare specialties of Najran University, Saudi Arabia. Participants were asked questions about the practice and knowledge of PPE via an electronic link of a questionnaire. Collected data were statistically analysed for frequency and association of responses by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Results: Total of 606 students (females were 122, males were 484) from different health specialities i.e., Medical (25.4%), Dental (42.1%), Pharmacy (11.2%), Nursing (13.4%) and Physiotherapy (7.9%) participated in this survey. Most of the participants (110 from the medical field, 142 from dental, 42 from pharmacy and 63 from nursing and 28 from physiotherapy) were familiar with the word PPE before this pandemic. There was a significant relationship (p-value <0.0001) between the specialty and practice of PPE. The majority of the participants (52%) did not know the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guideline and 55.9% were not aware of donning and doffing. Only 44.7% of professionals used N95 before the pandemic and 41.9% did not use N95 before COVID-19. While using the N95 mask 58.2% felt comfortable and 11.4% didn’t feel comfortable and the remaining participants were not sure. Conclusion: Although most participants practiced and had knowledge about the use and handling of PPE, but still there is a need to improve their knowledge and train them about its importance during COVID-19. Their knowledge can be improved by different training programs and health education.

Assessment of Knowledge and Attitudes of School Teachers Regarding Emergency Management of an Avulsed Permanent Tooth of Southern Region of Saudi Arabia

AIM

An avulsion is defined as one of the most common dental injuries where the tooth is displaced completely from its socket, followed by trauma. The most important time in managing the avulsed tooth is the first few minutes and as children spend their most of waking time in school so the teacher is considering their immediate caregiver. Hence, this study was done to carry out the knowledge and attitude of school teachers regarding emergency management of avulsed permanent tooth in schools located in the southern region of Saudi Arabia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted at Najran School of Saudi Arabia. All teachers who are willing to participate in the study were involved. A questionnaire was made after reviewing several studies and was administered through emails to 318 teachers. The questionnaire consists of part I regarding demographic questions and part II information related to knowledge, action taken, education, and their way of managing the avulsed tooth at accident place. Statistics analysis was done using SPSS version 16.

RESULTS

Fifty percent of the participants know about the tooth avulsion. Fifty percent of the teachers who get information from the school health dental program get the tooth back to the dentist. There is a significant association found between the source of information and choice of treatment. Fifty-nine percent of the participants do not know about the management of tooth avulsion. And workshop plan then 89% was interested to attend the training.

CONCLUSION

The present study revealed that knowledge regarding the management of avulsed tooth is low among the school teachers. There is a strong need for a school health dental program for the management of avulsed teeth among the school teachers.

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE

Khan SDAA, Assiry AA, Al Yami SMH, et al. Assessment of Knowledge and Attitudes of School Teachers Regarding Emergency Management of an Avulsed Permanent Tooth of Southern Region of Saudi Arabia. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2020;13(6):644-649.

Knowledge and Practice of Preventive Measures for Oral Health Care among Male Intermediate Schoolchildren in Abha, Saudi Arabia

The aims of this study were to evaluate oral health knowledge and assess the practice of preventive measures for oral health care among intermediate schoolchildren in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Information about oral health was collected through a questionnaire containing closed-ended questions, which was distributed to children of six randomly selected intermediate schools. Most (82.3%) of the schoolchildren were aware that good oral health is important for general health. The priority for oral health information was given to dentists (31.6%), whereas teachers were given the least priority (19.1%). About half (53.5%) of the schoolchildren reported that sweets are the cause of dental caries, and 47.1% of them related pain with dental caries. More than half (58.8%) took sweets between meals. Most of them (69.6%) visited a dentist because of pain. Two-thirds (66.9%) of the children did not brush their teeth daily, and most (78%) did not use dental floss. A large number (62.7%) of the schoolchildren stated that rinsing with water after each meal is the best way to keep their gums healthy. For boys in intermediate schools, properly designed oral health educational programs should be implemented to improve their knowledge and behavior toward oral health.