Journal of Mashhad Dental School
Year:2024 | Volume:48 | Issue:3|Papers Count:10

Background: Articular eminence pneumatization is an anatomical variation in the temporal bone that can predispose the patient for pathologic changes and is also considered as a prognostic factor for middle ear infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of articular eminence pneumatization in panoramic radiographs. Methods and Materials: In this cross-sectional study, the panoramic radiographs of patients were retrieved from the archives of a private oral and maxillofacial radiology center in Babol, Iran. The articular eminence and temporomandibular joint were examined in each radiograph. The pattern of articular eminence pneumatization was evaluated in terms of age, gender, laterality (unilateral, bilateral) and lacunarity (unilacunar, multilacunar). Data were analyzed using SPSS software and Chi-square test. The significance level was set at P-value=0.05. Results: A total of 5000 radiographs were evaluated. Patients had a mean age of 15.36±34 years and an age range of 5-60 years. Articular eminence pneumatization was observed in 47 (0.9%) individuals. The prevalence of articular eminence pneumatization was 0.9% and 1% in male and female patients, respectively (P=0.68). Unilateral pneumatization was more frequent than bilateral pneumatization. The prevalence of Articular eminence pneumatization was significantly correlated to patient’s age (P<0.001). The highest prevalence was observed in the 15 to 30-year-old age group. Conclusion: When surgical intervention is required in the temporomandibular joint area, the possible presence of air cells should be taken in to consideration in order to avoid any unwanted penetration into the surrounding tissues.

Background: Parents play a significant role in determining children’s oral health behaviors. Oral health literacy (OHL) refers to on one’s ability in understanding and employing oral health information in order to maintain good oral health. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between parental OHL and children’s oral health status. Methods and Materials: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study included female students attending a private school in Mashhad, Iran. This school was selected according to availability sampling. Students and their parents were invited to participate in this study and were enrolled using a census-based sampling method. Parents were asked to complete the oral health literacy standard questionnaire and their daughter’s DMFT or dmft index was measured by an oral hygienist. Parents’ demographic and social information were also recorded. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 26.00 statistical software. P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 632 children participated in this study. Parents showed an average OHL score of 18.85±2.88. The average DMFT index of students was 2.04±2.27. There was a negative and statistically significant relationship between parent level of OHL and children’s DMFT index as well as the number of decayed permanent teeth (P=0.020 and P=0.026, respectively). There was a positive and statistically significant correlation between parental OHL and the number of primary teeth with fillings (P=0.019). Family income was the only social factor that was significantly associated with the child’s DMFT index (P<0.05). There was a significant correlation between parents’ age, gender, educational degree, and occupation and their level of OHL (P<0.05 for all). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that promoting parental oral health can influence students' DMFT index. Therefore, developing interventions that can ameliorate parents’ level of oral health literacy can improve the oral health outcomes of students.

Background: Adding nanoparticles as filler aims to improve the mechanical properties of acrylic resin and reduce the incidence of fracture in them. This study aimed to investigate the effect of adding zirconium oxide and titanium oxide nanoparticles to acrylic resin on its flexural strength. Methods and Materials: In this in-vitro study, surface modification of ZrO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles have been done by combining with silane coupling agent (trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate), and 25 samples of acrylic resin with 2.5*10*65 mm dimensions have been made. 5 groups were divided into control, 1 and 5% TiO2, 1 and 5% ZrO2. Flexural strength was evaluated by universal testing machine. Data were analyzed by One-Way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: A significant increase in the flexural strength of acrylic resin modified with 1% zirconium oxide compared to the control sample was observed, with an average difference of 22.082 MPa (p<0.001). The difference in bending strength was significant between the control group and the groups containing nanoparticles (p<0.05). The highest and lowest bending strengths were found in the groups with 1% zirconium oxide, averaging 98.53±2.77 MPa, and 5% titanium oxide, averaging 61±1.52 MPa, respectively. There was a significant difference in flexural strength between the 1% and 5% zirconium oxide groups, with an average of 15.98 MPa (p<0.001). Additionally, there was no significant difference in flexural strength between the 1% and 5% titanium oxide groups, with an average of 4.16 MPa (p=0.06). Conclusion: Based on the findings, ZrO2 nanoparticles improve and TiO2 nanoparticles weaken the flexural strength of acrylic resin. Also, by increasing the concentration of nanofiller, the mechanical properties of acrylic resin are weakened.

Background: Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, universities across the world have incorporated virtual learning technology approaches in to their teaching methods. This study aimed to investigate the acceptance of e-education learning technology among dental students. Methods and Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from August-November 2021 and included students attending Mashhad Dental School, Mashhad, Iran during this period. Students who had at least two years of long distance and virtual learning experience, were eligible to participate. This study used the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework to assess the acceptance of e-learning. Davis's TAM (1986) scales were used to collect data. This questionnaire consisted of nine constructs: personal, social and organizational factors, innovativeness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward using, behavioral intention and actual use. Each question received a score of 1-5. The participants’ demographic and academic information, including their gender, grade point average (GPA) and year of university, were recorded. ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Student’s T-test were used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 252 students completed the study. The majority (n=181, 71%) of students demonstrated good acceptance of virtual education technology. The mean acceptance score was 3.38 ± 0.7. Perceived usefulness received the highest mean score (3.78 ± 0.81), while organizational factors scored lowest (2.6 ± 1.05). No significant differences were found in technology acceptance scores based on gender (P=0.53) or year of entry (P=0.32). Innovation characteristics (r=-0.17, P=0.005), perceived ease of use (r=-0/13, p=0/02), attitude towards technology (r=-0/14, p=0/02), and intention to use (r=-0/12, p=0/04) showed minor but statistically significant and negative correlations with students' GPAs. Social and organizational factors indicated moderate acceptance with mean scores ranging from 2-3. Conclusion: Dental students exhibited a good level of acceptance regarding the use of e-learning technology. Improving social and organizational components can increase the adoption of e-learning technology.

Background: Dental schools are responsible for providing high-quality and inexpensive need-based oral health services. The aim of this study was to investigate the barriers associated with receiving dental healthcare services in Isfahan Dental School from the patients' perspective. Methods and Materials: This qualitative research which was conducted from January-October 2022, and included patients who referred to the Oral Medicine Department of Isfahan Dental School in 2019, but did not receive any treatment during the follow-up period until 2021. Participants were recruited through a purposive sampling approach. Semi-structured telephone-based interviews were conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded and carefully transcribed and then each transcript was saved and imported in to MAXQDA software. Truth value, consistency, confirmability, and applicability criteria were assessed to affirm the credibility of data. Obtained data were then encoded using a content analysis approach. Results: A total of 25 patients were interviewed. Five emergent themes and 15 sub-themes were identified: 1) availability (subthemes: not proving care to specific cases and not providing the course in that semester); 2) personal reasons (fear, time restrictions, trust issues); 3) quality (dissatisfaction with the dental treatment and care provider); 4) ability to pay (high tariffs and other financial problems); 5) accessibility (difficulties in scheduling an appointment, long distance, unnecessary bureaucracy, being overly crowded, student-related factors and time-consuming process) Conclusion: Patients mentioned a wide range of barriers to receiving timely and required dental treatments in this dental school. These factors included personal reasons, those related to the care delivery system such as accessibility and quality, and some related to the provision-setting, i.e. the dental school. These insights can help the dental faculty address the obstacles associated with patient admission and referrals in order to enhance patients’ experience of receiving dental care in dental schools and increase their overall satisfaction.

Background: Health literacy is known as an important determinant of health and a causal factor in health differences between population groups. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral health literacy and oral health status of pregnant women referring to dental clinics of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Methods and Materials: The current research was a cross-sectional study on 250 pregnant women aged 18 to 36 years who referred to health care centers covered by Shiraz University of medical sciences. All participants were evaluated in terms of literacy and oral health performance using OHL-AQ standard questionnaire, and oral health status were evaluated by DMFT and OHI indices. SPSS version 22 software was used for data analysis. Results: The participants were 250 pregnant mothers with an average age of 27.26 ± 4.63. In terms of education and job status, the group with a bachelor's degree with 46.8% and working mothers with 63.6% participated the most. The score of health literacy was 11/47±3/68 (moderate) and the score of health performance was 22/17±3 (moderate). The score of the DMFT index was 8/7±4/8 and the score of the OHI index was 1/17±0/64. A significant and inverse relationship was found between health literacy and health performance with oral and dental health status (P<0.001). The analysis of the regression outcomes indicated that the possession of educational qualifications was typically correlated with enhanced oral health status. The comparative evaluation revealed that both students and employed individuals exhibit oral health metrics akin to those of homemakers, yet they demonstrated superior dental hygiene. Furthermore, a higher level of educational attainment seemed to be inversely related to the prevalence of criminal activities. Conclusion: It seemed that with the increase in health literacy and health performance, oral and dental health indices decrease and the oral health status of pregnant women would be more appropriate.

Background: Osteoporosis continues to be a significant clinical issue worldwide, especially for postmenopausal women. Early diagnosis can play a key role in preventing fractures and further complications. Salivary diagnostic testing methods have gained popularity due to their low cost and accessibility. This study aimed to investigate the values of salivary calcium and phosphorus biomarkers for screening postmenopausal women in terms of osteoporosis development. Methods and Materials: This case-control study included postmenopausal women with at least 45 years of age who admitted to Payambaran Hospital, Tehran, Iran to undergo bone densitometry. Participants were divided to case and control groups based on the bone densitometry results. . Bone density was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans. The case group consisted of women with osteoporosis and the control group included healthy individuals. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected to measure the salivary calcium and phosphorus biomarkers. Independent samples T-test was employed for inter-group comparisons. Rock curve was used to calculate the cut-off point, sensitivity, and specificity, positive and negative predictive value of the variables. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 70 patients, 38 in the control group and 32 in the case group, completed the study. The average salivary calcium levels were significantly higher in patients with osteoporosis compared to healthy individuals (P=0.01). However, regarding the salivary phosphorus levels, there was no statically significant difference between the two study groups (P=0.44). According to the Rock curve, the diagnostic value was not favorable for any of the biomarkers. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that evaluating the salivary calcium concentrations with an appropriate cut-off point value can possibly serve as an appropriate method for screening osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Background: The use of digital technology and intraoral scanners in dentistry has gained increasing popularity. Various factors can impact intraoral scanning accuracy and gaining competent knowledge of these factors can enhance the accuracy, speed and quality of intraoral scanning procedures. In this study, we aimed to investigate the factors influencing the accuracy of digital impressions recorded by intraoral scanners. Methods and Materials: The present systematic review was performed according to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020. A comprehensive search was conducted across databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science and Cochrane Library using terms related to “intraoral scanner”, “CAD/CAM”, “digital impression”, “digital dentistry” and “accuracy”. Studies that were published from January 2015-February 2024 in English or Persian language, were retrieved. Results: A total of 1460 studies were initially identified and 100 studies were screened by title and abstract. Case report studies or those which were non-relevant to our PICO model were excluded. Finally, the full text of 30 studies were reviewed. Conclusion: Multiple influencing factors were identified. These factors were classified into five main categories that were either related to the operator (expertise and employed scanning strategy), utilized scanner (size and type), scanned tooth (preparation, distance from adjacent teeth and topographic characteristics), implant (implant location, angulation and scan body), jaw (jaw deformities, intra-arch distance and partial or complete edentulism) or ambient conditions (ambient light and temperature).

Background: The use of digital technology in dentistry has gained prominence over the past decade and 3D dental printing has become popular in various fields of dentistry. Very few studies have investigated the factors that impact a precise three-dimensional print. In this review, we examine the factors influencing the accuracy of dental prints. Methods and Materials: A comprehensive search was conducted across databases such as PubMed, Google scholar, Scopus, Springer Link, Science Direct, and Wiley using terms related to “Digital dentistry”, “3D printer”, “CAD/CAM”, “Stereolithography” and “Accuracy”. We retrieved studies published from January 2017 to February 2024 in English or Persian language. Results: A total of 800 studies were initially identified and 70 studies were screened by title and abstract. Finally, 22 studies were qualified for full text review. The findings showed that the main effective factors fall in to one of the four categories: printer type, material combinations, and factors during and after the printing process. Conclusion: Various factors have an effect on the accuracy of printers and identifying these factors increases the accuracy, dimension and color stability of the printed samples. Regarding the factors during printing, the angle of the print, the layer thickness of the printed samples and the curing process affect the accuracy of the prints. Regarding the material combinations, the powder size used in powder-based and resin type in resin-based printers are recognized as influential factors. The post-printing factors also include the storage method and duration, which has a significant effect on dimensional stability.

Background: Professional ethics has become an indispensable component of skills and various fields today. Disregarding ethical principles can have detrimental consequences for human society, especially when dealing with large and complex data in various branches of medical sciences. Adhering to professional ethical standards in data production and statistical analysis ensures the accuracy and validity of results derived from this data in the field of medical sciences. The primary objective of this article is to introduce and elucidate the principles of professional ethics in the analysis of medical data. Methods and Materials: In this narrative review study, we delve into an examination of articles and viewpoints presented in the realm of professional ethics. This examination encompasses a comprehensive analysis of the foundations of professional ethics in medical sciences and various approaches to this matter. Results and Conclusion: Incorporating ethical considerations in the domain of statistical activities and data analysis in medical sciences holds significant importance. These actions, including the evaluation of the value and credibility of each statistical action and decision, precise modeling, and efforts to find ethical solutions to ethical challenges in this field, can contribute to the improvement and advancement of medical sciences. Therefore, attention to the principles of professional ethics in data analysis in medical sciences stands out as an essential prerequisite for enhancing credibility and scientific assurance in this domain.