مجله دانشکده دندانپزشکی مشهد
سال چهل و ششم شماره 4 (پیاپی 123، زمستان 1401)

Students show considerable differences in their learning styles and abilities to use information; this matter plays a significant role in how to teach them. In view of that, reflecting on various learning styles among students and accommodating them to meet the requirements of teaching practices can contribute to learning at higher levels along with fulfilling more academic achievements. Therefore, the present study investigated learning styles among dental students at the Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. This study was a descriptive cross-sectional research, in which the VARK Questionnaire consisting of four learning styles (i.e., visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic) was utilized. The questionnaire contained 16 statements/items with four options representing a learning style. After determining the dominant learning style in students, the role of related factors was determined using regression analysis. Among the 442 participants in this study, 248 (56.1%) and 194 (43.9%) individuals were female and male, respectively. Data analysis revealed that a large proportion of the students (98%) were tapping one of the mentioned learning styles. The most and least frequent styles were found to be the aural (32.98%) and visual (19%) types, respectively. It was concluded that most dental students were keeping to the aural learning style. In this regard, it seems that focusing on teaching strategies that reinforce learning styles, especially the aural type, can significantly help to improve learning processes and fulfill academic achievements among university students.

Root canal perforation is a reason for root canal treatment failures. Cytocompatibility is an essential feature of a perforation restorative material. This in vitro study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxicity of Endoseal MTA sealer as a root canal perforation restorative material on human gingival fibroblast cells in comparison to Iranian ProRoot MTA and CEM using tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay (MTT test). MTA, CEM, and Endoseal MTA were prepared and exposed (for 48 h) to cell culture media 72 h after setting. Human gingival fibroblasts were then cultivated and incubated for 24 h with different dilutions (1/2, 1/4, 1/8) of each sealer extract. Cell viability was evaluated using the MTT test. The data were compared using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s post hoc test for multiple comparisons. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. There was a significant association between CEM cell viability and Endoseal MTA as well as between MTA and CEM in 1/2 dilution. No significant difference was found in 1/4 and 1/8 dilusions between the percentage of cell viability of different sealers. Based on the results of this study, although Endoseal MTA sealer is more toxic than CEM in ½ dilution, it has higher biocompatibility compared to MTA and can be considered as a perforation restorative material in terms of other favorable qualities.

During root canal treatment, unpredictable conditions might occur that awareness of their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment is highly effective in the long-term prognosis of the teeth. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the awareness of Yazd dental interns about endodontic accidents in 2020-2021. The participants of this descriptive cross-sectional study included 59 dental interns. The instrument used in this study was a researcher-made questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the designed questionnaire were approved through three stages. For the qualitative recording of the students' knowledge, the scores were categorized as weak, moderate, and fair. Data were analyzed in SPSS software version 17 using a t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient. The significance level in this study was 0.05. In this study, out of 59 students, 25 (42.4%) and 34 (57.6%) were male and female, respectively. The total mean score of students’ awareness was 14.05±1.07 with a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 20. The average total awareness score was assessed as moderate. There was a positive correlation between students’ awareness score and their GPA (r=0.386, P=0.001). There was no significant difference between male and female students’ awareness scores (P=0.246). According to students’ scores in the four fields, the highest mean score was related to cleansing and shaping while the lowest average was related to post space preparation and vertical root fracture. Based on the results of the present study, the dental students' awareness of endodontic accidents was at a moderate level. It is recommended that educational interventions and appropriate strategies be adopted to promote students' knowledge.

Radiographic diagnosis of root absorption affects the treatment plan, and consequently, the preservation of the tooth. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the ability of undergraduate dentistry students to detect root resorption of maxillary primary molars in periapical radiography. Thirty-five parallel periapical radiographs that included maxillary primary molars were selected and converted to PowerPoint slides. A pedodontist and a radiologist determined external root resorption as the gold standard of the study. Twenty-six final-year dental students were enrolled to determine the existence or the absence of resorption in the radiographs. A training class was held to increase the students' ability to diagnose. After two weeks, the students were again asked to identify resorption in radiographic images. Statistical data analysis was performed using SPSS 21 and the results were compared together. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess the normal distribution of variables and a paired t-test was employed to compare the scores of the students before and after the training. The highest scores of the students in diagnosing root resorption in primary maxillary molars belonged to mesiobuccal, distobuccal, and palatal roots in descending order. The mean of the students’ scores before the training session was 97.8462±15.9466, which increased to 101.2308±20.6267 after the instruction session; however, this increase was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The lowest detection ability in both maxillary molars was reported for palatal root. According to the students’ scores before and after the training session, it can be concluded that short-term, theoretical, and traditional education has no significant effect on students’ diagnostic ability.

Nephropathy, which is one of the main complications of diabetes, is the most common cause of irreversible renal failure. Diabetic and dialysis patients are prone to some oral dental problems, such as periodontal disease, increased plaque, gingivitis, candidiasis, dry mouth, premature loss of teeth. And mobility of teeth. Due to the high prevalence of diabetes and the increase in patients with chronic renal failure, the present study aimed to evaluate the frequency distribution of oral and dental signs and symptoms.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 118 diabetic patients in ESRD (End Stage Renal disease) and non-ESRD groups. The patients assessed the symptoms of pain or burning sensation in the oral mucosa and dry mouth using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Fox questionnaire, respectively. Oral symptoms, including coated tongue, mucosal ulcers, candidiasis, and dental erosion, as well as CPITN (community periodontal index of treatment needs) and DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth), were evaluated and recorded by the researcher. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version17) using T-test, Chi-squre, ANOVA, and Mann-Whitney tests.

Mucosal pallor, mucosal pain sensation, and CPITN index were significantly higher in the non-ESRD group, as compared to those inthe group of dialysis patients with p-values reported as 0, 0, and 0.04, respectively. Age demonstrated a direct and significant correlation with DMFT and CPITN index in both groups.

Some oral manifestations are more common in kidney and dialysis patients. As illustrated by the obtained results, mucosal pallor, mucosal pain sensation, as well as periodontal problems according to CPITN index, were significantly lower in the group of dialysis patients than in the other group.

Harmful unhealthy behaviors could be rooted in common unsupported beliefs in communities. Therefore, this study aimed to compile a list of pseudo-scientific and unsupported beliefs of Iranians about oral health.

The present study was a qualitative research project using an ethnography approach. First, the researchers extracted a list of the pseudo-scientific and unsupported beliefs of Iranians about oral health. These beliefs were defined as not being supported by the available scientific evidence. The following five methods were used for the extraction of these beliefs: 1) analysis of various relevant websites or social network channels; 2) search for written documents related to Iranian popular culture; 3) open-ended interviews with 35 patients of Mashhad Dental School (Mashhad, Iran), of different genders, ages, and education levels; 4) telephone conversations with Iranian practicing dentists; and 5) interviews with a purposive sample of 13 professors at Mashhad Dental School (Mashhad, Iran). Therefore, there were two target groups of the interviews, including dentists (the most important reference group in the field of oral health), and Iranian people from different social classes. The interviews continued until saturation was achieved. Afterward, the text of documents, sources, and interviews were analyzed to extract possible pseudo-scientific beliefs. Finally, these beliefs were categorized into several groups based on common themes.

In this ethnographic study, after removing duplicate and ambiguous themes, 181 statements were obtained, which were categorized into the following 11 groups, according to the common themes: actions are taken to prevent caries, factors that cause tooth decay, whitening teeth, toothache relief, treatment of infections, gums and related diseases, pregnancy, the oral health of children, mouth ulcers, tooth extraction, and other cases.

Iranians have various beliefs about oral health that might be unsupported scientifically. The list gathered in this study needs to be completed in further studies.

Nowadays, it is essential to use narrow diameter implants in reduced bone thickness. Due to controversies in previous research, the present study was conducted to evaluate the success rate of narrow diameter implants (2.4 mm and 3 mm) in a single tooth in the anterior region after one year of loading.

In this historical cohort study, groups under investigation included patients who received single-tooth implants in the anterior edentulous segment without bone graft [40 patients with implants 2.4 mm in diameter (IMTEC, USA) and 3 mm in diameter (MILO, USA), n=20]. During the follow-up period of one year, bone resorption, pain, numbness, mobility, esthetic, peri-implant radiolucency, probing depth, and gingival index were evaluated. The Fisher’s exact test and T-test were used to analyze aesthetic scores while the Mann-Whitney test and the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test were employed to compare gingival index values.

In this research, no discernible bone resorption, peri-implant radiolucency, pain, and numbness was found, and only in five implants, prostheses lacked esthetic, according to pink esthetic scores. The total survival rate and success rates were 100% and 98.3% respectively.

Within the limitationS of this study, narrow diameter implants replacing the anterior teeth (for proper case selection and ideal occlusion) is a successful treatment plan with a high survival and success rate.

Nowadays, most children spend a lot of time on electronic media, which can cause anxiety-related disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of media habits with anxiety about and fear of dentistry in people aged 6 to 15 years. In this cross-sectional study, participants were selected from people referred to Shahid Sadoughi Dental School (Yazd, Iran) aged 6 to 15 years. To measure their anxiety and fear, the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale and the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale questionnaires were used, respectively. Additionally, a questionnaire was designed to assess the duration of watching TV and playing with a computer, cell phone, or tablet. Finally, the SPSS software (version 17) was utilized to analyze the data. From a total number of 120 participants with a mean age range of 9.31±2.46 years, 39 were boys and 81 were girls. The results of the study pointed the relationship of anxiety and fear with the duration of watching TV and playing with a computer, tablet, or cell phone was not significant. However, there was a significant relationship between the duration of watching TV and the duration of playing with a computer, tablet, or cell phone in girls aged 10 to 15 years, mothers with associate degrees and above, as well as fathers with a diploma or associate degrees. Other findings were not significant. The results of the present study showed that media habits were not significantly associated with anxiety about and fear of dentistry in people aged 6 to 15 years.

Periodontal inflammation, which is one of the most common infectious diseases, can be caused by poor oral hygiene and microbial plaque, and the resulting inflammatory products can also lead to systemic effects on the peripheral blood system. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of periodontal indices with hematocrit and hemoglobin in patientsMaterials & This cross-sectional observational study was performed on those referring to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Cohort Center with a complete file. Firstly, patients' periodontal indices, including the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) and Löe-Silness gingival index (GI), were extracted from the existing record files. These individuals were assigned to three groups according to the CPITN variable. Individuals with CPITN zero were considered a healthy group, individuals with CPITN 1 and 2 as a gingivitis group, and individuals with a CPITN of 3 or 4 as a periodontitis group. Blood indices (hemoglobin, hematocrit) were also extracted from patients' records. Thereafter, the relationship of hematocrit and hemoglobin with their periodontal indices was investigated using statistical tests. In this study, the records of 242 participants, including 158 females and 84 males, were examined, out of whom 87 cases were healthy, 89 had gingivitis, and 68 had periodontits. In males and females, there were no significant differences between mean hemoglobin; however, the mean hematocrit of men in the healthy group was significantly higher than that in the gingivitis group. The mean of hematocrit were 2.4± 45.7 and 2.7±43.3 in the healthy and gingivitis groups, respectively. Nonetheless, in females, GI displayed no association with hematocrit or hemoglobin in either group. There was no significant difference between blood indices and periodontal disease in this study. In men, there was no significant difference in mean hemoglobin; nonetheless, the mean hematocrit was significantly higher in the healthy group than that in the gingivitis group. However, in females, there was no significant difference between mean hematocrit and hemoglobin. No correlation was detected between GI and hematocrit or hemoglobin in either group. Predictive regression analysis illustrated that for each unit increase in GI, the average hematocrit would be 0.37 units lower; however, no significant relationship was found between GI and hemoglobin.

Oral health literacy (OHL) is considered a new determinant of health. This study aimed to investigate OHL and its relationship with clinical indicators of oral health, as well as oral health behaviors, among patients attending the Dental School of the Islamic Azad University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

The authors conducted a cross-sectional study on volunteering patients attending dental school for the first time in 2015, who were selected through convenience sampling. Self-administered questionnaires requested information about patients’ OHL using Oral Health Literacy-Adult Questionnaire, as well as patients’ oral health behaviors. Clinical examinations were conducted to measure Decayed, Missing due to caries, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) and Community Periodontal Index (CPI). Pearson correlation coefficient, Spearman correlation coefficient, independent t-test, as well as linear and logistic regression models, served for statistical analysis (P-value<0.05).

Among 202 participants, 64.5% were women. The mean age of participants was 33.4±10.6 years, and the mean score of OHL was 52.3±19.8. Individuals with a higher score of OHL reported better oral health behaviors (P-value<0.05). The OHL was negatively associated with DMFT (r=-0.140, P-value=0.047), Decayed Teeth (r=-0.179, P-value=0.01) and Missing Teeth (r=-0.208, P-value=0.003). On the other hand, individuals with higher OHL scores had more filled teeth (r=0.148, P-value=0.04). No association was revealed between OHL and maximum CPI (P-value>0.05).

Oral health literacy of patients attending dental school was moderate. Those patients with a higher OHL reported better oral health behaviors and had a lower history of dental caries. Therefore, it is essential to increase the OHL of individuals to improve their oral health status.

The evaluation of patient satisfaction after gingival graft treatments can increase therapists' knowledge about the factors affecting this issue and help render better treatment. The present study aimed to assess patients' satisfaction with gingival graft treatments in Isfahan. In this descriptive cross-sectional study which was conducted in 2019-2020, 63 patients treated with free gingival and sub-epithelial connective tissue graft were randomly selected, and their satisfaction with gingival graft treatment was evaluated using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed in SPSS software using one-way ANOVA, t-test, and spearman (α=0.05). The overall patients' satisfaction score was 3.47±0.64, indicating a moderate satisfaction level. There was no significant difference in the mean satisfaction scores between male and female subjects (P= 0.762). The highest satisfaction was related to "giving the necessary explanations by the doctor about the process of gingival surgery at the beginning of the work" (82%) and "gingival surgery has made it easier for me to observe hygiene" (70%). On the other hand, the lowest level of satisfaction was related to "duration of pain after surgery" (38%) and "matching gingival color with adjacent gingival"(43%). Patients treated with gingival graft had a relatively satisfactory level of satisfaction, indicating the success of the treatment.

Cemento-osseous dysplasia (COD) is a reactional fibro-osseous lesion that arises in the tooth-bearing area of the jaw bones, mostly the mandible of middle-aged women. Histologically, COD shows a cellular connective tissue stroma with islands of woven or lamellar bone and cementum-like calcifications. Clinically, these lesions are usually asymptomatic and the related teeth are vital; therefore, they are diagnosed through routine radiographic examinations. Radiographic features of COD are widely variable from completely radiolucent to mostly radiopaque patterns, based on the lesion’s stage of maturation.

Case report: 

This case report presents a 60-year-old female with a COD in the first premolar and canine area of the left upper jaw which is a rare region for the occurrence of COD. The lesion has gradually grown to its present size. In contrast to most reported CODs, the current patient was symptomatic. She presented tooth pain due to the remaining roots of tooth #12 (universal system). Moreover, bone expansion and thinning of the buccal cortical plate were obvious in the affected area. After intraoral radiography and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) examination, removal surgery of the lesion and the remaining roots of tooth #12 was carried out. A histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of COD. The patient was followed for three months and no recurrence and infection were detected.

COD lesions have variable clinical and radiologic features. Diagnosis is based on clinical knowledge, radiologic features, and histopathological examination of the lesion. CBCT could help indicate the extension of lesions.