Erbil Dental Journal (EDJ)

Evaluation of Awareness and Perception of Clear Aligner Orthodontic Treatment Among Students of Hawler Medical University.

2024-03-27T19:33:24+00:00

Background and Objectives: The growing emphasis on appearance has led to an increased interest in orthodontic treatment among adults, particularly those who are highly self-conscious about their looks. Clear Aligner Therapy, a nearly invisible and effective method for aligning teeth, represents the latest generation of aesthetic orthodontic treatments. This study aims to assess the awareness and perception of Clear Aligner Therapy among students at Hawler Medical University.

Materials and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire comprising four sections: demographics, general dental and orthodontic awareness, knowledge of Clear Aligner Therapy and Fixed Orthodontic Therapy, and optional comments and questions.

Results: A total of 383 participants, with an average age of 20.54 years, completed the questionnaire. The majority (89.6%) were Kurds and 63.2% females. Among the participants, 68.2% had visited a dentist as needed, 72.3% had family members with malocclusions, 41% had sought orthodontic consultation. Additionally, 86.2% were familiar with Fixed Orthodontic Therapy, 63.2% had heard of Clear Aligners, 30.5% had undergone orthodontic treatment, and 8.5% individuals had received Clear Aligner Therapy.

Conclusion: The knowledge level of Hawler Medical University students regarding Clear Aligner Therapy was determined to be moderate. Despite the fact that they possessed a general understanding of its characteristics and application, their involvement in the treatment and its procedures was limited. Previous orthodontic treatments recipients', satisfaction with their smile, overall concern about teeth, previous orthodontic consultation, and knowledge of Fixed Orthodontic Therapy all notably demonstrated significant associations with the awareness of Clear Aligner Therapy.

Assessment of caries diagnostic threshold of DMFT, and ICDAS II in the estimation of caries prevalence rate in first permanent molars among students of College of Dentistry-Hawler Medical University.

2024-03-27T19:42:39+00:00

Background: Dental caries is a common chronic infectious disease resulting from tooth-adherent cariogenic bacteria primarily S. Mutans, which metabolize sugars to produce acid, demineralizing the tooth structure over time.

First permanent molars (FPMs) have a key role in establishing dental occlusion. They are very prone to caries because of their anatomical structure and early eruption. Hence, the estimation of dental caries in FPMs at individual and community levels could help understand the pattern and severity of dental caries.

Aim: The current study aimed to evaluate the caries prevalence of FPMs amongst the students of collage of dentistry/HMU. The rate of decay between male and female, maxillary and mandibular FPM teeth.

Method: This study was carried out among the students of Hawler medical university/college of dentistry. The total number of samples was (100) samples. The age of the students ranged from (18-24 years) of age. Clinical examinations were carried out under artificial light using dental mirrors and dental probe/explorers. Dental caries was diagnosed on teeth number (3, 14, 19, and 30), according to the criteria of DMFT index looking for missing, filling, decayed teeth. then ICDAS to further classify the amount of dental caries later the collected data was analyzed by using SPSS.

Results: in this study the difference in decay between maxillary and mandibular teeth was significant with the P value being (0.27). Between genders the P value was (0.38) and between age groups was (0.30) their result being insignificant, according to chi-square test.

Conclusion: this study indicates that; the rate of decay is more in mandibular FPMs in comparison to maxillary FPMs. While the difference between the male, female and different age group in caries prevalence are non-significant, hence, more education about the aforementioned problems is necessary.

A Cross-Sectional Study to Evaluate the Prevalence and Severity of Gingivitis among High School Students in Erbil City-Iraq.

2024-03-27T20:11:26+00:00

Background and objective: There is an increase in the gingival inflammation without an associated increase in plaque level during puberty. This study aimed to find out the extensiveness and severity of gingivitis among high school students and its relation with the socioeconomic status in different areas of Erbil city.

Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 300 students from both genders aged between (12-17) years old were selected from different areas of Erbil city consisting of 7 high schools. The data were collected with the aid of a questionnaire by direct interview. The gingival health condition was assessed using gingival index by Löe and Silness.

Results: The number of participants in public schools was (66%) of the total and private schools (34%). Regarding tooth brushing, most of the students in public schools brushed once daily (44%), while in private schools they mostly brushed twice daily (41.7%). The moderate severity of gingivitis was the highest among students in general (85.3%). The percentage of dental visits in private schools was higher than that of students in public schools (28.78%). Gingival index for public schools was (1.62) and in private schools (1.43). In general, males show a higher Gingival Index compared to females.

Conclusion: The high prevalence of gingivitis shows us there’s a need for educational programs to improve the awareness and attitude towards better oral hygiene practices and the students belonging to lower socioeconomic were more affected by gingivitis. In conclusion, gingival disease was slightly more prevalent in public schools than in private schools.

Study on Impression Techniques and Materials for Implant among Dentists in Erbil city: A Survey study.

2024-03-27T20:26:22+00:00

Background and Objectives: The Success and longevity of implant prosthesis is affected by an accurate fit which can be achieved through a proper impression technique and material, the techniques of impression taking can be made by either a closed or open tray impression procedures or by implant level impression technique. The main objective of the presented research was to investigate the most preferable impression material and technique for dental implant placement.

Materials and methods: This research’s focus is on impression materials and the various impression techniques that can be used in implant restoration with a note on the recent advancements, with the help of a questionnaire given to dental professionals and postgraduate students who perform implants in Erbil City. Around 72 dentists were chosen, 24 of them were inside our teaching hospital, and 48 of them were chosen by random sampling.

Results: The information gathered in this study sample group shows that the highest rate was for open tray technique about 54.2%, 37.5% responded closed tray and 8.3% responded abutment level. Regarding the most preferable material 75% responded for addition silicone, 23.6% responded for condensation silicone and 1.4% responded for alginate. According to most preferable type of tray 93.1% answered perforated stock tray and 6.9% answered special tray. 56.9% of the practitioners chose One step (heavy-light), 22.2% chose two step spaced putty wash, 13.9 % chose one step (monophase single viscosity) and 6.9% answered two-step unspaced putty wash.

Conclusion: In conclusion open tray technique, stock tray, addition type of silicon and one step (heavy-light) impression technique is the most preferable in this study.

Side Effects of Steroidal And Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs on The Oral Cavity.

2024-03-27T20:35:55+00:00

Background and objectives: The steroidal and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used classes of medications for their anti-Inflammatory and analgesic effects and are associated with the risk of many oral side effects and which might be presented with variable degrees of severity. The main objective of this research was to identify oral side effects that could be associated with using Steroidal or NSAIDs.

Patients and Methods: A total number of 82 patients who were attending the teaching clinics at the college of dentistry and were using steroids or NSAIDs participated in this study and they were interviewed and examined clinically for the presence of any abnormal oral presentation. The data were all recorded on a pre-designed questionnaire. The data was expressed as percentage and analyzed statistically using ANOVA and t-test.

Results: The data showed that a majority of NSAIDs users complained of gingival bleeding (39%) and Xerostomia (32%), while corticosteroid users complained of fungal infection (50%), gingival inflammation (25%) and other less frequent side effects. Drugs that were associated with the most oral side effects were aspirin, ibuprofen, mefenamic acid and prednisolone.

Conclusion: Data analysis showed that many oral side effects might be related to steroidal and NSAIDs. It is important to consider that drugs in general may cause oral side effects at different doses, dosage forms and durations of use and may have a variety of clinical presentation. The dentists have a crucial role in identifying these drug-related oral side effects through their clinical practices in order to provide the proper management for the patients.

Prevalence of Plaque Induced Gingivitis Among Dental Students in College of Dentistry, Hawler Medical University.

2024-03-27T20:45:19+00:00

Background and objective: Gingival inflammation in response to bacterial plaque accumulation is considered the key risk factor for the onset of periodontitis. Dental students should present to patients as good role models in their oral health behavior. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of plaque induced gingivitis among dental students in Hawler Medical University college of dentistry.

Method: The study enrolled 120 (65 male, 55 female) dental students from different years of study including both clinical and preclinical years. Intra-oral clinical parameters including (plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing) were recorded to evaluate the students’ periodontal health status.

Result: The participants showed that the majority of students had fair plaque scores, and significant differences in clinical periodontal parameters between different years of study (P ˂ 0.05). Significant differences were found in regards to bleeding on probing between males and females. All cases of severe gingivitis recorded were males which counted 5.8%, of total cases.

Conclusion: Preclinical dental students exhibited slightly higher (plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing) mean scores than clinical students, and more than half of the participants presented with gingivitis, regardless of its severity.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Infection Control Among Dental Students at College of Dentistry - Hawler Medical University.

2024-03-27T20:59:54+00:00

Background: Infections acquired in healthcare facilities have become an increasingly challenging issue worldwide. The prevention of infectious diseases is a critical issue since healthcare workers develop acquired infections while providing services to patients. However, infection prevention and control are challenging, especially in healthcare facilities.

Objective: To assess knowledge, attitude, and practice of cross-infection control among dental students at the College of Dentistry, Hawler Medical University.

Material and Method: A survey was conducted to obtain information regarding knowledge, attitude, and practice with recommended infection control guidelines. The questionnaire contained three parts (knowledge, attitude, and practice) and was distributed to the participants.

Result: Total number of participants was 135, (73) 5th year dental students, and (62) 4th year, the mean age of participants was (20-23) years, 96 % had correct knowledge about infection control, 93 % had a correct practice, but unfortunately 48 % had low attitude.

Conclusion: The majority of dental students had good knowledge and correct practice, but less about their attitude in infection control. Therefore, regular training that contains educational programs should be supported to maintain the highest level of attitude.

Incidence of Post Instrumentation Pain Following Endodontic Treatment Among Patients Attending College of Dentistry-Hawler Medical University.

2024-03-27T21:08:38+00:00

Background and objective: The background of this study revolves around endodontic treatment, which is a therapeutic approach involving the chemical and mechanical disinfection of root canals, followed by the establishment of a secure three-dimensional seal. The primary objective of this research is to investigate and understand the underlying factors that contribute to flare up experienced by patients undergoing endodontic treatment.

Method: A total of fifty-two patients were considered participants and were included for history taking, clinical examination, radiographic assessment, and data analysis after receiving Root Canal Treatment (RCT) for different types of teeth (incisors, canine, and premolar) by different students (operators) and different supervising seniors (trainers). During this time, the operator performed RCT on various patients, and the participants were followed up after they completed root canal obturation. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS program, chi square and fisher's exact test were used to determine the correlation between variables.

Result: The level of significance used in this research is ≤ (0.05), and the result is significant when (p≤0.05). The main findings were that the frequency and distribution of post instrumentation pain was (30.8%). According to our data we found out the highest incidence of flare up in HMU was related to pulp remnant and periapical pathosis.

Conclusions: There are several factors which are related to the prevalence of post obturation flare-up such as over instrumentation, pulp remnant, periapical condition, presence of patient medical history and perforation. According to these factors the dentist should be aware of the possibility of flare-up occurrence, however, it must be borne in mind that theories about these factors cannot be completely conclusive.

Diode Laser Frenectomy (Clinical documentation): Case Report.

2024-03-27T21:16:29+00:00

Introduction: As an alternative to conventional dental procedures, laser surgery has grown in favor recently. Among other laser types, diode lasers have attracted significant interest in the field of oral soft tissue surgery.

Case Reports: The oral surgery department received referrals for three patients. Following a thorough review of each patient's medical history and oral examination, the following oral diagnosis and treatment plans were developed: (1) A 75-year-old female with a poor denture fit needing vestibuloplasty and frenectomy; (2) A 43-year-old female with anterior midline diastema; (3) A female in her twenties with ankyloglossia. Diode laser surgery at a wavelength of 940 nm, in continuous mode, was the recommended course of treatment for all patients.

Conclusion: In light of the versatility of the 940 nm diode laser in oral soft tissue procedures and the benefits of laser surgery, this study recommends using the 940 nm diode laser in this context.

Prevalence of Temporomandibular Disorders Among Dental Students of College of Dentistry-Hawler Medical University.

2024-03-27T21:25:46+00:00

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a group of conditions affecting the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement, can cause pain and discomfort in the jaw, face, and neck, and affect a person's ability to speak, chew, and swallow.

Aim: The present study aims to specify the prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorder among dental students of Hawler Medical University.

Method: The research conducted involved a group of 120 dental students, with an equal number of males and females from Hawler Medical University. The required data were collected by developing a particular questionnaire by modifying Fonseca's questionnaire. The study was performed during a period of one month from January to February. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to determine the severity of the pain and dysfunction in the participant's muscles.

Results: More than 75% of the participants had no deviation. In 65.8% of the students, class 1 occlusion was observed. Trauma was observed in just 12.5% of the participants. Bite and bruxism habits were observed in 24.2% and 10% of the students respectively. Moreover, 30% of students had disturbed sleep. Severe TMJ pain was reported in 4.2% and 0.8% of females and males respectively.

Conclusion: The occurrence of TMD among males was less than among females. Most of the participants had mild TMJ pain. There was a significant association between symptoms of TMD and para-functional habits.