IIUM Journal of Orofacial and Health Sciences

The effect of implantoplasty on dental implant fracture resistance: a systematic review

2021-11-22T11:39:21+08:00

An increase in dental implant placements in recent years has seen a growth in the reported cases of post-operative complications such as peri-implantitis. One of the available treatment modalities to overcome such complications is implantoplasty. Although this procedure is not new, the long-term effect of implantoplasty has not been addressed extensively. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the change in fracture resistance of dental implants after implantoplasty. Three electronic databases and reference lists of included studies were searched to assess the potential effect of implantoplasty on implant fracture resistance. Titles and abstracts were screened by two reviewers in parallel. The extracted information regarding implant fracture resistance was reported based on the guidelines set by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. A total of 56 studies were identified, of which, nine studies were included. Narrow platform implants (<3.75 mm) were more susceptible to fracture following implantoplasty compared to wider platforms (?5 mm). Implants with internal hexagon connection may have a higher risk of fracture after implantoplasty compared to other connection designs such as external hexagon and conical connections. Other potential factors which may affect implant fracture resistance after implantoplasty include crown to implant ratio, implant material, and the amount of peri-implant bone loss. Within the limitation of in vitro studies, there is no clear evidence to demonstrate the effect of implantoplasty on implant fracture resistance. Methodological differences between the available studies did not allow for clear comparison between them. Furthermore, the limited amount of clinical reports of this resective procedure, in combination with patient and operator variability, affect the clinical assessment of this treatment modality.

Review: exploring the potential of Nigella sativa for tooth mineralization and periodontitis treatment and its additive effect with doxycycline

2022-01-11T00:04:24+08:00

Oral disease has been a worldwide concern as the incidence and cost of treatment continues to rise. Management of the disease is challenging as success is often influenced by an individual’s lifestyle and diet. Nigella sativa (N. sativa) or black seed is a medicinal plant that has received growing interest due to its effectiveness against various conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, as well as infectious diseases caused by bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. This narrative review studies N. sativa that has also shown great potential in dental health attributed to its role in stimulating the process of remineralization. Apart from that, N. sativa promotes healing of oral tissues as it induces the differentiation potential of heterogeneous cell populations in periodontal ligament cells. The anti-osteoporotic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of N. sativa also improve periodontal healing, particularly by preventing further destruction of bone components. This article discusses the occurrence of periodontitis and the therapeutic role of N. sativa with emphasis on the regulation of genes, for instance, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) that is involved in tissue specialization and remineralization. It is speculated that the activity of N. sativa in remineralization can be enhanced by combination with other commonly used periodontitis antibiotics such as doxycycline. N. sativa is purported to induce periodontal tissue regeneration whilst minimizing toxicity. Thus, it may serve as an alternative or enhance the existing treatment for periodontitis when administered as a combined formulation.

Remote teaching and learning during COVID-19 “lockdown” period in Malaysia: one institution’s experience

2022-03-04T06:00:07+08:00

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has prompted significant changes for most programs' teaching methods worldwide, especially during the “lockdown” period. Most education institutions in Malaysia were indefinitely closed, with the teaching and learning activities were resumed remotely. This letter highlights Kulliyyah of Dentistry, International Islamic University Malaysia’s approaches in handling our teaching and learning activities (i.e., lectures, tutorials, seminars, practical, and the assessment), as well as the challenges faced by lecturers and students during the previous “lockdown” period.

Minor oral surgery on impacted lower third molar done by IIUM Undergraduates: a retrospective study

2021-08-24T20:21:21+08:00

Minor oral surgery (MOS) is one of the important requirements for dental undergraduates to perform in Kulliyyah of Dentistry, IIUM. However, no assessment has been done on the suitability of the cases received by the students. Thus, this study was aimed to describe type of cases and level of difficulty in relation to undergraduate year of study. This study consisted of 97 subjects who had undergone MOS by IIUM undergraduate from September 2014 to October 2015. Data was collected from patient’s documentation and orthopantomogram. Pederson index and relationship to inferior dental nerve were used to determine the difficulty index level. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test with statistical significance set at p? 0.05. The mean age of the patients was 24 years old, with male to female ratio 1:1.9. 52.6% of the cases were indicated for surgery due to recurrent pericoronitis. The types of cases mostly received by undergraduates were Class IA (30.9%) and Class IIA (48.5%) with mesioangular impaction (39.2%). Year 4 students received more difficult cases compared to Year 5 (p = 0.504) with less complications postoperatively. Dental undergraduates received simple to moderate cases for MOS, and no significant association was found between year of undergraduate study and difficulty level of the cases.

Prevalence and reasons for missed dental appointments among patients treated by undergraduate dental students of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia

2021-09-02T11:38:35+08:00

Missed dental appointments drastically affect treatment proficiency and productivity of dental care facility. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and reasons for missed dental appointments among patients treated by clinical dental students of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). A total of 202 folders from year 2018 to 2020 treated by year 3 to year 5 dental students were retrieved from a pool of patient’s record files using simple random sampling methods. Information on missed appointments was recorded. Other patients’ information was kept confidential. The percentage of missed dental appointments among patients under clinical dental students’ care was 37.1% (95% CI=30.7, 44.0). The majority of patients who missed dental appointments were male (37.6%), adults (38.7%) and employee (40.2%) patients. The most reported reason for the missed dental appointment was due to personal matters (36%) and the least was forgetfulness (0.6%) and miscommunication (0.6%). In conclusion, missed dental appointment commonly occurs among patients and frequently it was due to personal matters. A proper explanation by the students before scheduling an appointment is crucial to avoid any future missed dental appointments.

Evaluation on the perception of final year dental students on their confidence level regarding endodontic treatments: a cross sectional analysis

2021-11-15T09:40:01+08:00

Endodontics procedures are difficult and complicated that most of the practitioners would encounter. Therefore, dental students should gain their confidence and competent during their training. This research aimed to study the perception of final year students on confidence level regarding endodontic treatments from all public universities and their opinions on the quality of endodontic education. A Google Form was used to disseminate an online questionnaire to all dental students from public universities across Malaysia. The survey included both scaled answer and open-ended questions. 184 responses out of 235 students, were obtained (response rate = 78%). Perception of competence and confidence were significantly greater amongst the students from research-based universities group (P < 0.05). 93.5% (n=179) of participants agree that they were confident to do endodontic procedure on anterior tooth, whilst on posterior tooth, only 75.5% (n=139) were confident. Only 6.5 percent of participants (n = 12) did not feel confident doing root canal treatment on single-rooted teeth, but 76.1 percent (n = 140) did not feel competent performing root canal treatment on multirooted teeth. Over 90% of the students rated the quality and the amount of time spent on endodontic education were adequate at their respective university as ?5 on a Likert scale (1 = inadequate to 10 = adequate). In addition, when they were asked to give the suggestion on how to improve the quality of endodontic education, 10.9% of the students suggested to increase the number of practical session and to do regular discussion regarding endodontic cases. It is vital to improve undergraduate endodontic education in order to raise students' perceptions of their confidence and competence when doing root canal therapy.

Perceived knowledge and perceptions toward biostatistics among dental and medical undergraduate students in International Islamic University Malaysia

2022-01-20T15:48:26+08:00

Research into dental and medical student on biostatistics may inform the educational policy changes. Therefore, it was vital to assess the level of knowledge and perception about biostatistics among dental and medical undergraduate students in order to determine their proficiency in this subject. A cross-sectional study was undertaken among dental and medical undergraduate students in International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan. The assessment of perceived and perception toward biostatistics was based on a 5-points Likert scale including 50 questions distributed into five domains to assess the knowledge, course value, difficulty, behavioural and expectations. A total of 158 out of 190 students responded to the questionnaire yielding a response rate of 83.2%. It was observed that more than 70% of students acknowledged that knowledge gained from biostatistics courses is useful to their future career, and almost 80% realized the relevance of biostatistics to real health issues. This study concludes that undergraduate dental students have almost similar and moderate level of knowledge in biostatistics as compared to the medical students. However, it is important to have additional practice and training through workshop to improve their level of comprehension in biostatistics.

The future direction of the Dental Public Health in Malaysia

2022-02-27T10:55:35+08:00

The continued recognition of Dental Public Health as one speciality in dentistry provides an opportunity for the speciality to rediscover and re-evaluate itself. As a discipline, public health dentistry evolved for many years to address the issues faced by our dynamic society, particularly Malaysia. Increased investment is necessary to see a tangible improvement in oral health. In this light, public health dentistry represents the nation’s dental conscience, as changes in DPH mirror both changes in society and the dental practice. Prevention and access to dental care for the underprivileged groups are as pertinent as providing medical and dental care for people with infectious diseases. Changes could be implemented through national oral health objectives and strategies and a myriad of new financing mechanisms. Despite the progressive changes in today’s world, the speciality’s goal to improve the public’s oral health and its commitment to work through ‘organised community efforts’ to achieve this goal remains. This article highlights the need for a long-term solution that could ensure the sustainability of DPH in Malaysia. It empowers DPH specialists to use their expertise for patients’ benefit across the three pillars of public health - health improvement, care, and protection. This could be achieved through the support of the dental community.

Management of radix entomolaris on permanent mandibular first molar complicated with ledge: a case report

2021-12-28T11:33:14+08:00

Radix entomolaris is a supernumerary root located distolingually on permanent mandibular molars. It is considered as an anatomical variant and usually curved buccolingually. The presence of radix entomolaris can be endodontically challenging to treat and susceptible to endodontic mishaps such as ledge. This report describes the management of ledge in a radix entomolaris with type-3 curvature on tooth 46. Ledge was bypassed using pre-curved K-files #10, #15, and #20 sequentially and preparation was continued using step-back technique. Then, the root canal was obturated using gutta percha and root canal sealer. Diagnostic and clinical challenges in managing radix entomolaris, and prevention and management of ledge were also discussed.

Application of dental stem cell in dentistry: where are we now?

2022-02-27T16:02:03+08:00