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Background: Dental students' burnout has been repeatedly reported in the literature; however, there is little information about the contributing factors in different contexts and settings. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between burnout among undergraduate dental students and sociodemographic (specifically gender), psychological (resilience), and structural factors (dental environment stress). Subjects and Methods: An online cross-sectional survey questionnaire was distributed among a convenience sample of 500 undergraduate Saudi dental students. The survey included questions about sociodemographic factors (gender, level of education, academic achievement, type of school [public or private], and living arrangements). The study also included items that allowed assessment of students' burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and assessment of student environmental stress and resilience using the Dental Environment Stress Scale (DESS) and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Descriptive statistics, univariate, and linear regression analyses were performed. Results: The response rate was 67% (male = 119, female = 216). Univariable analysis showed that gender, level of education, and DESS and BRS scores correlated significantly (P <.05) with MBI scores. Adjusted multiple linear regression lends further support to that the MBI scores negatively correlated with the BRS score but positively correlated with the DESS score (ß = -0.29, P <.001; ß = 0.44, P <.001, respectively). Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, the findings demonstrated that increases in resilience correlated significantly with decreases in burnout and increases in environmental stress correlated significantly with increases in burnout among dental students. However, gender had no influence on burnout.

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Background: Dental professionals can play a pivotal role in educating the public about the harmful effects of smoking and encouraging them to quit the habit. Aim: This study assesses the attitudes and practices of tobacco cessation counseling (TCC) among dental professionals in Saudi Arabia. Patients and Methods: This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study targeted dentists and dental interns working in government and private sectors in Saudi Arabia. We conducted a descriptive analysis by using SPSS Statistics, version 25.0. Results: A total of 895 respondents (314 interns and 581 dentists) participated in this survey. Although the majority of respondents (93%) reported that they always ask patients about tobacco habits, only 59% reported recording tobacco habits in patients' files, and only 55% of the respondents reported explaining to patients the harmful effects of tobacco. Around 91% of the participants believe that a dental clinic is an appropriate place for TCC, and 22% believe that TCC has a negative impact on dental practice. Smoking status, work setting, and the number of years since graduation were found to be significantly associated with the respondents' attitudes and practices. Lack of training, time limitations, and lack of confidence were barriers for TCC. Conclusions: Dental professionals in Saudi Arabia demonstrated relatively positive attitudes but weak practices of TCC. Continuous education and motivation are needed to improve dentists' confidence, attitudes, and willingness for TCC. Integration of tobacco control education in undergraduate curricula is recommended.

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The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused an unprecedented healthcare crisis. SARS-CoV-2 gets access into the human body mainly through the nose and the mouth and invades these mucosae in its destination to the pulmonary tissues. Thus, the oral and nasal mucosae serve as the main routes and reservoirs for aerosolized transmission of the viral particles to the external environment and hence infection transmission. Statins have been shown to have antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant properties. Therefore, we hypothesize that using statins-based prophylactic mouthwashes will reduce COVID-19 transmission in dental settings.

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INTRODUCTION: Salivary gland neoplasms are not uncommon lesions that are seen in the head and neck region. The role of cell cycle regulators as well as that of oncogenes remains unexplored in the pathogenesis of these neoplasms. AIM: Present study was conducted to evaluate the expression of p27 in the three common salivary gland neoplasms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 34 cases (19 pleomorphic adenoma, 8 mucoepidermoid carcinoma and 7 adenoid cystic carcinoma) were included. The sections were subjected to p27 staining and rated for the expression. RESULTS: Of the total 52.6% of pleomorphic adenoma cases, 25% of mucoepidermoid carcinoma cases and only 14.2% of adenoid cystic carcinoma cases showed strong expression suggesting variable p27 expression in both malignant neoplasms. Normal salivary gland tissue was stained as a positive control for the evaluation. CONCLUSION: The results of the study suggest an important role for p27 in pathogenesis of mucoepidermoid carcinoma as well as adenoid cystic carcinoma while its role in pathogenesis of pleomorphic adenoma remains questionable keeping in view the strong expression of p27 in the same.

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BACKGROUND: A role for hepatitis C virus in oral lichen planus has been postulated. This systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing epidemiological studies was conducted to determine if there is a correlation between oral lichen planus and hepatitis C virus infection. METHODS: We examined the association between hepatitis C virus and oral lichen planus by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies that examined the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in the serum of cases and controls. We searched PubMed, Embase and The Cochrane Library databases from 2005 to January 2015. Associations were measured using random-effect odds ratios (ORs) combined with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Nineteen eligible studies, encompassing 1807 cases of OLP and 2519 controls, were retrieved and included in this review. The summary estimate OR for all studies was 6.07 (95% CI: 2.73-13.48), showing a statistically significant difference in the proportion of HCV seropositivity among oral lichen planus patients, compared with controls and substantial heterogeneity between studies (I(2) = 65%) as a result of a variety of geographical distributions. CONCLUSIONS: The association of hepatitis C virus infection with oral lichen planus emphasizes the importance of hepatitis C virus screening in oral lichen planus patients.

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OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the oral health status and treatment needs of children with disabilities attending special schools in Sana'a, Yemen. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study involved 401 children with different disabilities aged between 6 and 14 years. Dental caries was evaluated using DMFT/dmft indices in accordance with WHO criteria. The plaque index (PI) and the gingival index (GI) were used to assess oral hygiene and gingival health, respectively. RESULTS: The mean dmft and DMFT scores of the total population were 4.27 and 1.90 respectively, with no significant differences across gender (p>0.05). According to the type of disability, the physically disabled had the highest mean dmft of 4.68 (SD 3.30) and subjects with compound disabilities had the highest mean DMFT of 2.85 (SD 1.98). Among the disability groups, the blind had the highest PI and GI scores, and the deaf had the lowest. Majority of the children were on need for specific type of dental treatment. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that children with disabilities have a high prevalence of dental caries and poor oral hygiene.

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