Objective:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the general attitude of undergraduate dental students toward rubber dam use, specifically focusing on operative procedures before starting to serve community.Methods:Questionnaires were distributed to undergraduate clinical years' students of two private colleges; Al-Farabi Dental College, Riyadh, KSA and Buraidah Private Colleges, Qassim, KSA. Questions were asked about areas where the students used rubber dam in operative procedures, in which types of caries classes, and in which type of restoration they frequently used the rubber dam.Results:We found that students of both private dental colleges agreed with the opinions that proper isolation cannot be achieved for the restoration of operative procedures without using rubber dam and restoration placed under rubber dam have a greater longevity than those placed without.Conclusions:Within the limitations of the present study, it can be concluded that the perceptions of dental students on rubber dam need to be improved and strategies should be developed so that this valuable adjunct will comprise one of the indispensable elements of dental care.

AIM: The aim of the current in vitro study was to evaluate the changes in surface roughness of bulk fill composites after simulated toothbrushing with different dentifrices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three types of bulk fill resin composites were used in this study; 27 specimens of each composite resin were randomly divided into three main groups (n = 9). Each main group was further subdivided into three subgroups (n = 3). Each group was subjected to simulated toothbrushing with three different dentifrices. One-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate the effect of brushing using dentifrices on the surface roughness of each type of composite resin, followed by Tukey’s test at a significance level of p ≤ 0.5%. RESULTS: Results revealed that different effects on composite surface roughness were detected after simulating toothbrushing with different dentifrices. Lacalut toothpaste abrades more with Filtek Bulk Fill, Tetric N-Ceram then Bulk Fill SDR. Crest 3D toothpaste abrades more with Tetric N-Ceram, Bulk Fill SDR then Filtek Bulk Fill. BlanX toothpaste abrades more with Tetric N-Ceram, Bulk Fill SDR then Filtek Bulk Fill. CONCLUSION: Chemical composition of both resin composites and dentifrices plays an important role in influencing the degree of surface roughness of bulk fill composite resin restorations.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices fissure sealants among undergraduate Saudi dental students.MethodsA modified questionnaire consisted of 24-items was distributed among 226 undergraduate dental students, males and females of different years at Al-Farabi Colleges, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Chi-square/Fisher's exact tests were used for descriptive statistical analyses.ResultsThe response rate was 100%. Most of the respondents were male (60.2) and (39.8%) were female. With regard to the level of study, 20.8% were in the fourth year, 43.8% in the fifth year, and 16.8% were in the sixth year. The respondents showed a sensible level of learning about sealants, with the majority (88%) believed that there is strong scientific evidence about fissure sealants effectiveness and around 90% showed a good understanding of sealant placement instructions. Furthermore, respondents demonstrated inadequate learning about sealants clinical practice.ConclusionDespite a high proportion of undergraduate dental students’ showed sufficient knowledge about dental sealant, following guidelines and standardized procedures in clinical practice is lacking. The findings suggest an urgent need of dental colleges to additionally and/or update their curriculum regarding fissure sealants to reflect advance dental education that concentrates on evidence-based practice (EBP) in Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health need for regular continuing education courses for the dental professional.How to cite this articleAl-Sabri FA, Ba-Salamah M, et al. Tooth Decay Prevention: Knowledge and Practices Survey of Dental Students. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2019;12(2):92–95.

As esthetic dentistry may be represented a modified form of restorative dentistry. Correction of minor malformations of anterior teeth with minimal removal of the remaining tooth structure, correction of crown length and width, diastma closure and masking some intrinsic discoloration of anterior teeth like dental fluorosis and tetracycline staining are examples for solutions that can be gained with using ceramic laminate veneers. Correct placement, proper application and appropriate selection of ceramic veneer material is the aim of this current literature which focusing on the most important parameters that may be responsible for the long term success of minimally invasive veneers.

Botulinum toxin is a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. This toxin has eight known serotypes, among which both A and B are currently used in medicine. Its mechanism of action acts on inhibiting acetylcholine release at neuromuscular junctions following its local injection. This toxin has wide applications in dentistry in general and in oral and maxillofacial (OMF) surgery in particular. It can be applied in the management of temporomandibular joint disorders, neuropathic facial pain, facial nerve palsy, hypertrophy, and hyperactivity of masticatory muscles as examples. At present, it can be used in cosmetic treatment in the facial region to control wrinkles and asymmetry. The therapeutic effects of these toxins are temporary and relatively safe if used in an appropriate manner. This review was aimed to identify the uses of botulinum toxin in surgical and non-surgical treatment of OMF problems, the types of treatment available, and benefits of those treatments.

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Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Cosmopost's two different surface treatments (sandblasting and silica coating) on persistence to various core materials using push-out test set-up. Material and Methods: A total of 30 Cosmoposts was used in this study. Cosmoposts were divided into three groups (10 samples each) according to the post-surface treatment received. Every category was additionally subdivided into two subgroups according to the type of core material (n = 5 samples). A specially designed copper mold was used for construction of different core materials with standardized dimensions around the posts, in such a way to ensure that the posts will be centralized. Surface roughness was estimated for all Cosmoposts, following different surface treatments using SEM. Cylindrical cores were fabricated of either composite resin or heat-pressed zirconia-containing glass-ceramic (IPS Empress Cosmo, Ivoclar Vivadent). Following the construction of different Core materials, samples were subjected to push-out test set-up to Evaluate the impact of various treatments on post/core bond strength. Data were collected, tabulated and statistically analyzed. SEM was performed on Cosmoposts following debonding of different post/core samples to determine their mode of failure. Results: Results of push-out bond strength revealed that core material, surface treatment and the interaction between the two variables using Two-way ANOVA had a statistically significant effect on mean push-out bond strength. Regarding the effect of type of core material on Push-out bond strength, results showed that IPS Empress Cores showed statistically significant higher mean push-out bond strength to Cosmopost (36.4±9.7MPa) than composite cores (15.8±2.5 MPa). Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, direct heat-pressed ceramic core was more beneficial for zirconia post buildups, than Composite Cores, since they provided higher bond strength. Thanks to a double improvement: increase in fracture resistance and retentive capacity to post. Also, Tribochemical Silicacoating technique was proved to be more effective in Cosmopost treatments than sandblasting technique.

In most cases, the C-shaped pattern is found in mandibular second molars. Additionally, C-shaped canals can also occur in mandibular premolars, maxillary molars, and mandibular third molars. It poses challenges like debridement, obturation, and possibly the outcome of root canal treatment. The purpose of this study is to make a systematic review of studies related to the prevalence and morphology of C shaped canals in premolar teeth. Using pre-designed forms, data were extracted from online databases such as Medline and PubMed Central. We extracted citations and characteristics of studies, such as names of authors, date of publication, country, title, definition of C shaped canal configuration, and classification of C shaped canal configuration in upper and lower first premolars. Even though they are rare, mandibular premolars are also known to have C-shaped canal systems. Approximately 10-18% of mandibular first premolars have C-shaped canals, according to studies. Treatment is more challenging for patients with C-shaped canals. The frequency of C-shaped configurations in premolar teeth is likely to be affected by regional characteristics and gender of the population. Having these factors in mind before surgery allows dentists to better plan, coordinate, and perform complex morphologies.