Objective. The present study was aimed at assessing the impact of teledentistry, its application, and trends in uplifting dental practice and clinical care around the world. Material and Methods. The present observational study comprised of an electronic survey distributed among dental professionals around the globe. The validated survey form consisted of a total 26 questions with 5-point Likert scale response. The questionnaire used was divided into four domains: usefulness of teledentistry for patients, its usefulness in dental practice, its capacity to improve the existing practice, and the concerns attached to its use. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS-25. ANOVA test was used to assess the effect of independent variables on dependent variables. A
p
value of ≤0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Results. A total of 506 dental professionals participated in the study with the response rate of 89.39%. More than half of the participants (50-75%) endorsed that teledentistry is a useful tool for improving clinical practice as well as patient care. Two-thirds of the participants (69.96%) considered that teledentistry would reduce cost for the dental practices. On the other hand, about 50-70% of dental professionals expressed their concerns regarding the security of the data and consent of patients. The most preferred communication tool for teledentistry was reported to be videoconference followed by phone. The majority of participants recommended the use of teledentistry in the specialty of oral medicine, operative dentistry, and periodontics. There was a significant difference between the age, experience of dentists, and their qualifications with domains of teledentistry. Conclusions. The overall impact of dental professionals towards teledentistry was positive with adequate willingness to incorporate this modality in their clinical practice. However, the perceived concerns pertaining to teledentistry are significant impediments towards its integration within the oral health system. An in-depth study of its business model and cost-benefit needs of time, especially in the context of developing countries, in order to avail the optimum benefits of teledentistry.
Median rhomboid glossitis (MRG) is unique tongue pathology of uncertain etiology, typically located around the midline of dorsal surface of tongue. Clinically it appears as reddish, depapillated area usually rhomboid in shape. Due its asymptomatic nature it is considered as a benign condition which in most of the cases generally discovered on routine oral examination. In this paper, we present a first case on median rhomboid glossitis which consulted for routine dental checkup. To our knowledge MRG has never been reported in Pakistani literature. We present a case report literature review, discussion including insight regarding aetiology, clinical presentation and management of the condition.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and shape of torus palatinus and to assess its gender and age-related differences in the population of Karachi, the metropolitan city of Pakistan. Methodology: This was a cross sectional study with non-probability convenience sampling method conducted at Bahria University Medical & Dental College (BUMDC), Karachi. The presence of tori was observed by clinical examination and palpation. The shape was also investigated by presence or absence and classified as flat, spindle and nodular shaped tori. The data was analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Science version 23. The Chi-square test was used to test for group differences of sex and age association with the prevalence of tori. Difference between groups with P <0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 1203 patients were screened in which torus palatinus was found in 141 (11.7%) patients. Present study findings showed torus palatinus was more prevalent in males 76 (53.9%). It was dominant in 31-60 years of age group (47.5%) with significant P=0.000. Shapes of torus palatinus were compared with gender in which flat shape was more frequent in both male and female with significant P-value of 0.015. Conclusion: Torus Palatinus is a rare bony exostosis of the oral cavity. Even though, it is an asymptomatic anatomical variation it expresses itself in unique shapes and patterns. The prevalence varies with respect to age and gender.
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