Dental education is regarded as a complex, demanding and often stressful pedagogical procedure. Undergraduates, while enrolled in programmes of 4-6 years duration, are required to attain a unique and diverse collection of competences. Despite the major differences in educational systems, philosophies, methods and resources available worldwide, dental students' views regarding their education appear to be relatively convergent. This paper summarizes dental students' standpoint of their studies, showcases their experiences in different educational settings and discusses the characteristics of a positive academic environment. It is a consensus opinion that the 'students' perspective' should be taken into consideration in all discussions and decisions regarding dental education. Moreover, it is suggested that the set of recommendations proposed can improve students' quality of life and well-being, enhance their total educational experience and positively influence their future careers as oral health physicians.

The aim of this study was to investigate oral health behavior and attitudes of dental students in years 1 to 6 at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. The Croatian version of the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI) was administered to predoctoral dental students, and collected data were analyzed. A total of 503 students (22.3±2.6 mean age) completed the questionnaire. The response rate was 85.1 percent, and 72.4 percent of the respondents were female. These dental students' answers to eleven out of twenty HU-DBI items differed signiicantly by academic year. The mean questionnaire score was 6.62±1.54, and the highest value of the HU-DBI score was in the fourth year (7.24±1.54). First-year students were most likely to have a toothbrush with hard bristles and felt they had not brushed well unless done with hard strokes. Students in the sixth year were least worried about visiting a dentist and most frequently put off going to a dentist until having a toothache, indicating that rise of knowledge contributes to higher self-conidence. The mean HU-DBI score for these students showed average value, pointing out the need for a comprehensive oral hygiene and preventive program from the start of dental school.Dr. Badovinac is Research Assistant,

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the adjunctive effect of hyaluronic acid (HA) gel in the treatment of residual periodontal pockets over a 12-month period. Periodontal patients presenting at least one residual periodontal pocket 5–9 mm of depth in the anterior area were recruited from six university-based centers. Each patient was randomly assigned to subgingival instrumentation (SI) with the local adjunctive use of HA for test treatment or adjunctive use of local placebo for control treatment at baseline and after 3 months. Clinical parameters ( )probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BoP), plaque index (PI), recession (REC), clinical attachment level (CAL)) and microbiological samples for the investigation of the total bacterial count (TBC) and presence of specific bacterial species (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia, Fusobacterium nucleatum) were taken at baseline and every 3 months, until study termination. PD was determined as the primary outcome variable. From a total of 144 enrolled, 126 participants (53 males, 73 females) completed the entire protocol. Both treatments resulted in statistically significant clinical and microbiological improvements compared to baseline. Although the local application of HA showed a tendency for better results, there was a lack of statistically significant differences between the groups.

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Purpose: Dental education institutions worldwide experienced disruptive changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with a rapid switch to the online learning format. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental education and evaluates the perceptions and attitudes of students towards the introduction of online learning in the School of Dental Medicine in Zagreb, Croatia. Methods: A survey was conducted on a population of undergraduate students. It was comprised of perceptions and attitudes of students on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their psychoemotional status, changes introduced in the educational system, and online learning in particular. Results: Of the 352 students that completed the survey, 66.2% of students reported being psychoemotionally affected by the lockdown. The most significant impact of the switch from in-person to online learning was observed in terms of missing contact with lecturers (60.3%) and peers (90.3%) and loss of practical courses, regarding which 65% of students agreed that they could not be compensated. While only 36.1% reported that online teaching fully met their expectations, the majority of the students (61.9%) agreed that online lectures were as valuable as in-person lectures and that the theoretical courses could be carried out online in the future as well (69.9%). Conclusions: Students reported relative satisfaction with changes in the learning format and a positive attitude towards online learning; however, several challenges and obstacles were identified.

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Objectives: Peri-implant tissue maintenance and treatment is becoming a serious challenge in implantology. With increasing numbers of implants being placed, more cases of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis is seen. A digital survey on peri-implant disease management was issued to experts in periodontology and implantology to identify the tools and procedures most commonly used today to treat peri-implant diseases and successfully manage peri-implant health. The primary aim was to assess whether there is consensus in the choice of treatment to manage peri-implant diseases and to prevent their recurrence once treated. The secondary aim was to obtain insight into future protocols and /or devices, and the research and development needed.Materials and Methods: Participants in this digital survey were professionals specialising in periodontology, oral surgery, and implant dentistry. The questionnaire included both a series of closed- and open-ended questions. A total of 16 countries participated. The survey was sent by e-mail to 70 individuals, 66 received the survey and 37 of receivers responded, two of the participants were excluded due to insufficient filling of the survey. In the end 35 respondents completed the survey.Results: Respondents agree that the efficacy of mechanical and chemical decontamination of implant surfaces needs to be improved and better documented. It is a common opinion that the current remedies, mostly adapted from periodontal practises, do not provide effective and reliable clinical outcomes when treating peri-implant ailments. There is a general agreement amongst experts that regularly scheduled (3–6-month intervals) maintenance treatments are essential for maintaining peri-implant health in patients experiencing implant complications. Respondents are also concerned about unnecessary use of systemic antibiotics for managing peri-implant health.Conclusion: Regardless of agreements in parts, there was no observed consensus on the most effective treatment options for treating peri-implantitis. The experts all agree it is an urgent need for well-designed, long-term follow-up randomised and controlled clinical trials comparing interventions to provide an evidence-based strategy for peri-implant health management.

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