Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the stress levels of Pakistani dental students through an established stress assessment tool during lockdown for COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study using a self-administered, voluntarily filled online questionnaire was conducted on undergraduate dental students from first to fourth (Final) years of dental institutes across Pakistan, accredited by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC). Study questionnaire contained questions on demographic details; gender, province of college, province of residence and perceived stress scale of 10 questions.  It also contained questions about the presence of any symptoms relevant to a particular type of stress. i.e. emotional stress, physical (body related) stress, behavioral stress and cognitive stress. Descriptive statistics were calculated for gender, residence of participants, location of institutes, levels of stress and symptoms signifying a particular stress type. Multiple variables of each stress type were compared with categories of perceived stress scores using chi square test. Results: 706 dental students responded. 53.5% were going through high stress levels, 43.4% were going through moderate stress levels while 2.9% were having low stress levels. Majority of the participants with moderate and high stress levels were from institutions located in provinces with increased number of COVID-19 positive cases. Among moderate and highly stressed participants, more than 68% were females. A significant number of dental students reported symptoms pertaining to emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioral stress due to the COVID-19 disease. Conclusion: Majority of Pakistani dental students are suffering from moderate to high stress levels specially in provinces with a higher number of COVID-19 affected reported cases. There are considerable effects on emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioral states of Pakistani dental students due to the spread of this disease.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to observe the relationship of mesio-angular impacted third molars to the development of distal caries in adjacent second molars. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Nishtar Institute of Dentistry, Multan. Nine hundred and eighty nine periapical, bitewing and Panoramic radiographs were recorded and examined for distally carious second molars and impacted mandibular third molars. SPSS version 23.0 was used for data entry and analysis. RESULTS: Almost 40.8% of the target population reported with distal caries due to third molar impactions. A total of 53.30% of these impactions were of the mesio-angular variety. No distal caries was detected in transverse type of impactions. CONCLUSION: The current study concluded that the prevalence of distal caries in mandibular second molars and the positioning of adjacent impacted mandibular third molars in the dental arch were interlinked. Consequently, extraction of mandibular third molars should be considered to prevent caries and premature loss of second molar teeth. KEYWORDS: Distal caries, Impacted third molar, Infections, Risk Factor HOW TO CITE: Ashar T, Shakoor A, Ghazal S, Parveen N, Saleem MN, Raja HZ. Prevalence of distal carious lesions in mandibular second molars due to mesio-angular impacted third molars. J Pak Dent Assoc 2021;30(1):50-55.

One of the most common oral diseases affecting people wearing dentures is chronic atrophic candidiasis or denture stomatitis (DS). The aim of the paper is to provide an update on the pathogenesis, presentation, and management of DS in general dental practice settings. A comprehensive review of the literature published in the last ten years was undertaken using multiple databases, including PubMed via MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus. The eligible articles were analyzed to identify evidence-based strategies for the management of DS. Despite its multifactorial nature, the leading cause of DS is the development of oral Candida albicans biofilm, which is facilitated by poor oral and denture hygiene, long-term denture wear, ill-fitting dentures, and the porosity of the acrylic resin in the dentures. DS affects between 17 and 75% of the population wearing dentures, with a slight predominance in elderly females. The mucosal denture surfaces and posterior tongue are the common sites of DS, and the affected areas exhibit erythema, the swelling of the palatal mucosa and edema. Oral and denture hygiene protocols, adjusting or re-fabricating poorly adapting dentures, smoking cessation, avoiding nocturnal denture wear, and the administration of topical or systemic antifungals are the mainstay of management. Alternate treatments such as microwave disinfection, phytomedicine, photodynamic therapy, and incorporation of antifungals and nanoparticles into denture resins are being evaluated for the treatment of DS but require further evidence before routine use in clinical practice. In summary, DS is the most common oral inflammatory lesion experienced by denture wearers. Most patients with DS can be managed in general dental practice settings. Effective management by general dental practitioners may be supported by a thorough understanding of the pathogenesis, the recognition of the clinical presentation, and an awareness of contemporary treatment strategies.

Open Access Original Article

Domestic violence is a complex social issue worldwide that includes a wide range of physical, sexual, psychological, economic, or emotional trauma to a child or adult. A large proportion of domestic violence cases remain unreported or undocumented. Dentists can play an important role in identifying and reporting these cases, but no such local study is available assessing the dental practitioners’ attitudes and knowledge of evaluating physical abuse in Pakistan. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and practices of dental practitioners of Pakistan about domestic violence. This cross-sectional study was carried out over 2 months, among 330 dentists across Pakistan, selected by convenience sampling technique. Data was collected via a pre-validated online questionnaire, filled anonymously after taking informed consent. The survey questionnaire collected data about dentists’ demographics, awareness, and experiences about domestic violence cases via close-ended questions. Only 10.6% of participating dentists received formal training in the management of domestic violence cases. Approximately 55% of participants knew that physical abuse should be reported in all circumstances; however, half of them could not accurately identify the legal authorities where suspected cases should be reported. Only 20% of the participating dentists had ever suspected a case of physical abuse and 30% of those actually reported it to legal authorities. Participants characterized fear of anger from relatives as the most significant barrier toward reporting suspected cases. The analysis revealed that Pakistan’s dentists lack adequate knowledge regarding domestic violence in terms of identification, relevant physical signs/symptoms, and social indicators. Dentists of Pakistan had insufficient knowledge about the identification, management, and reporting of domestic violence cases. However, formal training and dentists’ qualification were positively associated with overall awareness and practices regarding domestic violence case management.