BACKGROUND: Oral and systemic problems are common among pregnant women. Routine dental visits are important for the maintenance of optimal oral health which is linked with systemic health. AIM: To evaluate dental care utilization and related factors among pregnant women in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in hospitals and healthcare centers in the cities of Khobar, Dammam, and Qatif in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. A piloted tested self-administered questionnaire available in Arabic and English languages was distributed among a calculated sample of 341 pregnant women. Pearson's chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: In the study, 270 questionnaires were analyzed giving a response rate of 79.2%. Mean age of the participants was 29 ± 5.9 years. There were 43.7% pregnant women who received dental treatment when they have a dental problem and only 13.7% performed routine dental visit. Half the sample (52.6%) avoided dental visits during pregnancy and dental treatment being unsafe was the most common reason for avoiding dental visits. After adjustment, routine dental visits during pregnancy were 7.38 times higher among Saudis compared with non-Saudis women (p 0.05). The participants who had a negative perception about the safety of dental treatment had significantly lower odds (OR 0.31, p 0.036) of dental attendance for routine dental visits. CONCLUSION: Routine dental visits were low among pregnant women and many visited dentists when they had a dental problem. Negative perception about the safety of dental treatment was associated with reduced regular dental visits during pregnancy. Pregnant women should be educated about the importance of receiving dental care for the maintenance of optimal oral health.

Aim This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of carious, restored, and missing teeth among diabetic and non-diabetic patients who visited dental clinics in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Method This retrospective study was conducted between April and November 2018. The data collection procedure was conducted in two steps: (1) review of patient records for the demographic variables and (2) screening of digital panoramic radiographs (OPGs). The patients who visited the restorative and prosthetic clinics in the period of 2016–2017 were included in the study. Results A total of 1186 patient records and OPGs were reviewed to extract the data. The average age of the patients in the study sample was 40.96 (±16.29). The sample included 751 (63.3%) female and 435 (36.7%) male patients. Among the patients, 192 (16.2%) had diabetes mellitus and 994 (83.8%) were non-diabetic. The average numbers of fixed partial dentures and missing teeth were significantly high among diabetic patients ( P < 0.001). Conversely, the average numbers of carious lesions and restored teeth were higher among the non-diabetic patients. Only the number of restored teeth was found to be significant ( P < 0.001). Conclusion The diabetic patients were found to be at high risk of losing teeth compared with the non-diabetic patients. The prevalence of fixed partial dentures was also higher among diabetic patients. The oral health status of dental patients with diabetes needs urgent attention to prevent these patients from having teeth loss, and it can be done by improving their oral health.

Aim To fabricate and characterize nano‐hydroxyapatite (nHA) grafted and non‐grafted glass fibre‐based endodontic posts. Methodology Experimental glass fibre posts were fabricated using silanized nHA grafted (ex‐HA) and non‐grafted glass fibre (ex‐P) reinforced resins. The structural analysis and morphological patterns were analysed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. EverStick® glass fibre posts (eS) were used as a control group. The degree of conversion, flexural strength, and flexural modulus was investigated and the fractured structure was evaluated with a scanning electron microscope. Root canals were prepared in human extracted teeth restored with experimental and control posts. The push‐out bond strength was evaluated with radicular dentine at days 7, 30, and 90, and the presence of voids at the interface were measured at day 1, 7, 30, and 90 with micro‐computed tomography. The Shapiro–Wilk test and one‐way ANOVA post‐hoc Tukey's test were performed. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results The SEM and FTIR confirmed the presence of a silane‐coupling agent on the glass fibres. The ex‐HA post had a significantly lower degree of conversion compared to the ex‐P post (p = .0008), but a significantly higher conversion than the eS post (p = .0014). The maximum flexural strength value was obtained with the ex‐HA post with an insignificant difference (p = .366) compared to ex‐P post and a significant difference (p = .029) compared to the eS post. The flexural modulus of ex‐HA, ex‐P, and eS posts were significantly different (p = .037). Similarly, the ex‐HA post had a significantly higher push‐out bond strength at days 7 and 30 (p = .037) compared to the ex‐P and eS posts. The volume of voids had a nonlinear behaviour amongst the groups with no significant difference between the posts. Conclusion The fabrication of the experimental posts was successful and the ex‐HA post had greater flexural strength and push‐out bond strength compared to the ex‐P post. The degree of conversion of the ex‐HA post was lower than the ex‐P and eS posts. The volume of voids of ex‐HA and ex‐P posts was lower than that of eS posts.

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