Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) has been used in regenerative medicine and dentistry. Recently, its use has been advocated for regenerative periodontics and wound healing. The randomized control trials have assessed the regenerative efficacy of the PRF for restoring intrabony periodontal defects. The objectives are to critically analyze and appraise the currently available literature, focusing on the use of PRF in regenerating periodontal bone defects. An electronic search was conducted (PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, ISI-WOS). Various combinations of following keywords were used: 'platelet-rich fibrin', 'intrabony', 'periodontal', 'bone defect' and 'guided tissue regeneration'. A secondary search was conducted by analyzing the reference lists of the articles obtained in initial search. The final search resulted in 13 randomized controlled trials being included. In majority of studies, PRF resulted in better clinical/radiographic outcomes than open flap debridement and augmented therapeutic effects of bone grafts. The combination of bovine bone substitutes and PRF resulted in better performance compared to alone. Similarly better outcomes were observed while using PRF in combination with nanohydroxyapatite, metformin and demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft. It can be concluded that PRF produces better outcomes than open flap debridement alone and augments the regenerative effects of bone substitutes.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is an extremely contagious respiratory disease. It poses a serious threat to healthcare workers which may cause substantial degree of psychological distress. This study aimed to evaluate the level of fear and anxiety among healthcare workers. A cross sectional study was designed to collect data from healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia using an online questionnaire. A non-probability convenient sampling technique was used to collect the data from 1st August to 10th August 2020 with the exclusion of non-healthcare worker and general public. A 5-point Likert scale was used to evaluate the level of fear and anxiety. The data was analyzed by using Spss version 23 .The descriptive data were represented as frequencies and percentage. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to control the confounding factors and assess the relationship between variables. Data analyzed 737 participants revealed that 10.7%, 73.5%, and 15.7% of HCWs had a mild, moderate, and severe degree of fear and anxiety respectively. The multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that gender and specialty of the participants were significantly associated with moderate and severe anxiety level. This study demonstrates that two-third of the healthcare workers had a moderate risk of fear and anxiety. However, females participants found to have elevated fear and anxiety level. Social distancing has a major impact on social well-being therefore its important to address social support through a policy. Further studies are needed to explore the mental health condition of healthcare workers in order to develop evidence based strategies.

Objective:The aim of the current study was to carry out a preliminary validation of devices for standardized collection of whole mouth fluid (WMF) in comparison to the passive drooling method for protein analysis in healthy subjects.Materials and Methods:A carefully designed sample collection/pretreatment protocol is crucial to the success of any saliva proteomics project. In this study, WMF was collected from healthy volunteers (n = 10, ages: 18–26 years). Individuals with any oral disease were excluded from the study group. In our study, we evaluated the following collection methods; the classical passive drooling method (unstimulated whole saliva) and standardized tools for saliva collection (Pure·SAL™, and RNAPro·SAL™) from Oasis Diagnostics® Corporation (Vancouver WA, USA). For estimation of protein levels, we used the bicinchoninic acid assay and protein assay kit (Thermo Fisher). The two-dimensional gel electrophoresis sample analysis was carried out for the estimation of proteins in one of the samples.Results:When gels were compared, the difference was seen in the resolution of spots. Protein spots were fading from high- to low-molecular weight masses. Hence, advanced devices in comparison to spitting method resulted in much clearer protein spots which in turn prove the validation of devices.Conclusions:In this study, we concluded that protein extraction could be possible by both methods such as passive drooling method and through advanced saliva collection devices (Pure·SAL™ and RNAPro·SAL™).

Study PurposeCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious illness of high public concern. Healthcare students are directly or indirectly exposed to this disease. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of healthcare students in the central region of Saudi Arabia.Study DesignA cross-sectional survey was planned to collect information from healthcare students living in the central region of Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was formulated to evaluate the healthcare student’s knowledge towards COVID-19 pandemic. The collected data were analysed by using frequencies of correct knowledge answers.ResultsA total of 612 students were analysed for the study. The overall knowledge score of healthcare students was 65.7%. The regression analysis showed a significant association between academic year and knowledge score p<0.001.ConclusionsOur analysis demonstrates satisfactory student’s knowledge but lacks awareness about background and mode of transmission of this disease; therefore, there is a strong need for further education and training programmes.

Chemical and mechanical root canal debridement are the primary methods used in endodontic therapy to remove all dead tissue, bacteria, and microbial byproducts from the canal. Sodium hypochlorite, a powerful organic tissue dissolver with a broad spectrum of antibacterial properties, is an excellent choice for disinfecting surfaces. Chelating agents, on the other hand, may be used to remove the inorganic components found on the smear layer. This irrigation method is capable of removing the smear layer; however, it is less effective in the apical third. While using irrigant activation devices, irrigating solutions need to be in direct contact with the whole root canal wall surfaces, especially in the apical portions of tiny root canals. The role of irrigants is extremely important because they help not only to clean the canal but also to allow the seepage of the medicaments into the canal system. Thus, the canal needs to be healthy before the obturation procedure. Nowadays, many irrigants have been studied and hence compilation of the various available sources and their effect has to be studied both in vivo and in vitro . The correlation between the irrigants and the canal cleanliness is of utmost importance, as the success of endodontic root canal treatment depends on its proper activation and characteristics. Hence, this review incorporates the current use of various irrigating solutions and their advantages and disadvantages. In the future, endodontists may employ the novel irrigants and irrigant activation devices that were discovered in this study.