Background Dental offices are among the highest risk for transmission of the COVID-19, having the potential to transmit the virus via routine dental procedures. This cross-sectional study assessed the preparedness and perception of infection control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic by dentists in Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods This online survey addressed the impact and perception of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental practice in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire comprised 26 closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics included frequency distributions with percentages. In addition, the significance between the different demographic variables and questions about dentists' perception of the COVID-19 pandemic was tested using the Chi-square test. Results COVID-19 management in dental clinics varied in terms of adherence to the Ministry of Health (MOH) guidelines. Dental clinics' screening questionnaire for patients showed good adherence (67%), while the lowest agreement was detected with the question on the existence of an airborne infection in the isolation room (15%). Almost two-thirds of the respondents agreed that the dental reception area adopted the proper COVID-19 preventive measures. Greatest accord was observed in their answers on questions about dentists' perception of the COVID-19 pandemic, ranging from 64%-89%. In addition, there were statistically significant differences in questions about the perception of dentists towards the COVID-19 pandemic by different demographic variables such as age and years of work experience (p < 0.05).

Background Teledentistry is believed to improve dentalcare provided to patients and time management efficiency. In addition, teledentistry can be a useful tool for peer education, consultations and ensures proper channeling for referrals. Objective This study aimed to explore Saudi Arabian dental professionals' perceptions of teledentistry's benefits in improving dental practice and patient care. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study involving an electronic survey of a sample of Saudi Arabian dental professionals. A validated 26-item, 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire was used to assess perceptions of dental professionals in four domains: usefulness of teledentistry for patients, the usefulness of teledentistry for dental practice; the potential of teledentistry to improve practice; and existing concerns about the use of teledentistry. Statistical analyses involved descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis using SPSS software. Significant differences were considered at a p-value of 0.05. Results With an overall response rate of 28.6%, 286 dental professionals participated in the study. More than 70% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that teledentistry would improve dental practice through enhancing communication with peers, guidance and referral of new patients. A substantial proportion of respondents (60-70%) expressed uncertainty with technical reliability, privacy and diagnostic accuracy. The participants' qualification was statistically significant with usefulness of teledentistry for patients (p = 0.027), while work experience in years was statistically significant with both usefulness of teledentistry for dental practice and patients (p = 0.046 and <0.0001 respectively).

Introduction:Dental composites have been used as a restorative material for a long time. However, they have their limitations.Aims:This study evaluated the effects of placement techniques on the clinical performance of class I composite resin restorations.Methods:A total of 40 patients with split-mouth design participated in this study. Each patient had two fillings according to the placement technique (either bulk or incremental packing) of the composite resin restorations. Group (A): was packed by Tetric EvoCeram bulk-fill composite resin and Group (B): was incrementally packed with Tetric EvoCeram composite resin. Restorations of the teeth were evaluated on the same day, at one week, 3 months and 6 months to determine any signs of failure according to the modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria.Results:At different follow-up periods, the results showed no significant differences for retention, marginal integrity, surface stain, gingival bleeding, and secondary caries; however, there were significant differences in color match, surface texture, and postoperative sensitivity.Conclusion:This study concluded that the nanohybrid resin composites demonstrated excellent clinical performance for 6 months follow up period.

Introduction: Exceptional optical properties characterize teeth. As such, an esthetic restorative material should enable the dental professional to imitate the optical properties of natural teeth accurately. IPS Empress Direct was introduced to the market with the claim that it can mimic optically dental tissues with superior clinical performance. Aim: To evaluate the ability of IPS Empress Direct to mimic tooth appearance and color and resist staining. Materials and methods: Three disc specimens were prepared for each shade of enamel and dentin of Lucirin-based composite, IPS Empress Direct (Ivoclar Vivadent) (A1, A2, A3, B1, and B2) (total of 60). The specimens were submitted to colorimetric evaluation in comparison after immersion in 10 different solutions (coffee, coffee with sugar, coffee with milk, red tea, red tea with sugar, red tea with milk, tomato juice, pomegranate juice, coke, and distilled water as a control group) for 4 weeks using spectrophotometric analysis. Results: After plotting the data and conducting linear regression analyses, IPS Empress showed high potential in mimicking the optical properties of natural tooth color according to the CIE color space. Three solutions showed a change in color higher than 3, coffee, coffee with sugar, and red tea. All other solution showed changes in color that are acceptable clinically. Conclusion: IPS Empress Direct can satisfactory mimic teeth appearance and color while manifesting high stability of color resisting staining upon clinical aging.

Aim To investigate the dentists’ opinions towards social media (SM) use in daily practice and the expected limitations from its use in Saudi Arabia. Methods An electronic survey was carried out throughout May–June 2020 among a sample of dentists in Saudi Arabia. The survey covered three parts: the first part covered professional and demographic information, the second part covered the use of mobile phones and SM in dental practice, while the third part assessed dentists’ opinion on SM use. Descriptive statistics included frequency distributions and percentages and independent t test/ANOVA test for the relationship between the mean of dentists’ opinion towards SM and demographic variables. A p value of 0.05 or less was considered statistically significant. Results The majority of respondents (80%) believe that SM plays an active role in patients’ decisions regarding the selection of a healthcare provider. The mean dentists’ opinion scores on the use of SM were significantly lower among participants working more than 50 h per week compared with other participants (p = 0.014). Conclusion The majority of sampled dentists believe that SM plays an active role in patients’ decisions regarding the healthcare provider’s selection. Directed campaigns can help dentists optimize the use of SM for both professional and personal purposes.

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Background: Twitter is a powerful platform which could be used to reflect on the demand and supply of dental services during a pandemic. The aim of this study was to examine the nature and dissemination of COVID-19 information related to dentistry on Twitter platform Arabic database during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: One hundred and fifty independent searches with a combination of keywords for both COVID-19 and dentistry from a preselected Arabic keyword were carried out for the period from the 2nd of March (first confirmed cases of COVID-19) to the 6th of July 2020. Tweets were filtered to remove duplicate and unrelated tweets. The suitable tweets were 1,150. After calibration, two examiners coded the tweets following two main themes: COVID-19 and oral health-related information. Tweets were then compared with COVID-19 daily events in the Arab countries as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Descriptive analysis was performed to present the overview of the findings using Microsoft Excel.Results: The most retweeted information was the help with urgent consultation or emergency dental treatment during COVID-19 tweeted by a dentist. There were 673 retweets and 1,116 likes of this tweet. The most common tweets related to oral health were needs of dental treatment (n=462, 39.5%) of which, toothaches or wisdom tooth problems constituted 48% of the related tweets. Conclusion:Based on the results of this study, it is obvious that social media users reacted to the COVID-19 threat to dental practices. Twitter as one of the social media platforms served as a connection between dental health professionals and patients.

This was an in vitro study that aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of the propolis extract caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on four different oral microorganisms. Seven different concentrations of CAPE (0.2, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, and 4 mg/mL) for use against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, and Streptococcus salivarius were determined using minimum inhibition concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), broth microdilution, and well diffusion tests over 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h, while NaF at 0.05 percent was used as a positive control. Staphylococcus aureus was most affected by CAPE’s inhibitory effect on bacterial growth, whereas S. mutans was the least affected. S. mutans and S. oralis had similar CAPE MIC and MBC values of 1 mg/mL and 1.5 mg/mL, respectively. The most resistant bacteria to CAPE were S. salivarius and S. aureus, with MIC and MBC values of 3 mg/mL and 4 mg/mL, respectively. S. oralis, followed by S. salivarius, S. mutans, and S. aureus, had the highest viable count following exposure to CAPE’s MBC values, while S. aureus had the lowest. The current results of the inhibitory effect of CAPE on bacterial growth are promising, and the values of both CAPE MBC and MIC against the related four cariogenic bacterial organisms are significant. CAPE can be employed as an adjunct dental hygiene substance for maintaining good oral hygiene, and has a potential therapeutic effect in the field of oral health care.