Discovering oral cavity cancer (OCC) at an early stage is an effective way to increase patient survival rate. However, current initial screening process is done manually and is expensive for the average individual, especially in developing countries worldwide. This problem is further compounded due to the lack of specialists in such areas. Automating the initial screening process using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect pre-cancerous lesions can prove to be an effective and inexpensive technique that would allow patients to be triaged accordingly to receive appropriate clinical management. In this study, we have applied and evaluated the efficacy of six deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) models using transfer learning, for identifying pre-cancerous tongue lesions directly using a small dataset of clinically annotated photographic images to diagnose early signs of OCC. DCNN models were able to differentiate between benign and pre-cancerous tongue lesions and were also able to distinguish between five types of tongue lesions, i.e. hairy tongue, fissured tongue, geographic tongue, strawberry tongue and oral hairy leukoplakia with high classification performances. Preliminary results using an (AI + Physician) ensemble model demonstrate that an automated pre-screening process of oral tongue lesions using DCNNs can achieve ‘near-human’ level classification performance for diagnosing early signs of OCC in patients.

SUMMARY:The cusp of Carabelli trait was first described by Carabelli in 1842. If present, it is seen on the mesial aspect of the mesiopalatal cusp of the deciduous maxillary second molar or permanent maxillary first, second and third molar. The level of expression varies from a mere pit or groove to a well developed cusp. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of this trait in Abha Secondary School boys in the age range of 15-20 years. 917 subjects without caries or fillings (or missing) in permanent upper first (16/ 26) and second molars (17/27) were selected out of the 3408 students examined. The trait was recorded as present or absent in 16/26 and 17/27 only as most of the students had erupted premolars and unerupted third molars. The trait was present in 41.7% of the population out of which 82.2% were seen on 16/26 bilaterally. It showed more predilection to permanent maxillary right first molar -39.4% than permanent maxillary left first molar -35.8%. Only 3.1% of the population had the trait on 17/27. These results are in contrast with the prevalence studies carried out in Riyadh -57.6% and Jeddah -58.7%. Nevertheless, it places the Saudi population in moderate CT prevalence group.

No abstract

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer, a primary component of dental resins, is known to induce cytotoxicity, dermatitis, and neuropathy. The objective of this study was to assess the incidence of micronuclei (MN) in buccal mucosal cells of dental technicians exposed to MMA using Buccal Micronucleus Cytome (BMCyt) assay. The Risk Group (RG=13) consisted of all the technicians working in the prosthetic production laboratory of KKU-College of Dentistry. The Control Group (CG=14) consisted of healthy students and doctors matching the age of RG subjects. Buccal mucosa scrapes obtained from all the 27 RG and CG subjects were stained with Papanicolaou stain and observed under oil immersion lens (100×) for the presence of MN. There were no significant differences in the incidence of MN between RG and CG (p>0.05).

Backgroud/purpose Palatal rugae (PR) are situated in the anterior part of the hard palate and possess unique and stable characteristics that can be used in human identification. Their pattern of orientation is established early in life and remains stable thereafter. The purposes of this study were to convert PRP into alphanumeric codes in order to generate scanable Quick Response (QR) codes, to demonstrate uniqueness of PRP using the codes in the study population, and to determine the sexual dimorphism of PRP in the study population. Materials and methods Orthodontic dental casts of 256 Saudi male and female patients were photographed after ensuring standardization. Individual rugae characteristics, strength and their displacement from incisive papilla and midpalatine raphe were recorded in the form of an alphanumeric code which was subsequently converted to a QR code. Computer assisted check was performed for possible match in the 256 alpha numeric codes while QR codes were scanned using a bar code scanner to determine uniqueness. Sexual dimorphism of palatal rugae (PR) was also analysed. Results All alphanumeric codes of the study population were unique. Mean number of PR in males and females differed significantly (P = 0.0001). Differences in rugae characteristics and strengths in males and females were also present. Conclusion The alphanumeric and QR code of the rugae pattern are unique for each individual and can be used for digital record keeping and person identification. A high degree of sexual dimorphism in PR exists in the studied Arab population studied.

No abstract

Among the most important principles of tooth preparation are adequate tooth reduction and appropriate occlusal clearance for prosthetic restorations. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to know the opinion of Intern Dentists of King Khalid University, College of Dentistry regarding the difficulties of preparing teeth for ceramo-metal crowns (CMC). The study also included the audit of dental casts of prepared teeth for CMC by the same Intern Dentists. The die and antimere teeth were evaluated for buccolingual (BL) and mesiodistal (MD) dimensions using a digital caliper. The presence of planar occlusal reduction, rounded angles and functional cusp bevel was also recorded. The average BL and MD reductions of the prepared teeth were 2.05 mm (±0.84) and 2.33 mm (±0.79) respectively. Comparison of BL reduction and MD reduction with hypothetically calculated ideal reduction between premolars and molars revealed a statistically insignificant difference (p > 0.05, unpaired t-test). However, statistical comparison of BL reduction between maxillary and mandibular dies revealed a significant difference (p < 0.05, unpaired t-test). Only one third of the dies had adequate planar occlusal reduction, 60.71% dies showed proper functional cusp bevel and 64% of the dies had rounded cusp angles. In the response to the questionnaire, facial and lingual reductions were considered easy by the respondents, while occlusal surface reduction and maxillary teeth preparation were considered difficult. The amount of tooth reduction performed by the Intern dentists for ceramo-metal crowns was within normal range. Teaching strategies regarding maxillary teeth reduction and planar occlusal reduction may require reconsideration. ª 2015 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

The present study revealed that there is a high prevalence of dental caries among students aged 15-17 years in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Caries prevalence was highest in mandibular posterior segments, however, it was lowest in mandibular anterior segments. There is an urgent need for both preventive and curative dental health services in the region. It is recommended that a coordinated school dental program may be initiated in the area.