ABSTRACT:Objective: The present study was planned with an aim to evaluate the knowledge and awareness regarding root canal treatment in a sample of Saudi population. Material and methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among a sample of participants in the Saudi population. Participants were asked questions to assess their knowledge about endodontic treatment. Results: A total of 568 patients (343 males and 225 females) participated in the study. When the patient's responses were analyzed regarding endodontic treatment, it was found that 68.55 % of participants had a good experience of root canal treatment in the past. 27.9% of the respondents describe their knowledge of root canal treatment as average. Spontaneous toothache was considered the most important factor to seek endodontic treatment in majority (40.1%) of the participants and 86.6% of the participants preferred a specialist to undergo a root canal treatment. Conclusion: Pain associated with root canal treatment was the most important factor that dithered the surveyed participants from root canal treatment. The results of the survey reveal an improvement of knowledge and awareness of patients about root canal treatment

The patients prescribed ibuprofen did not report any problem with tooth movement along with significant reduction in pain as compared to paracetamol. Pain relief medication after placement of separators should be taken only if patient feels intolerable pain but not as routine practice.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between tempromandibular disorders (TMDs) and nail biting among high school students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: Five high schools in Riyadh were selected from five different regions to collect Randomly 424 students divided into two groups; 224 students with nail biting habit in the first group, and 200 students who does not have that habit in the second group. A questionnaire and TMJ examination were performed on both groups. Results: The most common symptoms of TMDs in the first group was pain in the TMJ (23.2%) (p<0.000), with emotional stresses reached (23.9%) (p<0.000) , while the most common signs found in the experimental group were tenderness in the masseter muscle (26.8%) (p<0.000), and pain upon posterior palpation of TMJ capsule (46.4%) (p<0.000). Conclusion: The results shows a strong influence of nail biting on TMDs, so it is important to increase the level of awareness about the risks of nail biting habit among teenagers and parents.

Introduction: Candida albicans is the most prevalent causative species of oral fungal infections. This study was designed to assess the knowledge of dentists who are practicing in a dental university hospital regarding antifungal prescriptions for the treatment of oral candidiasis in a Riyadh city, SA. Material and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire were distributed among dentists of different specialties to assess their knowledge and attitudes toward antifungal prescription for the treatment of oral candidiasis. Statistical  analysis  was  carried out  to describe the properties of the sample in terms of frequencies and distribution while chi square test was used to compare the results between groups at level of significant P value ≤0.05 using  the  Statistical Packages for the Social Science (SPSS) Program. Results: A total of 130 completed questionnaires were received.  Males contributed 55.4% compared to 44.6% female counterparts. Topical antifungals were preferred by 85.4% of the participants. Topical Nystatin and oral fluconazole were the chosen antifungal agents by the dentists for the treatment of local (55.4%) and systemic (58.4%) fungal infections respectively. The challenge that was faced by most respondents (46%) is the lack of knowledge about the recommended dosage to be prescribed. Also, a significant difference in the knowledge was detected between dentists of different specialties. Conclusion: Most dentists will start with topical antifungal agents, nystatin suspension is the first medication of choice follow by miconazole and for the systemic antifungal agents oral fluconazole is first medication of choice. As for the adjunctive therapy most participants prescribed 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash.

BACKGROUND Temporomandibular joint(TMJ)is the third most common site of pain in the orofacial area, while the masseter muscle was the primary painful masticatory muscle. The temporal and frontal region were pain areas indicated by temporomandibular joint disorder (TMDs) patients. The purpose of this study was to compare two different treatment modalities, physical therapy and occlusal appliance to treat myofascial pain. METHODS This retrospective study comprises of all orofacial pain patients attending orofacial pain clinics of Dental University Hospital, King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Patients were categorized into two groups, the first group: patients treated by the occlusal appliance (hard type). The second group: patients treated by physiotherapy home exercises, including posture position modification. Physical therapy included muscle stretching and isometric tension against resistance exercises and guided jaw movements. Methods of clinical examination was based on the research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD) criteria. The data of pain level was collected based on the visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS 16.1 % of patients were male, and 83.9 % of the patients were female. With the mean age being 31.1 years old. 92.9 % were Saudi patients and 7.1 % were non-Saudi. 50 % of the patients were using an occlusal appliance, and 50 % went for physiotherapy. The independent t-test showed a highly significant difference between different management methods with a P – value of 0.038 and a mean difference of 0.32143. 80.5 % of the patients reported masseter muscle pain as one of their main complaints. CONCLUSIONS A significant difference was observed between physiotherapy and occlusal appliances with education in treating patients with myofascial pain. Patients using the occlusal appliances showed a high percentage of pain reduction (85.7 %) compared to physiotherapy treatment (57.1 %) in a short period of time. Henceforth, patient’s education plays a significant role in pain reduction. KEY WORDS Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, Occlusal Appliance, Myofascial Pain, Physiotherapy