The word, empathy, comes from the Greek word "empatheia," meaning appreciation of another person's feelings. For health professionals and patient care, empathy is recognised as an important factor that includes the ability to understand the patient's pain and suffering, capability to communicate, understanding the patient and intention to help. 1

Background. Dental caries is a multifactorial disease and its management requires a thorough analysis of its etiological factors.Objectives. The present study used a multivariate approach to investigate the associations of socioeconomic and health-related determinants with untreated tooth decay and level of oral hygiene in adult individuals. Material and methods.A cross-sectional study involved 597 adult patients. Health and socioeconomic status were assessed using a self-administered structured questionnaire. The presence of decayed teeth was recorded clinically using the World Health Organization diagnostic thresholds. Oral hygiene level was estimated using the plaque index. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the associations of socioeconomic and health-related variables with the number of decayed teeth and level of oral hygiene.Results. Socioeconomic and health-related variables explained 34.1% of the observed variation in the number of decayed teeth (p < 0.001) and 19.2% of the observed variation in the plaque index (p < 0.001). Analysis revealed several significant associations for both decayed teeth and plaque index scores. Males had 2.3 more untreated decayed teeth than women and an increased plaque index score of 0.3 units (unique contributions of 6.6 and 4.2%, respectively). An increase in self-assessed household economic status decreased the average number of decayed teeth by 1.3 and the plaque level score by 0.13 (unique contributions of 3.13% and 1.46%, respectively). Smokers presented with 1.78 more decayed teeth than non-smokers (unique contribution of 2.1%) and an increase in the plaque index by 0.48 units (unique contribution of 8.5%).Conclusions. Untreated dental caries and dental plaque severity share the same socioeconomic and health-related determinants.

Objectives To investigate the posttreatment apical periodontitis (AP) in endodontically treated teeth through a multivariate approach and to analyze the relative importance of quality and type of coronal restoration as predictors of periapical disease. Materials and Methods The present study sample was drawn within 2-year period from the 1,072 consecutive patients older than 18 years, first time attending the Dental Clinic of the Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Croatia. A total of 1,350 endodontically treated teeth were included in the study. For each tooth, the periapical status, root filling quality, intracanal post, separated file presence, marginal bone loss, and quality and type of coronal restoration were recorded. Statistical Analysis Chi-square tests were used to analyze the variations in the periapical status, quality of root canal filling, and quality of coronal restoration in different tooth types. The effect of explanatory variables on periapical status was explored using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. The outcome variable was set as the presence versus absence of AP in the tooth. Results Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed statistically significant associations and increased risk for AP presence in molars (odds ratio [OR] = 2.15; p < 0.001), teeth positioned in mandible (OR = 1.49; p = 0.007), teeth with short length of root filling (OR = 4.08; p < 0.001), overfilled teeth (OR = 2.99; p = 0.001), and teeth with inadequate density of root filling (OR = 4.14; p < 0.001). Considering variables related to coronal restoration, neither coronal restoration type nor quality was found to be predictive for posttreatment AP. Merely, the presence of intracanal post significantly increased the odds of AP presence (OR = 1.57; p = 0.009). Conclusion The results of the present study did not indicate that type or quality of coronal restoration may be predictors of posttreatment AP. Periapical disease was significantly associated with molars, mandibular teeth, substandard quality of root fillings, and intracanal post presence.

Objectives To compare the frequency of apical periodontitis (AP) in non-endodontically treated teeth restored with full coverage crowns, amalgam and resin composite fillings, and to disclose the association of type and quality of coronal restoration with periapical disease. Material and Methods The cross-sectional study involved 597 subjects who attended the Dental Clinic of the Clinical Hospital Centre, Rijeka, Croatia for the first time. Data were collected by means of a clinical and radiological survey. The following data were recorded for all permanently restored non-endodontically treated teeth: the type, the quality of coronal restoration according to clinical and radiographic criteria for marginal integrity as well as the recurrent caries presence, periapical status and marginal bone loss. Chi-square tests were used to analyze the difference in periapical status regarding the type and the quality of restoration. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the effect of explanatory tooth-specific variables on periapical status. Results There was no significant difference in the proportion of AP with regards to the type and material of adequate quality coronal restorations (χ 2 =5.000, P=0.082). The regression analysis revealed significant positive associations with outcome variable (AP) for crowns (OR=3.39; P<0.001), recurrent caries (OR=4.67; P<0.001) and premolar teeth (OR=1.73; P=0.002). Conclusion If the quality of restorations is adequate, there is no difference in the periapical status of non-endodontically treated teeth regarding the type and material of coronal restoration.