BackgroundStudents differ in their preferred methods of acquiring, processing, and recalling new information. The aim of this study was to investigate the learning style preferences of undergraduate dental students and examine the influence of gender, Grade Point Average (GPA), and academic year levels on these preferences.MethodsThe Arabic version of the visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire was administered to 491 students from the first- to the fifth-year academic classes at the College of Dentistry, King Saud University. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the learning styles of the students, and Chi-square test and Fisher’s test were used to compare the learning preferences between genders and among academic years. Significance was set at a p-value of <0.05.ResultsA total of 368 dental students completed the questionnaire. The multimodal learning style was preferred by 63.04% of the respondents, with the remaining 36% having a unimodal style preference. The aural (A) and the kinesthetic (K) styles were the most preferred unimodal styles. The most common style overall was the quadmodal (VARK) style with 23.64% having this preference. These differences did not reach statistical significance (p>0.05). Females were more likely to prefer a bimodal learning style over a unimodal style (relative risk =2.37). Students with a GPA of “C” were less likely to have a bimodal or a quadmodal style preference compared to students with a GPA of “A” (relative risk =0.34 and 0.36, respectively). Second-year students were less likely to prefer a bimodal over a unimodal style compared to first-year students (relative risk =0.34).ConclusionThe quadmodal VARK style is the preferred learning method chosen by dental students, followed by unimodal aural and kinesthetic styles. Gender was found to influence learning style preferences. Students with a “C” GPA tend to prefer unimodal learning style preferences. The VARK questionnaire is a relatively quick and simple tool to reveal the learning style preferences on an individual or a group level. Dental educators should adjust their delivery methods to approximate the learning preferences of their students. Dental students are encouraged to adapt a multimodal style of learning to improve their academic results.

ObjectiveThis study investigated the knowledge of Saudi mothers regarding the management of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in children.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study using structured questionnaires was employed for mothers chosen by stratified-cluster random sampling technique from primary health care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over a period of 12 months (July 2016–June 2017). The questionnaire surveyed mothers’ background and knowledge on management of tooth fracture and avulsion using photographs of TDI cases.ResultsThe sample consisted of 3,367 Saudi mothers. More than half of the mothers (55.3%) gave the correct response, which was to send the child with tooth fracture immediately to the dentist (p<0.01). The majority of mothers (41.6%) gave the correct response for the immediate mode of action, which was to save the avulsed tooth in storage medium and send the child to the dentist immediately (p<0.001). However, they prioritized the immediate management of TDIs, and most reported saline as a suitable storage medium (p<0.001). The mothers expressed a positive interest in further education.ConclusionEducational programs and TDI protocols must be implemented to increase mothers’ awareness and improve the prognosis of children with TDIs.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether particular metrical traits of the mandibular antegonial notches are associated with specific mandibular growth patterns, and also with the mean depth of the curve of Spee. Thirty pre-treatment lateral cephalometric radiographs belonging to a randomly selected group of patients treated in the orthodontic clinic at the SUNY at Buffalo were digitized. The surface areas of the mandibular antegonial notches, as well as some sagittal facial dimensions were measured on each radiograph. The curve of Spee was measured directly from the pre-treatment mandibular study cast of each patient included in this study. An analysis of variance showed no statistically significant difference (p&lt;0.01) between the measurements recorded by the two examiners who conducted this study. The results of this study showed a statistically significant positive correlation between the surface areas of the antegonial notches and the lower anterior facial heights (r= 0.87, P&lt;0.001). At the same time a statistically significant negative correlation was found between the surface areas of the antegonial notches and the lengths of the mandibular bodies (r= -0.9, P&lt;0.001). A significant negative statistical relationship was shown to exist between the lower anterior facial heights and the lengths of the corresponding mandibular bodies, and also between the depths of the curves of Spee and the surface area of the respective antegonial notches (r= -0.85, P&lt; 0.002). The results of this study indicate that an increase in the areas of the antegonial notches is associated with a tendency for greater vertical growth of the mandible. The results further suggest that the depth of the curve of Spee and the length of the mandibular body are decreased when there is an increase in the surface areas of the antegonial notches.

As of January 2016, 1,633 laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection and 587 MERS-related deaths have been reported by the World Health Organization globally. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus may occur sporadically in communities or may be transmitted within families or hospitals. The number of confirmed MERS-CoV cases among healthcare workers has been increasing. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus may also spread through aerosols generated during various dental treatments, resulting in transmission between patients and dentists. As MERS-CoV cases have also been reported among children, pediatric dentists are at risk of MERS-CoV infection. This review discusses MERS-CoV infection in children and healthcare workers, especially pediatric dentists, and considerations pertaining to pediatric dentistry. Although no cases of MERS-CoV transmission between a patient and a dentist have yet been reported, the risk of MERS-CoV transmission from an infected patient may be high due to the unique work environment of dentists (aerosol generation).

Objective:To determine the occurrence of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) among Saudi preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and compare it with Saudi preschool children without ASD.Methods:This study was conducted on a randomly selected sample of three to five year old Saudi preschool children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of two groups; a study group (SG) of 257 ASD children, and a control group (CG) of age- and gender-matched 257 children without ASD. Clinical examinations were performed at selected ASD centers and kindergartens to determine the occurrence of TDIs based on modified World Health Organization (WHO) classification system.Results:Out of 514 children examined, 108 (21.0%) had suffered TDIs. The prevalence of TDIs was significantly higher in the SG (25.7%) children than the CG (16.3%) [p=0.012]. The primary maxillary central incisors were the most commonly affected teeth in both the groups; significantly more in CG (72.9%) than SG (50.1%) [p=0.017]. Enamel fracture was the most frequent type of TDI in both the groups; significantly more in CG (29.2%) than SG (21.1%) [p=0.032]. Luxation injuries and tooth avulsions were significantly higher in the SG than the CG (p=0.028).Conclusions:The occurrence of TDIs was higher in Saudi preschool children with ASD than in non-ASD children.