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As a silent disease, individuals at risk of periodontitis are not easily identified until the disease has become severe. Early detection at the community level is essential, especially for general dental practitioners. The aim of this study was to design a comprehensive, user-friendly tool to screen patients’ periodontal health at community level and to evaluate users’ acceptance of its use. The periodontal health screening module was first developed by an expert panel of periodontists, public health specialists and general dentists. The developed module was tested for content acceptance on 156 graduating dental students from three public schools and later validated by 12 private general dental practitioners (GDPs) for reliability. Most of the students (64.1%) found the new module an easy assessment tool for periodontal health compared to the Basic Periodontal Examination (BPE). Most claimed that they understand the contents (80.8%) and accepted the designs (86.6%) and agreed (82.7%) that the new assessment module would allow them to screen patients anytime in the clinic. The interrater reliability as assessed between the GDPs and the investigators revealed acceptable agreement ranging from 62.5–100.0% (mean 89.6 ± 10.2%). The simplified digital periodontal health screening module showed promising acceptance for application in private general dental clinics.

This article describes four cases in which immediate natural tooth bridges have been provided. Four different techniques are described for creating these. The four different retainer types discussed are silanated glass fibres impregnated with PMMA and bis-GMA, laboratory-made metal wings, metal mesh and meshtype titanium wire. With the support of photographs and diagrams, the techniques for each retainer type are described.The final section of this article discusses the factors that affect the prognosis of immediate natural tooth bridges. Providing information on prognosis is an important part of the consent process; this includes patient factors and clinician factors. Relevance StatementThis article details four different techniques for creating immediate natural tooth bridges. It also discusses the important factors to consider for the prognosis of immediate natural tooth bridges. ObjectivesThe reader should understand how to provide immediate natural tooth bridges as well as some of the prognostic indicators for these restorations.

Introductions: Proper knowledge of oral diseases is crucial in medical practice because periodontal disease is associated with multiple systemic conditions. A large number of systemic diseases and drugs have oral manifestations as well as adverse reactions. The aim of this study is to assess periodontal awareness, knowledge and attitude among medical students of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).  Materials and method: This cross-sectional study utilized questionnaires which were distributed to fourth and final year medical students of IIUM Kuantan. Each participant’s consent was obtained before being recruited into the survey. Questions pertaining to oral health, periodontal disease and its relation with systemic conditions were given. Based on the answers, respondents’ awareness, knowledge and attitude were assessed.The data was analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Results: A total of 93 students completed the survey questionnaires. 3% of them have awareness that periodontal disease is related to gingiva. 10% respondents agreed that the dental plaque is the primary cause of periodontal disease.80% respondents have knowledge of associations between periodontal disease and systemic conditions. 4% of them were able to identify drugs causing gingival enlargement. 97% of respondents showed positive attitude for referral to dentist in the future. Conclusions: The participants have superficial awareness and knowledge about periodontal disease and its relation to systemic conditions. However, they have positive attitude for future practice towards their patients. Hopefully, this research may provide direct suggestion to incorporate basic periodontal knowledge in their medical syllabus.

Introduction: There was lack of local study assessing the oral health related quality of life (OHRQOL) of patients with periodontal diseases. Hence, this study aims to assess the OHRQOL and its associated factors in adult patients who were diagnosed with gingivitis and periodontitis. Material and method: This was a cross sectional study conducted from May to December 2018 among 100 participants attended Periodontal Clinic, Kulliyyah of Dentistry of International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) using purposive sampling methods. Clinical parameters of participants were recorded by a single examiner then followed by a selfadministered questionnaire using the validated short version of Oral Health Impact Profile(S-OHIP) (Malay) to assess the OHRQOL and its associated factors. The OHRQOL of participants were reported using mean and standard deviation. The factors associated with OHRQOL were determined using independent t-test and Spearman correlation test. Results: The mean score for S-OHIP was 14.73 ± 9.24. Participants with periodontitis have higher S-OHIP score compared to those with gingivitis. There were significant association between OHRQOL and underlying diabetes mellitus, self-perceived oral health status and self-perceived oral health satisfaction with p value < 0.05. This shows that those with underlying diabetes mellitus have higher S-OHIP score indicated poorer OHRQOL. Meanwhile, those who perceived they have either good or very good oral hygiene and satisfied with their oral health have lower S-OHIP score indicated better OHRQOL. Conclusion: This study found that periodontal diseases have significant association with the OHRQOL. Therefore, reinforcement of oral health education by the dentists is crucial.