The root morphology and canal configuration (RMCC) of mandibular and maxillary canines among Saudi population is systematically reviewed and compared with international studies in this research. Methods: This study was carried out following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations. The electronic databases of PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Wiley Library, Google website search, and Web of Science were searched. Only local and international cross-sectional, comparative, evaluation, and validation studies or case reports published between 2016 and 2022 that directly evaluated canine RMCC and assessed participants using cone beam computed tomography were included. Results: Forty-three studies that investigated RMCCs (17 local and 26 international) were involved in this review. The original Saudi research recorded that almost 100% of maxillary canines had one root and one canal, whereas 98.4% and 94.1% had one root and one canal in the mandibular arch. Vertucci's class I had the highest percentages in the maxillary and mandibular arches at 98.3% and 95.8%, respectively, followed by class III with 0.7% and 1.9% for the same arches, respectively. International studies recorded that 100% of maxillary canines had one canal and root; the percentages of the mandibular arch were 92.3 and 98% for single canal and root, respectively; and the highest percentage was obtained by Vertucci's class I (91.1%), followed by class III (4.7%).
Conclusion:This review reports and confirmed the symmetry of the RMCCs of maxillary and mandibular canines between Saudi studies and other populations. Moreover, Vertucci's classes I and III were the most frequent RMCCs, and two-rooted canines in both arches were considerably less frequently than single-rooted ones.
Background
Antibiotics are widely used in dental practice, especially for endodontic infections. The present survey aimed to investigate the knowledge and practices of dental interns in Saudi Arabia regarding antibiotic prescription for endodontic treatment.
Methods
The present online questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study involved dental interns in private and public dental schools, Saudi Arabia. A pre-validated questionnaire was distributed to 900 dental interns via different social media platforms. The questionnaire consisted of 16 close-ended questions related to participants’ demographic data and knowledge and practices of antibiotic prescription in context of endodontic treatments. Data were managed and analyzed using IBM-SPSS version 25, and Chi-square test was used to compare between the groups.
Results
A total of 555 dental interns completed the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 61.1%. Overall, the surveyed participants revealed inadequate knowledge and unnecessary use of antibiotics during endodontic procedures. While majority of the participants (75.3%) correctly identified the first choice of antibiotics during endodontic treatments, a considerable proportion of the participants did not recognize the clinical indications of antibiotics in endodontic patients. Additionally, around one-fifth (18.9%) of the participants were unaware of the potential side effects of the prescribed antibiotics.
Conclusion
The present survey revealed unsatisfactory knowledge and practices of antibiotic prescription in context of endodontic therapy among Saudi dental interns. Therefore, dental schools in Saudi Arabia should address such a gap through updating the curriculum and integrating real-world clinical scenarios using problem-based learning. Additionally, periodic continuous education courses aiming at improving dental professionals’ knowledge about antibiotics and their clinical uses for endodontic therapy are highly encouraged.
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