Objective With this cross-sectional study, we aimed to evaluate factors associated with moderate and high risk of periodontal disease (PD) progression in the Saudi population. Methods We reviewed 281 patients’ clinical charts from predoctoral periodontal clinics at the dental teaching hospital in the College of Dentistry (COD) at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU) in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. After obtaining ethical approval, we determined the Periodontal Risk Assessment (PRA) of the included patients based on the modified criteria developed by Lang and Tonetti (2003) . We used logistic regression on stratified data and divided the results into two categories (low-moderate and high risk) to assess the effect modifier for potential risk factors. We used SPSS version 22 for data analysis, and considered a P-value ≤ 0.05 to be statistically significant. Results Out of the 281 patients, 104 (37.0%) were male and 177 (63.0%) were female, with a mean age of 39.9 ± 14.0 years; 78.1% were Saudi nationals, 77% were married, and 44.6% were in the age group of 30 to 49. The PRA revealed 86 (30.5%) to represent high risk, 108 (38.3%) denoted moderate risk, and 88 (31.2%) signaled low risk for periodontitis. Logistic regression analysis showed that males were three times more likely to have high PRA (OR = 3.24) and to be married (OR = 2.77), as well as to be active smokers (OR = 8.87). The highest predictive factors of high PRA were 8 or more pockets ≥ 5 mm (OR = 29.0), those with active diabetes mellitus (DM; OR = 10.2), and those with 8 or more missing teeth (OR = 9.15). Conclusion Saudi males who are married and have residual periodontal pockets, are actively diabetic, and with missing teeth are at high risk of PD. Further research is needed with a larger sample size comparing the general population with and without PD.

The incidence of periodontal diseases is associated with multiple comorbidities that influence a patient’s treatment planning. This study evaluates the relation between periodontal disease and multiple comorbidities reported in the Saudi population from the Eastern province. This study was conducted on 190 patients, who visited the periodontology clinics at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia. Demographic data, smoking habits, past medical and dental histories, blood pressure, random blood glucose, and recent haemoglobin A1c were recorded. A comprehensive periodontal examination included the number of missing teeth, pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP), and mobility of all teeth except third molars. Radiographic bone loss was measured on standardized full-mouth periapical radiographs. Multivariable regression models were calculated aiming to see the association between different comorbidities and alveolar bone loss with confounders controlled. Out of 190 periodontitis patients, 56 (29.5%) were males and 134 (70.5%) were females. More than half of the patients (60%) were between 26 and 50 years, 30% of them had diabetes, and 18% were smokers. The risk of alveolar bone loss was higher in persons who had diabetes and those who had both diabetes and coronary heart disease than those who did not, although the association was not statistically significant ( B = 1.26 , 95 % CI = − 0.30 , 2.82, and B = 2.86 , 95 % CI = − 1.25 , 6.96, respectively). The risk of alveolar bone loss was significantly higher among persons with diabetes and hypertension ( B = 2.82 and 95 % CI = 0.89 , 4.75). Collectively, the risk of alveolar bone loss in periodontitis patients increases with diabetes in the presence of other comorbidities regardless of smoking or gender.

Objective. To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of dental professionals in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Methods. This cross-sectional study recruited dental professionals (general dentists, specialists, and consultants) from public and private sectors in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The World Health Organization’s QOL Assessment-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire was administered among study participants. The questionnaire addresses four domains of QOL which are physical, psychological, social relationships, and environment. Results. There were 313 dental professionals in the study with a mean age of 35.72 (8.58) years. The mean score of QOL in the sample was 63 (13.9) on a 0–100 scale. 75% of the participants rated their QOL as good or very good. Of four domains, the social relationship domain had the highest mean score of QOL (67.04 SD: 23.52) and the physical domain had the lowest score (59.66 SD: 14.69). There were significant differences in the QOL of consultants (66.46 SD: 12.55), specialists (65.42 SD: 12.91), and general dentists (61.06 SD: 14.18) P   0.010 . The participants with medical illness had significantly lower QOL (56.91 SD: 12.83) than those without medical illness (63.67 SD: 13.92) P   0.01 . There were significant differences in the QOL of participants with 0–10 years since graduation (61.97 SD: 14.71), 11–20 years (61.92 SD: 13.56), and more than 20 years (68.53 SD: 10.71) P   0.009 . Conclusion. The qualifications, medical illness, and years since graduation were important determinants of QOL among dental professionals. Measures should be taken to improve QOL of dental professionals which can enhance the quality of patient care.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been identified as a group-1 definite carcinogen. As of yet, there is no available vaccine for this microorganism. Our study aimed to identify antigenic peptides in H. pylori using an in silico proteomic approach, and to evaluate their effectiveness as potential vaccine candidates. Four different peptide sequences were prioritized using the reverse vaccinology, namely, CagA1, CagA2, VacA, and SabA. Peptides emulsified with Freunde’s adjuvant were used to immunize BALB/C mice. Subcutaneously immunized mice were challenged by oral administration of H. pylori. IgG, IgA, IL4, and IL17 were detected in mice sera. Histopathology of the dissected stomach of vaccinated and control mice were assessed using H&E stain. IgG was significantly higher in mice vaccinated with SabA. IL-4 was significantly increased in CagA1, CagA2, VacA, and SabA vaccinated mice compared to the adjuvant group. Additionally, histopathological examination of gastric tissue showed a protective effect in the vaccinated groups compared to adjuvant and PBS groups. Our findings indicate a promising effect of the tested epitopes, particularly the SabA antigen, to induce an immune response against H. pylori.

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