This study aimed to investigate the effect of inflammatory stimuli on dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) by assessing their proliferation and expression of genes as well as proteins in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microenvironment (iDPSCs). DPSCs were first characterized for their mesenchymal properties prior to challenging them with a series of LPS concentrations from 12 to 72 h. Following to this, their proliferation and inflammatory based genes as well as protein expression were assessed. iDPSCs had demonstrated significant expression of mesenchymal markers. Upon exposure to LPS, the viability dropped distinctly with increasing concentration, as compared to control (P < 0.05). The expression of pro-inflammatory genes such as interleukin 6, interleukin 8 were augmented with exposure to LPS (P < 0.05). Similarly, cytokines like tumour necrosis factor (TNF) α and interleukin 1α had increased in dose dependant manner upon LPS exposure (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that LPS concentration between 1 and 2 μg/mL demonstrated inflammation induction in DPSCs that may simulate inflamed microenvironment of dental pulp in clinical scenario. Thus, optimizing iDPSCs secretome profile could be a promising approach to test various regenerative protocols in inflamed microenvironment.

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Training dentists today is challenging as they are expected to provide a wide range of dental care. In the provision of good dental care, soft skills are equally important as clinical skills. Therefore in dental education the development of soft skills are of prime concern. This study sought to identify the development of soft skills when dental students are paired in their clinical training. In this perception study, four open-ended items were used to elicit students ' feedback on the appropriateness of using clinical pairing as an instructional strategy to promote soft skills. The most frequently cited soft skills were teamwork (70%) and communication (25%) skills. However, both negative and positive behaviours were reported. As for critical thinking and problem solving skills, more positive behaviours were reported for abilities such as to explain, analyze, find ideas and alternative solutions, and make decisions. Leadership among peers was not evident as leading without legitimate authority could be a hindrance to its development. If clinical pairing is to be used as an effective instructional strategy to promote soft skills amongst students , clear guidelines need to be developed to prepare students to work in a dental team and the use of appropriate assessment tools can facilitate the development of these soft skills.

This study is part of ongoing educational research conducted by the Department of Conservative Dentistry, University of Malaya, Malaysia, to evaluate the perception of clinical pairing. A thirteen-question survey was distributed to 148 dental students after they had experienced four-handed dentistry. The objectives were to identify the advantages, disadvantages, and the acceptance of the implementation of clinical pairing from the students' point of view. The responses from the open-ended questions were categorized into six main themes (areas of interest): quality-related (Q), patient-related (PT), partner-related (P), lecturer-related (T), infection control (IC), and learning environment (L). Data analysis was done using SPSS version 18. Results indicated that the students perceived they possessed enough knowledge regarding clinical pairing. However, it was found that they still preferred to work independently as compared to working in pairs. The beneits of clinical pairing may not be viewed in the same vein by both dental students and teachers. The quality-related theme was perceived by students as the main advantage of clinical pairing, whilst the partner-related theme was perceived otherwise. The study also revealed that students may have some preconceived notions about pairing that may have impaired their acceptance. As a consequence, some reluctance was seen in their responses.Dr. Ahmad is Senior Lecturer,