Objectives:Objective structured practical examination (OSPE) and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) have become established as reliable, valid and objective methods of assessing practical and clinical skills in dental schools. This study explored the perceptions of dental undergraduates' regarding OSPE and OSCE.Design and Setting:Two focus groups were made; the first consisted of students who had recently undergone an OSPE, while the other group was of fresh graduates (FG) who had given an OSCE in the final examination. A trained facilitator conducted the discussion-based interview for each focus group. Both discussions were recorded via audio recorders and transcribed verbatim. The data were thereafter analysed thematically.Results:Findings from the study suggested that the students and FGs were generally satisfied with the OSPE and OSCE. However, they perceived that the time allocated to the stations was not well balanced, nor were the examiners trained to conduct the examination. More importantly, the FGs opined that practical skills were not adequately tested on the OSCE, and thus the curricular content was not adequately covered.Conclusion:The study highlights issues that may arise while conducting the OSPE and OSCE, thus informing future guidelines for conducting OSPE and OSCE.

INTRODUCTION: Comprehensive head and neck examinations require sound knowledge of the population's oral anatomy, its variation, and common pathologies to distinguish between anomalous and pathological processes. Since limited data on this subject is available from Pakistan, the aim of this investigation is to determine the prevalence of oral anomalies and pathologies in healthy, Pakistani, dental patients. This will establish baseline statistics for the Pakistani population, and contribute to the international epidemiological data. METHODOLOGY: A total of 1293 consenting, dental patients between the ages of 5-90 years underwent comprehensive head and neck examinations. Any mucosal anomaly or abnormality identified during the exam was recorded. RESULT: At least one anomaly, or abnormality was noted in 61% of the population. The most commonly documented entity was linea alba (29.8%, n=324), followed by benign oral pigmentation (11.3%, n=146), coated tongue (5.7%, n=74), prominent papillae in (5.1%, n=71), fissured tongue (5%, n=65), varicosities (4.8%, n=62), ulcers in (4%, n=52), Fordyce's granules (2.5%, n=32) and white patches (1.8%, n=23). CONCLUSION: It is essential for dental professionals to be familiarized with the anatomical variations of the oral cavity, oral anomalies and common pathological processes to avoid misdiagnosis and prevent undue distress to the patient.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of hepatitis B vaccination coverage and sero-protective levels of anti-HBs antibody titers among dental students. METHODOLOGY: A cross sectional study was undertaken over the course of 6 months i.e. 9th May, 2019 to 9th Nov, 2019 on 130 dentistry students in Foundation University College of Dentistry, Islamabad. Permission was taken from hospital ethical committee FUCD for the study. Students who received full course of HBV vaccination after recording in a given performa and who gave consent for testing were sampled for anti-HBs antibody titers. RESULTS: It was found that out of 130 dental students only 5 (3.8%) have checked Anti-HBs titer levels after full course of vaccination and 113 (86.9%) students reported to have received three complete doses of hepatitis B vaccine. After estimation of anti-Hbs antibody levels of 113(86.9%) students, it was found that 34 (30.1%) possessed negative seroprotective level while 79 (69.9%) positive seroprotective level. CONCLUSION: The study concluded inadequate vaccination coverage among dentistry students where 86.9% students were fully vaccinated, with considerable reduction in anti-HBs titters found among 30.1% students. KEYWORDS: Hepatitis B, Anti HBs Titer, Seroprotection, Dental students, HBV transmission, Vaccination