Background. Diseases of the paranasal sinuses are very prevalent in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, which is attributed to various reasons, including environmental and anatomical factors. This study investigated the prevalence of anatomical variations of nasal septum deviation and evaluated the effect of this factor on increasing the mucosal thickness of the sinuses. Methods. The samples included all the patients referred to Tabriz Faculty of Dentistry, and the frequency of nasal septum deviation in the sample population was evaluated. The samples were re-examined to select the samples with a thickened mucosa of the maxillary sinus. The results were reported using descriptive statistical methods. Results. Deviation of the nasal septum was seen in 75% of the cases. The results showed that 31.76 % of males and 56.67% of females had an increased maxillary sinus mucosa thickness. Conclusion. There was a significant relationship between nasal septum deviation and thickening of the maxillary sinus mucosa.

Background Compared with a traditional behavior management strategy and oral health training, virtual reality (VR) integrated with multisensory feedback possesses potential advantages in dentistry. Objective This study aimed to assess the impact of different levels of VR on anxiety, behavior, and oral health status. Methods This study was carried out in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences from December 2020 to June 2021. We randomly assigned 60 healthy children aged 4 years to 6 years to 4 groups, each consisting of 15 children. The study consisted of 2 consecutive sessions. During the first visit, the plaque index was calculated, and oral health education was carried out in all groups using Immersive VR (group I), Semi-immersive VR (group II), Nonimmersive VR (group III), and tell-show-do (TSD; group IV). In the second session, an amalgam restoration was performed in all groups. Participants’ anxiety and behavior were recorded using the face version of the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDAS[f]) and Frankl scale. The plaque index was recorded in 2 follow-up sessions. Results The greatest prevalence of positive behavior (P=.004) and the lowest anxiety (P<.001) were recorded in group I, followed by group II, group III, and group IV. The plaque index scores showed a reduced trend between the first session and follow-up sessions (P<.001), but the values did not differ significantly between the 4 groups during the 3 sessions (P=.28, P=.54, P=.18). Conclusions The most positive behavior was observed in the Immersive VR group, followed by the Semi-immersive VR, Nonimmersive VR, and TSD groups. Moreover, oral health education using VR resources can improve oral health status in children. Trial Registration Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials 20210103049926N1; https://www.irct.ir/trial/53475

BACKGROUND Compared with traditional behavior management strategy and oral health training, virtual reality (VR) integrated with multisensory feedback possesses potentials advantages in dentistry. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the impact of different levels of VR on anxiety, behavior and oral health status. METHODS Sixty healthy children aged 4-6 years were randomly assigned into four groups, each consisting of 15 children. The study consisted of 2 consecutive sessions. During the first visit, plaque index was calculated and oral health education was carried out in all groups using Immersive VR (group I), Semi-immersive VR (group II), Non-immersive VR (group III) and Tell-Show-Do (group IV). In the second session, an amalgam restoration was performed in all groups. Subject’s anxiety and behavior was recorded using MCDAS (f) Questionnaire and Frankl Scale. Plaque index recorded in two follow-up sessions. RESULTS The most prevalence of positive behavior (P=0.004) and the lowest anxiety (p<0.001) was recorded in group I, followed by group II, group III and group IV. The plaque index scores showed a reduced trend (P<0.001), but the values did not differ significantly between the four groups (P=0.205). CONCLUSIONS This study offers evidence on the beneficial impact of different levels of VR meditation on anxiety and behavior. CLINICALTRIAL IR.TBZMED.REC.1400.292

Background. Aesthetic restorations of severely decayed anterior primary teeth are challenging due to the small size of the teeth and the large pulp chambers. Therefore, this study evaluated and compared the tensile and shear bond strengths of conventional versus modified methods (slot technique) of Cl IV restorations in primary incisors. Methods. A total of 120 extracted intact maxillary primary central and lateral incisors were divided into two groups. In group A, conventional Cl IV cavities were prepared. In group B, after conventional cavity preparation, four and three incisal slots were prepared on the incisal edges of the central and lateral incisors, respectively. All the teeth were restored using composite resin, and then the tensile and shear bond strengths were evaluated. Results. A statistically significant increase in the tensile bond strength of restorations was recorded in the modified technique compared to the conventional method (P=0.001). Although an increase in the shear bond strengths was found in the modified method, the value did not reach a statistically significant level (P=0.158). The most frequent fracture type was adhesive in the conventional group and cohesive in the modified group, considering the tensile and shear bond strength tests. In both groups, the highest average tensile bond strength was recorded in teeth with the cohesive fracture in dentin, and the lowest average was seen in the adhesive type. Conclusions. Incisal slots could increase the tensile bond strengths of Cl IV composite resin restorations in primary teeth.