This study was conducted to compare the attitudes of senior dental students at the Faculty of Dentistry at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM) in Boston, Massachusetts, about providing dental care to individuals with developmental disabilities (DD). Two subsequent classes of senior dental students at both universities were surveyed using a pretested, validated, online questionnaire. The students' demographic and educational data were collected, along with information about their experience, training, and attitudes toward this population. Two hundred and fourteen students responded to the online survey, for a response rate of 35 percent (51 percent for KAU students and 21 percent for TUSDM students). Students at TUSDM had more training, more experience, and more positive attitudes toward individuals with DD compared to KAU students (p<0.05). Students who reported having previous experience with individuals with DD had more positive attitudes than students who reported no experience with these individuals (p<0.05). Students who reported being prepared to treat individuals with DD had more positive attitudes than students who reported not being prepared (p<0.05). These indings suggest an association between predoctoral education in the treatment of individuals with special needs and having positive attitudes toward providing oral health care to individuals

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Solitary median maxillary central incisor (SMMCI) is a rare dental anomaly. It is estimated to occur in 1 : 50,000 live births. The SMMCI tooth differs from the normal central incisor in that the crown form is symmetric and it develops and erupts precisely in the midline of the maxillary dental arch in both primary and permanent dentitions. The presence of SMMCI with hemifacial microsomia (HFM) is a very rare clinical condition. We report a case of SMMCI in a female of African ethnic origin, who presented with SMMCI in permanent dentition with mild nasal stenosis. An early diagnosis of SMMCI is important, since it may be a sign for other severe congenital or developmental abnormalities. Therefore, systematic follow-up and close monitoring of the growth and development of SMMCI patients are crucial.

Objective Consumption of date fruits leads to chemical changes in saliva, including variations in pH values. We conducted this study to assess the effect of the consumption of different types of dates on salivary pH. Methods We recruited 15 children (aged 6–15 years) who were instructed to consume one piece of specific types of dates (Safree, Nabtat Seif, Khalas, Sukkari, and Segae) for 5 consecutive days. On the 6th and 7th days, the children consumed a quarter of a grapefruit (positive control) and chewed on a sterilised cotton pellet (negative control), respectively. Salivary samples from unstimulated kids were collected at least 1 h after breakfast every day and the salivary pH was recorded. Results When compared with the pH values before date consumption, the lowest mean salivary pH value among the date-consuming groups 5 min after salivary stimulation was noted after the consumption of Khalas (6.26), followed by those after consumption of Safree (6.31), Nabtat Seif (6.36), Segae (6.44), and Sukkari (6.45). The highest difference in mean values was observed for Khalas (.47), followed by those for Sukkari (.45), Nabtat Saif (.44), Segae (.38), and Safree (.35). The pH of saliva collected after grapefruit consumption was the lowest, whereas chewing cotton pellets led to an increased salivary pH. Conclusion This study showed a decrease in the salivary pH following date consumption, but not to a value as low as the critical value. These findings suggest that dates do not have detrimental effects on salivary parameters.

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