Background: The study examined the oral microbiota, physiological and immunological changes in patients using thermoplastic retainers during three months of use. Methods: The study included several steps. Firstly, 10 swabs were collected from the buccal and palatal surfaces of the teeth of the patients, approximately 2 mL of saliva was collected from the same patients and 2 mL of saliva was collected from 10 healthy people to measure the pH and secretory IgA level. This was followed by the isolation and identfication of the bacterial isolates in the patient samples. Then, isolate susceptibility toward chlorhexidine (CHX) and their adhesion ability to thermoplastic retainer surfaces was measured. In addition to that the study estimated the numbers of Lactobacillus and Streptooccus mutans colonies during three months and finally, a comparsion of pH acidity and IgA level between the patients and healthy people was performed. The results showed the predominant bacteria during the three months were Lactobacillus spp. and Streptococcus spp. followed by different rates of other bacteria. Raoultella ornithinolytica showed more resistance to CHX while Lactobacillus spp. showed more sensitivity. Streptococcus mutans colony levels were higher than Lactobacillus spp. colonies during the three months, also S. mutans had the highest value in adherence to retainer thermoplastic. Finally, pH acidity showed a highly significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) in the third month, like IgA levels (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: According to the results obtained from the current study, the researchers noted that the thermoplastic retainers helped change the oral cavity environment.

Background/Objectives: This study evaluates the diagnostic and referral skills of final-year dental students at Al-Iraqia University using a questionnaire based on malocclusion cases ranging from mild to severe. Methods: The questionnaire, featuring photos and radiographs of five selected treated cases from two textbooks, was answered by 165 students who were asked to assess each case and determine whether orthodontic or surgical treatment was necessary, as well as to identify factors contributing to an unesthetic profile, such as irregular teeth. Frequency distribution and the Chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results: The results indicated good overall clinical competence. The unesthetic profile and irregular teeth were the main reasons for referring both Class II and III cases for surgery, with mandibular retrusion being the most common factor in aesthetic concerns. Maxillary protrusion was less frequently selected as a key factor in Class II malocclusion cases. Conclusions: The findings suggest that students demonstrated a high level of diagnostic accuracy in identifying treatment needs for various malocclusion cases.

Background/Objectives: Recent research indicate that probiotics positively influence oral health and impact oral micro-ecology. This study evaluates the effectiveness of pro-biotic mouthwash toward to Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus spp in oral cavity of patients with fixed orthodontic appliances comparing to conventional mouthwashes through count bacteria colonies and measurement of salivary pH. Methods: Collection of salivary and plaque samples from total 30 patients (15 males and 15 females), aged 14-21 years were done for colony counting of the caries related microorganisms and measurement of salivary ph. The study was included three groups with three treatment times as following: baseline, after two weeks, after one month, Group1: used Orthin Kin mouthwash, Group 2: Corsodyl mouthwash, Group 3: Probiotic mouthwash. Results: (33.3%, 96.6%) of samples were positive for S.mutans in male and female respectively while lactobacillus were (100%) in both .On the other hand, (93.33% ,3.33%) of plaque and saliva samples were positive for S.mutans respectively while , lactobacillus spp (100.0 %) of plaque and saliva samples. The treatment with probiotic, Orth Kin and Corsodyl mouthwashes were reduced S.mutans in plaque compared to baseline with sig-nificant difference at p< 0.05 between probiotic and both orthoKin and Corsodyl. While in saliva, treatment with probiotic showed increased lactobacillus spp level after month compared with baseline. However, the salivary PH showed there was no significant dif-ference between studied groups and baseline. Conclusion: Using the Probiotic mouth-wash for two weeks and a month gave effective results than others. However, the sali-vary pH did not change during the treatment in studied groups.

Aim: To test the null hypothesis that there is a significant relationship between canine misalignment and gender discrepancies and the positioning of canine teeth in both upper and lower jaws among dental college students, at Dijlah University. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at Dijlah University Dental Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, involving 1311 dental students aged 18-24. The clinical dental examination was conducted using traditional methods, involved a comprehensive evaluation of the entire arch, probing to detect any remaining deciduous canine teeth together with visual examination. The examination looking for several abnormalities, including a canine "bulge," diverging of lateral incisors, lack of space, crowding, and fibrous tissue. Also, a thorough assessment of the student’s age and timing of eruption and exfoliation of teeth were also conducted. The Study obtained authorization by the Dijlah University Ethical Committee and after the collection of data, it was arranged in tables then using the statistical package for social sciences to analyze the data to reach the final results. Results: A total of 1311 students underwent assessments, with 502 males (38.291%) and 809 females (61.708%) participating in the study. The findings indicate an occurrence of impacted canines among females (1.296%) compared to males (0.533%) aligning with studies. Both male and female participants exhibit instances of misalignment particularly in the upper jaw than the lower jaw. Conclusion: Canine malposition prevalence, gender distribution, and position of malposed canines might vary among different populations and situations, underlining the need for further national survey to explore these variations extensively.

Aim: To investigate the sources of stress that dental students self-report and to ascertain the impact of study level on the stresses that are felt. Materials and methods: This survey is carried out among undergraduate dental students in the third, fourth and fifth years’ levels at the Faculty of Dentistry in Dijlah University during the academic year 2023–2024. Dentistry students participated in a modified self-reported questionnaire. The Dental Environment Stress questionnaire, which was first created by Garbee et al, is adapted to measure dental environment stress The 42 closed-ended questions were separated into seven domains. The statistical package for social sciences was used to analyze the data. For every stressor, the mean values and standard deviations were used to examine descriptive statistics. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 300 dental students, the domain with the highest stressors was "Performance pressure “while the domain with the lowest stressors was "Self-efficacy belief "."Examinations and quizzes" was the most stressful question among the stressors, while " Inadequate number of instructors " was the least stressful. Frequencies, means, and comparisons between study participants with study levels were examined in the obtained data. We performed nonparametric tests with a 95% confidence range and an error of 0.05. Conclusion: Dental students undergo a lot of pressures in their academic and professional lives. psychology courses have to be introduced to and taught at dentistry institutions or select student counselors and advisors to each student throughout their academic career to get their opinions on instructors and courses.

INTRODUCTION. The branch of dentistry known as preventive dentistry focuses on treatments and lifestyle choices that assist individuals in preventing the onset or progression of oral disease. It involves both patient-performed dental care at home and professional dental staff-performed dental care and education in an office or clinic. Fluoride is frequently used to avoid and eradicate dental cavities, new unfavorable media coverage and worries regarding careless fluoride usage contributed to a change in parental attitudes. The benefit of fluoride and possible natural or herbal substitutes, this study investigates parental knowledge, preferences, and attitudes toward preventive interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A survey study was the design of our investigation. Parents of children ages 6 to 14 whom brought their children to the Dijlah University Department of Pediatric Dentistry for examination or treatment were given a 9-questions survey form as part of the study, 300 parents participated in the study. Numbers and percentages were used to record the data. RESULTS. 155 (51.6%) of the parents said they would prefer natural alternatives to fluorinated varnish if they were given a choice to use natural herbal components instead. There was a statistically significant correlation found between the parents’ educational level and their observations on the effects of fluoride ( p < 0.05). Just 19 parents (6.3%) who were university graduates believed fluoride had negative consequences, in contrast to 59 (19.6%) of parents who were primary graduates believed fluoride had negative consequences. CONCLUSIONS. some parents continue to avoid using fluoride products, and parents lack adequate attitudes and thoughtful regarding oral and dental health prevention measures. Therefore, parents need to be aware of fluoride consumption and its impact on children’s health.