Background: Students differ in their preferred methods of acquiring, processing, and recalling new information. The aim of this study was to investigate the learning style preferences of undergraduate dental students and examine the influence of gender, Grade Point Average (GPA), and academic year levels on these preferences. Methods: The Arabic version of the visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire was administered to 491 students from the first- to the fifth-year academic classes at the College of Dentistry, King Saud University. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the learning styles of the students, and Chi-square test and Fisher’s test were used to compare the learning preferences between genders and among academic years. Significance was set at a p-value of 0.05). Females were more likely to prefer a bimodal learning style over a unimodal style (relative risk =2.37). Students with a GPA of “C” were less likely to have a bimodal or a quadmodal style preference compared to students with a GPA of “A” (relative risk =0.34 and 0.36, respectively). Second-year students were less likely to prefer a bimodal over a unimodal style compared to first-year students (relative risk =0.34). Conclusion: The quadmodal VARK style is the preferred learning method chosen by dental students, followed by unimodal aural and kinesthetic styles. Gender was found to influence learning style preferences. Students with a “C” GPA tend to prefer unimodal learning style preferences. The VARK questionnaire is a relatively quick and simple tool to reveal the learning style preferences on an individual or a group level. Dental educators should adjust their delivery methods to approximate the learning preferences of their students. Dental students are encouraged to adapt a multimodal style of learning to improve their academic results.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to assess parents’ knowledge about early orthodontic consultation and treatment, and to determine the association of this knowledge with number of children, monthly income, children’s age and perceived dental problems. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to 3000 school children aged 6–11 years. The children were asked to take the questionnaire to their parents and bring it back the next day. It consisted of 13 questions. Some of these questions were related to the gender of the child, number of children, and parents’ monthly income. The remaining questions assessed the parents’ awareness of their children’s need for orthodontic treatment. Results: In total, 2538 parents completed the questionnaire. Of these, 2014 (79%) of the parents thought that their children’s teeth would have a significant impact on their personality. Moreover, 1637 (64.5%) parents thought that their children had a problem with their teeth; 1080 (66%) of these parents consulted a dentist. Of these 1080 parents, 821 (76%) consulted an orthodontist, and of these 821 parents, 449 (55%) initiated the required orthodontic treatment. The number of children who visited an orthodontist was found to increase with an increase in age (p = 0.0057). Moreover, a perceived overjet was associated with a higher number of orthodontic consultations (p = 0.0326). Conclusion: Although parents’ awareness regarding their children’s orthodontic treatment is important, other factors, such as the age of the child, the severity of the malocclusion and the consulted dentist, play a role in initiating orthodontic treatment.

Objective: This study investigated the knowledge of Saudi mothers regarding the management of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in children. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study using structured questionnaires was employed for mothers chosen by stratified-cluster random sampling technique from primary health care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over a period of 12 months (July 2016–June 2017). The questionnaire surveyed mothers’ background and knowledge on management of tooth fracture and avulsion using photographs of TDI cases. Results: The sample consisted of 3,367 Saudi mothers. More than half of the mothers (55.3%) gave the correct response, which was to send the child with tooth fracture immediately to the dentist (p<0.01). The majority of mothers (41.6%) gave the correct response for the immediate mode of action, which was to save the avulsed tooth in storage medium and send the child to the dentist immediately (p<0.001). However, they prioritized the immediate management of TDIs, and most reported saline as a suitable storage medium (p<0.001). The mothers expressed a positive interest in further education. Conclusion: Educational programs and TDI protocols must be implemented to increase mothers’ awareness and improve the prognosis of children with TDIs.

Purpose: This study was designed to establish normal values for the nasal form and its relationship to the other cranial structures among male and female skeletal class I Saudi adults. The results of males and females were compared to each other and to the results of a previous study using the same analysis method. Patients and methods: Sixty-two lateral cephalometric radiographs of Saudi subjects (32 females and 30 males) were retrospectively retrieved from the orthodontic clinical data. Their ages ranged from 20 to 24 years old. All of the cephalometric radiographs were traced manually. Results: There were statistically significant differences between the Saudi males and females in the nasal length, nasolabial angle, horizontal distance from the nose tip to the incisal edge of the most prominent upper central incisor, and chin. The Saudi males had longer dorsa and increased vertical distances from the pronasale to the chin when compared to the females. The Saudi females had longer vertical distances from the pronasale to the upper lip and larger nasolabial angles when compared to the males. The Saudi males and females had longer noses, longer dorsa, more curved noses (larger supratip break angles), and increased horizontal distances between the nose tip and the chin when compared to a New Zealand sample. The New Zealand sample had increased nasolabial angles, increased nasal tip projection angles, noses significantly projected from the upper lip, the most prominent central incisors, and more prominent maxillae when compared to the Saudi sample. Conclusion: There were significant differences between the Saudi males and females, as well as between the Saudi sample and the New Zealand sample. These results suggest that both gender and ethnicity must be taken into account when establishing normal values for the nasal form and its relationship to the other cranial structures.

Clear aligners are gaining more popularity, as most patients, especially adults, dislike the appearance of fixed appliances. In 1997, Align Technology© (Santa Clara, CA) released the Invisalign® system. The company used both computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to produce its orthodontic appliances. This technology, which allows for multiple tooth movements from a single impression, introduced the clear aligner as it is now known. At the beginning, the Invisalign® system was used to treat simple tooth movement. However, as it developed, the manufacturer began using attachments and intermaxillary elastics to obtain different movements, so Invisalign® became a viable alternative to fixed appliances. Different aligner systems similar to Invisalign®, such as ClearCorrect, etc., became available on the market, and they use the same principle to obtain the desired results. This review investigated the indications and contraindications of clear aligner therapy (CAT), including its efficiency and limitations; patient comfort and acceptance; and periodontal health, root resorption, and stability. In conclusion, CAT has been improved over the last 18 years and is still being improved. The treatment results depend on the clinician’s own experience, case selection, and patient adherence. The clinician should be clear about the advantages and disadvantages of CAT, and the patient should be made aware that he/she should wear the appliance for 22–23h/day and only remove it while eating. The limitations of this study are lack of comparison between available CAT systems, the types and mechanics of movement produced by different types of attachments, and the cost.