Introduction. Social media became an influential tool that affects people’s way of communication and became a significant source of information for the society. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of SM on patients seeking aesthetic dental treatment. Methodology. The study employed a large‐scale online survey of 1940 patients attending and/or seeking dental treatment at KAUFD and Jeddah private clinics. The targeted age of participants ranged from 18 years and above. The study data were collected using a three‐part questionnaire. Results. More than half of the patients were females in both groups (52.7%). The majority of patients used SM for communication and entertainment purposes. It was also found that the most popular platform used by patients was Snapchat (71.1%), followed by Instagram (66.9%). A lot of patients did not like their teeth appearance (38.5%). Moreover, patients preferred to have “bleaching” as an aesthetic treatment to improve their smiles (63.8%). Conclusion. The impact of SM on Saudi Arabian citizens and Saudi Arabia residents can be considered as high. Patients are influenced by SM applications and are seeking aesthetic treatment as an outcome. It is the responsibility of dentists to educate patients about the best treatment options.

The success of endodontic restoration of badly compromised teeth depends on the quality of post and core placement and the extra-coronal restoration. Ensuring that students place posts to acceptable quality standards is therefore essential. The aim of this study was to radiographically evaluate post placement by final year undergraduate dental students and to identify any predictors of performance. Two hundred retrospectively and randomly selected posts placed by sixth year students were evaluated radiographically. Data on student gender; number and quality of radiographs; periapical pathology; tooth location; root canal treatment quality; amount of remaining gutta percha; gap between gutta percha and post; post-to-root width; crown-to-root ratio; and types of core material and crowns were recorded. Four criteria were used to grade post placement quality: (i) amount of remaining gutta percha; (ii) gap between gutta percha and post; (iii) post width to root ratio; and (iv) crown-to-root ratio. Assessments were scored to produce final grades. Data are presented using descriptive statistics and the chi-squared test was used to investigate whether student gender or tooth location were associated with final grade. Post and core quality was acceptable in most cases (97.5% were graded as adequate), with no differences in quality between male and female students nor according to tooth location (anterior, premolar, and molar). Just over half of radiographs were adequate quality (53.5%), while just under half were assessed as less than adequate (46.5%) due to cone cutting, overlap, shortening or elongation, although this did not affect formal assessment of post quality. General outcomes of post and core placement by undergraduate students were good, with few errors that might affect the prognosis and long-term survival of treated teeth. Providing undergraduate dental students with clear guidelines on when and how to take radiographs throughout the procedure may improve the quality of post and core treatment and reduce the risk of multiple unnecessary radiographic exposures. From the clinical perspective, although dental students generally place high quality posts and cores, it remains important to monitor the quality and performance of post placement as this determines the survival of compromised teeth.

There have been few comparisons of global and analytic evaluations of fixed prosthodontic procedures. Given the growing number of dental students and the time-consuming nature of assessment, there is a need for a simple but reliable method of evaluation. This study therefore evaluated and compared inter-rater reliability of assessment of preclinical prosthodontic procedures using global and analytic methods and the impact of academic rank on evaluation outcomes. Two professors and three assistant professors evaluated five different prosthodontic procedures performed by dental students using two evaluation methods (analytic evaluation using a rubric and global “glare and grade”). Inter-examiner reliability was assessed using interclass correlation coefficients. Interclass correlations ranged from moderate to excellent for both analytic and global evaluations. There were no significant differences in interclass correlations between the analytic and global methods. There were no significant differences in grading between professors and assistant professors for either approach. With proper faculty calibration, global evaluation is equivalent to using a analytic method of evaluation and is not affected by academic rank. Overall, the evaluation method appears to have less of an impact on reliability than the need to calibrate faculty members at the beginning of the academic year.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of deep margin elevation (DME) and immediate dentin sealing (IDS) on the fracture strength of premolars restored with lithium disilicate inlay restorations.Materials and Methods: Standard MOD inlays with proximal box preparations extending 3 mm apical to the cementoenamel junction were prepared on forty sound premolars (n = 10) randomly divided into four groups: inlays without DME and without IDS (G1); inlays without DME but with IDS (G2); inlays with DME but without IDS (G3); and inlays with both techniques applied (G4). Composite resin was applied incrementally to elevate the proximal cervical margin coronally to the cementoenamel junction. For immediate dentin sealing, bonding agent was applied immediately after tooth preparation. All teeth were restored with lithium disilicate inlays and, after adhesive resin cementation, specimens were thermomechanically aged for 500 cycles at 5°–55°C and then subjected to load failure testing. Failure loads and locations were recorded and analyzed using one‐ and two‐way ANOVA with Tukey's post‐hoc testing (α = 0.05). Failure modes were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: The mean fracture loads were 565.76 ± 233.22 N, 978.47 ± 394.2 N, 974.31 ± 334.7 N, and 1108.21 ± 292.41 N for G1, G2, G3, and G4, respectively. Deep margin elevation (p = 0.011) and immediate dentin sealing (p = 0.010) were associated with significantly increased fracture loads. Fracture loads were significantly lower for G1 teeth than for G2‐G4 teeth, but there were no significant differences between G2, G3, and G4. G1 teeth showed 50% catastrophic and non‐catastrophic failures, which increased to 60% for G2 and decreased to 20% for G3 teeth. Samples with both seals and elevation (G4) had a 60% catastrophic failure rate.Conclusions: When applied individually or together, deep margin elevation and immediate dentin sealing significantly increase the fracture strength of premolars restored with indirect lithium disilicate inlays.Clinical Implications: In the challenging setting of margin elevation, studies on the effects of immediate dentin sealing have generally been limited to evaluating marginal integrity and bond strength. The findings of this In Vitro study suggest that both deep margin elevation and immediate dentin sealing protocols are likely to improve clinical outcomes of indirect lithium disilicate inlay restorations and may be considered viable options in clinical practice.

Occlusion of extra-coronal restorations depends on the reduction achieved during crown preparation. Ensuring adequate reduction is therefore essential for the success of the final restoration. The objective of this study was to digitally quantify the occlusal reduction performed by preclinical undergraduate dental students and to compare their performance across the year and using a hybrid teaching approach developed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighty full metal crown preparations on typodonts were scanned using the KaVo Arctica 3D Optical scanner. Occlusal reduction was measured using Autodesk Fusion 360 v2.0 by superimposing an unprepared tooth over the preparation and taking measurements at six occlusal points (mesio-buccal (MB), disto-buccal (DB), mesio-lingual (ML), disto-lingual (DL), mesial fossa (MF), and distal fossa (DF)). A general linear model was used to compare student performance in the mid vs final year exams and in 2018/19 vs 2020/2021. The adequacy of occlusal reduction was variable. Occlusal reductions of the MF (p = 0.014) and DF (p = 0.011) were significantly lower in the final exam than the mid-year exam in 2018/2019. There was also occlusal under-reduction at all six occlusal points in 2020/2021 compared with 2018/2019. Students must be encouraged to use verification guides throughout the procedure to ensure adequate reductions. These verification methods can be as simple as putty indices or as advanced as optical scanners. The use of verification methods alongside a hybrid virtual and live teaching approach may guarantee the best results.

The aim of this study was to assess the opinions and practices of different dentists about the cervical margin relocation (CMR) concept. A total of 432 general dentists, advanced general dentists (AGDs), periodontists, restorative dentists, and prosthodontists practicing in Saudi Arabia were approached in person or asked to complete an electronic survey (Google Forms) assessing demographic data and their opinions and practice of CMR. Differences between groups were assessed using the Chi-squared test, and binary regression models were constructed to identify predictors of opinions and practice of CMR. About half of the surveyed dentists practiced CMR when indicated, but many felt that it represents an invasion of the biological width and might affect crown survival. Participants had several, often concurrent concerns about CMR. The opinions and practices of CMR were influenced by several factors including educational degree, work setting, country of clinical training, years of experience, and specialty. The relatively conservative attitude of dentists towards CMR is justifiable, as it is a relatively new concept with little long-term clinical data. Clinical trials with sufficient follow-up periods are now needed to evaluate outcomes from CMR to provide further confidence to dentists to implement the procedure. Deep proximal carious lesions extending subgingivally is a common clinical scenario. Assessing the opinion and practice of dentists towards conservative treatment with CMR provides the basis for encouraging practitioners to use the procedure both clinically and in clinical trials.