Purpose: To assess the efficacy of Er,Cr:YSGG lasers in reducing dentine hypersensitivity (DH). Methods: Electronic literature were searched through various databases (MEDLINE, SCOPUS, ProQuest, LILACS and EBSCO) up to March 2022 for articles addressing the following focused question: “In patients with dentine hypersensitivity, does an Er,Cr:YSGG laser provide a better outcome in terms of pain reduction than other dentine desensitizer agents?”. The literature was searched using combinations of the following medical subject heading (MeSH) terms and keywords: (laser OR phototherapy OR Er,Cr:YSGG laser) AND (dentine hypersensitivity OR dentine sensitivity OR dental sensitivity). Results: A total of 486 studies were found, of which 7 randomized controlled trials were included in the review. The Er,Cr:YSGG laser wavelengths, power density and duration of irradiation used in the studies were 2780 nanometers, 0.25– 0.5 watts and 20– 60 seconds, respectively. The follow-up assessments were conducted ranging from immediately to 3 months after treatment. All studies showed that the Er,Cr:YSGG laser was effective in alleviating DH. Conclusion: This systematic review suggests that the application of an Er,Cr:YSSG laser is effective in alleviating DH and may have limited adverse effects if adequate parameters are followed.

Periodontal diseases are chronic inflammatory disorders influenced by systemic health of the individual. This study aimed to investigate the association between hypothyroidism and periodontal disease in a cohort of adult Saudi population. This case–control study included 201 adults with hypothyroidism on hormone replacement therapy and 188 healthy controls. The medical files of patients were reviewed to check thyroid stimulation hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels. Participants completed a questionnaire on demographic and health information, followed by a comprehensive periodontal examination. Pearson chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses determined associations, with a significance set at p ≤0.05. Gingivitis was found in 20.9% of cases and 58% of controls. Periodontitis stages I, II, III and IV were in general higher in cases compared to controls (23.4%, 27.9%, 21.9%, 6% in cases versus 13.8%, 17%, 9.6%, 1.6% in controls, respectively). Mean PPD and CAL values were higher in cases (5.54 ± 2.5 and 3.88 ± 3.1) than in controls (4.03 ± 1.6 and 1.72 ± 2.4). Significant associations between periodontal status and hypothyroidism were found (p < 0.0001). The periodontal status in hypothyroid cases correlated significantly with hormone replacement therapy dose and duration (p < 0.0001). The findings of the current study showed that, in a cohort of adult Saudi subjects, patients with hypothyroidism have higher prevalence and more severe periodontal disease symptoms compared to controls, suggesting significant association.

Background: The aim was to assess the association between levels of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and periodontal parameters among cigarette-smokers and waterpipe-users. Methods: Self-reported cigarette-smokers; waterpipe-users and never-smokers were included. Demographic data was recorded using a questionnaire. Periodontal parameters (plaque index [PI], gingival index [GI], clinical attachment loss [AL], probing depth [PD], and marginal bone loss [MBL]) were assessed in all groups. The GCF samples were collected using standard techniques and assessed for AGEs levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sample-size estimation was done and group-comparisons were done. Correlation between levels of GCF AGEs levels and periodontal parameters was assessed using a logistic regression model. Level of significance was set at P < 0.01. Results: Eighty-two individuals (28 cigarette-smokers, 28 waterpipe-users and 26 never-smokers) were included. There was no difference in mean ages of all patients. Cigarette-smokers had a smoking history of 5.1 ± 0.2 pack years and waterpipe-users were using waterpipe for 4.4 ± 0.6 years. There was no statistically significant difference in PI, GI, clinical AL, PD and MBL in all groups. Levels of AGEs were significantly higher among cigarette-smokers (P < 0.001) and waterpipe-users (P < 0.001) than never-smokers. There was no significant correlation between levels of GCF AGEs levels and periodontal parameters in all groups. Conclusion: Clinical periodontal status of individuals with a short history of cigarette-smoking and waterpipe-usage may appear similar to never-smokers. On a molecular level, cigarette-smoking and waterpipe-users express raised levels of AGEs than never-smokers that sirens about the ongoing yet latent periodontal inflammatory process.

Aim: Periodontal diseases remain a challenging clinical condition and hence existing literature showed no consensus on the best treatment option for disease control. The aim of this review was to provide a comprehensive overview of exciting clinical evidence on the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of periodontal diseases. Materials and Method: A literature review was performed using MEDLINE, PubMed, Wiley, ScienceDirect, and Scopus using the terms PDT, periodontal disease, laser, scaling and root planning, chronic periodontitis, and aggressive periodontitis. Results: Of a total of 149 articles appeared from various sources, 147 articles were screened and 36 were related to the research objective. Adjunctive therapy with PDT may promote additional clinical and microbiological outcomes. Conclusion: Little information is available with regard to PDT photosensitizers, wavelength, number of sessions, and duration. Therefore, large randomized control trials with longer follow-up are needed to assess the potential of PDT in the treatment of periodontal disease.

The aim of this research was to evaluate peri-implant health status in patients infected with COVID-19 and control patients (individuals without COVID-19). This observational investigation was performed in adults with (test group) and without (control group) COVID-19 infection having at least 1 functional dental implant. Self-reported education status and daily frequency of toothbrushing and flossing was determined. A questionnaire was administered to record demographic data, brushing/flossing frequency, and education status. Periodontal examination comprised full-mouth assessment of clinical attachment loss (CAL), plaque index (PI), probing depth (PD), and gingival index (GI). Peri-implant PD, modified PI, and modified gingival index were recorded. Loss of marginal and crestal bone around teeth and implants was also measured. Significance level was established for P < .05. Seventy-three (41 males) and 71 (44 males) individuals were included in the test and control groups, respectively. Average ages of patients and controls were 44.6 ± 5.2 and 40.1 ± 3.1 years, respectively. University-level education was attained by 52 (75.3%) and 50 (70.4%) individuals in the test and control groups, respectively. Seventy (95.9%) and 68 (95.7%) patients and controls were brushing twice a day. Once-daily interproximal flossing was reported by 44 (60.3%) and 48 (67.6%) individuals in test and control groups. All participants had healthy periodontal and peri-implant tissues. The study indicated that there are no short-term adverse effects on the peri-implant tissues due to acute COVID-19 infection, and further well-controlled longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effect of the infection on these tissues.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the learning approaches of undergraduate dental students in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which an electronic questionnaire using the Biggs Revised two-factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) was completed by 222 undergraduate dental students from 1st year to 5th year. R-SPQ-2F contains 20 items to measure learning approaches through a structural model contrasting deep and surface learning. Results: The mean value of the deep approach was higher among 4th- and 5th-year students than among 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-year students. The mean values of the surface approach in male subjects and subjects with lower grade point averages were statistically significantly higher than those of the deep approach. Conclusion: This study highlights that dental students have a greater tendency to adopt the surface approach in their preclinical years and in the 3rd year when they experience a transition to clinical training. A deep approach to learning was mostly adopted among 4th- and 5th-year dental students. The surface approach was higher among male than female students. Students who used a deep approach had higher academic achievement than students who used a surface approach.