The present study explores the efficacy of Machine Learning and Artificial Neural Networks in age assessment using the root length of the second and third molar teeth. A dataset of 1000 panoramic radiographs with intact second and third molars ranging from 12 to 25 years was archived. The length of the mesial and distal roots was measured using ImageJ software. The dataset was classified in three ways based on the age distribution: 2–Class, 3–Class, and 5–Class. We used Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Logistic Regression models to train, test, and analyze the root length measurements. The mesial root of the third molar on the right side was a good predictor of age. The SVM showed the highest accuracy of 86.4% for 2–class, 66% for 3–class, and 42.8% for 5–Class. The RF showed the highest accuracy of 47.6% for 5–Class. Overall the present study demonstrated that the Deep Learning model (fully connected model) performed better than the Machine Learning models, and the mesial root length of the right third molar was a good predictor of age. Additionally, a combination of different root lengths could be informative while building a Machine Learning model.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused a global public health crisis with an unprecedented shutdown of major establishments and non-emergency services. Disruptions across the country in dental hospitals led to challenges in addressing patient’s dental complaints. The present study aimed to analyse the difference in the pattern of the Outpatient dental visits during the pandemic period in comparison to that of the pre-pandemic period in a tertiary care hospital. This retrospective study was carried out by retrieving the patient data from the diagnostic register of the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology for a period of one year. The data that was retrieved from 24th September 2019 to 23rd March 2020 was categorized under the pre-pandemic period and the data from 24th March 2020 to 24th September 2020 was grouped under the pandemic period. Patient data regarding the age, gender and clinical diagnosis was recorded and categorized under three main categories: “Emergency”, “urgent” and “elective”. 7550 patients during pre-pandemic period and 4035 patients during the pandemic period visited the dental hospital during the study period. Under the “emergency dental care” category, during the pre-pandemic period, majority of the cases reported of acute dental pain (71.0%) followed by cellulitis and space infection (20.1%) and maxillofacial trauma (8.7%). During the pandemic period, acute dental pain consisted of all emergency visits (n=307). The proportion of emergency dental visits during the pandemic were significantly higher than the pre-pandemic period. Elective dental visits were significantly higher during pre-pandemic period in comparison to the pandemic period. (P<0.001). There was a notable change in the outpatient trend of the dental visits during the COVID-19 pandemic in comparison to the pre-pandemic period. Emergency dental services were utilized at a higher rate during the pandemic period in comparison to the pre-pandemic counterpart.

Assessment of Awareness About Various Dental Waste Management Practices Among Dental Students and Practicing Clinicians

Objective: To compare the status of oral hygiene and dentition in patients with congenital hemorrhagic disorders with their age-matched healthy counterparts. Also, the prevalence of fear of dentists/ dental treatment among these patients was assessed. Material and Methods: This study was performed on children and adults with von Willebrand disease (vWD), hemophilia (A or B), and healthy subjects. Oral health and dentition status was assessed using the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), plaque index, and the decayed, missing, filled teeth (dmft/DMFT) index. One-way ANOVA test was employed to compare the oral hygiene and dentition status of subjects in the three groups. A p-value of 0.05). Higher OHI-S scores and a poor oral hygiene status was observed more in the hemophilia group than the vWD group and healthy controls. A total of 27.3% of the subjects in the vWD group, 18.2% of subjects in the hemophilia group, and no subjects in the healthy group had a fear of dentists or dental treatment. Conclusion: Subjects with vWD had a higher number of carious teeth when compared to the other groups. Poor oral hygiene status was observed in subjects with hemophilia.