Restoring extensively damaged endodontically treated teeth presents a challenging task due to the state of biomechanical deterioration affecting long-term prognosis. Therefore, the study aims to assess and compare the biomechanical performance of endocrowns and post core-crown restorations in anterior endodontically treated teeth with severe coronal structure loss. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for articles published from January 2014 to March 2024. Two independent reviewers screened and selected studies based on the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The included studies were analyzed using the QUIN tool for risk of bias assessment in in-vitro studies. Additionally, the biomechanical outcomes were collected for qualitative comparative analysis. Twelve studies were included in this systematic review. In most studies, Endocrowns demonstrated comparable fatigue resistance under load to failure to post core-crown restorations. Endocrowns without ferrule exhibited a higher rate of debonding but had significantly more repairable failures. Conversely, post core-crown restorations demonstrated higher fracture resistance with the presence of ferrule, but were associated with more catastrophic failure patterns. Additionally, endocrowns generated lower stress levels in both the restorative material and the luting material compared to post core-crown restorations. Among the tested materials, lithium disilicate ceramics provided the best biomechanical properties. Overall, the studies included provided sufficient information for most evaluation criteria of the QUIN risk of bias assessment tool. Endocrowns are a viable and conservative approach for restoring endodontically treated anterior teeth, offering comparable biomechanical performance to traditional post core-crown restorations and less catastrophic failures. The findings of this systematic review suggest that endocrown restorations, especially with lithium disilicate ceramics and proper ferrule design, can improve fracture resistance and longevity of rehabilitated teeth, enhancing patient outcomes for severely damaged anterior endodontically treated teeth.

Background. Soft denture lining materials act as a cushion between the denture base and tissues. Alongside having many advantages, its main problem is candida growth due to its rubbery and porous texture. Many interventions have been performed to halt the growth of candida within soft lining materials such as the use of antifungal therapy and strict oral and denture hygiene but there are consequences such as recurrence, drug resistance, and toxicity related to these interventions. Since natural agents such as aloe vera and chitosan have been proven to have antibacterial and antifungal properties with minimum adverse effects, this study aimed to study the effectiveness of chitosan and aloe vera powders incorporated within denture soft lining materials against candida adherence. Methodology. A total of 60 soft-lining material samples were prepared that were equally divided into three groups, viz., group 1 (chitosan incorporation), group 2 (aloe vera incorporation), and group 3 (control). Candida was obtained from the microbiology lab to form a candidal suspension, diluted in 0.9% NaCl to match the McFarland standard bacteriologic solution. Samples were incubated at 37°C for 24 hours in test tubes containing 100 mL of the candidal suspension and 9.9 mL of the previously prepared Sabouraud dextrose agar. Crystal violet stain was used to stain the adhering cells by fixing them with methanol 80%. For each sample, the adhering candida cells were counted on three standard fields by using an inverted light microscope, and the mean of those fields was recorded. Results. The mean value for samples containing aloe vera was 41.15, while the mean values for samples containing chitosan and the control group were 16.05 and 79.1, respectively. Of all the three groups, aloe vera powder had a significant efficacy against candida growth as compared to the chitosan and control groups ( value = 0.001). Conclusion. Both herbal agents were effective against candida growth. In comparison, aloe vera was more effective against candida growth compared to chitosan.

This study investigates the impact of tightening torque (preload) and the friction coefficient on stress generation and fatigue resistance of a Ti-6Al-4V abutment screw with an internal hexagonal connection under dynamic multi-axial masticatory loads in high-cycle fatigue (HCF) conditions. A three-dimensional model of the implant–abutment assembly was simulated using ANSYS Workbench 16.2 computer aided engineering software with chewing forces ranging from 300 N to 1000 N, evaluated over 1.35 × 10⁷ cycles, simulating 15 years of service. Results indicate that the healthy range of normal to maximal mastication forces (300–550 N) preserved the screw’s structural integrity, while higher loads (≥800 N) exceeded the Ti-6Al-4V alloy’s yield strength, indicating a risk of plastic deformation under extreme conditions. Stress peaked near the end of the occluding phase (206.5 ms), marking a critical temporal point for fatigue accumulation. Optimizing the friction coefficient (0.5 µ) and preload management improved stress distribution, minimized fatigue damage, and ensured joint stability. Masticatory forces up to 550 N were well within the abutment screw’s capacity to sustain extended service life and maintain its elastic behavior.

Introduction: Stress is a widespread but multifactorial phenomenon, and dental students are known to experience particularly high levels of perceived stress. While this problem has been extensively studied in undergraduate dental students, there are little data on perceived stress in postgraduate prosthodontic residents. The objective of this study was to assess common potential stress, together with contributing factors, in postgraduate students attending the Prosthodontics Department at King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Dentistry (KAUFD), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods: This was an initial exploratory study of perceived stress and contributing factors in postgraduate students to inform future wide-scale investigations. In this cross-sectional study, an electronic survey was distributed to postgraduate students in the Prosthodontics Department at KAUFD to collect demographic data and perceived levels of stress as assessed by a modified form of the Dental Environment Stress Scale (DES). Statistical analysis was performed using RStudio (R v4.3.0). Results: Thirty-five postgraduate students participated in this study. Academic overload (62.9%) and fear of failure (51.4%) were most commonly reported as causing severe stress in participants. There were no statistically significant differences in commonly reported severe stress (≥40%) according to gender, year of study, or previous experience (all p > 0.05), However, examination and grading and fear of failure resulted in a higher level of perceived stress in female than male students, and academic overload and requirements produced more stress in students without previous qualifications. Previous experience duration was associated with completing examination requirements and fear of failure domains (Bonferroni-corrected q -values of 0.045 and 0.003, respectively). Nevertheless, as the study was relatively small and conducted in a single institution using a self-reported questionnaire, the results must be cautiously interpreted. Conclusion: This exploratory pilot study reveals that postgraduate dental students experienced high levels of stress. Periodic assessment of perceived stress levels and possible causative stressors is recommended in academic settings, with the DES a valid instrument for this purpose. Our data are useful for formulating future recommendations on stress management workshops and awareness campaigns within academic curricula at dental schools. However, the findings of this study must be regarded as preliminary and warrant large-scale confirmation to establish generalizability.

In line with global and national goals to improve healthcare access and quality, this study projected prosthetic needs in young adults to guide prevention, training, and staffing at KAUDH. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 among 1000 children for tooth loss and prosthetic need. Institutional demographic data projected population growth to 2035. Prosthesis demand, chairside time, and staffing capacity were estimated using prevalence rates, curriculum data, and surveys. Tooth loss prevalence was 9.5%, with first molars most affected (7.8%) due to caries (96.1%). 97.4% of missing teeth required one-unit prostheses. Projected annual cases rose from 3,588 in 2025 to 5,520 in 2035, requiring up 44,160 chairside hours. Estimated residents increased from 74 to 114. Prosthetic demand will surpassing current staffing capacity by 2035. Urgent action is needed to strengthen prevention, expand prosthodontic training, and align workforce planning with future needs.

Background: Removable prosthodontics is a branch of prosthodontics that requires a high level of knowledge and great skills. This include the basic and advanced understanding of various principles and the practical skills that are crucial to deliver a good quality and satisfactory removable prostheses. To provide a successful prosthodontic treatment in partially dentate patients with removable partial denture (RPD), the awareness of basic RPD principles and design is mandatory.Therefore, academic education utilizes the good teaching strategies and precise assessment methods for the students to fulfil the required preclinical and clinical skills. In addition, to meet the planned level of competencies, the basic learning domains are required to be fulfilled. In removable prosthodontics, fulfilment of the required knowledge and skills are very crucial to deliver a high-quality prosthesis. In academic study, students are exposed to different learning experiences throughout their years of study to prepare them becoming competent graduates. Some students may face difficulties in understanding and applying the mechanobiological principles of removable partial denture. Therefore, the assessment of their knowledge and cognitive skills, as well as, the current teaching strategies is crucial to reflect upon those strategies and to plan for implementation of future teaching improvements.In this study, students and general dentists were assessed regarding their awareness and understanding of RPD principles and deign which is the initial step in performing this prosthodontic treatment option. Also, pre-lecture and post-lecture assessment was planned to reflect upon the teaching strategy in removable prosthodontics among undergraduate students. Materials and methods: A well-structured online questionnaire in removable partial denture design and principles was formulated to assess the knowledge and cognitive skills of undergraduate, postgraduate students and general dentists at KAU. Also, a pre-lecture and post-lecture assessments were carried out for fifth-year undergraduate students. Results: The proportion of correct answers were higher in female than male students among postgraduates and undergraduates (P<0.05). Also, Postgraduate students showed the highest level of proportion compared to the undergraduates (P<0.05). In addition, a significant higher proportion and scores of correct answers were reported in the after-lecture response among fifth-year students (P<0.05). Conclusion: The level of awareness of removable partial denture increases with the level of experience and lectures are considered as the corner stone in teaching of his branch of prosthodontics