Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association between self-reported depressive symptoms and oral diseases in US adults, including periodontitis, caries, missing teeth and untreated dental caries. Design This study was designed as a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional survey. We conducted descriptive, multivariable logistic and Poisson regression analyses on weighted data. Setting US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2014 data. Participants Individuals aged ≥30 years who completed a periodontal examination and depression screening (n=9799). Results 21.6% (28.9 million) of adults aged ≥30 years reported depressive symptoms, with a higher prevalence among females, current smokers and participants with lower income and education status. More than half of the adults with moderate depressive symptoms had periodontal diseases, and more than one-third had teeth with untreated dental caries. After adjusting for sociodemographics, behavioural factors, having diabetes and psychotherapeutic medication use, depressive symptoms were associated with poorer oral health. Severe depressive symptoms were associated with higher odds of mild periodontitis (2.20; 99% CI 1.03 to 4.66). For those with mild depressive symptoms, the mean number of missing teeth was 1.20 (99% CI 1.06 to 1.37) times the average of non-symptomatic individuals; and 1.38 times (99% CI 1.15 to 1.66) among individuals with moderate depressive symptoms. Conclusions Depressive symptoms were associated with mild periodontitis and a greater number of missing teeth, while having teeth with untreated dental caries was attributed to sociodemographic factors. Awareness of oral health status among patients with depressive symptoms can inform both dental and mental health providers to develop tailored treatment and help patients achieve overall wellness.

To assess factors associated with patients’ satisfaction with the treatment by dentists in primary health care (PHC) in Brazil. The dataset was part of a nationwide cross-sectional survey for evaluating PHC teams conducted by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Patients from each of 16,202 oral health teams were interviewed. In addition to sociodemographic information, the questionnaire included information about patient experience domains: access and booking of dental appointments, bonding and accountability, welcoming of the patient, and their perception of dental facilities. The dependent variable was the answer to the question ‘From 0 to 10, how would you grade your satisfaction with treatment received from the dentist?’ Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted rate ratios and corresponding 95% confidence interval. The mean patient satisfaction was 9.4 (±2.3). Higher patient satisfaction with PHC was associated with lower education and the patient’s perception of the clinic conditions. Moreover, higher satisfaction was associated with positive reception and hospitality, enough time for treatment, and instructions that met patients’ needs. Lower satisfaction with PHC was associated with patients who have jobs compared to those who do not work. Patient satisfaction is increased with friendly and understanding PHC staff. Moreover, meeting patient expectations by taking time to understand the needs and giving the right instructions is associated with higher satisfaction.

Background: The adoption of 3D printing in restorative dentistry is increasing, with the post-curing duration of a material being identified as a key determinant of its performance. This study evaluated the effect of the post-polymerization time on the flexural strength (FS) and Vickers microhardness (VHN) of a 3D-printed composite. Methods: Specimens of Formlabs Permanent Crown Resin were 3D printed and divided into four groups according to their post-curing time: no post-curing time and 20, 40, and 60 min post-curing time. Flexural strength testing was carried out using a three-point test of 40 bar-shaped specimens (n = 10/group), followed by fractography observations under a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Vicker microhardness testing was also conducted with 40 disk-shaped specimens (n = 10/group). The inorganic filler content was measured using the ash method, and the filler morphology was characterized under an SEM. Statistical analyses were performed using adjusted ANOVA and regression tests. Results: The highest median FS values were observed at 40 min post-curing (133.07 MPa), with significant differences across all groups (p < 0.0001). The highest median VHN values were found at 40 min post-curing (32.09 VHN), with significant differences between groups (p < 0.0001). A significant positive correlation (rho = 0.7488; p < 0.0001) was found between the flexural strength and Vickers hardness with changing post-curing durations. The 3D resin composite had an average filler content of 66.82% based on weight. Conclusions: With the limitation of the current in vitro setup, a post-polymerization time of 40 min was shown to lead to the best material performance. The post-printing polymerization time significantly affects the Vickers hardness and FS of 3D Formlabs Permanent Crown Resin. Further research should explore the effects of different resin compositions, clinical conditions, and curing protocols to enhance the general applicability of these findings. Clinical implications: Extending the post-printing polymerization time does not inherently result in improved material properties. A considered adjustment of the post-curing time can significantly impact the mechanical properties of a 3D-printed composite.

Introduction: During the COVID‐19 pandemic, dental schools were required to reformat their curricula to accommodate regulations mandated to protect the health of students and faculty. For students enrolled in the Operative Dentistry preclinical courses at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), this modified curriculum included frontloading the course with lectures delivered remotely, followed by in‐person laboratory exercises of learned concepts. The aim of this article was to determine the impact that the modifications had on student performance and student self‐evaluation capabilities.Materials and methods: Thirty‐eight students were introduced to this restructured course. Their performance in a final multiple‐choice (MC) examination, four preclinical laboratory competency assessments (class II amalgam preparation and restoration, class III composite preparation and restoration) and their self‐assessment of these preclinical competency assessments were then compared with the pre‐COVID pandemic (P‐CP) classes from years 2014 to 2019 (n = 216 students). Linear regressions were performed to determine differences in mean faculty scores, self‐assessment scores, student‐faculty score gaps (S‐F gaps) and absolute S‐F gaps seen between the class impacted by the pandemic and the P‐CP classes.Results: The results demonstrated that students during the COVID‐19 pandemic (D‐CP) had a higher average faculty score in all four preclinical laboratory competency assessments and in the final MC examination. In addition, the S‐F gap was smaller in this cohort as compared with the P‐CP classes.Conclusion: Despite the challenges of restructuring the preclinical curricula, D‐CP students performed better than their P‐CP predecessors in multiple facets of this Operative Dentistry course including self‐assessment accuracy.

This study evaluated the effect of post-printing polymerization time on residual monomer elution and water sorption in a 3D-printed resin composite. Eighty samples were fabricated and assigned to four groups based on post-curing duration: 0, 20, 40, and 60 min. Each group was subdivided according to two storage conditions (distilled water and 75% ethanol–water solution), and evaluated at 1 and 7 days. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantified eluted monomers. Additionally, 40 specimens underwent a 4-month sorption/desorption cycle for water sorption and solubility assessment. Data were statistically analyzed using kernel regression (monomer data) and Welch ANOVA (water sorption and solubility) at a significance level of p < 0.05. BisEMA was the only monomer detected, with significantly higher elution recorded in ethanol-based storage. Increasing post-curing time notably reduced both monomer release and water sorption/solubility (p < 0.001); however, the optimal results were observed at 40 min post-curing. These findings suggest that extending post-curing beyond an optimal threshold does not further improve composite properties, underscoring the importance of identifying precise curing parameters in order to enhance durability and material performance.