This study aimed to compare the effect of virtual and traditional education on theoretical knowledge and reporting skills of dental students in radiographic interpretation of bony lesions of the jaw. This experimental study evaluated 39 dental students who had not received any instruction regarding radiographic interpretation of bony lesions of the jaw. They were randomly divided into two groups of virtual (n = 20) and traditional education (n = 19) and matched in terms of their grade point average (GPA). The virtual group received a virtual learning package while the traditional group received traditional classroom instruction for 6 one-hour sessions. Similar contents were taught to both groups by the same mentor. All students participated in a theoretical test with multiple-choice questions and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Similar exams were also held 2 months later to assess knowledge retention. Data were analyzed using independent sample t-test and repeated measures ANOVA. The mean scores of theoretical test (P < 0.05) and OSCE (P > 0.05) in the virtual education group (16.60 ± 0.91 and 15.13 ± 0.78) were higher than those in the traditional education group (14.89 ± 0.99 and 14.71 ± 0.92). In both methods of instruction, the mean scores of theoretical test and OSCE at 2 months were lower than the scores acquired immediately after instruction but this difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Type of education had a significant effect on the theoretical test score (P < 0.001) but had no significant effect on the clinical score (P = 0.072). Virtual learning was superior to traditional lecture-based method for enhancement of knowledge acquisition in radiographic interpretation of bony lesions of the jaw. However, to improve our students’ reporting skills, we need to revise our virtual educational program so that the students have more opportunities to engage in reporting skills.

Increasing resistance of microbes to available antimicrobial agents has necessitated the production of new compounds with wider activity and lower toxicity. Candida is one of the pathogenic fungal strains that are highly prevalent in oral diseases. The goal of this study was to optimize the biosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles (NPs) with the suitable antifungal activity on Candida albicans oral pathogen. For this purpose, selenium NPs were synthesized by the green method using the Halomonas elongata bacterium. To optimally synthesize NPs with the maximal antifungal properties, 9 experiments were planned applying the Taguchi method. In the planned experiments, the efficacy of 3 factors, sodium selenite concentration, glucose concentration, and incubation time at 3 various levels was studied, and the most desirable conditions with the suitable performance were determined. Then, optimizing the synthesis of the studied nanoparticles, their properties were evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), electron transmission microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to confirm the synthesis of nanoparticles with suitable conditions. The results demonstrated that the synthesized NPs in the experiment 9 condition showed the best performance and prevented more than 70 of fungal growth. Since selenium NPs were effective as an antifungal agent, they can be used in the structure of mouthwashes as an antimicrobial agent in the prevention and treatment of many oral diseases.

Background: Orthognathic surgery includes improvement of morphology and function of occlusion as well as psychological perception and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of patients. The aim of this study was to determine the OHRQoL of patients with class III skeletal malocclusion before and after orthognathic surgery. Materials and methods: A total of 112 skeletal class III patients including 39 (34.8%) males and 73 (65.2%) females participated in this descriptive quasi-experimental study in three groups: “prior to orthodontic treatment” (n = 25); “under orthodontic treatment and prior to surgery” (n = 65), and “after surgery” (n = 25). All patients filled out a demographic information questionnaire, the oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14), and the orthognathic quality of life questionnaire (OQLQ) under the supervision of the examiner. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, independent samples t-test, Mann Whitney test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: OHRQoL summary score changed from 14.5 prior to orthodontic treatment to 23.4 prior to surgery and during orthodontic treatment to 5.4 after surgery. These OHRQoL changes were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Orthognathic surgery matters to patients with class III skeletal malocclusion and significantly improves their OHRQoL.

Low-level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is a noninvasive method of accelerating tooth movement. Herein, this meta-analysis was aimed to assess the efficacy of LLLT in accelerating orthodontic tooth movement of human maxilla or mandible canine. Five databases including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library were used for searching the studies. Studies on LLLT for orthodontic tooth movement of human canine, randomized clinical trial (RCT), and outcome variables such as distance or speed of the tooth movement in treatment duration were considered for the final analysis. RevMan 5.3 was used for calculating the mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) on random-effects model. Out of 275 studies retrieved from five databases, six RCTs were included and analyzed in this meta-analysis. The results showed that the orthodontic movement of canine was statistically increased in the LLLT group compared with the control group in 21 days (MD: 0.74; 95%CI: 0.17, 1.31; P = 0.01), one month (MD: 0.40; 95%CI: 0.10, 0.69; P = 0.008), 1.5 months (MD: 0.72; 95%CI: 0.51, 0.93; P < 00001), two months (MD: 0.84; 95%CI: 0.23, 1.44; P = 0.006) three months (MD: 0.92; 95%CI: 0.06, 1.78; P = 0.04), and 4.5 months (MD: 1.53; 95%CI: 0.92, 2.14; P < 0.00001). The LLLT can speed up the rate of tooth movement of human canine and consequently decrease the treatment time. LLLT represents a proper adjuvant therapy for fixed orthodontic treatment.