Background. Periodontal disease is a public health problem and is strongly associated with systemic diseases; however, its worldwide distribution is not fully understood.Objective. To evaluate global data of periodontal disease: (1) among adolescents, adults, and older population and (2) in low-, middle-, and high-income countries.Methods. This ecological study included data of periodontal disease from the World Health Organization’s data bank which are based on the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN code: 0 = no disease; 1 = bleeding on probing; 2 = calculus; 3 = periodontal pocket (PD) 4-5 mm; 4 = PD (6+ mm). Age- and income-related periodontal disease inequalities were evaluated across the globe.Results. Compared with 9.3% of adults and 9.7% of older persons, 21.2% of adolescents had no periodontal disease (P=0.005). Nearly 18.8% of adolescents compared with 8.9% of adults and 5% of older persons had bleeding on probing (P≤0.001). Similarly, 50.3% of adolescents, 44.6% of adults, and 31.9% older persons demonstrated the occurrence of calculus (P=0.01). On the other hand, older persons had the highest prevalence of PD 4-5 mm and PD 6+ mm than adults and adolescents (P≤0.001). The distribution of periodontitis (CPITN code 3 + 4) in adults differed significantly in low- (28.7%), lower-middle- (10%), upper-middle- (42.5%), and high-income countries (43.7%) (P=0.04). However, no significant differences in periodontitis (CPITN code 3 + 4) were observed in adolescents and older persons in low- to high-income countries.Conclusions. Within the limitations of data, this study found that the distribution of periodontal disease increases with age. Periodontitis was the most common in older persons and in population from high-income countries.

Teledentistry is believed to improve dentalcare provided to patients and time management efficiency. In addition, teledentistry can be a useful tool for peer education, consultations and ensures proper channeling for referrals. This study aimed to explore Saudi Arabian dental professionals' perceptions of teledentistry's benefits in improving dental practice and patient care. A descriptive cross-sectional study involving an electronic survey of a sample of Saudi Arabian dental professionals. A validated 26-item, 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire was used to assess perceptions of dental professionals in four domains: usefulness of teledentistry for patients, the usefulness of teledentistry for dental practice; the potential of teledentistry to improve practice; and existing concerns about the use of teledentistry. Statistical analyses involved descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis using SPSS software. Significant differences were considered at a p-value of 0.05. With an overall response rate of 28.6%, 286 dental professionals participated in the study. More than 70% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that teledentistry would improve dental practice through enhancing communication with peers, guidance and referral of new patients. A substantial proportion of respondents (60–70%) expressed uncertainty with technical reliability, privacy and diagnostic accuracy. The participants' qualification was statistically significant with usefulness of teledentistry for patients (p = 0.027), while work experience in years was statistically significant with both usefulness of teledentistry for dental practice and patients (p = 0.046 and <0.0001 respectively). Generally, the feedback gained by this study showed readiness of the dental professionals to be engaged in the teledentistry approach. Further investigation of the business model of teledentistry is needed to understand the readiness and challenges. Directed campaign to educate dentists and the public of the technology and it is potential is necessary.

Aim: To investigate the dentists’ opinions towards social media (SM) use in daily practice and the expected limitations from its use in Saudi Arabia. Methods: An electronic survey was carried out throughout May–June 2020 among a sample of dentists in Saudi Arabia. The survey covered three parts: the first part covered professional and demographic information, the second part covered the use of mobile phones and SM in dental practice, while the third part assessed dentists’ opinion on SM use. Descriptive statistics included frequency distributions and percentages and independent t test/ANOVA test for the relationship between the mean of dentists’ opinion towards SM and demographic variables. A p value of 0.05 or less was considered statistically significant. Results: The majority of respondents (80%) believe that SM plays an active role in patients’ decisions regarding the selection of a healthcare provider. The mean dentists’ opinion scores on the use of SM were significantly lower among participants working more than 50 h per week compared with other participants (p = 0.014). Conclusion: The majority of sampled dentists believe that SM plays an active role in patients’ decisions regarding the healthcare provider’s selection. Directed campaigns can help dentists optimize the use of SM for both professional and personal purposes.

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have significantly impacted the field of dentistry, particularly in diagnostic imaging for caries detection. This review critically examines the current state of AI applications in caries detection, focusing on the performance and accuracy of various AI techniques. We evaluated 40 studies from the past 23 years, carefully selected for their relevance and quality. Our analysis highlights the potential of AI, especially convolutional neural networks (CNNs), to improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency in detecting dental caries. The findings underscore the transformative potential of AI in clinical dental practice.

Dental offices are among the highest risk for transmission of the COVID-19, having the potential to transmit the virus via routine dental procedures. This cross-sectional study assessed the preparedness and perception of infection control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic by dentists in Saudi Arabia. This online survey addressed the impact and perception of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental practice in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire comprised 26 closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics included frequency distributions with percentages. In addition, the significance between the different demographic variables and questions about dentists’ perception of the COVID-19 pandemic was tested using the Chi-square test. COVID-19 management in dental clinics varied in terms of adherence to the Ministry of Health (MOH) guidelines. Dental clinics’ screening questionnaire for patients showed good adherence (67%), while the lowest agreement was detected with the question on the existence of an airborne infection in the isolation room (15%). Almost two-thirds of the respondents agreed that the dental reception area adopted the proper COVID-19 preventive measures. Greatest accord was observed in their answers on questions about dentists’ perception of the COVID-19 pandemic, ranging from 64%–89%. In addition, there were statistically significant differences in questions about the perception of dentists towards the COVID-19 pandemic by different demographic variables such as age and years of work experience (p < 0.05). The response of most dentists regarding the preparedness and perception of infection control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic was positive. Dental clinics need to adhere more to the MOH recommendations in preparedness of their facilities or by educating their dentists and staff.

Hesham F. Marei, BDS, MSc, PhD/Adel Abdel-Hady, BDS, MSc, PhD/Khalifa Al-Khalifa, BDS, MSc, PhD: Purpose: There is always a tension between allowing novice trainees to place implants independently and the need to achieve accurate functional and esthetic outcomes. The aim of this study was to measure the influence of surgeon experience on the accuracy of implant placement using a teeth-supported surgical guide via a partially guided surgical protocol. Materials and Methods: Twenty partially edentulous patients were randomly allocated to expert and novice surgeon groups. Implant drilling and placement for the two groups were performed through a flapless surgical technique using surgical guides following a partially guided surgical protocol. The study primary independent variable was the surgeon experience, while the outcome variable was the accuracy, which was measured based on the differences in implant angulations preoperatively and postoperatively. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to find the influence of surgeon experience, implant size, and the interactive effect of surgeon experience and implant size on the angular deviation. Results: A total of 40 implants were inserted in 7 men and 13 women. There was no significant difference (P = .453) in the mesiodistal deviation between the expert and novice groups. In a buccolingual direction, the expert group performed more accurate implant placement (3.7 ? 3.35) compared with the novice surgeons (8.5 ? 6.3). Conclusion: The level of surgeon experience affects the accuracy of implant placement using a teeth-supported surgical guide; therefore, the use of computer-guided surgery via a partially guided protocol does not completely compensate for the level of operator experience. However, such surgical guide might be used in a whole task training of novice surgeons, as it can bridge the gap between simulation training in vitro and freehand surgery in a clinical setting.