Objectives: Despite the widespread of assessment of smile aesthetic perception in many areas, there has yet to be a direct comparison of digital and paper-based photographs for the assessment of smile aesthetics. Here we compared digital... more
Objectives: Despite the widespread of assessment of smile aesthetic perception in many areas, there has yet to be a direct comparison of digital and paper-based photographs for the assessment of smile aesthetics. Here we compared digital and paper-based photographs representing different smile aesthetic features using visual analog scale (VAS) scoring. Materials and Methods: One hundred students were randomly recruited from a university campus. Participants were asked to record their perception of smile aesthetics via paper and digital-based platforms. The minimum clinically important difference between platforms was set at 15 mm. The percentage of participants who rated smile attractiveness worse on digital images was recorded. The paired one-tailed Student’s t test was used to determine differences between digital and paper platforms, and Bland–Altman analysis and intraclass correlations (ICCs) were used to test for agreement between paper and digital photographs. Results: Ninety-nine subjects participated, 55 men (mean age = 22.05, standard deviation [SD] = 1.91) and 44 women (mean age 22.05, SD = 1.84). There were statistically significant differences between paper-based and digital photographs for all images except one (paired t test; P < 0.05). Digital ratings were lower than paper-based ratings for all images, and differences were clinically significant in four out of eight images. A high percentage of participants (50.5%–85.9%) rated smile attractiveness worse on digital images than on paper for all images. There was poor agreement between the two methods as assessed by ICCs and Bland–Altman analysis. Conclusion: Equivalence between paper and digital images for smile aesthetics cannot be assumed, and paper-based photographs may lead to clinically relevant overestimations of perceived attractiveness. As academic dentistry increasingly relies on digital imaging and sharing in the post-COVID-19 world, further validation of digital platforms for smile aesthetics assessment is warranted, and care should be taken when interpreting the results of studies assessing smile perception based on different platforms.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted dental education and research activities, creating challenges for students, educators, and health-care professionals. The unfolding crisis has shed the light on how technology can... more
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted dental education and research activities, creating challenges for students, educators, and health-care professionals. The unfolding crisis has shed the light on how technology can facilitate not only the delivery of dental education and improving access to dental care but also new and ongoing research. While dental schools worldwide have re-structured their policies and curricula in terms of incorporating appropriate methods of distance learning, this now needs to be applied to dental research where appropriate. By conducting a “strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats” analysis and describing the authors' experiences, here we discuss the impact of the pandemic on various aspects of dental research to provide a timely perspective on dental research activity in academic institutions to help achieve research outcomes despite the pandemic's impact.
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IntroductionAchieving a high grade in the final‐year comprehensive clinical care (CCC) course is not only important for the individual candidate but also to ensure competency of students as they transition from dental school into... more
IntroductionAchieving a high grade in the final‐year comprehensive clinical care (CCC) course is not only important for the individual candidate but also to ensure competency of students as they transition from dental school into independent practice. Here, we aimed to identify predictors of success in the CCC that might prove useful to identify which, if any, students need focused intervention to improve their performance in the CCC.Materials and methodsThis was a cross‐sectional study of two consecutive cohorts (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) of final‐year (Year six) dental students (n = 180 females and n = 150 males) attending [King Abdulaziz University], Saudi Arabia. Age, gender, cumulative GPA to the start of Year six and assessment results were tabulated and analysed as independent variables in binary logistic regression to identify predictors of the final case grade (≤69% or &gt;70%).ResultsYear five GPA (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02–1.12; p = .004) and female gender (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.12–4.36; p = .02) were significantly associated with an increased odds of achieving a final case grade &gt;70%. In particular, female students were over twice as likely as male students to achieve a higher score in their final case assessment.DiscussionThis study suggests that gender may influence final performance in the CCC. The better performance of females in the final CCC course than their male counterparts suggests that there may be a narrowing or even reversal of the historical gender gap in dental school performance.ConclusionsBoth cognitive (GPA) and other (i.e. gender) factors influence clinical dental performance. Further work is required to establish what instructional modifications are required to accommodate these gender differences in CCC courses to pave the way for personalised teaching approaches to optimise educational outcomes.
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Introduction: One of the main roles of healthcare educators is to prepare students to make the right ethical decisions. This study evaluated the moral reasoning levels of dental students according to Kohlberg’s six-stage moral development... more
Introduction: One of the main roles of healthcare educators is to prepare students to make the right ethical decisions. This study evaluated the moral reasoning levels of dental students according to Kohlberg’s six-stage moral development system. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in three dental schools in the Makkah region. Senior-year students completed the self-administered Socio-moral Reflection Objective Measure (SROM), which consists of hypothetical moral dilemmas and options that mirror individual reasoning possibilities. SROM results were matched to Kohlberg’s six-stage moral development system and associations with demographic variables and perceptions of educational context variables assessed. Results: One hundred and eighty-eight senior students (mean age 23 ± 1.1 years) completed the SROM. Only 34.6% (n = 44) students reached stage four (morality of law and duty to the social order), while most students (63.8%; n = 81) were at stage three (m...
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Objetive: This study was to compare the effectiveness of arthrocentesis versus the insertion of anterior repositioning splint (ARS) in improving the mandibular range of motion (MRM) for patients with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)... more
Objetive: This study was to compare the effectiveness of arthrocentesis versus the insertion of anterior repositioning splint (ARS) in improving the mandibular range of motion (MRM) for patients with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDwR). Methods: 36 patients diagnosed as ADDwR were recruited and divided randomly into two groups. The first group (G1) was treated by arthrocentesis, and the second (G2) was treated using ARS. All patients were reexamined after six months. Results: Except that for protrusive movement, there were significant differences between the two groups for the percentage changes of the MRM as measured by the amount of pain free opening, unassisted opening, maximum assisted opening, right lateral and left lateral movements (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Within the context of the current study, the non-invasive, lower cost ARS, provided better results in improving the MRM when managing ADDwR cases. Keywords Arthrocentesis;...
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Background: Acquiring the ability to identify deviations in dental aesthetic norms is an essential skill for becoming a dental professional. That said, when and how this skill is developed in the dental curriculum is not explicitly... more
Background: Acquiring the ability to identify deviations in dental aesthetic norms is an essential skill for becoming a dental professional. That said, when and how this skill is developed in the dental curriculum is not explicitly discussed in the dental education literature. This study aims to evaluate the impact of dental training on developing smile aesthetic perception, and to investigate the perception of smile aesthetics by dental students compared to medical students in a similar cohort. Methods: One-hundred dental and medical students at a public university were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire, designed to elicit responses to eight images; using a visual analogue scale (1 least attractive; 100 most attractive). The students rated the smile aesthetics of one “model” smile image, and seven digitally modified smiles representing major variations in smile features. Data were analyzed using independent student’s t-test. Results: forty-four male and fifty-fi...
Research Interests: Psychology and Perception
PURPOSE The use of relative unit values (RUVs) to assess students' clinical productivity is common in dental education. However, there are large variations on how RUVs are defined, developed, validated, and reported across... more
PURPOSE The use of relative unit values (RUVs) to assess students' clinical productivity is common in dental education. However, there are large variations on how RUVs are defined, developed, validated, and reported across institutions. This study described the development of a novel educational RUV system. METHODS A preparatory phase of literature review and methodological gap analysis, followed by initial conception, pilot testing, and a 2-round modified Delphi process were conducted. Panelists reviewed the procedure list, nomenclature, purpose of development, basis of calculation of RUVs, and the relative weights of different dental procedures. Also, their perception of the usefulness, fairness, and practicality of the system was assessed. Agreement was set at 80%. RESULTS Eight published educational RUV systems were identified. These data guided the initial conception of the novel Integrated Educational RUVs (IERUVs). Five experts reviewed the system and it was piloted for a...
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AIM To evaluate the effect of the differences in the dimensions of maxillary lateral incisor on the esthetic perception of smile among dental professionals and the general population. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two sets of photographs where... more
AIM To evaluate the effect of the differences in the dimensions of maxillary lateral incisor on the esthetic perception of smile among dental professionals and the general population. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two sets of photographs where the maxillary incisor dimensions were modified using computer software (Adobe Photoshop) were created. In the first set, six images were included where the maxillary lateral incisor width was modified. The second set included five images where only the maxillary lateral incisor length was modified keeping the gingival margins same. Three groups of participants formed the sample. Hypodontia patients formed the first group, non-hypodontia patients formed the control group, while the dentists constituted to the third group. A total of 156 participants were recruited, 36 patients with radiographically confirmed hypodontia out of which 22 were female and 14 were male, 54 non-hypodontia "control" patients out of which 29 were female and 24 were ma...
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Objective: This study aimed to assess the ability of the Child Oral Health Quality of Life Questionnaire (COHQoL) to detect change following provision of orthodontic treatment. Methods: Children were recruited from an orthodontic clinic... more
Objective: This study aimed to assess the ability of the Child Oral Health Quality of Life Questionnaire (COHQoL) to detect change following provision of orthodontic treatment. Methods: Children were recruited from an orthodontic clinic just prior to starting orthodontic treatment. They completed a copy of the Child Perception Questionnaire, while their parents completed a copy of the Parents Perception Questionnaire and the Family Impact Scale. Normative outcomes were assessed using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) and the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) index. Change scores and effect sizes were calculated for all scales. Results: Complete data were collected for 45 children and 26 parents. The mean age was 12.6 years (standard deviation = 1.4). There were significant pre-/posttreatment changes in DAI and PAR scores and significant changes in scores on all three questionnaires (P < 0.05). Effect sizes for the latter were moderate. Global transition judgments also confirmed pre-/posttreatment improvements in oral health and well-being. Conclusion: The results provide preliminary evidence of the sensitivity to change of the COHQoL questionnaires when used with children receiving orthodontic treatment. However, the study needs to be repeated in different treatment settings and with a larger sample size in order to confirm the utility of the measure.