JOURNAL OF KHYBER COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY

MICROLEARNING ENVIRONMENT OF DENTISTRY STUDENTS: A SCOPING REVIEW

2025-01-28T05:20:46+00:00

Objectives: This study aimed to accomplish a systematic search of the existing literature on microlearning in dentistry to define important terms and concepts, describe microlearning as a teaching approach and assess the pedagogical results that students in dentistry encounter. This scoping review identifies noticeable trends, patterns, and evidence of how microlearning has been used and implemented in academic settings.
Materials and Methods: The bibliographic databases PubMed (MEDLINE), WILEY online library, Springer Link, ERIC, and Google Chrome were used to conduct a scoping review. Keywords and subject titles about just-in-time learning, electronic learning, or microlearning in conjunction with dentistry were integrated. Both antegrade and retrograde research was carried out. The search has no date restrictions, however, only English-language publications were included.
Results: Using the above-mentioned keywords, the total articles found were 363 (ERIC), 279 (Pubmed), 52,864 (Wiley online library), 10,289(springer link), (2,910,000) Google Scholar using microlearning environment as keywords 4,670,000(Google scholar) using learning environment measure as keywords. By applying screens like full text, last 05 years, English language, journal articles, etc, 25(ERIC), 85 (Pubmed), 64 (Wiley online library), 40 (springer link), 20 (Google Scholar), following articles were shortlisted. By removing duplicates from PubMed, 27 articles were retained.12 articles were fi nally shortlisted after removing all irrelevant articles.
Conclusion: Microlearning bridges the gap between planned, delivered, and learned curricula. A positive learning environment is fostered as students’ feedback is valued and learning occurs in small chunks, which is easy to understand. Various themes emerging out of literature have scrutinized microlearning in-depth for a better understanding of the subject and imply it in our daily practices.

INNOVATING ORAL HEALTH IN SCHOOL OF PESHAWAR: A VISION FOR CHANGE

2025-09-30T11:49:06+00:00

Oral diseases such as dental caries and periodontal conditions remain among the most prevalent chronic health issues affecting children globally. In Peshawar, clinical observations and regional surveys consistently reveal high rates of untreated caries and poor oral hygiene among school-aged children. Despite the global success of school-based oral health programs, Peshawar lacks a sustained, preventive framework within its educational institutions.

Schools offer a strategic platform for health promotion, yet oral health efforts are often limited to intermittent dental camps. This fragmented approach underscores a broader disconnect between dental institutions, public health authorities, and the education sector. The region’s leading academic and clinical center, dental institutions are uniquely positioned to catalyze change through structured partnerships with schools.

Integrating oral health into the school system via regular screenings, fluoride varnish applications, and age-appropriate education for children can significantly reduce disease burden and treatment costs. Moreover, such initiatives provide dental students with meaningful exposure to community-based care, aligning with national goals for preventive health.

Investing in school-based oral health is not merely a public health intervention; it is a commitment to equity, prevention, and the well-being of future generations. With strong institutional leadership and cross-sector collaboration, Peshawar can transform a missed opportunity into a model of integrated care.

2025-10-01T14:08:43+00:00

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF LIDOCAINE AND BUPIVACAINE FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT IN ENDODONTIC THERAPY OF IRREVERSIBLE PULPITIS

2025-08-27T04:49:35+00:00

Objectives: The aim of this study is to compare the ability of lidocaine and bupivacaine to relieve pain during the treatment of irreversible pulpitis in endodontics.
Materials and Methods: The research involved 66 patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis, who received treatment at a dental hospital. Local anesthetic agents, lidocaine and bupivacaine, were randomized and given to individual patients in Groups A and B, respectively. Patient data included demographics and quadrant of teeth, as well as information on how much relief was noticed by report of dental pain. Data was analyzed in SPSS 22 to find out if there were any differences in anesthetic success rates between the two groups and among subgroups divided by age, gender, tooth location and periapical status.
Results: For anesthetic effectiveness, bupivacaine worked significantly better (63.6%) than lidocaine (36.4%) (P = 0.02). The findings showed the advantages of bupivacaine in younger (18–35 years), male patients and teeth that are in the front of the mouth. Overall, using bupivacaine offered better anesthesia in cases with and without periapical symptoms, along with better intraoperative comfort and reduced pain.
Conclusion: Clinicians could use bupivacaine in treating patients with root canal therapy to help patients have less pain, a better experience and not needing multiple injections which benefits their treatment.

CORRELATION OF OCCLUSO-VERTICAL DIMENSION WITH FINGER AND THUMB LENGTH IN DENTATE INDIVIDUALS

2025-09-09T07:16:11+00:00

Objectives: Correlation of occluso-vertical dimension with finger and thumb length in dentate individuals.

Materials and Methods: This Cross-sectional study was conducted at the Prosthodontics Department of Saidu College Of Dentisty (SCD), Saidu Sharif, Swat. 85 dentate individuals were selected by nonprobability consecutive sampling, having age 18–40 years, without any craniofacial anomalies or dental prostheses. OVD, middle finger and thumb lengths were recorded between two standardized anatomical landmarks by using a digital vernier caliper. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Descriptive statistics were computed, followed by Pearson’s correlation and regression analysis. p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: A 47.1% of the 85 participants were males and 52.9% were females. Mean age was 25.5 ± 4.6 years. Mean value for OVD, middle finger and thumb length was 66.1 ± 4.8 mm, 79.2 ± 5.4 mm, and 61.4 ± 4.3 mm respectively. Males had significantly greater measurements for these variables than females (p < 0.001). OVD showed moderate positive correlation with middle finger length (r= 0.326, p= 0.003) and thumb length (r= 0.289, p= 0.007). Regression analysis showed significant associations for middle finger and thumb length having value of β = 1.053 and β = 1.608 respectively.

Conclusion: The study concluded that middle finger and thumb lengths have moderately significant correlation with OVD, suggesting these two as reliable anthropometric indicators in Prosthodontic rehabilitation of patients, especially in resource-limited settings.

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES REGARDING DENTAL ETHICS AMONG STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES IN A PUBLIC SECTOR DENTAL HOSPITAL

2025-08-28T05:32:07+00:00

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine undergraduates and recent dentistry graduates ethical knowledge, practices and views of the ethical atmosphere of the institution.
Materials and Methods: A questionnaire based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on a total of 250 students from 2nd year, 3rd year, Final year, House officers and postgraduate students of the institution. There were only closed-ended questions on the 20 self-administered items in the questionnaire. After that, SPSS version 26.0 was used to analyse the returned questionnaires. A total of 250 applicants received questionnaires. For every piece of data that was gathered, descriptive analysis was done, and the Chi squared test was used.
Results: The study population was female dominant (n=135) (54%). The fi ndings showed that merely 78% of the applicants knew of the PMDC's code of ethics, and 10% knew about the global code of ethics. On the other hand, the applicants' views were observed to be favourable 90%, demonstrating that students were typically kind and committed to their jobs. Furthermore, a positive attitude toward dental care ethics procedures was observed.
Conclusion: As students have shown a positive attitude toward their profession and ethical dentistry, more focus should be allocated to support dental students in terms of dental ethics education at educational in stitutions.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF COMPLICATIONS OF SUBCILIARY INCISION VERSUS INFRAORBITAL INCISION FOR ACCESS TO THE ZYGOMATIC BONE AND ORBITAL FLOOR FRACTURE

2025-08-02T18:28:34+00:00

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the subciliary approach and the infraorbital approach to access the zygomatic bone and the orbital floor to see subsequent complications such as scar formation, ectropion and entropion development.

Materials and Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, a sample of 50 patients was selected, of which 25 patients were placed in each group. The data was collected in local hospitals in Peshawar from September 2018 to June 2022. Follow-up was done at 1, 3 and 6 months interval. Three-dimensional computed tomography scans were done for each patient during follow-up period. Clinical photographs were taken to assess scarring, ectropion and entropion. Evaluation was done using Ordinal and Binary Likert’s scale.

Results: Mean age group presenting with zygomatic bone or orbital floor fractures was 26-29 years (p=0.25) with a higher incidence of male patients (p=0.63) and unilateral fractures (p=0.77). Grade 3 scar formation was seen in 88% patients who underwent infraorbital incision whereas only 56% patients showed grade 1 or 2 scar formation in subciliary incision (p<0.001, 95% CI for risk difference: 60% to 92%). Similarly, the rate of entropion was high i.e. 21% in patients of infraorbital incision and no patients of subciliary incision showed entropion formation (p<0.001). Ectropion was seen in 64% patients of infraorbital incision as compared to 24% patients of subciliary incision (p=0.010; 95% CI for risk difference; 11% to 65%).

Conclusions: Subciliary approach when compared to the infraorbital approach may offer superior esthetics and functional outcomes and show decreased chances of complications.

COMPARISON OF PAKISTANI AND CAUCASIAN CEPHALOMETRIC VALUES ACCORDING TO STEINER’S ANALYSIS

2025-09-10T05:34:21+00:00

Objectives: To develop Pakistani norms or standards for young people in terms of their skeletal and dental cephalometric values, and then to compare those norms to Caucasian norms using Steiner's technique.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 1000 young adults in Pakistan; lateral cephalograms were acquired, traced, and measured. There were six angular measurements and five linear measurements made. Using Steiner's methodology, the mean of all the values was computed and compared to Caucasian norms. Data analysis was done using SPSS-26.
Results: The sample included 1000 young adults, (459 males and 541 females). The overall mean age of the sample was 24.69 ± 4.1 years. “The results indicated that all cephalometric values assessed were statistically different for our population except for ANB (p=0.06)”. SNB (81.07+2.46), UINAmm (4.71+3.07), UINAangle (27.21+6.83), LINBmm (4.86+2.32) and LINBangle (27.14+5.14) were more in Pakistani population as compared to Caucasian norms with statistically signifi cant diff erence (p < 0.05), whereas, SNA(81.71+3.05) and ANB were found to be lower in Pakistani population as compared to Caucasian norms.
Conclusion: The results of this study are based on samples from the Pakistani population. All of the lateral cephalograms underwent Steiner's analysis, and signifi cant deviations from the standard Steiner's norms for Caucasians were found

MEDICATION-RELATED OSTEONECROSIS OF THE JAWS, SURGICAL OR NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT: THE RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

2025-09-11T08:39:24+00:00

Objectives: To inform stage-consistent decision-making, we compared surgical versus non-surgical outcomes using AAOMS 2014 criteria with blinded assessment and predefined endpoints. This retrospective research aimed to characterize the course of treatment and results for 20 MRONJ patients.
Materials and Methods: Every lesion was identified and categorized in accordance with the 2014 AAOMS Position Paper's guidelines.5 The primary disease diagnosis, antiresorptive or anti-angiogenic regimen and schedule, existence of comorbidities or other risk reasons, time to MRONJ onset, potential relationship with dental practices & manifestation of pain and/or other symptoms were all gathered from each patient's medical history. To ascertain the existence and extent of bone exposure, soft tissue edema, pus discharge, and tooth movement, each patient received a clinical examination. To further identify the extent and boundaries of the lesions, radiological examinations were also carried out, such as orthopantomography (OPG) & improved multiline spiral computed tomography (EMS-CT) with 3D reconstruction.
Results: The current study comprised 20 individuals in total who had 34 MRONJ lesions. Group A comprised 15 patients with 27 lesions (average age 62.1 years, 9 males, 6 females) who had surgery. Group B includes 5 patients with 7 lesions (average age 61 years, 3 males, 2 females) who had non-surgical therapy. Table 1 reports the clinical characteristics of the lesions in both groups. Both Group A and B patients had recurring follow-up, with a mean follow-up duration of 1.6 years (range: 12–28 months). A retrospective
comparative cohort study found that 88.9% of lesions healed with surgery, compared to 0% with non-surgical care treatment choice was based on AAOMS stage severity, with outcomes assessed by a blinded examiner.
Conclusion: The results reinforce the significance of early detection, customized therapeutic approaches, and continued exploration of innovative strategies to enhance MRONJ management and patient outcomes.

AUTOMATED DENTAL FILLING DISPENSING AND POST INSERTION MULTIFOCAL STRESS DISTRIBUTION ANALYSIS FOR IMPROVED TREATMENT OUTCOMES: A PROOF OF CONCEPT

2025-09-30T06:26:23+00:00

Objectives: The objective of this manuscript was to integrate COMSOL-generated data and use a dental filling robot to fill a wax model of a molar tooth with the recommended filling material.
Materials and Methods: The study was exempt from the ethical review board. It was designed as a proof of concept. Von Mises stress distribution was calculated using COMSOL Multiphysics based on 4 different restorative materials: amalgam, composite, glass-ionomer and gold for a single wax tooth with a deep cavity. The Composite was chosen based on the size of the cavity and stress distribution as the most appropriate material. The restoration was completed using a custom-made robot that deposited composite into cavity
incrementally. UV light was used to set the material.
Results: Composite was selected based on its superior properties in comparison to the other materials; Von Mises stresses 114.85 under a masticatory load of 100 MPa. A servo motor was used to control the composite increment deposition from the reservoir through a piston. Each increment was cured. This motion was repeated until the cavity was adequately filled as identified through the camera.
Conclusion: Light cured composite was the most appropriate filling material selected following simulations generated through COMSOL Multiphysics. Simulations on COMSOL using DICOM images from prepared teeth can be coupled with a filling dispension robot to automate the filling process.

AESTHETIC PERCEPTION OF MALOCCLUSION AND ITS IMPACT ON PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN IN RESPONSE TO BULLYING

2025-07-29T05:06:25+00:00

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate impact of malocclusion on academic performance, self-perception, self-satisfaction and bullying in schoolchildren.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study included 110 participants from school children in different demographic areas of Swat, KPK, First the type of malocclusion was assessed in each subject and the questionnaire was used to measure self-perception, self-satisfaction, academic performance and frequency of bullying, with a 95% confidence level and an 8% margin of error.
Results: Statistically significant association was found between malocclusion and level of satisfaction with correlation coefficient 0.629 (P=0.01). The frequency of bullying was 36.4% and the negative influence on academic activity was 13.6%.
Conclusion: The present study showed a negative impact of malocclusion on quality of life and self-satisfaction.

THE INFLUENCE OF GENDER, FAMILY DENTAL HISTORY, AND PREVIOUS DENTAL TREATMENT EXPERIENCE ON DENTAL ANXIETY LEVELS IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF KPK, PAKISTAN: A CORRELATIONAL STUDY

2025-03-08T10:00:15+00:00

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of dental anxiety among adults attending dental clinics.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 214 adult patients attending dental outpatient clinics. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire, including the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). Sociodemographic characteristics, previous dental experiences, and specific anxiety triggers were recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Chi-square test was applied, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Of the 214 participants, 62.6% were females and 37.4% were males, with a mean age of 28.6 ± 7.4 years. The overall prevalence of dental anxiety was 59.3%, of which 18.2% reported severe anxiety. Dental injections (41.6%) and tooth extraction (32.7%) were the most anxiety-inducing procedures. Females reported significantly higher anxiety levels compared to males (p = 0.016). Previous negative dental experiences were strongly associated with higher MDAS scores (p < 0.01).
Conclusion: Dental anxiety was highly prevalent in this population, particularly among females and patients with prior negative experiences. Dentists should incorporate effective communication and anxiety management strategies to improve patient compliance and oral health outcomes.