Dental fluorosis prevalence in Saudi Arabia

AimIn order to improve the understanding of dental fluorosis prevalence in Saudi Arabia and have a good idea of the quality of the studies that have been conducted, a systematic review was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of dental fluorosis among people who live in Saudi Arabia.MethodsOnline databases EMBASE and MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library were searched, without any restriction regarding age. In addition, there were no study design filters applied to the search engine. Study selection and data extraction were conducted in duplicate. Studies were included if they were conducted in Saudi Arabia on any population (adults and children) and collected dental fluorosis data. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of the studies. A narrative synthesis was conducted.ResultsSeven cross-sectional studies were identified. Areas of weakness in study design/conduct were low response rates, and identification and handling of confounding factors. Statistical pooling of data was not appropriate due to substantial heterogeneity, due in part to variation in sample size, variation of water fluoridation concentration, index used, targeted population and age group. Seven studies present dental fluorosis at any level. The proportion of dental fluorosis prevalence at any level ranged from 0.00 to 0.91. Six studies explored the prevalence of dental fluorosis of aesthetic-only level of concern. The proportion of dental fluorosis in this category ranged from 0.07 to 0.76.ConclusionThe proportion of dental fluorosis at any level ranged from 0.00 to 0.91 and fluorosis at aesthetics level ranged from 0.07 to 0.76. However, current data does not provide a complete assessment of dental fluorosis across Saudi Arabia. Existing studies are limited in terms of the population covered. The included studies had methodological flaws.     

Association between the Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265/G196A) of the BDNF gene and cognitive performance with SSRI use in Arab Alzheimer’s disease patients

Brain derived neutrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein and a member of the neurotrophin family of growth factors, supports the survival of existing neurons and encourages the growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses. The BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265/G196A) is responsible for BDNF synthesis that impact BDNF function that includes memory and cognition.This study investigated whether the BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265/G196A) is associated with cognitive function changes in both Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and elderly participants. In addition the impact of SSRI use on cognition improvement will be assessed. Healthy young, middle ages (25–59 years old) and elderly (more than 60 years old) participants (140) as well as 40 AD patients of whom are both of Saudi Arabian origin were recruited. The genotyping for the association study was performed by real-time PCR using Taqman chemistry in the ABI Prism 7900HT Sequence Detection System. Both Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) were used to assess cognitive function of healthy and AD participants, respectively.The findings showed that the BDNF Val66Met genotype distributions and allele frequencies have significant association with cognitive performance in both elderly control group and AD patients. The main findings showed that carriers of GG homozygotes (Val/Val) have superior cognitive performance among AD patients and elderly control subjects. In addition the use of SSRIs in 13 AD patients and 17 elderly participants positively improved cognitive function in elderly (p > 0.001) but not in AD patients (p = 0.1).     

Anatomy of the accessory mental foramen in a Saudi subpopulation: A multicenter CBCT study

AimThe aim of this is to evaluate the prevalence and location of the accessory mental foramen (AMF) in a Saudi population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).MethodologyCBCT data were retrieved from two dental facilities at two universities located in two different cities and filtered over a period of four years. The scans were aligned when the AMF was noticed, and then the size of both the AMF and mental foramen (MF), its location, and the distance from the AMF to the MF were recorded. The AMF measurements were compared between males and females and between the two sides of the mandible.ResultsIn total, 603 CBCT scans were investigated. The percentage of scans with an AMF was 9.95% (n = 60), and AMFs were almost equally distributed on both sides. Only four cases (0.66%) of a second AMF were detected among the scans. The MFs on both sides were significantly larger in males than in females (P > 0.05), but they showed no differences in the sizes of the AMFs. The AMFs were most commonly located inferior and posterior to the MF. The distance between the MF and AMF ranged from 2.32 to 5 mm.ConclusionsThe prevalence of the AMF in this Saudi population was 9.95%, and it was significantly more prevalent in males than in females. Its proximity to the MF makes it clinically important to conduct proper detailed planning prior to performing any procedure that might risk the vital structures.     

Caries arrest using silver diamine fluoride: Knowledge,attitude, and perception of adult patients in Saudi Arabia

ObjectivesThe objective was to evaluate the current knowledge, attitude, and perception of adult patients toward SDF and identify related factors.Materials and methodsIn this cross-sectional study, data were obtained from adult participants of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A simple random sampling method was used. An electronic questionnaire was designed to collect data regarding participants’ demographics and their knowledge, attitude, and perception toward the use of SDF.ResultsThe majority (86.6%) of the participants were females. Approximately 58% were ≤ 25 years of age. Overall, 77.1% of the participants had college/higher level education, and 34.2% had a monthly income of > 16000 Saudi Riyals (SAR). Approximately 75.8% of them did not suffer from medical conditions, 60.8% had tooth decay, 82.5% brushed their teeth daily, 77.7% flossed regularly, and 63% used fluoridated toothpaste. Dental pain or inflammation was reported by 87.7% of the participants (P-value < 0.001). A higher proportion of adult patients (47.8%) was strongly satisfied with the speed of treatment, 58.9% were strongly satisfied with advantages, and 24.5% were dissatisfied with disadvantages (P-value < 0.001). Disagreement (24.0%) toward SDF material use for anterior teeth was statistically high (P-value < 0.001). Females (64.5%) demonstrated strong satisfaction with the benefits of SDF material (P-value = 0.004). Participants of male sex (26.0%), education up to high school (33.0%), and income of > 16000 SAR (31.0%) showed statistically strong disagreement (P-value < 0.05) with use of SDF for anterior teeth.ConclusionThe present study demonstrates that SDF is acceptable among Saudi adults for the purpose of arresting dental caries. However, pigmentation of anterior teeth is a major concern, especially in male participants with high socioeconomic status.     

Extending the use of stiripentol to SLC13A5-related epileptic encephalopathy

Introduction

SLC13A5-related epileptic encephalopathy is a recently described autosomal recessive disorder that is characterized by infantile epilepsy and developmental delay. Seizures are markedly drug resistant and often induced by fever; they mainly occur in clusters, sometimes evolving into status epilepticus.

A Call for Effective Interventions to Curb Shisha Tobacco Smoking among University Students in Eastern Province,Saudi Arabia: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Although the number of cigarettes smoked has been declining due to major public health initiatives, shisha tobacco smoking is gaining popularity around the world, particularly among youth and university students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 464 university students in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia using a structured questionnaire (i) to assess the prevalence of shisha smoking; (ii) to evaluate risk-perception, knowledge and normative belief about shisha smoking, and to compare these among users and non-users of shisha. Results: The study reported a high prevalence (22.8%) of the current use of shisha among the university students with a narrow gender gap and found that STS is getting more popular than other forms of tobacco. A quarter of participants had low risk perception and 30.2% had low knowledge of shisha smoking harm. Importantly, more than two-fifth of them were current users of shisha. Low risk-perception about shisha and social acceptability were significantly contributed to the high prevalence of shisha smoking among the youth. Conclusion: It is important to provide exposure to education related to shisha hazards and increase the awareness of students and the public about the health effects of shisha smoking.     

Histopathological Patterns and Characteristics of Abnormal Cervical Smear in Madinah Region of Saudi Arabia

Cervical cancer is a major public health problem that continues to be one of the leading female genital cancersworldwide. In the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), cervical cancer ranks the fifteenth most frequent cancer amongfemales. This study is the first published research study addressing the screening of cervical cancer in Madinah regionof KSA. Aim: To evaluate the abnormal cytological entities detected by cervical Pap smear in Madinah region of KSAand to compare the results with other national and international studies. Methods: This retrospective case-control studywas conducted in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Histopathology at the Maternity and ChildrenHospital (MCH), Madinah, KSA from January 2013 to December 2015. Results: Of the 1594 cases reviewed, only38 cases (2.4%) had epithelial cell abnormalities. High grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and low gradesquamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) were the most common diagnosis categories, and cervical cancer accountedfor 36.8% of the total cases for each, followed by atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance (ASCUS) foundin (15.9%). Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC ) was found in (5.3%) of the cases. Patients with abnormal epithelialchanges had higher parity (P=0.021) and presented more with a complaint of postcoital bleeding (P<0.0001), tend tohave abnormal cervical appearance (P=0.004), more likely bleeding on touch (P=0.001) and associated with cervicalerosion (P=0.014). Conclusion: The study showed a relatively low prevalence of epithelial cell lesions. These lesionswere mainly squamous cell lesions harbored by females who have an abnormal cervical appearance, and those withhigh parity who were lacking cervical screening program.     

Knowledge,Attitudes and Practices of Women in the Southern Region of Saudi Arabia Regarding Cervical Cancer and the Pap Smear Test

Background: The main barrier for women to receive Papanicolaou (Pap) smear tests and immunization is lack ofknowledge about the disease’s signs and symptoms, women’s attitudes toward prevention programs and cultural mythsand beliefs. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to measure women’s knowledge, attitudes and practices aboutcervical cancer and the Pap smear test in the southern region of Saudi Arabia and to assess the findings in relation withwomen’s demographics. Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted at the Armed Forces Hospital SouthernRegion Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic using a self-administered questionnaire with a sample size of 255 womenbetween the ages of 15 and 65 years. Results: Forty-three percent of the women in this region are aware of cervicalcancer, but do not recognize its risk factors, implications, timing or main cause, which is Human papillomavirus (HPV).In fact, the primary source of information was obtained through social media. Only two women conducted Pap smeartest and that was based on doctor’s referral, where women’s main reason from not conducting the test was feeling goodand no need. Conclusions: There is a need, therefore, to create awareness programs for cervical cancer, its causes andrisk factors, as well as its preventive measures for women in the southern region of Saudi Arabia.