South African Dental Journal

Dealing with COVID-19

SADA Head Office - Key issues discussed with the Ministry of Health

Examining the relationship between Dental Technology students' learning styles and their performance in entrance tests

INTRODUCTION: Selection tests provide early indications of prospective students' competencies, skills and knowledge. Knowledge of students' learning styles and their correlation to entrance tests can contribute to the debate on student retention and attrition rates in higher education, which have been dominant research focus areas in the past decade. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between Dental Technology students' learning styles and their performance in entrance tests at the Durban University of Technology. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study design within a quantitative framework was used. METHODS: The 2019 first year students completed the VARK® questionnaire, which was used to determine their learning styles. The VARK results were compared against the data obtained from entrance tests. Cross tabulations and Fisher's Exact tests (p<0.05) were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Despite there being no correlation between students' performances in entrance tests and their preferred learning styles, the most dominant learning styles among Dental Technology first year students were unimodal (kinaesthetic) and quadrimodal (VARK). CONCLUSIONS: This evidence-based data is critical in developing more appropriate student selection and placement tests for the Bachelor of Health Sciences in Dental Technology, and other similar programmes.

The effect of storage conditions on the deformation patterns of acrylic partial denture bases

INTRODUCTION: Incorrect impression-taking techniques and processing errors are known factors contributing to ill-fitting acrylic partial dentures (APDs). Environmental factors such as high temperature and humidity levels can further contribute to the misfits of APDs In South Africa, the average summer temperature and humidity level is 21°C and 50%, respectively, which may adversely affect APDs during storage post-manufacture. AIM: To investigate the effect of storage conditions on the deformation patterns of acrylic partial denture bases. METHODS: Thirty maxillary APD bases were fabricated, and divided into three sample groups, namely: the wet-stored 9-hour cure, dry-stored 9-hour cure, and dry-stored 1//-hour cure. The dimensional fit in the areas of the incisive papilla, maxillary first molars, and the deepest part of the midline posteriorly were measured using a Mitutoyo™ micro-meter RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the deformation patterns in the incisal area (p>0.42). Significant differences in the deformation patterns in the maxillary first molar areas (p<0.04) were recorded. The deformation of fit increased as storage time increased. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that the deformation patterns of APDs are reduced if kept hydrated on storage.

Death of a child due to dog bites - a bite mark analysis

A combined therapeutic approach to treating a challenging case of Dens Invaginatus

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Dens Invaginatus is a rare dental anomaly. The case presentation illustrates a combined endodontic and surgical approach of a maxillary lateral incisor that presented with a Type III Dens Invaginatus. METHODS: The complex root canal system was prepared during phase 1 after proper disinfection; the canals were obturated with a combination of techniques. An appointment was scheduled for four weeks later for the surgical phase. During this visit, a full muco-periostal flap was raised, the failed retrograde restoration was removed and MTA was placed. RESULTS: The patient was seen for follow-up visits after the procedure and satisfactory healing was observed. CONCLUSION: The case report illustrates a novel approach to treating a unique case of dens in dente.

Teething symptoms and management during infancy - A narrative review

Even though teething is a normal part of infant development, surprisingly, little is known about the causes and management of its signs and symptoms. Due to the paucity of knowledge in this area, the purpose of this review was to provide clarity on teething symptoms and management options. A PRISMA flow chart revealed 13 studies that were reviewed which reported on teething symptoms and signs as well as treatment and management options. The databases searched were EMBASE, Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library. The review showed that although conventional and generic treatment options are constantly in use, there remains no concrete evidence to prove signs and symptoms of teething nor evidence to disprove it. However, in this review, symptoms such as irritability, increased salivation, runny nose, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, rash, sleep disturbance and gum rubbing were most apparent. Further studies are needed to ascertain these findings objectively and conclusively. Future research is also required to understand and investigate the efficacy of treatment methods and approaches among children with teething symptoms.

What's new for the clinician? - excerpts from and summaries of recently published papers

Maxillofacial Radiology 178

Can an ethical question answered with a "Yes, but..." ever be defensible?

Horace Wells (1815 - 1848) and William TG Morton (1819 - 1868) ...pioneers in anaesthesiology