Kian

AIM: To design and evaluate an animated educational application to improve oral health among children with hearing impairment. METHODS: A feasibility pilot pre-post study was conducted over 2 months with 26 children with hearing impairment. The intervention consisted of application-based animations and questionnaires, developed through focus group input. Knowledge changes in children were assessed using a visual questionnaire, while behavioral changes and application satisfaction were evaluated via online questionnaires completed by mothers, both before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed in children's overall oral health knowledge and behavior following the intervention (p < 0.05). While individual items were not statistically analyzed, descriptive data indicated positive trends. Children showed increased awareness of healthy food choices, proper brushing and flossing techniques, and the importance of regular dental visits. Mothers reported behavioral changes, including more frequent toothbrushing and flossing, reduced sugary snack consumption, and increased intake of fruits and milk. High satisfaction among mothers reflected strong acceptability and usability of the intervention. CONCLUSION: This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility and acceptability of using animation-based applications to promote oral health among children with hearing impairments.

Background Digital technologies are increasingly being used for diagnosing and treating oral diseases, with intra-oral cameras (IOCs) being one such technology. This study aims to explore the applications, challenges and future prospects of using IOCs.Methods This research uses a qualitative focus group design, incorporating five separate groups - comprising 35 participants in total, including 16 dentists, 12 patients, and seven digital technology experts - to explore the various dimensions of IOC usage in Iran. Thematic analysis, following the Braun and Clarke method, is used to analyse patterns and themes associated with applications, challenges and future prospects of using IOCs.Results Six themes were identified regarding IOCs applications, including diagnosis, patient education, documentation, referral, teleconsultation, and student training. Additionally, challenges such as technical issues, financial constraints, the need for training and patient acceptance were noted.Conclusion IOCs enhance diagnostic accuracy, improve patient education, streamline documentation and facilitate communication among the oral healthcare team. However, challenges such as technical issues, high costs and the need for adequate training limit their widespread use. Future advancements, including improved image quality, artificial intelligence integration and enhanced sensor technologies, may enhance IOCs utility in dental practice. Addressing current barriers will be essential for optimising the adoption of IOCs in clinical settings.

Tooth enamel, the hardest and most mineralized tissue in the human body, derives its exceptional stiffness, hardness, and wear resistance from a finely tuned hierarchical architecture built from hydroxyapatite nanocrystals. Despite this robustness, enamel lacks regenerative capacity and remains susceptible to acid-induced demineralization and cumulative microdamage, creating persistent clinical challenges. Conventional restorative materials provide functional tooth replacement but cannot reproduce enamel’s anisotropic structure, graded interfaces, or multiscale toughening mechanisms, limiting their long-term durability. Recent advances in biomimetic design have focused on replicating key architectural and functional features of natural enamel. Strategies employing controlled crystallite alignment and engineered organic–inorganic interfaces have enabled significant progress in fabricating enamel-mimetic materials. Techniques such as layer-by-layer deposition, 3D printing, freeze casting, and self-assembly have produced constructs with improved hardness, modulus, fracture toughness, and, in some cases, added functionalities including antibacterial activity, ion release, or interfacial remineralization. However, reproducing enamel’s full multiscale hierarchy and achieving scalable, clinically reliable fabrication remain major challenges. Continued development of hybrid fabrication approaches and comprehensive biological validation will be essential for translating enamel-inspired materials into practical restorative solutions.

Patient experience in dental care is shaped by multiple factors throughout the treatment journey, including emotional, communicational, and environmental elements. This narrative review explores how fear, lack of trust, and poor communication can negatively affect patients' willingness to seek or continue dental care, ultimately influencing access and return visits. A focused literature search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus to identify studies examining the relationship between patient experience and dental service utilization, and findings were thematically synthesized across 3 phases of the patient journey: before, during, and after the dental visit. Interpretation was guided by Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, which situates healthcare utilization within predisposing, enabling, and need-related factors. Influential elements included effective communication, transparent payment and follow-up systems, streamlined appointment scheduling, a welcoming reception, and a clean, comfortable treatment environment. These experiences were consistently associated with greater trust, comfort, and satisfaction, which in turn increased the likelihood of return visits. Strengthening patient experience across the care pathway may improve long-term engagement with dental services, even among patients whose first visit occurs under urgent or emergency circumstances.

BACKGROUND: Accessing dental care presents a significant challenge for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), influenced by the diverse array of symptoms associated with the disease. AIM: This study aimed to identify the challenges faced by people with MS (PwMS) when accessing dental health services. METHOD: The Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology was employed to identify challenges related to dental service utilization among individuals with MS, following the Population-Concept-Context (PCC) framework. A comprehensive search was conducted across Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar without date restrictions. Thematic analysis was carried out using the Braun and Clarke approach, including coding, grouping subthemes, and identifying overarching theme RESULT: Out of 172 articles searched, only three met the inclusion criteria. Challenges extracted from these articles were categorized into 4 main themes and 8 subthemes as follows: intrapersonal (comprising lack of information, manifestation of MS and fear), interpersonal (covering interactions between dental staff and MS patients, systemic interactions and support needs), structural (addressing physical and transportation barriers) and financial. CONCLUSION: PwMS face significant challenges accessing dental services. Enhancing wheelchair accessibility, improving government financial support and upgrading public transportation can notably improve service accessibility. Additionally, educating dental staff and implementing specialized training for dental students can enhance their readiness to provide effective care for PwMS.

BACKGROUND: Older adults face substantial barriers to oral healthcare. Digital innovations are emerging as promising tools to improve access, prevention and education for older adults. AIM: To map digital interventions designed to promote oral health in older adults, describe their targeted conditions, summarise study designs and delivery mechanisms and incorporate reported insights into user experiences and preferences. METHOD: Following the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines for scoping reviews, a comprehensive search was conducted across five databases up to January 2025. Eligibility criteria were defined using the PCC framework. Data were charted on intervention types, target oral health measures, study designs, delivery mechanisms and any reported user experiences or preferences. Findings were synthesised descriptively and organised into key themes to map the scope of current evidence. RESULTS: A total of 42 studies with diverse methods were included, covering Teledentistry, mobile applications, web platforms, social media, virtual reality, augmented reality and AI-driven technologies. These interventions targeted diagnosis and monitoring, clinical management, behaviour change, triage and screening, functional oral health improvements and oral health-related quality of life. Several studies also reported on user experiences and preferences, highlighting perceived benefits such as convenience, improved access, increased motivation and enhanced knowledge, alongside barriers including low digital literacy, technical difficulties and reliance on caregivers. CONCLUSION: Digital interventions show promise for promoting oral health in older adults by improving knowledge, supporting self-care and enhancing access to care. Their sustainable adoption, however, depends on usability and acceptability, particularly among community-dwelling older adults. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to potential publication bias and limited generalisability of available evidence. Future studies should employ more rigorous and longitudinal designs, incorporate user perspectives and assess both effectiveness and cost-effectiveness to guide scalable, sustainable implementation. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to potential publication bias and the limited generalisability of the available evidence.

Relationship between the Estimated Dental Age and Chronological Age Using the Demirjian Method in an Iranian Population