International Research in Medical and Health Sciences

Knowledge, Attitude, Perception among Undergraduate Students on Integrating Emotional Competence Training in Dental Curriculum

Dr. B. Naina Gopal — 2025-05-12

The dental profession demands not only technical expertise but also strong interpersonal and emotional skills. Emotional competence (EC) is crucial for managing patient relationships, reducing professional burnout, and fostering effective communication. Despite its significance, emotional competence training is often overlooked in traditional dental curricula.

This article explores the need for integrating EC training into dental education, focusing on its benefits, challenges, and strategies for implementation. By preparing students to navigate the psychological and emotional complexities of clinical practice, EC training can enhance patient care and overall professional development.

Aim: To evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and perception of dental students towards the emotional competence training.

Objectives

To assess the level of knowledge of dental students regarding emotional competence training.
To explore the perceptions of dental students regarding the emotional competence training.

Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 300 dental students, comprising 97 males (32.5%) and 202 females (67.5%), including 71 first-year BDS students, 62 second-year BDS students, 51 third-year BDS students, 56 fourth-year BDS students and 60 interns. The survey included 13 questions exploring awareness, perception on emotional competence training Responses were analyzed based on gender and year of study using chi-square tests to identify statistically significant difference.

Prospective Observational Study to Develop Paediatric Acute Care Score (PACS) For Early Prediction of Clinical Deterioration in Paediatric Wards Requiring Intensive Care in Children Presenting to Paediatric Emergency Services in A Tertiary Care Hospital

Priyanka Vandana Sukesh Pande — 2025-05-20

Background: All critical inpatient events are preceded by warning signs like change in vital signs such as tachycardia, tachypnoea, hypotension, acute dyspnoea, and change in level of consciousness for an average of 6–8 hours that can be graded into an Early Warning Score.

Objective: To develop and validate a scoring system for early prediction of clinical deterioration requiring intensive care in not unwell children with Comorbid factors admitted to paediatric wards at presentation to the Paediatric emergency department.

Subjects and Methods: This prospective observational study was done in 13987 children with PACS (derived from the PEWS score and indigenously added co-morbidities). The score was developed in the first stage and then validated in the follow-up study. After training the Emergency and ward Medics, all children at presentation were screened, sick children eliminated, and the scores were repeated at the time of deterioration in children needing intensive care.

Results: There was a significant difference in the scores of children between the deteriorated and non-deteriorated groups (P=0.0001) in the parameters of consciousness, breathing, and circulation. When the co-morbid factors are included, the distribution of the scores in the receiver operator curve (ROC) showed a standard error of 0.0122 and an Area under the curve (AUC) of 0.939 with good predictive power.

Conclusion: The PAC score is an easy and accurate scoring system in identifying the risk of clinical deterioration in children with co-morbid factors in the Paediatric wards. At a score of > 4 at presentation, the score has a sensitivity of 83.7% with a specificity of 93.9%, LR+ of 13.8, and AUC of 0.93 of predicting deterioration needing Intensive care.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding: “The Bacterial Connection between Oral Cavity and Gut Diseases”

Dr. B. Sarika — 2025-05-22

The human body hosts over 100 trillion microorganisms, including those in the oral cavity, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. Among these, the oral cavity contains one of the most diverse microbial communities, with over 770 bacterial species, second only to the gut. Advances in sequencing technologies have clarified the unique microbial ecosystems of these sites, shaped by environmental and functional differences. Emerging evidence suggests a microbial link between the mouth and gut in disease contexts, as oral bacteria can translocate to the gastrointestinal tract via hematogenous or enteral routes. This translocation may contribute to gastrointestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer. While the mechanisms underlying the colonization of the gut by oral microbes remain unclear, recent research explores their role in disease pathogenesis and factors enabling ectopic colonization.

Aim: To Assess Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Students regarding "The Bacterial Connection between Oral Cavity and Gut Diseases.

Objectives

1) To determine the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice regarding "The Bacterial Connection between Oral Cavity and Gut Diseases among Undergraduate Dental Students based on Gender.

2) To determine the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice regarding "The Bacterial Connection between Oral Cavity and Gut Diseases among Undergraduate Dental Students based on Year of Study.

Assessment of Position of the Mental Foramen in Relation to Mandibular Teeth: An Institutional Study

Kamil Khan — 2025-05-28

Background: Recognizing the anatomical differences in the location of the mental foramen is crucial for various dental procedures. This study examined the position of the mental foramen in the OPGs of patients, using both old and new records from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Institute of Dental Sciences, Bareilly.

Objective: To determine the position of the mental foramina on panoramic radiographs based on gender, age, side of mandible, location of mental foramen from root apex of mandibular teeth Uttar Pradesh.

Methods: A total of 420 panoramic radiographs (PAN) were chosen for the study. The location of the mental foramen was identified by drawing imaginary lines parallel to the long axis of the lower premolars and the mesial root of the first molar on the same side. The position of the mental foramen was then categorized into six classes (Class I-VI).

Results: No significant gender differences in mental foramen positions were found in either 13-18-year-olds or 19-59-year-olds. In both groups, Class IV (mental foramen aligned with the second premolar apex) was most common: 70.6% of females and 68.4% of males in 13-18 years, and 53.3% of females and 56.8% of males in 19-59 years. Side comparisons also showed no significant differences, with similar distributions in both genders. Chi-square values for all comparisons were non-significant (p > 0.05). Thus, age and gender do not affect the mental foramen position.

Conclusion: For effective and safe mental nerve blocking, the anesthetic should be administered beneath the lower second premolar or between the first and second premolars. Care should also be taken when working near these areas to prevent mental nerve damage and complications during implant placement.