Abed Al-Hadi Hamasha

Position of the mental foramen in a northern regional Jordanian population

BackgroundThe mental foramen is frequently encountered in a number of maxillofacial surgical procedures. Its position has been shown to vary according to race. The aim was to study the position, shape, and appearance of the mental foramen, as seen on panoramic radiographs of Jordanians, and to compare our findings with international values.Patients and methodsPanoramic radiographs were randomly selected from the records of dental patients attending three dental services, and were analyzed according to patients’ age and gender, and the mental foramina’s anterior–posterior and superior–inferior positions, shape, appearance, and symmetry.ResultsThere were 860 cases (1,720 sides) with a female-to-male ratio of 1:1.4, and mean age of 24. The most frequent anterior–posterior position was in the area between the long axes of first and second mandibular premolar teeth. With advancing age, there was an increase in the frequency of more posterior positioning. The anterior–posterior position was asymmetrical in 33% of cases. The most frequent superior–inferior position was below the level of apices of mandibular premolar teeth roots. With advancing age there was an increase in the frequency of more inferior positioning. The superior–inferior position was asymmetrical in 14% of cases. The majority of foramina were round in shape, and the most frequent appearance was the continuous type. Accessory mental foramina were seen in 10% of the cases.ConclusionThe position of the mental foramen on panoramic radiographs in this selected group of Jordanians is most commonly below and between the mandibular premolar teeth, and the most frequent appearance was the continuous type. These results are similar to previous findings in Caucasian populations.

Prevalence of pulp stones in Jordanian adults

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of pulp stones in a sample of Jordanian dental patients. The article also presents frequency distributions of this condition among different types of teeth. STUDY DESIGN Data were collected through radiographic examinations of a random sample of periapical and bitewing films of 4573 teeth from 814 dental records from the Faculty of Dentistrys filing system. RESULTS Pulp stones were identified in 22% of the teeth examined. First and second molars were the teeth most commonly affected. Pulp stone incidence was not significantly different among different age and gender groups.

Oral lichen planus shows higher expressions of tumor suppressor gene products of p53 and p21 compared to oral mucositis. An immunohistochemical study

OBJECTIVE Oral lichen planus (OLP) has been speculated to be a chronic inflammatory disease with potential for malignant progression. The aim of this study was to establish a hypothesis on the difference between OLP and oral mucositis (OM) in terms of tumor suppressor gene expression. DESIGN Computer based image analysis of immunohistochemical expressions of p53 and p21 was investigated in 18 samples of OLP, 10 normal oral epithelium (NOE), 10 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), 13 OM, 20 oral focal keratosis (OFK), and 30 samples of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED). Representative fields were digitized and analyzed. RESULTS Using independent samples Students t-test, p53 and p21 the mean percentages of positive nuclei (MPPN) of p53 (40.27%) and of p21 (39.98%) in OLP were significantly higher than that of NOE, OFK and OM (15.06%, 27.87%, 30.08% and 16%, 31.09%, 33.92% respectively, p<0.001). MPPN of p53 in OLP was not different from that of mild OED (40.5%, p=0.85) but lower than of moderate and severe OED, and OSCC (49.78%, 61.36%, 78.16% respectively; p<0.001). MPPN of p21 in OLP was lower than that of moderate and severe OED, and OSCC (47.72%, 57.9%, 85.44% respectively; p<0.001) but slightly higher than that of mild OED (39.86% p=0.81). CONCLUSIONS As the expression of p53 and p21 in OLP was significantly higher than that of oral mucositis with no significant difference from mild epithelial dysplasia, OLP might need to be followed up and monitored more closely to detect early features of transformation, if any, compared to non-specific oral mucositis which needs no close follow-up.

Gender-specific oral health beliefs and behaviors among adult patients attending King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh

Aim To explore variations in males’ and females’ oral health beliefs and behaviors and to assess the influence of oral health beliefs on their related behaviors within each gender. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was designed to obtain information from patients attending outpatient clinics of King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Of the 553 self-reported questionnaires, 519 were filled comprising 251 males and 268 females. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: six demographic questions and 25 questions assessing oral health beliefs and behaviors. The statistical analysis was done using frequency distribution and chi square tests. Results Comparing males with females, there was no significant gender difference in beliefs. However, when it comes to behaviors, females were found to act more positively than males in many assessed oral health aspects of the study. When comparing beliefs versus behaviors towards the importance of oral health styles, a gap of 12–45% was noted between those “who believe of oral health behaviors” and those “who actually practiced them”. Conclusions The study presented valuable information about the differences between beliefs and behaviors of Saudi population. It also indicated that females in general, acted more positively toward oral health than males. Health care providers might need to focus more on the improvement of oral health behaviors and practices especially among males. The real reasons for lack of behaviors need further investigation. Furthermore, oral health campaigns should switch focus from people’s education to oral health practices and actions.