Aim of the Study: There have been very limited studies in the recent past regarding the correlation between the complete loss of teeth and the severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The assessment of the association between the status of the dentition (completely edentulous vs dentulous) and the severity of OSAS was the aim of this study. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, cohort study of completely edentulous and dentulous subjects suffering from OSAS was planned with the primary predictor variable being the status of the dentition (dentulous vs edentulous). Apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) was used to measure the severity of OSAS, which was used as the primary outcome variable. Unpaired T test and chi-square test were used to assess the data. Results: The total number of subjects incorporated in this study was 56. More severe OSAS was seen in completely edentulous subjects as compared to subjects with natural dentition, with a statistically significant difference for AHI between these groups. Conclusion: When compared, more severe OSAS was seen in completely edentulous subjects, within the limits of the study.

Introduction: Ethical practice in health care is defined as consisting of informed consent, respect for integrity, and patient autonomy. Ethical practice in health care is defined as consisting of informed consent, respect for integrity, and patient’s autonomy. In the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of disputes ranging from inadequate and inappropriate treatments to serious problems of medical malpractice and negligence. There is thus a growing need to identify whether or not patients are satisfied with services provided and which ethical challenges, if any, patients value most in a health-care setting. This is not only to elevate the quality of treatment but also to potentially avoid unnecessary legal complications. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the opinion of patients at a dental hospital about some commonly encountered ethical challenges and to investigate the ethical challenges which patients feel most important to them. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 participants were recruited for this cross-sectional study among patients who have visited the dental hospital more than twice. Each participant completed a self-administered questionnaire on some common ethical challenges. The results were considered as statistically significant when P < 0.05. Results: Approximately 79% of the participants felt that doctors were competent in completing procedure in the time frame, and 84% felt that doctors followed the personal hygiene protocol. Only 47% of the participants felt that doctors accommodated missed appointments/lateness. Conclusion: Participants were satisfied with a majority of the clinical services provided. The majority of the patients considered doctor competence and infection control as important issues. There is, however, a general lack of awareness regarding ethical issues in the dental field.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of infection control protocols among pediatric dentists in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: An online cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured questionnaire was conducted in the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Malabar Dental College and Research Centre, Manoor, Kerala, and a link for Google Forms was shared with pediatric dentists on social media (i.e., Facebook and WhatsApp). Results: A total of 205 respondents were included in the final analysis, of which 91.22% were following the current WHO/DCI/IDA/CDC Guidelines regarding cross-infection control of COVID-19 in their practice. Majority of the participants had to modify their clinic setup to follow the WHO/DCI/IDA/CDC guidelines to practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the participants reported that these infection control protocols affected the income-expenditure of their clinics. Conclusion: The findings of the study revealed that most of the subjects had adequate knowledge regarding infection control protocol and are practicing it resulting in few cases of COVID-19 infection among the dentists.

Introduction: In India, charity is the noblest cause of human virtues and due to these religious myths, begging became the traditional profession. Beggars are the people “asking passerby for money for themselves without offering anything in return.” They are always undermined, humiliated and neglected in society. Hence, an attempt was made to assess the oral health status of beggars Jodhupur region. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the oral health status and oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) among Beggars (homeless) of Jodhpur Region, Rajasthan, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 113 beggars (homeless) to assess the oral health status and OHRQoL in Jodhpur Region, which was done by WHO Oral Health Assessment Form (1997) and oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14). The collected data were statistically analyzed by using descriptive statistics as well as Pearson’s correlation. Results: It was found that caries prevalence was 63.7%, and 43.2% of population were having gingival bleeding as well as periodontal pockets with 4–5 mm depth. The highest mean score was seen for the psychological disability; 3.226 ± 0.453 followed by handicap; 3.03 ± 0.16 and least was for physical disability; 2.33 ± 0.569. Conclusion: Mostly dental problems and poor oral health status were due to high level of unmet needs in the study population which highlights the need for a comprehensive dental care program. This study has utility for policymakers and other stakeholders to improve the oral health as well as knowledge of this population.

Restoring the digit with a esthetic prosthesis with passive function will enhance patients’ acceptance and confidence. A 23-year-old female patient reported to the Department of Prosthodontics, Regional Dental College, Guwahti, Assam, India, with a chief complaint of a partially missing index finger on her left hand. She wanted to get it replaced because she was getting engaged. The prosthesis was inserted, and a wide silver ring over the margin of the finger prosthesis was placed at the mid part of middle phalanx to disguise the junction line. The patient expressed high satisfaction with the end result and the retention of the prosthesis.