Fariba Abdal, Masoud Soltani, Maryam Kazempour, Mohammad Hossein Haddadi, Negin Neshanifard,
Volume 39, Issue 0 (3-2026)
Abstract
Background and Aims: The learning environment is defined as anything that happens in a classroom or educational group, faculty or university. Evaluation of dental students’ opinions about their learning environment, can help those responsible to provide solutions for improving the quality and quantity of clinical education. One of the tools that quantitatively measures the environment and atmosphere governing dental education is DSLES (Dental Student Learning Environment Survey). Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the educational environment of the Ilam School of Dentistry based on the DSLES questionnaire.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted on 114, clinical and pre-clinical students of the Ilam School of Dentistry were enrolled in the study in 2025. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 24). Total scores were analyzed using Student's
t-test and the significance level was set at p<0.05.
Results: The results showed that the educational environment of the dental school was in the medium to relatively desirable range in various dimensions, but none of the components reached the excellent level. The highest score was related to the "relationships between students" and the lowest score was related to the "flexibility of the educational program". "Relations between students" was the highest score among the components (p=0.002). Curriculum flexibility had the lowest score among the components (p=0.000). The results of the study indicated statistically significant differences between the preclinical and clinical students' perceptions of the educational environment (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The educational environment of the school of dentistry had a suitable basic structure but needed to be transformed. Focusing on increasing the flexibility of educational programs, strengthening responsiveness to students' needs (especially in the clinical period), and maintaining existing gender equity can lead to improving the overall quality of educational environment.
Fariba Abdal, Ali Aghajani, Nasim Jafari, Maryam Kazempour,
Volume 39, Issue 0 (3-2026)
Abstract
Background and Aims: Bruxism or teeth grinding is a common parafunctional habit childhood that can lead to serious physical and mental complications. The etiology of bruxism remains unclear. However occlusal factors have been suggested as one of several possible contributors that may play a role in its onset.Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the possible relationship between the occlusal factors and bruxism in children aged from 3 to 6 years old in the city of Ilam-Iran in 2022.
Materials and Methods: This cross‑sectional, descriptive‑analytical study was conducted in 2022. A total of 100 children aged from 3 to 6 years old were selected. During clinical examinations, the following occlusal factors were assessed in relation to bruxism: anterior and posterior crossbite, overbite, and overjet. In addition, a demographic checklist was completed by the parents. The statistical tests, Spearman's correlation index, trend test, and chi-square were used for data analysis in SPSS version 23, with a significance level set at 0.05.
Results: The results of this study showed that among 100 children with bruxism, 48% were boys and 52% were girls. There was a weak correlation between the age and gender with bruxism, which is not statistically significant (p=0.356) and (p=0.412). Flush terminal occlusion was observed in 42% of left-side and 39% of right-side occlusions, and the chi-square test revealed a significant association between this occlusal pattern and bruxism (p=0.001). The highest amount of dental facet (51%) was on enamel, with significant relationship observed between bruxism and anterior and posterior crossbite (p=0.663). However, a significant relationship was found between the bruxism, overbite, and overjet (p=0.003), demonstrating that the increased severity of overbite and overjet correlates with a higher rate of bruxism.
Conclusion: The study concluded that excessive overjet, normal overbite, flush terminal occlusion in both sides, and dental facet were significantly associated with bruxism among occlusal factors.
