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BACKGROUND: Studies have documented the importance of alkaline pH for deposition of calcium phosphate, thereby aiding plaque mineralization. The ureolytic pH response promotes calculus formation by increasing the saturation level of calcium phosphate in plaque fluid. Therefore, AIM - A study was conducted to assess the effect of salivary pH and urea level in mild moderate and heavy calculus formers. METHODS: Group A- Mild calculus formers Group B- Moderate calculus formers Group C- Heavy calculus formers 10 subjects were assigned to each group. Salivary pH was recorded by using pH indicator strips as soon as saliva was collected in a sterile container. Thereafter, biochemical estimation of salivary urea was performed. RESULT-: There was no statistically significant difference in pH levels between Group A and Group B (p=0.97) but significant difference between Group A and Group C (p= 0.01).There was a highly significant difference between Group A and Group C in urea levels .(p

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of Clorni* gel as an adjunct to phase 1 therapy, in the treatment of gingivitis. Methodology: The study was carried out on 30 patients. Group 1(control group): scaling and root planing, oral hygiene instruction and Hexi* gel application. Group 2(test group): scaling and root planing, oral hygiene instruction and Clorni* gel application. Clinical parameters like Gingival Index, Plaque Index and Papillary Bleeding Index were recorded at baseline, one week and after one month for each patient. Results: There were reduction in the PI, GI and Papillary bleeding index scores in both the groups. Within the groups (group1 and group 2) clinical parameters showed overall reduction from baseline to 1 month and on multiple analysis the results were statistically significant from baseline to one month, but no statistical significance was seen from one week to one month. On comparison between the groups there was no statistical significance in the clinical parameters. Conclusion: Clorni gel can be used as an adjunct to SRP in the treatment of gingivitis.

Aim The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of curcumin gel as local drug delivery post-scaling and root planing and its effect on clinical parameters like plaque, gingival scores, pocket depth, and clinical attachment level (CAL). Materials and methods Ten patients with two sites in the contralateral quadrants having probing pocket depths (PPDs) of ≥5 mm were selected. Full-mouth scaling and root planing (SRP) was performed followed by the application of curcumin gel on a single side. Assessment of plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), PPD, and CALs were done at the baseline and at the 4th week. Results The results revealed that there was a statistically significant reduction in PI and probing depth in the test group when compared with the control group. CAL was improved but the results were not statically significant. Conclusion The local application of curcumin gel when used in conjunction with SRP showed a significant improvement in periodontal parameters and has a beneficial effect in patients with chronic periodontitis. Clinical significance Curcumin gel as an adjunct to SRP showed a marked improvement in restoring gingival health by an improvement in clinical parameters. It has proven properties like anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, immunostimulant, antiseptic, antimutagenic, and it also accelerates wound healing. It may be a more acceptable and viable option for the common man. Curcumin can be used as an effective alternative local drug delivery agent.

Osteomas of the facial bones are a rare entity and very few cases have been reported in the literature. Osteoma is a benign osteogenic lesion with a very slow growth, characterized by proliferation of either cancellous or compact bone. This paper describes a case of a 27 year old male seeking treatment for a slowly enlarging lesion in the maxillary right anterior region. Surgical excision of the lesion was done and the histopathologic evaluation revealed dense compact bone with osteocytes in the lacunae suggestive of compact osteoma. One year followup showed no evidence of recurrence. To best of our knowledge this is the twelfth case of maxillary osteoma reported in English language literature.

Introduction: Fibrolipoma, a histologic variant of lipoma, mostly affects the buccal mucosa and causes functional and cosmetic disabilities. Oral lipomas are benign and rarely seen in the oral cavity. Fibrolipoma of the oral cavity has also been infrequently reported. This report presents a rare case of intraoral fibrolipoma detected on the right buccal mucosa. The lesion was removed using electrosurgery (ES).Case Presentation: A 40-year-old female patient presented with a chief complaint of a painless growth on the right buccal mucosa causing irritation when opening and closing the mouth. Provisionally diagnosed as irritational fibroma, the growth was excised using ES under local anesthesia. No sutures were placed, and the bleeding was controlled in the intermittent coagulation mode. The histopathologic report revealed the lesion to be a fibrolipoma. Healing was uneventful, and no recurrence was observed for a period of 1 year.Conclusions: Compared with scalpel surgery, ES requires more expertise, but th...

The success of evidence-based medicine depends on the integration of the best research evidence. It is a blend of our patient’s unique values and circumstances with our clinical expertise. Evidence-based dentistry is a new paradigm in medicine, meaning that a therapy should be based on evidence gathered from scientifi c studies, preferentially based on randomized clinical trials involving a substantial number of patients. There are three main inter-related aspects to the practice of oral medicine. They are clinical care, research, learning, and teaching. Most of the oral diseases are complex, chronic problems that do not have defi nitive etiology. Many diagnostic tests are costly and need to be critically evaluated for their sensitivity, specifi city and cost benefi ts analysis. Most treatment protocols are opinion based, and prognosis of many oral diseases is diffi cult to predict. Hence, practice of evidence-based health care in oral medicine will defi nitely be helpful when clinical decisions are made.

Stem cells are unique cells which possess the ability to grow rapidly and have the potential to develop into specialized cell types in the body. Stem cell-based therapies in dentistry could help in new advances in treating damaged teeth, inducing bone regeneration, and even making a biological tooth a possibility. Whole tooth regeneration to replace the traditional dental implants is also in pipeline. Tissue-engineering applications using dental stem cells may promote more rapid healing of oral wounds and ulcers as well as the use of gene transfer methods to manipulate salivary proteins, and oral microbial colonization patterns are promising and possible. Stem cells of dental origin have multiple applications; nevertheless, there are certain limitations as well. The oncogenic potential of these cells is still to be determined in long-term clinical studies if we are to realize the benefits, meet the challenges, and avoid the risks. This review is an attempt to highlight the pros and cons of stem cells in dentistry.

Background: Pyogenic granuloma (PG) is a benign non-neoplastic mucocutaneous lesion. PG is manifested as a sessile or pedunculated, resilient, erythematous, exophytic and painful papule or nodule with a smooth or lobulated surface that bleeds easily. PG preferentially affects the gingiva, but may also occur on the lips, tongue, oral mucosa and palate. .This paper presents an unusual case report where pyogenic granuloma was present on the upper labial mucosa .Besides , the clinical presentation presents a platform to discuss some unusual differential diagnosis of PG like Squamous Papilloma, Mucocele with PG and Traumatic eosinophilic granuloma.

Background and Objectives Herbal dentifrices are fast gaining popularity in most parts of Asia and Europe. Although effects of dentifrices on pathogenic plaque microorganisms has been documented, little or no evidence exists with regard to their effects on the useful microflora, which help to keep the pathogenic strains at bay. The present study was attempted to evaluate and compare these effects of herbal and conventional dentifrice. Methods 60 student participants in the age group of 18 to 28 years with good oral hygiene (OHI score = 0) were randomly divided into two groups, test and control. The test group used herbal dentifrice and the control group, a regular dentifrice. Plaque and saliva samples were collected at baseline, immediately after brushing, 12 hours after brushing, at 1 week and at 1 month, and cultured. The Streptococcus mitis and Lactobacillus counts along with total microbial counts were estimated at the various time intervals. Results Day 1 showed no significant difference between test and control groups with regard to Streptococcus mitis and Lactobacillus counts as well as total CFU (P>0.05), but at one week control group showed significant increase in streptococcus count in plaque and saliva(P>0.01). Whereas, the test group showed significant increase in L. bacillus and total CFU count in saliva, 12 hrs after brushing, when evaluated at one month (p>0.01). Conclusion Herbal dentifrices may be slightly more effective in preservation of beneficial oral microflora when compared to regular dentifrices, although both are equally effective in inhibiting the pathogenic microorganisms.

To report a case of fi xed drug eruption (FDE) due to paracetamol intake. FDE is cutaneous reactions in already sensitized individuals. The characteristic of FDE is recurrence at same site on repeated insults with the off ending drug. Paracetamol induced FDE is widely reported in children and adolescents but not among elderly individuals. A 62-year-old male patient had a chief complaint of burning sensation in lips and oral cavity since 3 days. History revealed intake of paracetamol. Encrusted lesions were present on the cutaneous surfaces of lips, and erythematous areas were present on the anterior third of the hard palate. Based on Naranjo’s casualty assessment scale, provisional diagnosis of adverse drug reaction (ADR) was given. All drugs were stopped, but the patient had a similar episode of such lesions on the same site after 8 weeks. This establishes the diagnosis of FDE due to paracetamol ingestion. Though paracetamol is widely used and is considered a safe drug, ADR to it are possible and reported earlier. Clinical signifi cance: Reporting of FDE to dentist is uncommon. But on encountering such a situation, the dentist should be able to identify FDE and isolate the causative drug by means of history. A simple clinical assessment scale like Naranjo’s casualty assessment scale can establish the presence of ADR.

Background Host modulation is fast gaining popularity as one of the most safe and effective therapeutic modalities in a number of systemic ailments and also periodontal disease. Of these, herbal agents and probiotics have emerged as popular therapeutic agents. The present study was attempted to comparatively evaluate for the first time the effects of both these agents on chronic periodontitis. Materials and methods In this double blinded randomized controlled clinical trial, 96 systemically healthy patients with chronic periodontitis between the ages of 25-55 years were randomly divided into 3 groups. Following scaling and root planing, group 1 was administered the herbal immunomodulator tablets twice daily for 2 weeks, group 2, probiotic tablets twice daily for 2 weeks and group 3 was not administered any agent. Changes in gingival index, gingival bleeding index, pocket depth and interleukin - 6 (IL-6) levels in saliva and GCF were assessed at day 0, at 1 month, at 3 months and 6 months following which statistical analysis was done. Results Statistically significant reduction (p

Background: Schizophrenia is a psychosis characterized by delusions and hallucinations occurring in clear consciousness. Studies have shown that the cytokines may modulate dopaminergic metabolism and schizophrenic symptomatology in schizophrenia. Cytokine involvement in periodontal disease is also well documented. To date, however, there has been relatively little research assessing periodontal status of patients with schizophrenia. The present study was therefore mainly intended to understand the exact link, if any, between periodontal disease and schizophrenia. Materials and Methods: A total of 250 schizophrenic patients (140 males and 110 females), between 25 and 55 years of age, were selected from the out patient department of National Institute of Mental Health and Neural Sciences, Bangalore and their periodontal status was assessed as part of this cross-sectional epidemiological survey. Results: ANOVA showed that there was increased evidence of poor periodontal condition, as evidenced by gingival index and plaque index in patients who had been schizophrenic for a longer duration of time (P < 0.001). So also, higher probing pocket depths were found in schizophrenics suffering from a longer period of time than others (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Although oral neglect might be a cause of poor periodontal health in schizophrenics, the possible link between periodontal diseases giving rise to schizophrenia cannot be overlooked due to the presence of cytokine activity which is present both in schizophrenia and periodontal disease.

Background and objectives: Tissue engineering is fast gaining popularity in the field of periodontics, as periodontal disease is a complex condition, involving destruction of vital tooth supporting structures.