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Background: Oral epithelium forms a physical, chemical and immunological barrier against invading microorganisms. The chemical barrier mainly comprises of anti-microbial peptides (AMPs) like cathelicidins. Transcription of cathelicidin anti-microbial peptide (CAMP) gene is induced by binding of the bioactive form of vitamin D to vitamin D receptor. Thus, an increase in vitamin D should significantly improve the chemical barrier function by increasing AMPs. This study explored vitamin D in primary prevention of chronic periodontitis by reinforcing the epithelial barrier by increased action of cathelicidin. This was a single center, randomized, two-way, crossover design study. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of vitamin D administration on levels of cathelicidin LL-37 in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of chronic periodontitis patients. Methodology: Forty vitamin D insufficient subjects with chronic periodontitis were divided into two groups. GCF sampling was done a day after the periodontal examination. Following this, all the patients were subjected to scaling and root planning (SRP). Test group patients were prescribed oral dose of 2000 IU vitamin D daily for a period of three months. It was followed by a six week washout period. Then the groups were subjected to crossover and the same treatment sequence was followed. Cathelicidin LL-37 level was estimated using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. Results: Vitamin D administration increased the levels of cathelicidin in periodontal diseases. Cathelicidin levels in GCF increase after vitamin D intake. Conclusion: Periodontal diseases might be prevented by reinforcing the epithelial barrier (chemical barrier) by vitamin D induced production of AMPs.

Introduction: Oral epithelium forms a physical, chemical and immunological barrier against the invading microorganisms. The chemical barrier mainly comprises of anti-microbial peptides (AMPs) like cathelicidins which are endogenously produced antibiotics. Transcription of the cathelicidin anti-microbial peptide (CAMP) gene is induced by binding of the bioactive form of vitamin D to the vitamin D receptor. Thus, an increase in vitamin D should significantly improve the chemical barrier function by increasing AMPs. Through a randomized controlled trial we tend to explore a well accepted molecule like vitamin D in primary prevention of chronic periodontitis by reinforcing the oral epithelial barrier by increased action of cathelicidin. Aim of the Study: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of vitamin D administration systemically on levels of cathelicidin LL-37 in gingival crevicular fluid of chronic periodontitis patients. Methodology: 40 vitamin D insufficient subjects with chronic periodontitis were divided into 2 groups. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) sampling was carried out a day after the periodontal examination. Next all patients were subjected to scaling and root planning (SRP). Test group patients were prescribed oral dose of 2000IU Vitamin D daily for a period of 3months whereas control group was devoid of any medication. GCF sampling was repeated for both the groups after three months. Cathelicidin LL-37 level was estimated using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)method for both the groups. Results: Vitamin D administration increases the levels of cathelicidin in periodontal diseases. Cathelicidin levels in GCF increase after Vitamin D intake. Conclusion: Periodontal diseases might be prevented by reinforcing the oral epithelial barrier (chemical barrier) by vitamin D induced production of AMPs.

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.

Background and Aim The novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 is a new viral respiratory illness first identified in Wuhan province China. Dental professionals and dental students are at an increased risk as dental practice involves face-to-face communication with the patients and frequent exposure to saliva blood and other body fluids. The aim of the study was to evaluate the knowledge practice and attitude of dental students towards infection control during COVID-19 pandemic.Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students. A total of 314 questionnaires were sent online. The questionnaire consisted of three parts - Section A Knowledge towards infection control Section B Attitude towards the infection control Section C Clinical practice. Chi square test was used to compare the distribution of responses to knowledge attitude amp clinical practice based questions.Results A total of 314 completed responses from the dental students were received. The present study results showed a knowledge score of about 95.02 attitude score of 78.06 and the clinical practice score was recorded as 94.62.Conclusion The level of awareness in undergraduate students was less when compared to postgraduate students. Further studies are required to assess the knowledge and practice of the students after holding training courses.

Background and Aim Coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19 may spread through respiratory droplets released by infected individuals during coughing sneezing or speaking. A major concern during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has been protection of clinicians and other health care workers from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus SARS CoV-2 infection by respiratory aerosol and contact transmission. This study was designed to assess the knowledge attitude and practice regarding usage of masks and medical gowns among postgraduate students.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 postgraduate students. The questionnaire was designed comprising of 15 multiple choice questions based on Likert scale Five point that included questions on knowledge attitude amp practice towards awareness of masks and medical gowns. Chi square test was used to compare the distribution of responses to knowledge attitude and practice based questions.Results The mean value of knowledge was 4.178plusmn0.6513 mean value of attitude was 3.303plusmn1.0624 and mean value of practice was 4.016plusmn0.6855.Conclusion Postgraduate students demonstrated good knowledge and practice towards the masks and medical gowns whereas the attitude was still truncated.

Background amp Aims Teachers are an important and influential part of the society and play an important role in the formation modification of the behavior of the children. Therefore their knowledge about oral health is important for both their own oral health and the children that they are interacting with and teaching. To assess the oral health - knowledge attitude and practice among school teachers.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 school teachers in both government and private sectors. The data was obtained using a self-administrated questionnaire comprising of 15 multiple choice questions based on likert scale 3 point that included questions on knowledge attitude and practices towards oral health.Results The average score of knowledge was 72 attitude was 72.8 and practice of oral health in school teachers was 58.4 respectively.Conclusion In the present study it was concluded that school teachers have good knowledge and attitude towards oral health whereas their practice towards it is still truncated. Hence the perception of oral health in school teachers needs to be gauged for the betterment of their oral health.

Background and Aims The science of dentistry which is associated with the law is known as forensic medicine or forensic odontology. The few important applications include identification of human remains through dental records through bite marks or physical injuries living or deceased subjects age and gender may be determined and to testify as an expert witness in court to present forensic dental evidence. This study was designed to assess the knowledge awareness and practice of forensic odontology among interns and post graduate.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 students out of which 60 were interns and 40 were post graduates. The questionnaire was designed comprising of 15 multiple choice questions based on Likert scale that includes questions on knowledge attitude amp practice towards awareness of forensic odontology. Chi Square Goodness of Fit Test was used to compare the distribution of responses to Knowledge Attitude amp Practice based questions.Results The score for knowledge attitude and practice of forensic odontology based on sum of all the positive responses and calculating the percentage among Interns was 67.6 53 and 59 respectively and among post graduates was 87 59 and 83 respectively.Conclusion In general the results of this study show that there is an adequate level of knowledge in both the groups however poor attitude and lack of practice was revealed in under graduates when compared to postgraduate students.nbsp

Stem cells are gaining much attention these days because of their self-renewal and differentiation properties. The development of tissue engineering in the last few decades aims to enhance the repair of damaged or lost tissues. Tissue engineering involves the use of engineering principles in the development of tissue or organ grafts. Tissue regeneration is achieved by the use of cells biomaterials and tissue-inducing factors in combinations or alone. The stem cells are capable substitute for many specialized cells or organs forming cells owing to their inherent potential of evolving into a spectrum of tissues. The main aim of this review article is to discuss the history of dental stem cells DSC isolation approaches collection and current status in dentistry.

Background and Aims Regenerative and stem cell therapy is a new field in dentistry. The opinions of dentists and their acceptance of the concepts are important in successful clinical implementation of these procedures. Research on adult stem cells is leading to new dental treatment protocols for endodontic periodontal and oralmaxillofacial procedures. The study aimed to assess the knowledge attitude and practice regarding application of stem cells in dentistry among dentists.Methods A questionnaire based survey was conducted among 100 dentists. The data was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire comprising of 16 multiple choice questions based on a Likert scale 3 point that included questions on professional status ethical opinions beliefs judgement towards stem cells and clinical practices.Results Results showed that the average score of professional status was 66.25 ethical opinions beliefs and judgement was 76 and clinical practice was 76.75 respectively and Chi Square Goodness of Fit test showed a statistically significant difference p lt0.001.Conclusion The survey implicated that the knowledge of the study participants was good and the responses towards the ethical opinions beliefs attitude were exemplary while the responses towards clinical practice were positive. Hence an effort has to be made to use stem cells as a regenerative aid in our day to day practice.

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.

Scheduling in a multi-core system is a crucial and commonly known as NP-complete problem. In this paper, we have addressed the scheduling problem by a genetic algorithm. Our proposed work considers three contradicting objectives like minimization makespan, maximization of multi-core utilization, and maximization of speedup ratio. We have analyzed and evaluated the proposed work by extensive simulation runs based on synthetic as well as benchmark data set. The result shows considerable improvements over the \(\textit{GAHDCS}\), \(\textit{HGAAP}\), and \(\textit{PGA}\)

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

Host modulation is fast gaining popularity as a preferred therapeutic modality for periodontal disease. Recent research in the medical field into herbal immunomodulators such as Septilin® has spurred an interest in evaluating its efficacy in periodontitis for the first time.The aim of the study was to assess the immunomodulatory effects of the herbal immunomodulator Septilin® (Himalaya Drug Company, Bangalore, India) when used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in chronic periodontal disease.Forty systemically healthy patients aged between 25 and 55 years of age and with chronic periodontitis were randomly divided into two groups. The test group was administered Septilin® tablets for two weeks following scaling and root planing whereas the control group was treated by scaling and root planing alone. Changes in gingival index (GI), gingival bleeding index (GBI), serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and salivary tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels were assessed at day 0, at two weeks, and at three and six months.The GI and GBI showed a statistically significant reduction at two weeks, three months and six months (P0.001) in both groups. Salivary TNF-α level reduction was significant in the test group only (P0.001). No significant change was found in serum CRP levels in both groups (P0.05).In this pilot evaluation, Septilin® was found to be a safe and effective immunomodulator as an adjunct to routine periodontal therapy. Further long-term studies to test Septilin® on larger sections of the population are recommended.

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.