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Introduction: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a major public health challenge affecting preschool children. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a noninvasive, alternative method to surgical intervention in the treatment of ECC. It has also shown to inhibit the development of new carious lesions. Materials and Methods: An open-labeled randomized controlled trail was conducted among 200 Anganwadi children. They were divided into two groups: Group A received oral prophylaxis and application of 38% SDF and Group B received oral prophylaxis, restoration using glass ionomer cement (GIC) and application of 5% sodium fluoride varnish (FV). The effectiveness in reduction of dental caries was assessed based on its ability to result in a positive outcome postintervention. Cost-effectiveness analysis, from the service provider perspective, was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of SDF when compared to GIC followed by the application of FV. Average cost-effectiveness ratio and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for all the specific outcomes were assessed. Results: The average cost for converting an individual tooth from active caries to inactive caries using SDF was 67.30 Indian Rupees (INR), whereas the same was 225.5 INR using GIC with FV. The ICER of the interventions for the total number of inactive caries postintervention was measured at −89.9, implying that Incremental costs of one extra tooth of active caries to be converted into inactive caries using SDF will cost 89.9 INR less compared to the same outcome using GIC with FV. Conclusions: Thus, the study showed that SDF was cost-effective when compared to GIC in restoring active carious lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Recent advances in biomedical field have increased the value of research on stored biological samples in bio banks to aid in the development of bio medical research in many developing countries. Such research should help in the advancement of healthcare and the tackling of the high burden of disease in those countries. Biological specimens such as Blood, Urine, Tissue samples are usually collected for diagnosis and patient care. The left over samples in the laboratory could make a difference if used for medical advances and improve people's lives. Any research involving human participants should be guided by fundamental ethical principles in order to ensure the protection of their rights. Hence the aim of this study is to assess the perception of the general public towards donation and use of human biological samples for biomedical research. METHODS: A Cross sectional study was conducted among the general population. A questionnaire was developed which was checked for validity and reliability. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. In the first part participants were asked to enter basic demographic details and second part is the participant's views on donation and use of human biological samples for biomedical research. Online survey was conducted to collect the data. RESULTS: A total of 227 people participated in the survey. 93.4% of them agreed to donate biological sample for research. Among them 86.8% were willing to participate in a research related to heredity and genes. 97.8% suggested that consent should be taken before conducting research. About 59.9% thought donors should receive financial compensations, while 82.8% thought they should have the right to withdraw consent whenever they want. 83.7% suggested that Samples donated for scientific research should not use for purposes against the wish of the donors, and 98.2% suggested that the Researchers must maintain the privacy and confidentiality of donor information during the course of scientific research. 57.7 % believed that the ethics committee can decide on the use of stored sample for research if it is difficult to reach concerned donors, but 94.7 % of them want a regulatory body to monitor research done on biological samples. CONCLUSION: There was an overall positive attitude towards sample donation for biomedical researches. But concerns regarding privacy and confidentiality remained. These concerns leads to an increased demand for a regulatory body to monitor the bio medical researches done on human biological samples. The public participation in bio medical research is possible, taking into consideration the participants rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental caries is a worldwide oral disease that effects individuals of all ages. It has only worsened with the introduction of refined and processed food and their ease of availability. Fluoride has been in use since the past 100 years in the control and prevention of dental caries in the form of various agents and concentrations but it has still been unable to be the perfect anti caries agent for a number of different reasons. Silver has also been used in the same breath has a caries control agent and as an antibacterial agent since a long time. A combination of both these elements called Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) has been found to have significantly improved caries arrest and halt its effects on tooth structure. It is a non-invasive method of caries arrest and is also used to reduce hypersensitivity. Reported studies have found no incidence of severe pulpal damage on the application of SDF. It has one drawback which stems from the Silver component of this agent and that is the discoloration that will be seen after application on the carious tooth structure. But its ease of applications and cost effectiveness makes SDF an ideal agent to help control the problem of dental caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Beedi rolling is a major occupation for a lot of women in Mangalore. Though studies have found that beedirollers suffered from health problems, information about their oral health status is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To assess the tobacco use, oral mucosal conditions and periodontal status among 35-44 year old women beedi rollers. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: It is across sectional study. CLINICAL SETTING: Outreach programmes conducted by the Institute. PARTICIPANTS: Women Beedi rollers aged 35-44 years. METHODOLOGY: The study subjects comprised of 550 women beedi rollers. After obtaining informed consent, their tobacco use, oral mucosal conditions and periodontal statuswere recorded using WHO oral health assessment proforma. Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 17. Chi-square tests was used to analyze the data. The level of significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of oral mucosal conditions among study subjects was 4.4%. Calculus was present in 85.3% of the study subjects and 7.1% had loss of attachment of 4-5mm. The prevalence of smokeless tobacco users was 21.5% and the oral mucosal conditions and periodontal diseases were significantly higher among them (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: From the present study we can conclude that the women Beedi rollers have a high prevalence of smokeless tobacco use and oral diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to know the attitude and perceptions of biobanks among the general public and their willingness to donate bio specimens from a hospital in India. Biobanks collect, store bio specimens for diagnosis, treatment and research purpose. According to modern bio banking, bio specimens needs to have standard operating procedures to do so. The bio specimen should be kept confidential and anonymous. Do they have an awareness of the role of biobanks? Do they know the concept of consent and implications of retaining specimens in biobanks? This paper evaluates these areas. A cross sectional study was conducted among general public above 18 years of age using convenience sampling. The data was obtained through a questionnaire which was distributed via online using Google forms and assessed the ethical perception of the general public regarding their willingness to donate own biological samples for teaching and research purposes and their awareness and attitude on biobanks. A total of 200 participants were included in the study. 71.4% participants did not have any prior knowledge about biobanks. 59.6% of the participants were willing to donate the biospecimens for advancement in medical research, benefit the society and future generation. 43.8% of respondents emphasised the main discouraging factor in participation in biobank research is that they have fear of sample exploitation. 37.9 percent participants responded that they would like to specify the scope for use when granting permission to use their sample for research. Biobank will advance in medical research only when medical institutes and government bodies’ install privacy, consent laws and initiate lot of awareness programmes to improve public perspectives and knowledge about biobanking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of tobacco control programme among the 8th Standard students attending the Schools of Mangalore city, India. Basic Research Design: Interventional Study. Study setting: Schools of Mangalore, India. Participants: School children. Interventions: Tobacco Control Interventions like awareness programme on ill effects of tobacco and tobacco control laws for school children and teachers. Main outcome measures: Knowledge and Attitude regarding tobacco pre and post-intervention. Results: In the present study the mean age of the participants was 12.86 years and among them 61.6% were males. The study results show that there was an improvement in the knowledge of participants post intervention. Pre-intervention only 63.5% knew that both smoked and smokeless forms of tobacco were harmful to health while post-intervention it improved to 79.5%. Among the participants 80.3% of them knew that tobacco use can cause oral cancer and post-intervention 90.5% of them knew about it. There was a change in attitude post-intervention. The number of participants with an attitude to smoke, if a friend offered a cigarette decreased to 2.3% as compared to 8.4% pre-intervention. Pre-intervention 26.3% felt that smoking cigarettes makes people feel more comfortable at parties or gatherings, while post-intervention 64.8% felt that it does not make them feel comfortable. Conclusion: There was an improvement in the knowledge and awareness students attending the Schools of Mangalore City after implementing the tobacco control training programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a cross sectional study on healthcare professionals towards thalaikoothal. Topic include indigenous peoples inhabiting the arctic regions of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska would leave their elderly on the ice to die, this was practiced during famines; and a study was conducted among medical and dental health professionals working in a tertiary health care hospital of Mangalore, Karnataka, India.

Aim: To assess the data regarding dental prosthetic status and prosthetic needs of institutionalized elderly living in geriatric homes of Mangalore, Karnataka, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among institutionalized elderly living in geriatric homes in Mangalore. The sample size was estimated to be 300. The information related to sociodemographic data, prosthetic status, and prosthetic need was obtained using the WHO Oral Health Assessment Form 1997. Chi-square test was used to analyze the data. Results: Out of 300 elderly people, 94 were males and 206 were females. The study results showed that 53.1% and 60.45% of the total subjects had no prostheses in upper and lower arch, respectively. The study also revealed that the need for full prostheses was more among females compared to males. Conclusion: The present study concludes that need for prosthesis was high among the institutionalized elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aims to compare the nicotine concentration and pH in commercially available smokeless tobacco (ST) products. Materials and Methods: The pH level and nicotine concentration were determined in five ST products which were obtained from local markets. The pure form of nicotine was used as a standard which was obtained from Sigma-Aldrich Chemicals, Bengaluru. An extract of each product was prepared and the nicotine concentration was determined in triplicates by spectrophotometric method. The estimation of pH was done using digital pH meter. Results: The analysis showed that nicotine concentration was highest in plain tobacco followed by ghutka, khaini, pan masala, and supari, respectively. The pH was highest in khaini followed by pan masala, supari, ghutka, and plain tobacco, respectively. Conclusion: The study results showed that there is a difference in nicotine concentration and pH among ST products. Although other factors could influence the rate of nicotine absorption from ST, manipulating tobacco pH appears to be the primary means by which the speed of nicotine absorption is determined in ST products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: (1) To assess the periodontal status and plaque status of primipara post partum mothers using Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and Plaque Index (Silness and Loe). (2) To determine the association between maternal periodontal status and low birth weight babies using CPI and Plaque Index. Methodology: The study was conducted for a period of four months in the Department of Gynecology, YMC Hospital, Mangalore. Study subjects were primipara mothers aged 18-35 years. Mothers with preterm delivery and those who had systemic diseases/infections during pregnancy were excluded. Details regarding birth weight of the child, onset of prenatal care, pregnancy and medical histories were obtained from hospital records. Information regarding other confounding factors, dental treatment, weight and height of the mother was obtained by interview and examination using prepared proforma. Periodontal status and Plaque status of the subjects were assessed using CPI and Plaque Index (Silness and Loe) respectively. Examination was done under natural light using mouth mirror, explorer and CPI probe. The result showed a significant negative correlation between maternal periodontal status and birth weight of the baby. Results: The study group consisted of 62 primipara mothers including 12 low birth weight cases. Among mothers with low birth weight babies, 33.3% had periodontal pockets of 4-5 mm and 50% had CPI score 4 (periodontal pocket ≥ mm). A negative correlation was found between CPI score and birth weight of the baby (pearson correlation = -.606, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Maternal periodontitis was significantly associated (p < 0.0005) with a decrease of birth weight of their babies after adjusting for other factors known to affect birth weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]