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Background: Ocular health is significant as undetected and untreated eye conditions can lead to vision loss and blindness. Usually, dentists, dental assisting staff, and patients undergoing frequent dental corrections are likely affected by eye injuries. Methods: This survey aimed to evaluate eye safety protocols in the dental fraternity. A prevalidated questionnaire was given to practicing graduate and postgraduate dentists to obtain details of the eye safety protocol they adopted. Results: A total of 150 dentists approached; only 125 chose to participate in the survey and answered our questionnaire. Although most dentists used eye protection for themselves, primarily personal eyeglasses and face shields, eye injury was quite common in them. Conclusion: Data from this study revealed that the use of eye safety practices among the respondents could be improved. Clinicians should be aware that they are responsible for providing adequate eye protection for themselves and their assisting staff and patients. Keywords: Dental procedures, dental surgeons, eye safety, goggle use, Author(s): Vijayalaxmi Nimma [1]; Maitri Bayani [1]; Amara S. Lingam (corresponding author) [2]; Easwaran Ramaswami [1]; Lavanya Reddy [3]; Sonali Kadam [1] INTRODUCTION According to World Health Organization, ocular health [...]

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into prosthodontics has significantly improved diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning precision. This research evaluates the efficacy of four prominent object detection algorithms--YOLOv7, YOLOv8, AdaBoost, and RCNN--in identifying dental implants from radiographic images. Using a custom dataset containing over 5000 images collected from dental clinics, the study conducts a thorough assessment of each algorithm's performance. The proposed approach involves data processing and model training. This comparative analysis provides valuable insights into the performance characteristics of each algorithm, particularly regarding dental implant identification. Such insights can assist prosthodontists in making informed decisions regarding algorithm selection for clinical implementation, ultimately enhancing patient care and treatment outcomes in the field of dental prosthetics. Findings suggest that YOLOv7 and YOLOv8 excel in both speed and accuracy of dental implant identification, with AdaBoost also performing admirably, although with slightly slower processing times. However, RCNN, despite its precise localization capabilities, demonstrates relatively slower processing speeds. Evaluation metrics unveil varying levels of accuracy among the models, ranging from 77% to 92%. Furthermore, these findings contribute to the ongoing advancements in AI-assisted dental care, promising improved efficiency and precision in treatment planning and execution for better patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves are the shrubs or trees growing in coastal saline or brackish water. The ecological study has practical applications in conservation biology, wetland management, natural resource management, city planning community health economic, basic & applied science & human social interaction. Mangrove ecosystems are highly productive but extremely sensitive and fragile. The present study deals with quantitative estimation, density, abundance and diversity index of mangroves located in western coastal region of Maharashtra, the Palghar district which is also a part of Konkan tract or Konkan coast. In the study area of Palghar coastline, out of 16 recorded species, 13 species are true mangrove from 4 genera & 8 families are observed. The flora from family Acanthaceae, Primulaceae, Fabaceae, Convolvulaceae, Combretaceae, Rhizophoraceae, Salvadoraceae, Aizoaceae, Lythraceae, Amaranthaceae are recorded as mangroves and their associates at 5 marshy locations of Palghar coastlines. Due to anthropogenic activity, industrialization & tourisms, sewage water and non-degradable wastes like plastic wrappers, plastic bottles get deposited in the marshy areas which is the reason why the mangrove are degraded. The covered upline areas with plastic suffocate the roots, even the pneumatophores and plants die due to suffocation. Until the adaptation for the plastic-coated marshy lands has not been developed in mangrove plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Forensic odontology is a branch which deals with proper handling and examination of dental evidence, and the proper evaluation and presentation of dental findings. It uses the skills of a dentist in personal identification during mass calamities, sexual assault and child abuse to name a few. The need to estimate the age of living individuals is becoming more frequent because of increasing number of crime rates by and against minors, increase in the number of immigrants without acceptable identification documents and the falsification of data to be prevented from being sentenced to a punishment. Teeth are bestowed with features of hardness and resilience against external factors such as chemicals, putrefaction and fire explosives making them a durable source of age determination. Dental age estimation has proven to be equivalent to the skeletal methods of age estimation. Further dentist's play a significant role in assessing the grievousness of the injuries sustained to the oral cavity. Hence it become a dentist's moral responsibility to act effectively in legal matters of such nature. Here we present a case suspected of sexual assault where age estimation and assessment of grievousness of injuries faced by the victim are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hookah smoking has been on raise all over the world, including India, especially among youngsters. There is growing evidence suggesting the high school children experimenting this form of tobacco. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics, behavior, and perceptions related to hookah smoking among the hookah smokers in Mumbai. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 200 randomly selected young adults between the age group of 15–35 years in Mumbai who visited different dental clinics. The questionnaire was distributed as Google Forms online in the month of November and December 2019 and those who submitted completed responses were included in the study. Results: Only 114 participants returned with the completed forms in the time period of 2 months. The results showed that the majority of participants were between 20 and 24 age, comprising 58% who were having the habit of hookah smoking. Among which 24% females, 76% males had history of hookah habit. Eight percent of males started smoking hookah from very young age. Males (29.89%) shared one hookah pot with four members. Forty percent of the participants stated that they are interested to smoke again because of hookah flavor. Conclusion: Easy availability of newer forms of smoking at online markets could play a role in promoting the use of hookah among youngsters. Most products are being sold without any warnings, and there is no means to control the selling of the products to minors. Educational intervention is urgently needed to create awareness among youth about the harmful effects of hookah smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: In 1985, Tyndall and Matteson first described the air cells that occur in the root of zygomatic arch and in the articular eminence of the temporal bone but do not extend beyond the zygomaticotemporal suture. Aims: The aim is to study the prevalence and patterns of pneumatized articular tubercle (PAT) retrospectively using two different imaging modalities, i.e., digital panoramic radiography and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Subjects and Methods: Total 3000 panoramic radiographs belonging to 1291 females and 1709 males and CBCT scans of 200 patients belonging to 62 females and 138 males were studied retrospectively and investigated for radiographic features of pneumatized articular tubercle. Results: Prevalence found by using panoramic radiography is 1.96% and by using CBCT is 12.5%. Conclusions: This research scrutinizes the prevalence of pneumatized articular tubercle and establishes the prevalence of the same among the studied population, using panoramic radiography and CBCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]