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Purpose: To identify the relationship between periodontal health knowledge and oral health-related quality of life among Caribbean adults. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a representative sample from 3 Caribbean cities (weighted N = 1805). Participants completed a questionnaire on oral health knowledge, hygiene habits, and other practices, as well as the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire. The associations between knowledge and habits and OHIP-14 score and its tertiles were evaluated using negative binomial and multinomial logistic regression models, respectively, adjusting for confounders. Odds ratios and regression coefficients were reported. Results: Participants reporting none, little, and adequate knowledge about gum health had higher odds of being in the worst tertile for OHRQoL, compared to those reporting “good knowledge” (ORnone vs good = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.59– 3.54; ORlittle vs good = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.19–2.78; ORadequate vs good = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.11–2.57). Participants reporting toothbrushing ≥ twice/day were less likely to be in the worst tertile for OHRQoL, compared to those brushing less often (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.48–0.92). Self-reported gum bleeding was associated with double the odds of being in the worse tertile (OR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.60–2.58). Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, periodontal health knowledge is associated with reduced OHRQoL in Caribbean Adults. In addition, the frequency of brushing and the self-reported gum bleeding was related to a worse quality of life (QoL) level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to explore perceived barriers to early diagnosis and management of oral cancer, as well as potential pathways for improvement in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Methods: This cross‐sectional study used a self‐administered online questionnaire created via the Research Electronic Data Capture platform. The survey was distributed to health professionals trained in Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Dentists with clinical and academic expertise in oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) and oral cancer. Data obtained were systematically organized and analyzed descriptively using Microsoft Excel. Results: Twenty‐three professionals from 21 LAC countries participated. Major barriers included the limited implementation of OPMD and oral cancer control plans (17.4%), low compulsory reporting for OPMD (8.7%) and oral cancer (34.8%), unclear referral pathways for OPMD (34.8%) and oral cancer (43.5%), and a shortage of trained professionals (8.7%). Participants endorsed the utility of online education (100%) and telemedicine (91.3%). Conclusion: The survey highlights major perceived barriers to early diagnosis and management of OPMD and oral cancer in LAC, as well as potential avenues for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Periodontitis therapy employing nanomaterials with submicron sizes holds promise for enhancing osteogenesis and facilitating periodontal cell proliferation. This study aims to assess the potential of nanoparticle‐based rice husk liquid smoke (n‐RHLS) in an animal model of periodontitis by evaluating the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of nuclear factor‐kβ (RANK), and receptor activator of nuclear factor‐kβ ligand (RANKL). Methods. Twenty‐eight male Wistar rats were inoculated with 109 CFU/ml of Porphyromonas gingivalis in the sulcus mandibular incisor region to create periodontitis and subsequently treated with n‐RHLS while the control with saline. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on the mandibular incisor to assess OPG, RANK, and RANKL expression 2 and 7 days after treatment. Results. OPG expression exhibited a significant increase at both 2 and 7 days, while RANKL expression decreased notably after 7 days of treatment using n‐RHLS (p < 0.05). In contrast, RANK expression did not show significant differences compared to the control groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion. Nanostructured liquid smoke derived from rice husk nanoparticles (n‐RHLS) demonstrates potential as a therapeutic agent for periodontitis, especially on OPG/RANK/RANKL expression, by modulating OPG and RANKL expression to support periodontal tissue health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Age estimation plays a crucial role in forensic dentistry, particularly in cases involving adults. This abstract highlights the challenges of age estimation among adults, emphasizing the ethical concerns when dealing with living individuals. Aim: The primary aim of this review is to discuss various age estimation methods applicable to adults in forensic dentistry. It evaluates the reliability and suitability of these methods based on legal questions and specific populations. Materials and Methods: The review explores several age estimation techniques, including Gustafson’s method, dentin translucency, pulp-tooth ratio, cementum annulation, attrition, amino acid racemization, and radiocarbon analysis of dentition. It also underscores the histological and biochemical approaches while acknowledging the ethical challenges associated with extracting tooth specimens from living individuals. The collaboration between forensic dentistry investigators and statistics experts is essential for achieving accurate and population-specific calculations. Conclusion: In forensic dentistry, the objective of age estimation is not merely to provide an exact age but to determine a scientifically relevant age range. By employing various age estimation methods and presenting their results to the legal system, investigators can offer valuable insights into the age of individuals, considering the strengths and limitations of each approach. This collaborative effort ensures that the age estimation process is accurate and context-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viral infections of the oral cavity usually manifest as either ulceration or blistering presentation of oral tissues. Oral viral infections are encountered in dental practice but received less clinical interest due to the lesser frequency of patients and diagnostic challenges. The clinical presentation, pathogenic mechanism, investigations, and management of oral viral infections are integrated into the article which will enable general dentists to develop critical thinking processes on differential diagnosis and management through a multidisciplinary approach with specialist dentists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthrinses are known to have a beneficial effect in the management of periodontal disease. The present study was designed to investigate the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and matrix metalloproteinases-8 (MMP-8) inhibition efficacy of eight commercially available CHX mouthrinses from the Dominican Republic.Methods: The study samples are categorized into two categories, eight commercially available CHX mouthrinses were case sample group, and positive and negative controls used in the study are categorized as control sample group. Antibacterial activity of the samples was evaluated on bacterial strains obtained from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Rockville, MD USA) which were Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Eikenella corrodens, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans.Results: The study samples 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 showed significant higher antibacterial efficacy and sample 4 and 7 were less effective. Samples 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 showed higher antibacterial efficacy with no bacterial colonies formation in dilution assay method, whereas sample 8 showed smaller colonies of bacterial growth. The halo diameter found to be average in sample 8 with 13 mm, whereas sample 9 showed 12.5 + 3.48 mm, sample 1 was with a mean of 11.79 + 3.51 mm. The smaller halo diameter and minimal antibacterial activity were observed in samples 4 (mean of 3.5 + 5.95 mm) and 7 (3.5 + 7.70 mm). All eight samples showed statistically significant higher MMP-8 inhibition activity with P < 0.0001.Conclusion: Commercially available CHX digluconate mouthrinses showed the difference in plaque inhibition with 0.12 and 0.15% concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of fine-needle aspirations (FNAs) in salivary gland pathologies. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the PubMed database using related Medical Subject Heading terms "sensitivity and specificity of FNA in salivary gland" and "diagnostic accuracy of FNA in salivary gland" for the period 1980-2016, and we found that 414 research studies had been published. PRISMA technology was utilized to prepare flow chart for displaying data search strategy. A total of 385 articles were excluded based on the established inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. Twenty-nine research studies were included. Those twenty-nine studies on the sensitivity and specificity of FNAs in salivary gland pathology consisted of 5274 cases of benign, malignant and inflammatory salivary gland lesions. The present study identified a range of 87%-100% sensitivity and 90%-100% specificity for the usefulness of FNAs in distinguishing benign and malignant salivary gland lesions. Although a considerable number of studies have been identified that reported on sensitivity and specificity of FNAs in salivary gland pathologies, each study had a different approach in reporting the sensitivity and specificity. We emphasize that standardized reporting protocols of sensitivity and specificity report supported with checklists would help future researchers to interpret this cytological method and make more accurate clinical utility and usefulness reports on salivary gland pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment option for cancers of the tongue is glossectomy, which may be partial, sub-total, or total, depending on the size of the tumour. Glossectomies result in speech deficits for these patients, and rehabilitative therapy involving communication modalities is highly recommended. Sign language is a possible therapeutic solution for post-glossectomy oral cancer patients. Patients with tongue cancers who have undergone total glossectomy as a surgical treatment can utilise sign language to replace their loss of speech production and maintain their engagement in life. This manuscript emphasises the importance of sign language in rehabilitation strategies in post-glossectomy patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mast cells are initial effective lineage in both humoral and adaptive immunity. They are ubiquitous in skin, mucosa, and in function. They contain biologically essential and dynamic mediators in healthy and harmful conditions of tissue. Mast cell malfunctioning could be attributed to various chronic allergic diseases. Considerately, emerging evidence of mast cell involvement in various cancers shows them to have both positive and negative roles in tumour growth. It mostly indulges in tumour progression and metastasis via angiogenesis, extracellular matrix degradation, and mitogenic activity in the tumour microenvironment. The current paper reviewed research papers on mast cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma through the PubMed database from 1980 to the present date. The present paper is an attempt to summarise the research reports on the role of mast cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Further to this note, this paper also outlines the role of mast cells in normal physiological processes and tumour biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular cancer research studies focus on identifying diagnostic, screening, and metastatic indicators, and monitoring therapeutic responses. Migration of tumor cells and lymphocytes are important aspects in metastasis. High endothelial vessels are specialized histological structures identified in the blood vessels in lymphoid organs, which allow the migration of lymphocytes. In the recent decades, the role of high endothelial vessels is being addressed in cancer metastatic research. This review article is to highlight the histological and molecular structural aspects of high endothelial venules (HEVs) in the lymph node, and to demonstrate the role of HEVs in oral cancer metastasis, specifically oral and pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The literature for the present paper were searched from the data sources such as Medline/PubMed, CINAHL plus, and gray literature sources from inception to May 2015. Searches were conducted using both free texts and medical subject headings related to the title of the present paper. Only the full text manuscripts of the search results that support the objective(s) of the paper and papers written in English were included. HEVs are unique structures that are identified in the lymphocytes and primarily assist in the lymphocytic migration from the blood stream into the lymph node. Understanding the histomolecular characteristics of HEV will allow researchers to develop novel therapeutic approaches in cancer tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral exophytic lesions often have proven to be diagnostically challenging due to the varied clinical presentation. The exophytic growth of the oral lesions is due to the type of pathology and histological changes. Careful clinical interpretation with a better histological understanding of exophytic lesions may ease the diagnosis from the differential diagnosis panel. The purpose of proposing classification system is to categorize the exophytic lesions of interest under specific clinical and/or histological explanation; and this will eventually lead to better understanding of the pathological condition that is described. To the best of our knowledge, there is no such classification system available for oral exophytic lesions and hence proposal of classification system is attempted in this study. Further, proposing a new classification system is not just to influence the academic contribution, but also to assist at greatest extent for diagnosis during clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The lip print pattern is a unique among individuals and thus helps in the identification during the forensic investigation. Lip print analysis in the forensic scene may help in the personal identification. Thus, correlating the lip print with the finger print and gender will create a new room in forensic dentistry investigation. Aim: This study aims to identify the lip and finger print pattern and to correlate lip and finger print pattern for gender identification. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 students from dental institution were included in this study. Of which, 50 were male and 50 were female.. Their aged range between 18 and 28 years with a mean age of 21.3 years. The physiological rest position of the lip print was recorded by the application of red or dark pink colored lipstick over the lips and the imprint was transferred over a white chart sheet through a transparent tape. The imprint of the finger was taken directly on a white chart sheet. The lip and finger print pattern was examined with magnifying lens. The results were analyzed using SPSS software 19.0 (Armonk, NY, USA) and presented as a descriptive statistics. A correlation of lip print with finger print and gender variation was analyzed by Pearson correlation test. Results: The study identified higher prevalence of Type II (34%) lip print pattern in the overall study population. In males, Type I lip print (42%) and plain loop finger print pattern (44%) was frequent in the study. In males, the correlation of lip and finger print patter showed weaker correlation and statistically insignificant (P = 0.436). In females, Type II lip print (34%) and plain loop finger print pattern (42%) was frequent in the study. In females, the correlation of the lip and finger print pattern showed weaker correlation with approachable statistical significance (P = 0.083). The correlation of lip and finger print with gender showed weaker correlation and approachable significance (P = 0.07). The association of lip and finger print in the study showed statistically insignificant. However, the association of Type III lip print pattern with loop finger print pattern showed statistical significant association (P = 0.05) by Chi-square analysis. Conclusion: Lip print analysis is a challenging area in the personal identification during forensic dentistry examination. The study revealed the weaker correlation and approachable significance of lip and finger print pattern in gender identification. Future studies should be encouraged in the direction of software based identification for lip and finger print analysis in gender identification. Such studies may benefit this study pattern in more accurate way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The developmental anomalies of oral cavity are malformations affecting dental and oral tissues. Anomalies of teeth can be associated with primary, mixed or adult dentitions. Anomalies are the results of perturbations in the developmental stages of tissues which may be influenced by genetic and/or environmental factors., Aim and Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of oral and dental anomalies among school attending children in Chittoor and Kadapa districts of Andhra Pradesh. The secondary objective of this study was to compare occurrence of anomalies based on the age stratification to denote primary, mixed and adult dentitions., Materials and Methods: A total of 5000 school children, aged 3-15 years were invited to participate in the study. Information regarding age, sex, level of school education, brushing and hygiene habits were collected using a questionnaire. Intra- and extra-oral examinations were conducted by trained dental surgeons. Clinical data were collected by a single examiner and the details of these anomalies were recorded on the data sheet of the study. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using Chi-square test., Results: Overall prevalence of developmental anomalies was 11.40% and documented 14 types of anomalies. The prevalence of documented anomalies is as follows: tongue-tie 197 (3.90%), dental fluorosis 171 (3.40%), high frenal attachments 156 (3.10%), cusp of Carabelli 14 (0.30%), supernumerary teeth 11 (0.20%), microdontia 4 (0.10%), congenitally missing teeth 4 (0.10%), lip pits 3 (0.08%), fusion 2 (0.04%), retained deciduous teeth 2 (0.04%) and one case of angular cheilitis, cleft lip and cleft palate, talon cusp, amelogenesis imperfecta (0.02%). The prevalence of dental anomalies was 18.10% in 3-5 years, 52.30% among 6-12 years and 29.6% in 13-15 years. Chi-square test was statistically significant ( P = 0.003)., Conclusions: Tongue-tie was the most frequent oral tissue developmental anomaly and fluorosis was the most common developmental anomaly affecting dental tissue. The prevalence rate of the study was compared with studies published from other geographical regions in India. The variations in the reported prevalence of developmental anomalies are probably related to genetic and environmental conditions., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Aim: Chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthrinses are known to have a beneficial effect in the management of periodontal disease. The present study was designed to investigate the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and matrix metalloproteinases-8 (MMP-8) inhibition efficacy of eight commercially available CHX mouthrinses from the Dominican Republic., Methods: The study samples are categorized into two categories, eight commercially available CHX mouthrinses were case sample group, and positive and negative controls used in the study are categorized as control sample group. Antibacterial activity of the samples was evaluated on bacterial strains obtained from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Rockville, MD USA) which were Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Eikenella corrodens, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans., Results: The study samples 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 showed significant higher antibacterial efficacy and sample 4 and 7 were less effective. Samples 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 showed higher antibacterial efficacy with no bacterial colonies formation in dilution assay method, whereas sample 8 showed smaller colonies of bacterial growth. The halo diameter found to be average in sample 8 with 13 mm, whereas sample 9 showed 12.5 + 3.48 mm, sample 1 was with a mean of 11.79 + 3.51 mm. The smaller halo diameter and minimal antibacterial activity were observed in samples 4 (mean of 3.5 + 5.95 mm) and 7 (3.5 + 7.70 mm). All eight samples showed statistically significant higher MMP-8 inhibition activity with P < 0.0001., Conclusion: Commercially available CHX digluconate mouthrinses showed the difference in plaque inhibition with 0.12 and 0.15% concentration., Competing Interests: None