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Ayurvedic drugs have been used since ancient times to treat diseases including periodontal diseases. Oral rinses made from ayurvedic medicines are used in periodontal therapy to control bleeding and reduce inflammation. To evaluate the efficacy of herbal preparation (Irimedadi taila) on reduction of plaque induced gingivitis. A total of 100 volunteers with clinical signs of mild to moderate gingivitis were selected and assigned to Group A (only scaling done) and Group B (scaling along with the use of Irimedadi taila). After recording the clinical parameters, the patients were instructed to use 2–3 drops of Irimedadi taila and gently massage the gums twice daily in Group B and oral hygiene instructions were given to all patients. Plaque and gingivitis assessment were carried out using the plaque index (Silness and Loe, 1964), Gingival index (Loe and Silness, 1963), and modified sulcular bleeding index (Mombelli et al.) at baseline and at 21 days post treatment. Statistically analysis was carried out using the student's paired t test for intra group comparison and unpaired t test for inter group comparison. Results showed that Irimedadi taila is effective in reducing gingival index and gingival bleeding index scores in comparison to scaling alone and the values are statistically significant with p < 0.0001. Irimedadi taila is effective in treatment of plaque induced gingivitis and can be effectively used as an adjunct to mechanical therapy. Keywords: Gingivitis, Irimedadi taila, Plaque

Background: Chronic magnesium (Mg) deficiency has been associated with a number of chronic systemic diseases, including osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes and coronary heart disease. Mg may also alter the course and outcome of the periodontal disease. Aim: To evaluate salivary Mg levels in healthy individuals and patients with chronic gingivitis and chronic periodontitis (CP). Materials and Methods: A total of 150 individuals were selected randomly, which included both males and females with age range between 20 and 45 years. Periodontal status was recorded using the following parameters − gingival index, plaque index, oral hygiene index − simplified and clinical attachment loss. Following periodontal examination, individuals were divided into three groups as follows: Group 1: (n = 50) − comprised of healthy individuals; Group 2: (n = 50) − comprised of patients with gingivitis; Group 3: (n = 50) − comprised of patients with CP. The unstimulated saliva samples from the study individuals were collected and subjected to the estimation of salivary Mg levels using Abcam’s Mg assay kit and Erba EM 360 fully automated auto analyzer (Erba Diagnostic, Mannheim, Germany). Results: In this study, there was an increase in salivary Mg level with increasing severity of the periodontal disease. A significant increase in salivary Mg levels was recorded in patients with gingivitis (1.66 ± 0.28 mg/dl) and periodontitis (2.05 ± 0.66 mg/dl) as compared to healthy individuals (1.35 ± 0.28 mg/dl). Conclusion: Salivary Mg does not play an active role in the modulation of periodontal disease process and, hence, cannot be used as a reliable biomarker associated with periodontal health and disease.

Introduction: Dentinal Hypersensitivity (DH) is one of the most commonly encountered clinical problems. Literature reveals no specific therapy to satisfactorily eliminate dentinal hypersensitivity. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess and compare the efficacy of iontophoresis with 0.33% Sodium Fluoride (NaF) gel and diode laser alone in dentinal tubule occlusion. Materials and Methods: This in vitro study included 20 teeth with intact root surfaces unaltered by extraction procedure for specimen preparation. Each tooth was cleaned, air dried and cut into three sections. Total 60 sections were prepared (30 longitudinal and 30 transverse sections), which were acid etched. In control group, no treatment was carried. In iontophoresis treatment group, samples were inserted into a foam tray containing 0.33 % NaF Gel and subjected to 1.5 mA output current for three minutes. In laser treatment group, specimens were lased with 980 nm diode laser at 0.5 W/PW (62.2J /cm2 ) in a noncontact mode for 30 seconds. Specimens were evaluated under Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) at 10KV to 20KV under x 2000, x5000 magnification for surface characteristics and patency of dentinal tubules. Total number of tubules visible, open, completely and partially occluded were recorded in each microphotograph and compared. Results: On comparison, laser group showed the least number of open tubules i.e., 130 (31.1%) followed by iontophoresis group, 155 (51.32%) and control group 417 (100%). Conclusion: Diode laser application provided better results as compared to iontophoresis on occlusion of dentinal tubules. Hence, it can be used to treat the patients with DH.

Introduction: Dental caries and periodontal diseases are multifactorial oral health problems that have dental bacterial plaque as their main etiological agent. Dental plaque removal plays an important role in oral health maintenance, which could be achieved by either mechanical or chemical plaque control. Disclosing agents in dentistry are being used to identify bacterial plaque for instruction, evaluation and research purposes. Hence, the current study is aimed at evaluating the effect of at home use of disclosing agent in improving the quality of daily oral hygiene. Materials and Methods: The present randomized, prospective case-control study was conducted among 100 subjects who were selected from the outpatient department of periodontology and divided into two groups. Group A (n = 50) is the case group who were instructed to use a disclosing agent and Group B (n = 50) is the control group who were not instructed to use a disclosing agent. Plaque status of the subjects was assessed using "Turesky-Gilmore-Glickman Modification of the Quigley Hein Plaque Index" at baseline. Both the groups were trained to perform the similar brushing technique along with same oral hygiene instructions. After 21 days, both groups were recalled, and their plaque status was re-assessed by the same method. The pre and postplaque scores of both the groups were evaluated by unpaired t-test and value of P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Preevaluation plaque score of Group A was 2.02 ± 0.24 and postevaluation score was 1.08 ± 0.26. Similarly in Group B, the preevaluation plaque score was 1.80 ± 0.92 and postevaluation score was 1.62 ± 0.48. The difference in the plaque scores was statistically significant with a P = 0.00001. Conclusion: The result shows that usage of plaque disclosing agent improves the quality of daily oral hygiene measures performed at home.

Background: Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disorder characterized by decreased bone mass and increased risk for fracture. It has been proposed as a possible risk factor for periodontal disease progression. Recent literature has shown periodontitis to be a risk indicator for osteoporosis, suggesting a possible two way relationship. However the association between these two diseases still remains unclear leading to a scope of further research in this area. Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess and Correlate the severity of osteoporosis and periodontitis by using variables like probing pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, plaque index, body mass index and bone mineral density. Materials and Methods: A total of 65 subjects aged between 45-75 years suffering from periodontitis were considered. All subjects were assessed for periodontal disease severity by plaque index (PI), probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL). The bone mineral density (BMD) of patients was assessed using dual energy X- ray absorptiometry (DXA) at lumbar spine (L1 – L4). The severity of periodontal disease was correlated with severity of osteoporosis. Descriptive statistics like frequency and percentage were calculated for all the variables. Chi-square test was performed to assess the association between the study variables. Result: Among the entire group 78.46% had high plaque index score, and the severity of periodontitis increased with increase in plaque index score showing a statistical significance. Osteopenia was observed in 25.33% of the subjects, out of whom 63.15% suffered from severe periodontitis. Osteoporosis was observed in 17.33% of the subjects, and all the subjects (100%) suffered from severe periodontitis. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that increasing severity of periodontitis increased the risk of osteoporosis and vice versa. We conclude that there is a definite association between periodontitis and osteoporosis.