In the field of periodontology, the success of any treatment is based on the accuracy of the initial diagnosis. Traditional clinical measurements used for periodontal diagnosis are often of limited usefulness as they are indicators of previous periodontal disease rather than the present disease activity. Many of the biochemical, microbiological, gingival crevicular fluid, and salivary diagnostic tests are commercially available chairside tests Offers, that make the monitoring of periodontal disease activity more efficient. Chairside diagnostic kits offer rapid, reproducible mode of diagnosis and the results can be used for patient motivation as well. This review highlights various chairside diagnostic kits that facilitate diagnosis and improve prognosis.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Branchial cleft cysts are the most common congenital neck masses which originate from remnants of the branchial arches or branchial pouches. The lesion presents as an asymptomatic circumscribed movable mass on the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The dentist should be aware of this entity, because it can be easily confused with an odontogenic infection or parotid pathology, especially, if it develops high up in the neck. In this article, we report a case of infected branchial cyst in the left side of the neck region along with its literature review.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of remaining dentinal wall thickness and the effect of remaining cusp height of endodontically treated premolars when restored with composite resin. Materials and Methods: Ninety premolars were divided into 4 test groups (n = 20) and 2 control groups (n = 5). In all groups, except the negative control group (sound teeth), standardized endodontic access cavities were prepared, pulp extirpated, mesioocclusodistal (MOD) cavities prepared and access sealed with Light Cure Glass Ionomer Cement (LC GIC). Test groups were divided as:- Cusp reduction for Groups I and II- 2.5 mm and for Groups III and IV- 1.5 mm. Dentinal wall thickness for Groups I and III- 1-1.5 mm and Groups II and IV- 2-3 mm. The groups were further subdivided into Subgroup A, restored with P60 and Subgroup B, restored with Herculite Precis. Positive control- only access cavity with no cusp reduction and restoration. Fracture resistance was assessed using Universal Testing Machine (UTM). Results: Highest fracture resistance was demonstrated by Group VI and least by Group V. Groups VI, II and I, showed statistically insignificant difference for both the composites (P > 0.05). Groups III and IV showed statistically significant difference only for Subgroup B. Conclusion: When the cusp reduction was 2.5 mm, dentinal wall thickness had no effect on the fracture resistance, for both the composites. When the cusp reduction was 1.5 mm and the remaining dentinal thickness was 1-1.5 mm, Herculite Precis showed inferior results to P60.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Objectives: In spite of clinical success, the pulpotomy technique has been questioned for safety and effectiveness of currently available medicaments. In search of newer materials, there is a rapid research toward natural health remedies. Thus, an in vivo study was conducted to evaluate and compare the clinical and radiographic success of honey and formocresol (FC) as pulpotomy agents. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 mandibular primary molars were selected from 50 healthy children aged between 3 and 8 years following the inclusion and exclusion criteria for pulpotomy procedure. The teeth were divided into two equal groups; in Group A, honey was used as pulpal medicament and in Group B, FC as control. Further, all the pulpotomised teeth were restored with stainless steel crowns and postoperative evaluation was done at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months interval. Results: Clinically, both the groups showed 100% success during the follow-up periods. Even though 100% radiographic success was recorded for Group A and B after 1 month interval, the values dipped to 95.6% and 95.4% at 3 months, 91.3% and 90.9% after 6 months, 91.3% and 86.3% after 9 months, and 86.9% and 77.2% after 12 months, respectively. Conclusion: Although honey showed promising results both clinically and radiographically, long-term follow-up is recommended to investigate the efficacy of honey as viable alternative to FC.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Background and Aim: An inordinate percentage of orthodontic patients present with Class II mandibular deficient problems. Mandibular deficiency is one of the major risk factors for developing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). If functional appliance therapy for mandibular development also increases the pharyngeal airway dimensions the risk for developing OSA in these patients will be minimized. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the changes in the sagittal pharyngeal airway dimensions (SPAD) after twin-block functional appliance therapy in adolescent patients with mandibular retrognathism, utilizing linear, and area measurements. Materials and Methods: A total of 14 patients with an age range of 12–14 years, both the genders having skeletal Class II malocclusion with a deficient mandible were selected and twin-block functional therapy was initiated. Lateral cephalograms were taken at the start of functional jaw orthopedic treatment (time point T1) and at its completion (time point T2) after 4–5 months. Specific areas and distances were measured and analyzed. Results: The area measures increased significantly while the linear measurements showed a non significant increase. The oropharynx (P = 0.008) area displayed the most significant increase followed by nasopharynx (P = 0.014) and laryngopharynx (P = 0.028). Conclusion: Functional appliance therapy utilizing twin-block appliance in Class II malocclusion patients with retrognathic mandible was efficient in increasing the SPAD.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

The mental nerve is a sensory nerve that supplies the lower lip, chin, and mandibular labial gingiva. Very few variants of this nerve have been described in the literature. We describe a case in which a patient who was operated for fracture of the mandible, was found to have two mental foramina with three mental nerves. This case report highlights the need for proper radiological evaluation of mental foramina for ideal treatment planning. Clinical implications are discussed.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Management of bleeding disorders poses a challenge to dentists. These conditions can be inherited, acquired, or congenital are associated with an increased risk of hemorrhage, poor wound healing, and infection. Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare autosomal recessive disease which belongs to a group of chromosome break up or DNA repair disorders. Hematologic abnormalities represent the most prevalent pathologic manifestation of FA. Herein, we report a case of FA in which various classical signs of the disease were present. We have given emphasis on oral manifestations and the role of a pedodontist in making an early diagnosis and providing comprehensive care for the maintenance of oral health of the affected individuals.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of undergraduate dental students about oral health considerations in patients with renal problems. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted based on a questionnaire containing 15 questions about prevention, clinical aspects, and attitudes toward oral health considerations in patients with renal problems. One hundred and thirty-three undergraduate dental students between the third and final years were enrolled in the study. The statistical significance was measured using Pearson's Chi-square test. Results: There was a predominance of females (58.65%). Interrelationship between dental and medical problems such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been noticed in most of the students (92.48%), and uremic stomatitis is the most commonly (68.66%) observed terminology among them. Other oral manifestations were reported by 48% of students from all three groups. However, students did not have enough knowledge regarding the dental management of these patients. Conclusions: Students have a good knowledge of the etiology of oral health consideration in patients with renal problems and are apparently alert in their examinations. The clinical aspects of the oral health consideration in such patients, however, are not so clear.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Aim: The literature on the effect of fluoride on dental caries is well discussed in contrast to periodontal tissues. However, a recent review has explored an epidemiological association between fluorosis and periodontal disease and also the influence of fluorosis on periodontal structures along with the comparison of influence of periodontal treatment on fluorosed and nonfluorosed teeth. There is a scarcity in literature dealing with the effect of fluorosis on biological tissues such as bone and cementum. During the progression of periodontitis, there is a possibility of mechanical (microhardness), chemical (mineral), and histologic changes in cementum. Considering the higher incidence of periodontitis in the endemic fluorosed area around Davangere, there is an opportunity to study the cemental changes due to fluorosis which would influence the initiation and progression of periodontal disease. Hence, the aim was to study the microhardness of fluorosed and nonfluorosed cementum. Materials and Methods: A total of 24 healthy nonfluorosed and fluorosed orthodontically extracted premolars were collected to assess and compare the mechanical properties (Vickers hardness tester) of fluorosed versus nonfluorosed cementum. Results: The results of this study showed that the mean hardness of the fluorosed cementum (57.7 ± 9.4) was lower than nonfluorosed (60.40 ± 6.23) cementum. Conclusion: The clinical importance of this study is that clinicians need be aware of this difference during periodontal, orthodontic, caries treatment, crown procedures, and implant therapy.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Cherubism is a rare non-neoplastic fibro-osseous disorder characterized by clinically evident bilateral painless enlargement of the jaws that usually gives a cherubic appearance. Cherubism is due to dominant mutations in the SH3-binding protein 2 (SH3BP2) gene on chromosome 4p16.3.The skeletal deformity causes dental complications. Bilateral swelling of the jaws usually appears between the age of 2 and 7 years, after which, the lesions proliferate and increase in size until puberty. These lesions subsequently begin to regress, fill with bone and remodel until the age of 30 years. Here we present a case of 20 years male patient with cherubism.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

The life span of any research begins with an idea and ends in a scientific journal. Every journal claims to be indexed in various databases. A database is a collection of information and journal articles that are organized so that it can easily, accessed, managed, and updated. There are a large number of databases which are managed by various organizations/institutions and each one is different. These databases assist in identifying citations for specific area-related journal articles. There is a growing demand to publish in select indexed journals. The authors need to know and understand the concept behind such databases and also know how to identify the validity of such databases. This commentary is a useful update for authors understanding of indexed journals.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]