Amar A. Sholapurkar

The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in patients visiting a dental school in Southern India

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in Manipal, Karnataka State, India. A total of 1190 subjects who visited the department of oral medicine and radiology for diagnosis of various oral complaints over a period of 3 months were interviewed and clinically examined for oral mucosal lesions. The result showed the presence of one or more mucosal lesions in (41.2%) of the population. Fordyces condition was observed most frequently (6.55%) followed by frictional keratosis (5.79%), fissured tongue (5.71%), leukoedema (3.78%), smokers palate (2.77%), recurrent aphthae, oral submucous fibrosis (2.01%), oral malignancies (1.76%), leukoplakia (1.59%), median rhomboid glossitis (1.50%), candidiasis (1.3%), lichen planus (1.20%), varices (1.17%), traumatic ulcer and oral hairy leukoplakia (1.008%), denture stomatitis, geographic tongue, betel chewers mucosa and irritational fibroma (0.84%), herpes labialis, angular cheilitis (0.58%), and mucocele (0.16%). Mucosal lesions like tobacco-related lesions (leukoplakia, smokers palate, oral submucous fibrosis, and oral malignancies) were more prevalent among men than among women. Denture stomatitis, herpes labialis, and angular cheilitis occurred more frequently in the female population.

Central giant cell granuloma of the anterior maxilla

Central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) formerly called giant cell reparative granuloma is a non-neoplastic proliferative lesion of unknown etiology. It occurs most commonly in the mandible. The case reported here resembled a wide variety of conditions that led to a misdiagnosis both on clinical and radiographic examination but was histopathologically diagnosed as CGCG. We describe a case of central giant cell granuloma arising from the anterior maxilla to highlight to the general dental practitioner the importance of histopathology in the diagnosis of this enigmatic lesion.

Condylar Changes and Its Association with Age, TMD, and Dentition Status: A Cross-Sectional Study

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of radiographic changes in the condylar morphology and its association with age, clinical signs and symptoms of temporomandibular dysfunction and dentition status and also to evaluate the intra examiner and inter examiner reliability in assessing condylar changes using panoramic radiographs. A total of 75 subjects were recruited for the study. They were divided into 3 age groups. 20–40 yrs (Group A), 41–60 yrs (Group B) and 61 yrs and above (Group C). In each age group 25 subjects were evaluated both clinically and radiographically. The prevalence of radiographic changes in condylar morphology and symptoms of temporomandibular dysfunction was 81.3% and 18.6%, respectively. Radiographic abnormalities in the mandibular condylar morphology increased with age. They were seen more frequently in patients with clinical signs and symptoms of temporomandibular dysfunction and in patients with loss of teeth. Intra examiner and inter examiner reliability was high indicating a good reliability in assessing the condylar changes using panoramic radiograph.

Comparison of efficacy of fluconazole mouthrinse and clotrimazole mouthpaint in the treatment of oral candidiasis

Candidiasis is by far the most common oral fungal infection in humans and has a variety of clinical features. It is considered to be an opportunistic infection, affecting individuals who are debilitated by another disease. Fluconazole, one of the newer azoles available for systemic use and clotrimazole as a topical ointment are both shown to be effective in the treatment of oral candidiasis and are considered to be well tolerated and useful medications. No study has evaluated the comparison of clinical and mycological response of oral candidiasis to fluconazole mouthrinse and clotrimazole mouthpaint. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of fluconazole mouthrinse and compare it with clotrimazole mouthpaint in the treatment of oral candidiasis.

Panoramic radiographic study of mental foramen in selected dravidians of south Indian population: A hospital based study

Background This study aimed at documenting information on appearance, size, horizontal and vertical locations of Mental Foramen (MF) in Panoramic Radiograph. We also analyzed the age and gender differences with radiographic appearance and location of MF. We evaluated these findings in our population and co-relate with results of previous studies. Material and Methods 1662 panoramic radiographs were evaluated, of which 245 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Each radiograph was traced to record the horizontal and vertical locations. The size of MF was recorded using digital caliper and its appearance was determined by visual examination. Chi-square and t-test were employed. Results The most common appearance of MF was continuous type and the tests showed significant difference with age and gender. The most frequent horizontal location of MF was “location c” with no statistical significant difference with age and gender. The MF was most commonly positioned mesially in relation to the apex of second premolar with no significant differences with gender. The vertical location of the foramen varied drastically with no statistical significant difference in both sides. The difference in dimensions on the left and right sides were not statistically significant. Conclusions Determining the morphological appearance and positional variation of MF is important for isolation of mental nerves and vessels when administering local anesthesia and performing surgeries. We therefore stress the importance of accurate radiographic identification of MF and interpretation. Our research findings can be used as reference material by the dental practitioners of South India while performing clinical procedures that involve MF. Key words:Mental foramen, mental nerve, panoramic radiograph, mandible.

Age and gender correlation of gonial angle, ramus height and bigonial width in dentate subjects in a dental school in Far North Queensland

Background This study aimed to determine if mandibular parameters (gonial angle, bigonial width and ramus height) measured from panoramic radiographs, can be used to determine a correlation with an individual’s age and gender in dentate subjects in Far North Queensland. Material and Methods The study utilised 2699 randomly selected panoramic radiographs of patients between the ages of 19-69 years, from which 220 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Each panoramic radiograph was analysed and the above three parameters recorded and measured. These values were collated into appropriate age and gender groups and subjected to statistical analysis. Results The mean age of the participants was 44.1±14.41, with males being shown to have a statistically significant larger ramus height and bigonial width than females (P<0.0001 for both). Females, on the other hand, were shown to have a significantly larger gonial angle than males (P<0.0002). General trends revealed gonial angle to increase with age, whilst bigonial width and ramus height were shown to decrease with age. Conclusions The assessment of mandibular morphology through radiographic measurements may be useful in estimating an individual’s age and gender when comparing to a known population standard. Key words:Bigonial width, gonial angle, panoramic radiograph, ramus height.

Cystic variant of CEOT – a unique presentation

Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor (CEOT) is a rare benign, odontogenic neoplasm. The histologic features of CEOT are unique and serve as the basis for diagnosis. However, among its various histologic subtypes, the cystic variant is extremely rare and less well understood entity, with the MEDLINE search reporting of only two cases till date. We hereby report such unique case and briefly enumerate the differential diagnosis and treatment options. This report illustrates a variant of CEOT that demonstrated ambiguous clinical and radiologic features usually not expected of CEOTs thus making its recognition a challenging task.

Publish and flourish – a practical guide for effective scientific writing

[Extract] Authors are interested in various aspects of medicine, including areas like the dentistry, allied health professions, occupational therapy, nursing, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, etc. all these area need good writers to communicate their work effectively! The competition for tenure-track faculty positions in academia puts increasing pressure on scholars to publish new work frequently. Faculty members who focus on non-publishing-related activities (such as instructing undergraduates or postgraduates) or who publish too infrequently may find themselves out of contention for available tenure-track positions.

Secondary retention of permanent molars in otherwise healthy adults: Three case reports

Secondary retention of permanent molars is an uncommon condition with poorly understood causative factors. Data concerning the mechanism of secondary retention in the permanent molars are insuffici...

Prevalence of oral mucosal disorders in geriatric dental patients visiting dental school in Southern India: a preliminary assessment

There has been a growing recognition of the need to obtain information about the oral health in India. The aim of this report was to provide descriptive information about the oral health among the elderly population. Data from interviews and clinical examination with 225 persons aged 60+ were obtained. Patients were divided into three age groups. The three groups consisted of 75 patients each with age groups of 60-65 years, 66-70 years and 71 and above, respectively and the association of age, medical status, recent use of dental services, habits, dentures with that of oral mucosal disorders were assessed.