Kalyana Chakravarthy Pentapati

Relationship between obesity/overweight status, sugar consumption and dental caries among adolescents in South India.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relationship between obesity/overweight status, sugar consumption and dental caries among adolescents in Udupi District, India. METHODS Study population consisted of 463 school children aged between 13 and 15 years. Information on age, sex, type of school attending and frequency of sugar consumption per day was recorded by a structured self-administered questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI) (height in metres and weight in kilograms) and caries measurements (DMFT) were taken by a trained recorder according to standard criteria. RESULTS Majority of the children were having low normal weight, with 18.6% in overweight and 3.5% in obese groups. There was a significant difference in the frequency of sugar consumption between the BMI groups. Obese group of children had more caries than the overweight and low-normal-weight children. Correlation analysis showed significant positive relation with BMI, decayed teeth and DMFT. Regression analysis showed that caries experience had a significant association with male sex (OR = 2.09, CI = 1.01-4.33), overweight/obese (OR = 3.68, CI = 1.79-7.56) and frequency of sugar consumption more than once per day (OR = 3.13, CI = 1.25-7.85). CONCLUSION There was a significant association between overweight/obesity and caries experience among school children of Udupi District. Obesity and dental caries have common risk determinants and require a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to paediatric patients by both medical and dental healthcare professionals.

Efficacy of triphala mouth rinse (aqueous extracts) on dental plaque and gingivitis in children

AIM The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of triphala mouth rinse (aqueous) in the reduction of plaque and gingivitis among children. METHODS The study was a randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial, with a total of 60 school children (n = 30 in each group; triphala and chlorhexidine groups). Plaque and gingival indices were used to evaluate baseline and follow-up plaque and gingivitis. RESULTS A total of 57 children completed the study. Both chlorhexidine and triphala groups showed significantly lower mean gingival and plaque index scores at follow up than baseline (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the percentage change in the mean gingival index between the two groups (P = 0.826). The percentage change in the mean plaque index was significantly higher in the chlorhexidine group compared to the triphala group (P = 0.048). CONCLUSION The effectiveness of triphala in the reduction of plaque and gingivitis was comparable to chlorhexidine, and can be used for short-term purposes without potential side-effects. It is a cost-effective alternative in reducing plaque and gingivitis.

Investigation of the transmigrated canine in an orthodontic patient population

Objective To investigate the prevalence, demographic and clinical characteristics of transmigrated canines in a south Indian orthodontic patient population. Design Retrospective observational study. Setting Manipal University, Manipal, India. Subjects and methods Panoramic radiographs of 3500 patients were examined and data collected regarding the number and side of transmigrated canines, sex and age of patients, any other associated pathologies and subsequent treatment. Transmigrated canines were classified according to Mupparapus classification. Results The prevalence of transmigrated canines in this population was found to be 0·46% of which, seven were males (age: 17–51 years) and nine were females (age: 17–35 years). All transmigrated canines were unilateral and impacted. Eleven canines migrated from the left to the right side, and five migrated from the right to the left. Of the 16 patients, 13 had retained primary canines and 3 had exfoliated primary canines. Eight canines exhibited a type 1 transmigratory pattern, type 2, type 4 and type 5 transmigratory patterns were exhibited by two canines each. One of the canines was classified as type 3. Three canines were associated with dentigerous cyst formation. Four cases were treated by orthodontic traction, while one was removed surgically. Others were observed periodically. Conclusions Diagnosis of transmigration at earlier stages is important to prevent more complex occlusal problems.

Oral health impact, dental caries, and oral health behaviors among the National Cadets Corps in South India

AIM The aim of the present study was to assess the oral health impact and to evaluate the association between socioeconomic status, oral health behaviors, dental caries experience, and oral health impacts among children enrolled in the National Cadets Corps. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 389 male cadets aged between 13 and 15 years. Sociodemographic and oral health behavior-related information was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The Child-Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) Index was used to assess the oral impacts. The cadets were clinically examined for caries experience using decayed, missing, filled tooth index. RESULTS A total of 359 children completed all stages of the survey. The mean age of the children was 13.96 ± 0.6 years. Fifty-five percent of the participants experienced at least one impact in the last 3 months. The mean OIDP score for the population was 12.13 ± 5.85. The most prevalent impact was difficulty in eating (37%), and the least affected daily performance was social contact (17%). Dental attendance and caries experience were significant predictors of oral impacts. CONCLUSIONS The present study revealed that oral health had a significant impact on quality of life. Caries experience and past dental visits were associated with oral health-related quality of life among this study population.

Effect of Aloe vera, chlorine dioxide, and chlorhexidine mouth rinses on plaque and gingivitis: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of Aloe vera, chlorine dioxide, and chlorhexidine mouth rinses on plaque and gingivitis in orthodontic treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS A randomized single-center, single-blind, parallel group, controlled trial was conducted among 90 subjects undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment. The subjects were randomly divided into one of the three study groups (Aloe vera, chlorhexidine, chlorine dioxide). Plaque and gingivitis were assessed using modified Silness and Loe Plaque Index and Gingival Index at baseline and at follow-up after 15 days. Paired t-test and ANOVA with post hoc Dunnett test were used. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS A total of 85 participants completed the study; among them, 40 were male and 45 were female. There was significant reduction in mean plaque and gingival scores in all the 3 groups at follow-up when compared to baseline. A significantly higher reduction (plaque and gingival scores) was found in chlorhexidine when compared with the Aloe vera group. However, no significant difference was seen between chlorhexidine and chlorine dioxide with respect to mean reduction in plaque and gingival scores. CONCLUSION Chlorine dioxide can be a suitable and economical alternative for chlorhexidine. Further long-term studies are recommended for evaluating their effectiveness.

Knowledge of dental decay and associated factors among pregnant women: a study from rural India.

PURPOSE To assess the knowledge of dental decay among pregnant women and its relationship with sociodemographic characteristics and caries experience in rural India. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among 381 pregnant women in southern India. Variables and knowledge of dental decay were recorded using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Dental caries was recorded by a calibrated examiner as per WHO guidelines. RESULTS The majority of the respondents were under 30 years of age (91.6%), utilised a public health-care delivery system (57.2%), were primigravid (63%), had a pre-universtiy diploma (64.8%) and were in the 3rd trimester (63%). Overall, poor knowledge was expressed by 12% to 37% of the women. The mean (±SD) DT (decayed teeth), MT (missing teeth), FT (filled teeth) and DMFT (decayed, missing and filled teeth) were 3.08 (±2.6), 0.93 (±2.23), 0.39 (±1.14) and 4.4 (±3.56), respectively. There were no significant differences in the responses to the knowledge of caries with respect to age and trimester. Educational status, health-care delivery system and number of pregnancies had a significant association with knowledge of caries. CONCLUSION This study highlighted the limited knowledge of dental decay among pregnant, rural, southern Indian women. Preventive programmes for pregnant women should be designed based upon a thorough interview including an informative session on the specific risks during this period, in order to motivate the patient towards oral health and implement the needed prophylactic measures.

A randomized double-blind, multiple-arm trial comparing the efficacy of submucosal injections of hyaluronidase, dexamethasone, and combination of dexamethasone and hyaluronidase in the management of oral submucous fibrosis

OBJECTIVE Numerous treatment modalities for oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) have been advocated over the years. However, its medical treatment is not yet fully standardized. This randomized double-blind trial assessed and compared the effects of two commonly used drugs, independently and in combination. METHODS Forty-five patients were staged clinically and histopathologically for OSF and were randomly divided into three groups of 15 each by permuted block randomization. Each group received biweekly submucosal injections of hyaluronidase (1500 IU), dexamethasone (8 mg) or a combination of both (750 IU and 4 mg), respectively, for a period of 5 weeks. Improvement in pain upon opening, burning sensation, and tightness of mucosa as perceived by the patient, as well as improvement in mouth opening measured clinically were determined at the end of week 2, months 1, 2, 3, and 6 after the final injection. Results were compared and statistically analyzed using analysis of variance. RESULTS Submucosal injection of hyaluronidase gave a quicker and better improvement of measured symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Biweekly submucosal injection of hyaluronidase over a period of 5 weeks appears to be a viable treatment option for OSF.

Anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis effect of Papain, Bromelain, Miswak and Neem containing dentifrice: a randomized controlled trial

Background Patients undergoing fixed orthodontic therapy may have difficulty in maintaining a good oral hygiene due to the difficulty posed by the appliances in accessing such areas. This study aimed to compare anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis efficacy of dentifrice containing Papain, Bromelain, Miswak and Neem with a standard dentifrice among patient’s undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment. Material and Methods Single center, single blind, parallel arm, randomized controlled clinical trial with an allocation ratio of 1:1 was conducted. Evaluation of plaque and gingivitis was done using Williams modification of Silness and Loe Plaque Index (PI) for use in orthodontic subjects and Loe and Silness’s Gingival Index (GI) at baseline and one month. Results Inter-group comparison showed there was significantly lower mean plaque index in test (0.88 ±0.05) than in control group (1.17 ±0.05) after adjusting for the baseline plaque index (p<0.001). Similarly, there was significantly lower mean gingival index in test (0.87 ±0.04) than in control group (1.14 ±0.04) after adjusting for the baseline gingival index (p<0.001). Conclusions The efficacy of the test dentifrice in limiting plaque and gingivitis suggests that it can be used as a home based adjunct to clinical therapy in orthodontic patients. Key words:Bromelain, gingivitis, miswak, neem, papain, plaque.

Effect of cervical pull headgear on head position

Dentists are faced every day with many stressors; as a result, they are subjected to many symptoms of stress that must be identified and managed in the early stages before serious physical and psychological consequences develop. This article reviews the literature concerning stress among dentists. Many stressors are identified and coping techniques are explained.O of the major factors to achieve superior outcomes in orthodontic treatment is anchorage. Both intra and extra oral devices have been used for anchorage, which a range of disadvantages of these devices could be mentioned. Extra oral anchorage requires patient’s cooperation to increase compliance, whilst, intra-oral anchorage cannot provide optimum anchorage. Today, orthodontic mini-implants are generally used for absolute anchorage. Mini-implants are temporary devices which can be easily surgically placed and removed at the end of the treatment without patient’s compliance. The success rate of the mini-implants is mainly affected by accurate positioning. Radiographic evaluation is used to place implants at the proper position not only for success but also to avoid injury of adjacent vital anatomical structures. Generally, two-dimensional radiographs such as periapical, panoramic or bitewing are used. However, these kind of radiologic techniques do not evaluate the exact dimension of the implant area. Recently, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has gained a prevailing acceptance in general dentistry. CBCT is not a standard diagnostic tool in orthodontics. Besides, surgical templates can be fabricated according to the radiographic images. Although CBCT provides additional diagnostic information, it gives relatively higher radiation to the patient when compared to the conventional radiographic techniques. Furthermore, surgical templates are not very cheap in price. Therefore, CBCT should be used at narrow inter-radicular areas to avoid perforation of adjacent anatomical structures like maxillary sinus, mandibular canal, or the teeth. This poster presentation aims to discuss the use of CBCT for treatment planning and fabrication of surgical guide for the placement of mini-implants with a series of case reports.Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate upper lip length and thickness changes in the vertical dimensions at maximum smile in patients with class I and class II div 1,2 of malocclusion According To Angles Classification. Methods: Video equipment was used to capture video (5-10 second) for 120 randomly selected subjects. The subjects were divided into three groups by class of malocclusion According To Angles Classification. Each group was further subdivided by gender (20 males, 20 females). Two frames for each subject were selected, one frame representing the lips at rest and the second representing the natural unstrained posed smile. The data for the subjects were analyzed by using 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the Bonferroni post-hoc test. Results: Statistically significant differences were apparent in most of the measured variables. Changes in upper lip length and upper lip thickness were higher in class I followed by class II div2 then class II div1. The upper lip in the smile of patients with Class II division 1 was positioned downward, and the upward movement of the upper lip (changes in length and thickness) was smaller in comparison with the other groups. Changes in upper lip length and upper lip thickness on smiling were greater in males as compared with females in all groups. Conclusions: Data from this study clearly indicate that malocclusion effects on the changes in upper lip length and thickness on smiling, and the changes differ between males and females.Introduction: In Taiwan, a combination of betel quid (BQ) chewing, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking habits may increase the oral cancer risk by 123-folds higher than persons without any habits. During the pathogenesis of oral cancer, lymphocyte phenotypes in the peripheral blood of patients may potentially influence the cancer progression and prognosis of oral cancer. As we know, poor oral habits will easily initiate and promote the cell to malignant transformation. Over 90% of oral cancer patients have the bad oral habits, so oral cancer is still the fourth highest cause of death in Taiwan. We try to know the immunological changes of lymphocytes populations in different stage of oral carcinogenesis and their relation to survival of oral cancer patients.

Prevalence of oral potentially malignant disorders in workers of Udupi taluk

Objective: The objective was to assess the prevalence and risk factors of oral potentially malignant disorders (PMD) among industrial workers of Udupi taluk, Karnataka. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of industrial workers aged >18 years from randomly selected industries in Udupi Taluk. A self-administered questionnaire was given to the participants to assess sociodemographic factors and abusive habits (Tobacco, Alcohol, and Betel quid) followed by clinical oral examination by single trained and calibrated examiner. Results: A total of 396 completed all steps of the survey and were included for analysis. A total of 14, 11.4, and 14.4% were tobacco, alcohol, and betel quid users, respectively. A total of 8.6% (n = 34) have at least one PMD. A significantly higher number of participants with single (11.4%) or combined habits (60.4%) had oral lesions while none of the participants without habits reported any oral lesions (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Prevalence of abusive habits and oral premalignant lesions or conditions was substantial among the workers. The cause and effect relationship and dose-response were also shown to be significantly associated. Prevention and early diagnosis through workplace screening are the major cornerstones for the control of oral cancer.