Neelam Mittal

Management of extra oral sinus cases: a clinical dilemma.

The cutaneous sinus tract of dental origin is an uncommon but well documented condition. Its diagnosis is not always easy unless the treating clinician considers the possibility of its dental origin. Such patients may undergo multiple surgical excisions, biopsies, and antibiotic regimens, but all of them fail with the recurrence of the sinus tract. This is because the primary etiology is incorrectly diagnosed. This case report describes the treatment of four patients presenting with variable complaints of pain and purulent or hemorrhagic discharge from lesions of the face. Clinical and radiographic examination revealed carious teeth with radiolucent areas indicating chronic periradicular abscess. The teeth were restorable, so nonsurgical endodontic therapy was performed in all of them. No systemic antibiotic therapy was provided. The patients responded well, and the cutaneous lesions healed uneventfully. Improper diagnosis can lead to needless loss of teeth that can be otherwise maintained through timely and proper management.

A comparative evaluation of the blood clot, platelet-rich plasma, and platelet-rich fibrin in regeneration of necrotic immature permanent teeth: A clinical study

Introduction: This study was designed as a clinical trial to evaluate and compare the regenerative potential of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and blood clot in immature necrotic permanent teeth with or without associated apical periodontitis. Methods: Access preparation was done under rubber dam isolation. Copious irrigation was done with 2.5% NaOCl and triple antibiotic paste was placed as an intracanal medicament. After 4 weeks, the cases were divided into four groups with five patients in each group. The study design had three test arms and one control arm. Group I in which mineral trioxide aggregate apexification was carried out and it was kept as control group to evaluate the regenerative potential of blood clot and platelet concentrates, Group II in which blood clot was used as scaffold in the canal, Group III in PRF was used as scaffold, and Group IV in which PRP carried on collagen was used as a scaffold. Results: The clinical and radiographic evaluation after 6 and 18 months was done by two independent observers who were blinded from the groups. The scoring was done as: None score was denoted by, Fair by 1, Good by 2, and Excellent by 3. The data were then analyzed statistically by Fisher′s exact test using Statistics and Data 11.1(PRP Using harvest Smart PReP2) which showed statistically significant values in Group III as compared to other Groups. Conclusion: PRF has huge potential to accelerate the growth characteristics in immature necrotic permanent teeth as compared to PRP and blood clot.

Chitosan inserts for periodontitis : Influence of drug loading, plasticizer and crosslinking on in vitro metronidazole release

Chitosan inserts for periodontitis: Influence of drug loading, plasticizer and crosslinking on in vitro metronidazole release Chitosan based metronidazole (MZ) inserts were fabricated by the casting method and characterized with respect to mass and thickness uniformity, metronidazole loading and in vitro metronidazole release kinetics. The fabricated inserts exhibited satisfactory physical characteristics. The mass of inserts was in the range of 5.63 ± 0.42 to 6.04 ± 0.89 mg. The thickness ranged from 0.46 ± 0.06 to 0.49 ± 0.08 mm. Metronidazole loading was in the range of 0.98 ± 0.09 to 1.07 ± 0.07 mg except for batch CM3 with MZ loading of 2.01 ± 0.08 mg. The inserts exhibited an initial burst release at the end of 24 h, irrespective of the drug to polymer ratio, plasticizer content or cross-linking. However, further drug release was sustained over the next 6 days. Cross-linking with 10% (m/m) of glutaraldehyde inhibited the burst release by ~30% and increased the mean dissolution time (MDT) from 0.67 to 8.59 days. The decrease in drug release was a result of reduced permeability of chitosan due to cross-linking. Kitozanski umetci za periodontitis: Utjecaj količine lijeka, plastifikatora i umrežavanja na oslobađanje metronidazola in vitro Umetci metronidazola na bazi kitozana načinjeni su kasting metodom. Proučavana je ujednačenost mase i debljine, količina ljekovite tvari i kinetika oslobađanja metronidazola in vitro. Fizičke karakteristike umetaka bile su zadovoljavajuće: masa je bila u rasponu od 5,63 ± 0,42 - 6,04 ± 0,89 mg, debljina od 0.46 ± 0.06 - 0.49 ± 0.08 mm, količina metronidazola od 0,98 ± 0,09 - 1,07 ± 0,07 mg osim u pripravku CM3 s MZ 1,07 ± 0,07 mg. Nakon 24 h, neovisno o omjeru ljekovite tvari i polimera, količini plastifikatora ili umrežavanju, dio metronidazola se naglo oslobodio iz svih umetaka. Međutim, daljnje je oslobađanje bilo polagano, tijekom 6 dana. Umrežavanje s 10% (m/m) otopinom glutaraldehida spriječilo je naglo oslobađanje za ~30% i povećalo srednje vrijeme oslobađanja (MDT) s 0,67 na 8,59 dana. Smanjenje u oslobađanju ljekovite tvari posljedica je smanjenja permeabilnosti umreženog kitozana.

Niridazole Biodegradable Inserts for Local Long-Term Treatment of Periodontitis: Possible New Life for an Orphan Drug

Periodontal pocket inserts of niridazole (NZ) made with Resomer® (grades RG 503H and RG858, designated as RH and RG, respectively) were studied. Various formulation variables were evaluated to obtain a biodegradable delivery systems showing device degradation and drug depletion parallel to each other in vitro. Drug release from the prepared inserts was evaluated using a static dissolution setup (for 1 month). Incorporation of 3 parts of RG in 1 part of RH inserts caused a 50% decrease in the initial release rate. The RH-NZ inserts showed a spurt in release around the 10th day of the study, which coincided with the decrease in device weight, suggesting onset of device degradation. Pilot-scale clinical trials in 12 patients indicated improvements in clinical indices from the baseline values. The average pocket depth was reduced significantly (α = 0.05) from 6.34 ± 1.86 mm at baseline to 5.94 ± 0.28 mm after 28 days of treatment.

Assessment of the prevalence of periodontal diseases and treatment needs: A hospital-based study.

Background: The periodontal diseases are the most prevalent oral diseases worldwide especially in developing countries like India. The objective of this cross-sectional survey was to determine the prevalence of periodontal diseases and treatment needs (TNs) in a hospital-based population. Materials and Methods: Totally, 500 men and women (15-74 years) were recruited and periodontal status of each study subject and sextant was evaluated on the basis of community periodontal index of TNs, and thereafter TN for each subject and sextant was categorized on the basis of the highest code recorded during the examination. Results: A total of 500 subjects (59% males and 41% females) was divided into seven age groups, that is, 15-19, 20-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65-74 years and sextants were included from the 486 subjects. Healthy periodontium, bleeding on probing, calculus, shallow pockets, and deep pockets were found in 3.9%, 6.58%, 50.61%, 20.98%, and 17.90% subjects, respectively. Males were more affected with shallow and deep pockets as compared to females. Periodontal diseases in the early stages were more prevalent in the younger age groups, whereas advanced stages were more prevalent in older age groups. 17.90% subjects and 11.48% sextants need complex treatment. About 77.98% subjects and 73.15% sextants require either oral hygiene instructions or oral hygiene instructions and oral prophylaxis. Only 3.9% subjects and 15.36% sextants were healthy and needed no treatment. Conclusions: Periodontal diseases were found to be 96.30% in the study population and the results indicate that majority of the population need primary and secondary level of preventive program to reduce the chances of initiation or progression of periodontal diseases thereby improving their systemic health overall.

Ethylcellulose Inserts of an Orphan Drug for Periodontitis: Preparation, In Vitro, and Clinical Studies

Ethylcellulose inserts of niridazole fabricated by casting were studied for in vitro release and in vivo clinical effectiveness. The in vitro drug release was steady and sustained for over 7 days and followed diffusion kinetics. Selected batch, EN3, was evaluated clinically in patients with periodontitis for 6 months. A significant improvement (α ≤ 0.05) in clinical indices from baseline was observed. Intergroup study revealed a significant (α ≤ 0.01) change in the bleeding index, gingival index, plaque index, calculus criteria, and pocket depth. Significant reduction in total bacterial count in gingival crevicular fluid was observed before and postdevice insertion, as well as between control and treatment groups.

Spiral computed tomography assessment of the efficacy of different rotary versus hand retreatment system.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of nickel-titanium rotary retreatment systems versus stainless steel hand retreatment system with or without solvent for gutta-percha removal during retreatment. Materials and Methods: Sixty extracted human mandibular molar teeth with single canal in a distal root was prepared with ProTaper rotary nickel-titanium files and obturated with gutta-percha and sealer. The teeth were randomly divided into six groups of 10 specimens in each groups. The volume of filling material before and after retreatment were evaluated in cm3 using the computed tomography (CT) scanner proprietary software. Results: Maximum amount of filling material removed during retreatment with ProTaper retreatment system with solvent and minimum with hand retreatment system with solvent. Conclusions: None of the technique was 100% effective in removing the filling materials, but the ProTaper retreatment system with solvent was better.

Oral rehabilitation of a patient with sub - total maxillectomy.

This clinical report describes oral rehabilitation of a patient with sub-total maxillectomy with palatine process of maxilla and horizontal plate of palatine bone intact to retain the maxillary obturator. Clinical examination has been performed to know the amount of favorable undercuts to be used for retention of the obturator for better functional efficiency. Successful prosthetic reconstruction of hemimaxillectomy defect is a challenging procedure that requires multidisciplinary expertise to achieve acceptable functional speech and swallowing outcomes. This article describes the oral rehabilitation of a patient with sub-total maxillectomy with a maxillary obturator. Oral rehabilitation of sub-total maxillectomy patient is a challenging task. Obturation of the defect depends on volume of the defect, and positioning of remaining hard and soft tissues to be used to retain, stabilize, and support the prosthesis. A maxillary obturator for edentulous patient must provide for retention, stability, support, patient comfort, and cleanliness.

Correlation of Root Dentin Thickness and Length of Roots in Mesial Roots of Mandibular Molars

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to analyze the relation of tooth length and distal wall thickness of mesial roots in mandibular molars at different locations (ie, 2 mm below the furcation and at the junction between the middle and apical third). METHODS Forty-five mandibular first molars were taken, and the length of each tooth was measured. Then, specimens were divided into three groups according to their length: group I-long (24.2 mm ± 1.8), group II-medium (21 mm ± 1.5) and group III-short (16.8 mm ± 1.8). mesial root of each marked at two levels - at 2 mm below the furcation as well as at junction of apical and middle third of roots. The minimum thickness of the distal root dentine associated with the buccal and lingual canals of the mesial roots was measured, The distance between the buccal and lingual canals and the depth of concavity in the distal surface of the mesial roots were also measured. RESULTS Statistical analysis was performed by using analysis of variance and the Student-Newman-Keuls test. The minimum thickness of the distal wall of the mesiobuccal canal was significantly different (P < .001) between groups 1 (long) and 3 (short). CONCLUSIONS Distal wall thickness of the mesiobuccal root and distal concavity of the mesial root of mandibular first molars were found to be thinner in longer teeth compared with shorter teeth.

Revascularization of Immature Necrotic Teeth: Platelet rich Fibrin an Edge over Platelet rich Plasma

Introduction: Revascularization is one such entity that has found its clinical application in the field of endodontics for the management of immature permanent necrotic teeth. The protocols for revasculari- zation of such teeth focus especially on delivery of stem cells and scaffolds in a nonsurgical manner rather than concentrated growth micro molecules. The hypothesis: This article proposes the role of platelet concen- trates such as platelet rich fibrin (PRF) and platelet rich plasma (PRP) in accelerating the regenerative process in such teeth. PRF unlike PRP is associated with slow, continuous and substantial re- lease of morphogens. It is hypothesized further if PRF instead of PRP when placed through immature apices in an orthograde manner can open newer gates for fast and controlled growth in young, ne- crotic, non-infected teeth. Evaluation of the hypothesis: Enhancement of the healing kinet- ics can be evaluated by change in size of periapical radiolucency, thickness of the dentinal walls, root elongation and apical closure compared between preoperative and postoperative standardized two dimensional/three dimensional radiographs taken on regular follow ups.