Shivani Singh

Probiotics: A New Era of Biotherapy

Probiotics or health-beneficial bacteria have only recently been introduced in dentistry after years of successful use in mainly gastrointestinal disorders. The concept of bacteriotherapy was first introduced in the beginning of 20th century. They are administered in different quantities that allow for colon colonization. These products help in stimulating health promoting flora and also suppressing the pathologic colonization and disease spread. The use of probiotic plays an important aspect in dentistry too, ever since the oral infections occupied the prime spot among the other infections affecting the humans. Probiotics strengthen the immune system to combat allergies, stress, exposure to toxic substances, and other diseases. This review is an attempt to discuss briefly the role of probiotics in oral health.

Curcumin - Pharmacological Actions And its Role in Oral Submucous Fibrosis: A Review.

Turmeric has been in use for thousands of years as a dye, flavouring and a medicinal herb. Ancient Indian medicine has touted turmeric as an herb with the ability to provide glow and lustre to the skin as well as vigour and vitality to the entire body. Since curcumin has antimicrobial, antioxidant, astringents and other useful properties, it is quite useful in dentistry also. Curcumin, the most active polyphenolic constituent, is the active ingredient in the traditional herbal remedy and dietary spice turmeric. In gel form it is a component in local drugs delivery system. The objective of this article is to review the pharmacological action of turmeric and its use in treating oral submucous fibrosis.

Early detection of precancerous and cancerous lesion

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common cancer of head and neck worldwide. A significant proportion of OSCC develops from premalignant lesions. Early detection and treatment gives the best chance for its cure. The 5-year survival rate of OSCC still remains low, and delayed diagnosis is suggested to be one of the major reasons. The detection and diagnosis are currently based on clinical examination, histopathological evaluation of the biopsy material, and molecular methods. Several diagnostic aids have been developed over years for early detection of oral cancer. The purpose of this article is to review the diagnostic adjuncts for the detection of precancerous and cancerous lesion.

Sialoendoscopy: A new diagnostic and therapeutic tool

One of the most important innovations in last few years is sialoendoscopy. The diagnosis and treatment of obstruction and inflammation of the salivary glands can be problematic because of the limitations of the standard imaging techniques. Sialoendoscopy is a new technique for evaluating salivary obstructive diseases, which allows complete visualization of the ductal system and its disorders. This procedure by allowing the complete exploration of the salivary ductal system is positioned to replace sialography and other radiological studies because of its higher specificity and cost effectiveness.

Evaluation of styloid process in Bareilly population on digital panoramic radiographs

Introduction: The styloid process is a long slender and pointed bony process projecting downwards, forwards and slightly medially from the temporal bone. Elongated styloid process is being more often seen in panoramic radiographs which are commonly used in dental practice. Aim: To assess the styloid process on digital panoramic radiographs. Materials and Methods: It is a cross-sectional study based on the panoramic radiographs of 2000 patients who reported to the department. The panoramic radiographs were available in the archives of our department as soft copies. These panoramic radiographs were obtained using Orthoralix DDE (GENDEX, USA) digital panoramic system. The length of the styloid process was measured radiographically on both sides of the maxillofacial region using the measurement toolbars on the accompanying analysis software. For statistical analysis, we used the unpaired t-test, Chi-square test, and one-way analysis of variance test, as necessary. Results: The average length of the right and left styloid process in males was 26.96 ± 8.748 and 26.76 ± 8.33 in females; right and left average length were 26.02 ± 5.86 and 26.59 ± 7.00 in males and females, respectively. The length of the styloid process on both sides increased with age; males had longer styloid process than females. Elongated styloid process was present in 26.5% of the patients. Langlais type I elongated styloids and type D calcification pattern were more common than others. Conclusion: Panoramic radiography is useful for the detection of an elongated styloid process in patients with or without symptoms, and helps avoid misdiagnosis of tonsillar pain or pain of dental, pharyngeal, or muscular origin.

Burning mouth syndrome: A diagnostic dilemma

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) has been considered an enigmatic condition because the intensity of pain rarely corresponds to the clinical signs of the disease. Various local, systemic and psychological factors are associated with BMS, but its etiology is not fully understood. Also, there is no consensus on the diagnosis and classification of BMS. A substantial volume of research has been focused on BMS during the last two decades. Progress has been made, but the condition remains a fascinating, yet poorly understood area, in the field of oral medicine. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in this disorder with the discovery that the pain of BMS may be neuropathic in origin and originate both centrally and peripherally. The aim of this paper is to explore the condition of BMS with the specific outcome of increasing awareness of the condition.

Non-syndromic multiple keratocyst odontogenic tumor: A rare case report

Keratocystic odontogenic tumors (KCOTs) are one of the most frequent features of nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS). The condition is linked with mutation in the PTCH gene. Partial expression of the gene may result in occurrence of multiple recurring odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs). Although KCOTs are common in clinical practice, simultaneous occurrence of multiple cysts in both the maxilla and mandible of a patient is rare. These patients have early propensity to develop multiple neoplasms like basal cell carcinoma and medulloblastoma. Hence, early diagnosis and treatment is of utmost importance in reducing the severity of the long-term sequelae of NBCCS. We report a rare case of multiple KCOTs in a non-syndromic male patient, with emphasis on its diagnosis, radiographic features, and treatment.

Central giant cell granuloma: A report of 2 cases and review of literature

Central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) is a non-neoplastic lesion which exhibits a spectrum of clinical behavior ranging from non-aggressive to aggressive variants. The etiopathogenesis of CGCG is still not properly known. In the maxillofacial region, CGCG most commonly occurs in the jaw bones as an asymptomatic swelling. Radiographically, it presents as either unilocular or multilocular radiolucent lesions in the maxilla or mandible. Treatment of CGCG varies from local curettage to wide surgical excision depending upon the extent and progression of the lesion. This paper presents two cases of CGCG having different clinical presentation which resembled varied conditions leading to misdiagnosis (in one case), but was found to be CGCG on histopathologic examination.