Vishnudas Prabhu

Areca nut and its role in oral submucous fibrosis

Areca nut, commonly called as betel nut or supari, is a fruit of areca catechu palm tree, which is native of South Asia and Pacific Islands. The seed or endosperm is consumed fresh, boiled or after sun drying or curing. Chewing areca nut is thought to have central nervous system stimulating effect and along with this it is known to have salivary stimulating and digestive properties. According to the traditional Ayurvedic medicine, chewing areca nut and betel leaf is a good remedy against halitosis. It is also used for its deworming property. Along with these beneficial effects of areca nut one of its most harmful effects on the human body in general and oral cavity in particular is the development of potentially malignant disorder called Oral Submucous Fibrosis. The present paper discusses in detail the effects of the components of areca nut on pathogenesis of Oral Submucous Fibrosis. Key words:Areca nut, oral submucous fibrosis, potentially malignant disorder, supari.

Digital method for lip print analysis: A New approach.

Aim: To evaluate the uniqueness and to define a standard method for the analysis of lip prints. Materials and Methods: Lip prints of 100 students were taken using Scotch tape without any distortion. These prints were then scanned for the digital analysis. Using Adobe Photoshop 7 software an attempt was made to trace each and every line using Suzuki and Tsuchihashis classification. Weighted value scoring system was used to check for the uniqueness of the lip prints. Results: No two lip prints had exactly matching scores in all four Quadrants. No statistically significant difference was found in the change of pattern in lip print images collected after 12 months from the same individual. With digital analysis, up to 15 lines were traceable in 66%, 71%, 52% and 51% of Quadrant I, II, III and IV respectively. Conclusion: Lip prints are unique to an individual. The digital method of analyzing lip print images serves better visualization, ease in identification and recording of the lip print pattern. Weighted Value Scoring system can be considered as a standard method for determining the uniqueness of the lip prints.

Etiopathogenesis of orofacial clefting revisited

The cleft anomaly may be more ancient than the man himself. It is one of the most common developmental malformations reported in the literature. There are number of intriguing theories regarding its etiopathogenesis, each of which has some evidence in its favor. This review highlights all the genetic and environmental etiologic factors and focuses on its pathogenesis.

Serum and salivary sialic acid as a biomarker in oral potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer

Background: Aberrant glycosylation is the universal feature of cancer and components of various glycoconjugates, such as sialic acid is found to rise in various malignancies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the serum and salivary sialic acid in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and oral cancer (OC) to investigate the possibility of using this as a diagnostic marker. Materials and Methods: The study included 85 subjects, who were grouped as control (30), OPMD patients (25), and oral cancer patients (30). Serum and unstimulated whole saliva was collected from subjects of all groups and sialic acid estimation was done using spectrophotometry. The results were tabulated and analyzed statistically. Results: The mean serum sialic acid levels in normal, OPMD, and oral cancer group were 7.515, 19.620, and 55.235 mg/dL, respectively, whereas the levels of salivary sialic acid were 1.5113, 2.3302, and 9.0304 mg/dL, respectively. A very highly significant rise (P < 0.005) in serum and salivary sialic acid was observed in the study subjects compared with that of the control. Conclusions: The present study showed a significant and gradual increase in serum and salivary sialic acid from control to oral potentially malignant disorders to oral cancer. From this study we can suggest that sialic acid can be used as a reliable biomarker. As this monosaccharide is observed in saliva in detectable quantity, saliva can be used as a diagnostic medium for screening and early detection of oral cancer.

Oral Manifestations of HIV

Oral manifestations of HIV are common and have been important in identification of patients harboring the HIV virus and in predicting the decline in their immune system. Careful history taking and detailed examination of the patient’s oral cavity are important parts of the physical examination. Early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV-associated oral lesions may reduce morbidity. Orofacial manifestations are among the earliest and most common clinical signs of pediatric HIV disease too. Early diagnosis of perinatally exposed infants and children is especially important because the inter¬vals between infection, development of AIDS, and death are compressed in pediatric patients. Early diagnosis allows prompt institu¬tion of both multi-drug therapy, which appears to be most effective when instituted early, and prophylactic therapy to fore¬stall life-threatening opportunistic infections. The present paper discusses in detail the oral manifestations of HIV and their diagnostic criteria in adults as well as in pediatric patients.

Mandibular facial talon cusp: A rare case report

Talon cusp (TC) is a relatively uncommon developmental anomaly characterized by cusp-like projections from the cemento-enamel junction to a variable distance toward the incisal edge of an anterior tooth. It usually presents on palatal/lingual surface of the anterior teeth. Studies have revealed that it consists of enamel, dentine and a variable amount of pulp tissue. Presence of this cusp on the facial surface of an anterior tooth is a rare finding with very few cases being reported in the literature. The effects of TCs are mainly aesthetic and functional. The management requires a sufficient knowledge of the present clinical entity and the problems associated with it. Early detection and treatment plays a very vital role in avoiding the future complications. The present case reports a 25-year-old male patient with a facial TC on the mandibular left central incisor in which a prophylactic enameloplasty was carried out to avoid the stagnation of debris and stain.

Bilateral fusion in primary mandibular teeth.

Fusion has been described as a developmental anomaly characterized by the union of two adjacent teeth. Few cases of this rare anomaly in primary dentition have been reported in Indian population. A rare case of bilateral fusion between primary mandibular lateral incisors and canines is presented in this report.

Study and comparison of lip print patterns among Indian and Malaysian dental students

Aim: To assess and compare the quadrant-wise predominant lip print patterns among male and female Indian and Malaysian dental students. Materials and Methods: The study population comprised 64 individuals in the age group of 16-28 years. The lip print of each individual was taken using cellophane tape without any distortion. The cellophane tape was then stuck onto a plain white A4-size bond paper and was divided into four quadrants, which were analyzed using magnifying lens. Suzuki and Tsuchihashi′s classification was followed to define the patterns of the grooves. Results and Conclusion: The predominant lip pattern in all the four quadrants for Indians was Type II and for Malaysians it was Type I I . Type II was the predominant pattern in all the four quadrants for Indians irrespective of gender. The predominant pattern for Malaysian males in all the four quadrants was Type I I , while the predominant pattern for Malaysian females in quadrants I, II, and IV was Type I I , and in quadrant III it was Type II. Overall analysis of lip prints showed that there is a significant difference (P < 0.05) between the different patterns of Malaysian and Indian dental students. As the literature review shows less number of studies done on lip print patterns of Malaysians, our study focusses on the study and comparison of lip print patterns of Malaysian dental students with Indians dental students.

Investigation of the Possibility of Using Serum Ischemia Modified Albumin (IMA) as a Novel and Early Marker of the Extent of Oxidative Stress Induced by Various Tobacco Products

BACKGROUND Ischemia Modified Albumin (IMA) is an altered serum albumin that forms under the conditions of oxidative stress and is considered as a biomarker of cardiac ischemia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ischemia modified albumin (IMA) in the serum of the individuals with different types of tobacco habits in order to investigate the possibility of using this as a biomarker for the oxidative stress induced by the tobacco products. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study included 90 subjects, who were Grouped as control (30), Group I (betel quid chewers), Group II (gutkha chewers), Group III (smokers) and Group IV (mixed). Serum was collected from subjects of all Groups and IMA estimation was done using Albumin Cobalt binding assay. The results were tabulated and analysed statistically. RESULTS The mean serum IMA levels in control, Group I, Group II, Group III and Group IV were 0.52547 ABSU, 0.68767 ABSU, 0.47433 ABSU,0.36540 ABSU and 0.54593 ABSU respectively. CONCLUSION The results show that serum IMA levels were increased in betel quid chewers and mixed Group compared to the controls. From the results noted in this study we suggest that IMA can be used as an early marker for tobacco related oxidative stress.

Fusion of deciduous central incisors

Fusion is a common dental anomaly affecting both primary as well permanent dentitions. Fusion is the union between two normally separated tooth germs. The problems associated with fused teeth are esthetics, arch symmetry, spacing, and malocclusion. These problems require cosmetic and orthodontic consideration.