Periodontal Lesions among Maxillary Sinus Mucosal Thickening Visiting the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology of a Tertiary Care Centre.

Introduction: Maxillary sinus due to its proximity to posterior maxillary teeth could be affected by their pathology. Since cone beam computed tomography is the go-to for 3-D imaging in dental set-up. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of periodontal lesions among maxillary sinus mucosal thickening visiting the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology of a tertiary care centre. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology of a tertiary care centre from 01 February 2021 to 30 June 2021 after obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee. The medical records from 01 January 2019 to 31 December 2019 were retrieved. The identification of maxillary sinus mucosal thickening of more than 3 mm, in cone beam computed tomography images, was registered separately for the right and left sinuses of each patient. The presence of periodontal lesions of posterior teeth was recorded. A convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. Results: Among 195 maxillary sinus mucosal thickening, periodontal lesions were found in 74 (37.95%) (31.14-44.76, 95% Confidence Interval) maxillary sinuses of 46 patients. The mean age was 53.67±12.72 years and 30 (65.21%) were males. Conclusions: The prevalence of periodontal lesions among maxillary sinus mucosal thickening in CBCT images was similar to other studies done in similar settings. Keywords: cone beam computed tomography; maxillary sinus; periodontal disease; prevalence.

Dental Caries on Deciduous Molars among Children Visiting Dental Outpatient Department of a Tertiary Care Centre.

Introduction: Dental caries is one of the most common, yet preventable childhood diseases. The aetiology of dental caries lies in the interplay between host, microorganism, substrate, and time. Risk factors for dental caries include physical, biological, environmental, behavioural, and lifestyle-related factors such as high numbers of cariogenic bacteria, inadequate salivary flow, insufficient fluoride exposure, poor oral hygiene, inappropriate methods of feeding infants, and poverty. The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of dental caries on deciduous molars among children visiting dental Outpatient Department of a tertiary care centre. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on children who visited the dental outpatient department of Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel Hospital from 15 June 2023 to 30 July 2023. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee of the same institute. A convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. Results: The prevalence of dental caries on deciduous molars in children was 252 (93.33%)(90.35-96.30, 95% Confidence Interval). One-third of the children had visited dental clinics for the first time. Lack of topical fluoride application was seen in the majority of the children. Conclusions: The prevalence of dental caries on deciduous molars among pediatric patients was found to be higher than in other studies done in similar settings. Keywords: children; dental caries; molars; prevalence.

Digital Radiographic Study of Gonial angle in Forensic Odontology in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Gonial angle measurements serve as an important parameter of the craniofacial complex and are usually studied on lateral cephalograms, but recently panoramic radiographs have also been used. The aim of this study is to measure the gonial angle using orthopantomogram and lateral cephalogram based on age, gender, ethnicity, and skeletal malocclusion in a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study comprising 350 selected radiographs of apparently healthy individuals collected for a period of one year, from the Department of Oral Radiology of a tertiary care centre of Nepal. Gonial angle measurements were recorded from digital panoramic radiograph (both right and left side) and lateral cephalogram. Data was collected in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, and skeletal malocclusion and then statistically analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20. RESULTS: The mean gonial angle for panoramic right, left and lateral cephalogram was 122.490±7.570, 123.620±7.060, and 124.150±6.910, respectively. There was a decrease in the mean values of the gonial angle observed as age advances seen in all the radiographs. The gonial angle measured in Class III malocclusion was higher in all the radiographs, followed by Class II and Class I. Gonial angles obtained in females were higher than the males in all the radiographs. Finally, the Aryan population showed a higher gonial angle compared to the Mongolian population in all the radiographs. CONCLUSIONS: Panoramic radiograph (left side), could be considered as a reliable tool to measure the gonial angle.