Assessment of Phubbing, Smart Phone Addiction and Related Psychological Variables among Dental Undergraduates: A Multicentric Study.

BACKGROUND: Internet Addiction and phubbing are prevalent disruptive behaviours among students. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between phubbing, smartphone addiction and some of the related psychological effects among dental undergraduates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multi-centric cross-sectional pre-validated questionnaire-based study was conducted among undergraduate students of five different dental colleges across India. The questionnaire included the Phubbing Scale, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), Smartphone Application-based Addiction Scale (SABAS), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The data were analysed with IBM SPSS version 21, followed by a t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Spearmen's co-relation to find the association between different psychological variables among study subjects. RESULTS: The total sample comprise of 1226 with mean age of 22.35. The SABAS showed a higher mean ± standard deviation (SD) score (3.17 ± 0.93). The Phubbing Scale showed a positive correlation with the SABAS (0.658), the results were found to be highly statistically significant (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The present study found a higher prevalence of phubbing and smartphone addiction among dental students. Our results showed that impulsiveness leads to internet addiction and thus phubbing is becoming a way to find solace during communication to escape anxiety and distress.

Evaluation of paperless electronic data entry and its comparison with manual entry method for oral health assessment of adults.

Introduction: World Health Organization oral health assessment forms (2013) are the standard method to record the information regarding oral health among children and adults. Conventional paper forms are still being used and data are entered in digital form manually for further statistical analysis, which causes duplication, errors, and extra time consumption. Hence, the aim of present study was to conduct a usability evaluation of the novel offline Paperless Electronic Data Entry System (PEDES) and compare it with the manual entry method (MEM) for the World Health Organization oral health assessment form (2013) for adults. Materials and Method: A total of 186 participants were enrolled for the study as recorders. Usability evaluation was assessed using a user experience questionnaire (UEQ). Each participant used manual and electronic data entry to work through five documented tasks. The usability of the paperless entry system was evaluated with the UEQ tool. Results: Time taken to complete adult form was less for PEDES as compared to MEM (P < .001). UEQ scores for all scales under attractiveness, pragmatic, and hedonic quality were found to be good with a value more than 0.8. Comparison of the task completion among PEDES and MEM for the different task assigned under different domains showed statistically significant differences (P < .05). Conclusion: The study strongly recommends the usage of this novel technique in future, so that labour-intensive manual data entry can be replaced with a more effective method. Being offline system, it has an additional edge with no requirement of active internet to record or store the data.

Integration of oral health in primary health care through motivational interviewing for mothers of young children: A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Early childhood caries (ECC) continues to affect children worldwide. In India, primary health centers (PHCs) comprises the primary tier where Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) provide integrated curative and preventive health care. The aim of the study was to pilot test the integration of oral health in primary health care through motivational interviewing (MI) for mothers of young children provided by ASHAs. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The pilot study was conducted in Kashipur, Uttarakhand. From the six PHCs in Kashipur, three were randomly selected, one each was assigned to MI group, traditional health education group, and control group. From 60 mothers with 8-12 months child, ASHAs of all three groups gathered mother's knowledge regarding child's oral health using close-ended questionnaire and diagnosed clinical risk markers of ECC in children and ASHAs of Group A and B imparted the oral health education as per their training. RESULTS: The comparison of ASHA's performances on the MI training competency pre- and post-test showed an overall average of 74% improvement in post-test scores. Interexaminer reliability of the parallel clinical measurements by 6 ASHAs and the investigator for the maxillary central incisors showed 93% of agreement for both dental plaque and dental caries assessment with 0.86 and 0.89 kappa values, respectively. CONCLUSION: The health education through MI is feasible and can be cost-effective by utilization of ASHAs at PHCs to provide the oral health education to mothers which will in turn improve the oral health status of children.

Route of Drug Abuse and its Impact on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among Drug Addicts.

BACKGROUND: Various studies have tested quality of life (QOL) among drug addicts, however very few have reported any association between oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) and mode of drug administration among drug addicts. Hence, the present study was conducted aiming to evaluate the impact of mode of administration of drugs on OHRQOL among drug addicts. METHODS: Data was collected using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method among 313 male drug addicts in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India, using self-administered questionnaires on oral hygiene aids and drug addiction history. OHRQOL was recorded using Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire. The chi-square test, t-test, and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical analysis. FINDINGS: In this study, 56.2% of the drug addicts reported practicing oral hygiene aids. The main drugs abused were heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines as 51.4%, 35.1%, and 13.4%, respectively. Most of the drug addicts were employed (82.4%) and studied up to primary education (46.3%). The highest mean values of community periodontal index (CPI) and decayed, missing, filled surface (DMFS) were found among the cocaine addicts and amphetamine abusers with rates of 3.11 ± 0.98 and 6.69 ± 8.52, respectively. Poor OHRQOL was observed among addicts who consumed drugs in inhalation since a long time irrespective of the type of the drug, but among them heroin addicted subjects had the poorest OHRQOL. CONCLUSION: OHRQOL was poor among the drug addicts in comparison to general population. Preventive strategies on oral health and other health promotion programs for this vulnerable group can be unified.

Self Assessment of Dental students' Perception of Learning Environment in Croatia, India and Nepal.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess dental students' perception of different learning environment in India, Nepal and Croatia. METHODS: The study was conducted during a period of academic year 2016/17. A total of 849 dental students participated in the study. There were 188 respondents from Croatia, 373 from India, and 288 from Nepal. Non-responders were not followed up. The Dental Student Learning Environment Survey (DSLES) was used which consisted of 55 items subdivided into seven scales. The scales measured the following perceptions: Flexibility, 'Student-to-Student Interactions, Emotional Climate, Supportiveness, Meaningful Experience, Organization and Breadth of Interest. Statistical analysis of the data utilised the Kolmogorov Smirnov test. The Kruskal-Wallis "non-parametric ANOVA" was also used to test the differences between the countries. A post hoc analysis was performed using Ranks tables and the Median test. RESULTS: The response rate was 26.9%. Significant differences between the countries were found for all DSLES variables (Kruskal-Wallis, p<0.01). The Median test also showed significant differences between the countries for all DSLES variables (p<0.01). The scales with the highest mean values were 'Student-to-student interactions' in India and Nepal, and the 'Emotional Climate' in Croatia. CONCLUSIONS: Students in Croatia rated their school only with grades excellent and good, while their colleagues in India and Nepal were more critical. Despite the different settings in three countries, 'Flexibility' was identified as the area of weakness in all three educational systems.

OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF ADOLESCENT'S ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT NEEDS AND THEIR IMPACT ON SELF-ESTEEM. / AVALIAÇÃO OBJETIVA E SUBJETIVA DA NECESSIDADE DE TRATAMENTO ORTODÔNTICO DO ADOLESCENTE E SEU IMPACTO SOBRE A AUTOESTIMA.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the presence of association between objective and subjective evaluation of orthodontic treatment needs in adolescents and their impact on their self-esteem. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with adolescents aged 10-17 years old in Sri Ganganagar city, Rajasthan, India. The objective index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN) dental health component (DHC) and the subjective aesthetic component (AC) were used to determine the normative and the self-perception need for orthodontic treatment, respectively. The selected students were further examined for dental trauma, tooth loss, and dental caries. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was applied for self-esteem level determination. Linear regression analysis was executed to test the individual association of different independent clinical variables with self-esteem scores. RESULTS: Among 1,140 studied adolescents, the prevalence of dental normative orthodontic treatment need was in 56.9% of individuals, whereas 53.3% of individuals considered themselves as needy for the treatment. Multivariate analyses revealed that out of all dental disorders, DHC followed by AC of IOTN had maximum impact on the self-esteem of the adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: Dissatisfaction with dental appearance is a strong predictor for low self-esteem in adolescence.

OBJETIVO: Verificar a presença de associação entre a avaliação objetiva e subjetiva da necessidade de tratamento ortodôntico em adolescentes e seu impacto na autoestima. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com adolescentes de 10 a 17 anos da cidade de Sri Ganganagar, Rajastão, Índia. Foi utilizado o Índice de Ortodontia de Saúde Dental (IOTN) para avaliar de modo objetivo a necessidade de tratamento (DHC) e o componente estético desse índice (AC) para a avaliação subjetiva. Os estudantes selecionados foram também avaliados quanto a traumatismos dentários, perda dentária e cárie dentária. Aplicou-se a escala de autoestima de Rosenberg para determinar o nível de autoestima dos estudantes. Os dados foram analisados por regressão linear múltipla, testando a associação individual das diferentes variáveis clínicas independentemente da autoestima dos adolescentes, de acordo com o escore da escala de Rosenberg. RESULTADOS: Entre 1.140 adolescentes estudados, a prevalência da necessidade de tratamento ortodôntico avaliado de modo objetivo pelo IOTN-DHC ocorreu em 56,9% dos indivíduos. A avaliação subjetiva do adolescente (IOTN-AC) revelou prevalência de necessidade de tratamento de 53,3%. A análise multivariada mostrou que, além de todos os problemas dentários, o componente objetivo (IOTN-DHC), seguido do componente estético subjetivo (IOTN-AC), teve maior impacto na autoestima dos estudantes analisados. CONCLUSÕES: A insatisfação com a aparência dental é um forte preditor de baixa autoestima na adolescência.

Impact of Dental Disorders and its Influence on Self Esteem Levels among Adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Self esteem is more of a psychological concept therefore, even the common dental disorders like dental trauma, tooth loss and untreated carious lesions may affect the self esteem thus influencing the quality of life. AIM: This study aims to assess the impact of dental disorders among the adolescents on their self esteem level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted among 10 to 17 years adolescents. In order to obtain a representative sample, multistage sampling technique was used and sample was selected based on Probability Proportional to Enrolment size (PPE). Oral health assessment was carried out using WHO type III examination and self esteem was estimated using the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale score (RSES). The descriptive and inferential analysis of the data was done by using IBM SPSS software. Logistic and linear regression analysis was executed to test the individual association of different independent clinical variables with self esteem. RESULTS: Total sample of 1140 adolescents with mean age of 14.95 ±2.08 and RSES of 27.09 ±3.12 were considered. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was applied and best predictors in relation to RSES in the descending order were Dental Health Component (DHC), Aesthetic Component (AC), dental decay {(aesthetic zone), (masticatory zone)}, tooth loss {(aesthetic zone), (masticatory zone)} and anterior fracture of tooth. CONCLUSION: It was found that various dental disorders like malocclusion, anterior traumatic tooth, tooth loss and untreated decay causes a profound impact on aesthetics and psychosocial behaviour of adolescents, thus affecting their self esteem.

Evaluation of Impact of Pregnancy on Oral Health Status and Oral Health Related Quality of Life among Women of Kashmir Valley.

INTRODUCTION: Oral health is a key component of overall health and wellbeing of women throughout life; and particularly important prior to conception and during pregnancy. Pregnancy affects both general health as well as the oral health related quality of life. AIM: To assess the difference in oral health status and related quality of life among pregnant, postpartum and non pregnant women of Kashmir valley. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted among a convenient sample of 900 women (22-37 years) attending Sheri-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Maternity Hospital, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Sample included 300 pregnant, 280 postpartum women and 320 non pregnant women of matched age group. Pretested and validated proforma for Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) Questionnaire designed in local language was used. Oral health was assessed using Oral Hygiene Index Simplified Index (OHIS), Gingival Index (GI) and Decayed Missing Filled Teeth/Surface Index (DMFT/DMFS). Mean differences were carried out using Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA. Correlation analysis was performed to analyse their relationship with Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) score. Post-hoc Tukey test was employed for comparing the means within the three trimesters of the pregnant group. RESULTS: Pregnant women presented with significantly higher periodontal disease (p≤0.05). Decayed Missing and Filled Teeth index (DMFT) showed no difference within the groups. Comparison for the mean OHIP-14 presented significantly poorer scores among the pregnant women. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy had an influence only on the gingiva and not on periodontal attachment levels. However, oral health status and perceived OHRQoL were poorer among pregnant women. The present study draws attention toward the need for highlighting the importance of conserving oral health during pregnancy.

AVALIAÇÃO OBJETIVA E SUBJETIVA DA NECESSIDADE DE TRATAMENTO ORTODÔNTICO DO ADOLESCENTE E SEU IMPACTO SOBRE A AUTOESTIMA / OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF ADOLESCENT'S ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT NEEDS AND THEIR IMPACT ON SELF-ESTEEM

RESUMO Objetivo: Verificar a presença de associação entre a avaliação objetiva e subjetiva da necessidade de tratamento ortodôntico em adolescentes e seu impacto na autoestima. Métodos: Estudo transversal com adolescentes de 10 a 17 anos da cidade de Sri Ganganagar, Rajastão, Índia. Foi utilizado o Índice de Ortodontia de Saúde Dental (IOTN) para avaliar de modo objetivo a necessidade de tratamento (DHC) e o componente estético desse índice (AC) para a avaliação subjetiva. Os estudantes selecionados foram também avaliados quanto a traumatismos dentários, perda dentária e cárie dentária. Aplicou-se a escala de autoestima de Rosenberg para determinar o nível de autoestima dos estudantes. Os dados foram analisados por regressão linear múltipla, testando a associação individual das diferentes variáveis clínicas independentemente da autoestima dos adolescentes, de acordo com o escore da escala de Rosenberg. Resultados: Entre 1.140 adolescentes estudados, a prevalência da necessidade de tratamento ortodôntico avaliado de modo objetivo pelo IOTN-DHC ocorreu em 56,9% dos indivíduos. A avaliação subjetiva do adolescente (IOTN-AC) revelou prevalência de necessidade de tratamento de 53,3%. A análise multivariada mostrou que, além de todos os problemas dentários, o componente objetivo (IOTN-DHC), seguido do componente estético subjetivo (IOTN-AC), teve maior impacto na autoestima dos estudantes analisados. Conclusões: A insatisfação com a aparência dental é um forte preditor de baixa autoestima na adolescência.

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the presence of association between objective and subjective evaluation of orthodontic treatment needs in adolescents and their impact on their self-esteem. Methods: Cross-sectional study with adolescents aged 10-17 years old in Sri Ganganagar city, Rajasthan, India. The objective index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN) dental health component (DHC) and the subjective aesthetic component (AC) were used to determine the normative and the self-perception need for orthodontic treatment, respectively. The selected students were further examined for dental trauma, tooth loss, and dental caries. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was applied for self-esteem level determination. Linear regression analysis was executed to test the individual association of different independent clinical variables with self-esteem scores. Results: Among 1,140 studied adolescents, the prevalence of dental normative orthodontic treatment need was in 56.9% of individuals, whereas 53.3% of individuals considered themselves as needy for the treatment. Multivariate analyses revealed that out of all dental disorders, DHC followed by AC of IOTN had maximum impact on the self-esteem of the adolescence. Conclusions: Dissatisfaction with dental appearance is a strong predictor for low self-esteem in adolescence.

Retraction Notice: Transition in Dental Treatment Utilization in Jammu And Kashmir, India - A 10 Year Retrospective Study.

[This retracts the article on p. 631 in vol. 6, PMID: 28804675.].

Impact of sociodemographic attributes and dental caries on quality of life of intellectual disabled children using ECOHIS.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of oral health outcomes on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) among intellectual disabled children and their families. METHODOLOGY: OHRQoL based study was conducted among 150 intellectual disabled children students in the North West part of the country, Rajasthan, India. Guardians were asked to complete questionnaire on socioeconomic status and the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) on their perception of the children's OHRQoL. Clinical assessment included dental caries and OHI-S INDEX. Univariate regression analysis was fitted to assess covariates for the prevalence of impacts on OHRQoL. RESULTS: 54% of the caregivers reported that their child had an impact on at least one ECOHIS item. Negative impacts were more prevalent on items related to difficulty in eating some foods, difficulty in pronouncing any words and missed preschool, day-care or school. The univariate Poisson regression analysis showed that dental caries was significantly associated with the outcome. The prevalence of any impact on OHRQoL was approximately 1.32 and 2.84 times higher for children with low and higher severity of dental caries respectively when compared with those who were free of caries. CONCLUSION: Patient-oriented outcomes like OHRQoL will enhance our understanding of the relationship between oral health and general health and demonstrate to clinical researchers and practitioners that improving the quality of patient's well-being go beyond simply treating dental disease and disorders.

Evaluation of Histomorphometric Changes in Tissue Architecture in Relation to Alteration in Fixation Protocol - An Invitro Study.

INTRODUCTION: Preparation of good tissue specimens for microscopy requires complete fixation. No ideal fixative has been found till date, with every fixative showing advantages and disadvantages. Appropriate fixation is required to maintain clear and consistent morphologic features for histologic examination. Pathologists mostly examine formalin fixed tissue sections and are less used to the morphologic changes induced by other fixatives. Underfixed and overfixed tissue in various fixatives can lead to tissue architectural changes which can affect its diagnostic value. AIM: To assess sectioning ability, staining intensity and microscopic details of tissues kept in different fixatives at different time intervals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fresh tissue specimen i.e., goat tongue was collected and its middle-third portion was used for the study purpose. The tissue was grossed into 10 equal pieces and kept in various fixatives (10% Buffered formalin, Carnoy's solution, Absolute ethyl alcohol, Bouin's fluid) for five different time intervals (6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 hours) and normal tissue processing steps were carried out followed by sectioning and staining. During sectioning, sectioning parameter was assessed. Following sectioning, sections were observed under light microscope and were histologically evaluated for staining and microscopic details. To calculate the sectioning parameter Fisher's exact test was used and to assess parameters for staining and microscopic details Mann-Whitney U test was used. RESULTS: According to the study, 10% buffered formaldehyde is considered as a superior fixative under all parameters followed by Bouin's fluid, Carnoy's solution and Absolute alcohol. CONCLUSION: In our study, it was concluded that 10% buffered formaldehyde should be continued as a routine fixative however, other fixatives can be used depending upon the non-availability of required fixative or in case of emergencies. Pathologist should be accustomed to histologic and morphologic changes of underfixed and overfixed tissue which can affect its diagnostic value.

Comparison of linear and zero-inflated negative binomial regression models for appraisal of risk factors associated with dental caries.

CONTEXT: Dental caries among children has been described as a pandemic disease with a multifactorial nature. Various sociodemographic factors and oral hygiene practices are commonly tested for their influence on dental caries. In recent years, a recent statistical model that allows for covariate adjustment has been developed and is commonly referred zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) models. AIM: To compare the fit of the two models, the conventional linear regression (LR) model and ZINB model to assess the risk factors associated with dental caries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1138 12-year-old school children in Moradabad Town, Uttar Pradesh during months of February-August 2014. Selected participants were interviewed using a questionnaire. Dental caries was assessed by recording decayed, missing, or filled teeth (DMFT) index. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: To assess the risk factor associated with dental caries in children, two approaches have been applied - LR model and ZINB model. RESULTS: The prevalence of caries-free subjects was 24.1%, and mean DMFT was 3.4 ± 1.8. In LR model, all the variables were statistically significant. Whereas in ZINB model, negative binomial part showed place of residence, father's education level, tooth brushing frequency, and dental visit statistically significant implying that the degree of being caries-free (DMFT = 0) increases for group of children who are living in urban, whose father is university pass out, who brushes twice a day and if have ever visited a dentist. CONCLUSION: The current study report that the LR model is a poorly fitted model and may lead to spurious conclusions whereas ZINB model has shown better goodness of fit (Akaike information criterion values - LR: 3.94; ZINB: 2.39) and can be preferred if high variance and number of an excess of zeroes are present.

Dental Caries Status of Institutionalized Orphan Children from Jammu and Kashmir, India.

INTRODUCTION: It has been well documented that the absence of family support influences the general and oral health of the children. Factors that lead to the development of disease at a given point in time are likely to have their roots in a complex chain of environmental events that may have begun years before. A number of studies have examined the relationship between dental caries and material deprivation and found a positive association between them. Though orphans contribute to 2% of world's population, literature regarding their oral health status is very scarce. This study was carried out with the aim to assess the dental caries status of institutionalized orphan children from Jammu and Kashmir. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1,664 children that included 1,201 boys and 463 girls from registered orphanages in the state of Jammu and Kashmir were included in the study. Written informed consent was obtained prior to the start of the study; decayed, extracted, filled teeth (deft)/ decayed, extracted, filled surface (defs) and decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT)/decayed, missing, and filled surface (DMFS) indices were used to assess the caries status of primary and permanent dentition. Multiple choice, close-ended questionnaires were administered to assess the oral hygiene habits, knowledge, and dietary behavior of orphan children prior to examination. The study subjects were divided into three groups according to the age of ≤ 6, 7 to 11, and ≥12 years. RESULTS: Results showed that caries prevalence in primary dentition was higher in subjects' ≤6 years of age where the prevalence was 50.9%; in subjects 7 to 11 years of age, the prevalence was 25.2%. Caries prevalence in permanent dentition within the age group 7 to 11 was 69.1%, while in subjects' ≥12 years, the prevalence was 66.2%. Use of toothbrush was the most prevalent method of cleaning the teeth in both the genders, while toothpaste was reported to be the most prevalent material to be used for tooth cleaning followed by tooth-powder. Highest caries prevalence was seen in the subjects using datun sticks as a method to clean their teeth (80.5%). HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Shah AF, Tangade P, Ravishankar TL, Tirth A, Pal S, Batra M. Dental Caries Status of Institutionalized Orphan Children from Jammu and Kashmir, India. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2016;9(4):364-371.

Transition in Dental Treatment Utilization in Jammu And Kashmir, India - A 10 Year Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Utilization of health services is the actual attendance by the members of the public at health care facilities to receive care. Utilization, serves as an important tool for oral health policy decision-making. The aim of the present study was to retrospectively gauge and assess the utilization pattern of the dental treatments which was given in hospital for last 10 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective infirmary based study was carried out at Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The yearly outpatient department (OPD) records for the utilization of specific dental treatment of a total of 103963 patients were assessed retrospectively from 2014 to 2003. Trend analysis was used to assess the trend of utilization of each speciality with best fitted linear trend lines. RESULTS: The pattern of new patients has also shown a constant rise during the study period except for 2008 and 2009. The utilization of oral surgery speciality has shown a tremendous fall from 2003 to 2014 whereas the number of patients coming to periodontics and conservative dentistry has shown an increasing pattern. CONCLUSION: Utilization of oral health care has long been used as an indicator of oral health related behaviour of a population. In the present study it can be conclude that the outlook of the population under study has changed from blood and vulcanite dentistry outlook and is moving towards restorative dentistry. .

Efficacy of 0.25% Lemongrass Oil Mouthwash: A Three Arm Prospective Parallel Clinical Study.

BACKGROUND: Chlorhexidine mouthwash has earned eponym of gold standard to treat and/or prevent periodontal diseases. However, the present study was carried out to explore an alternative herbal mouthwash. AIM: To compare the anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis efficacy of a 0.25% lemongrass oil mouthwash to that of 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A double-blinded parallel designed clinical trial with 60 subjects was taken for the study. Baseline plaque index (PI) & gingival index (GI) score was recorded. Oral prophylaxis was done and the plaque score was set at zero. Then, subjects were randomly allocated into 3 groups (N=20 in each): 0.25% lemongrass oil mouthwash, 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash and oral prophylaxis only. Subjects were asked to swish with respective mouthwash twice daily for 21 days. Subjects were again re-evaluated on 14(th) and 21(st) day for GI and PI. Comparison of the mean difference among the variables was performed by parametric tests. RESULTS: Lemongrass oil mouthwash group showed highest reduction in GI & PI at both 14(th) and 21(st) day, which was statistically significant (p≤0.05). CONCLUSION: Lemongrass oil mouthwash can also be used as a good herbal alternative to chlorhexidine mouthwash, so further studies are needed.

Social capital and oral health.

Social determinants have always been an important element of the oral health. It has been seen that social aspects like the organizations and relations influence the health of population. A new domain named social capital has come up into limelight which refers to "features of social organization, such as trust, norms and networks that can improve the efficacy of society by facilitating coordinated actions". The bonds between individuals, both in intimate relationships and in voluntary associations have been claimed to have health promoting effects. Oral health can never be segregated from general health as they are bidirectional in their relationship. Therefore determinants of general health and its promotion are interlinked with that of oral health. So, this review tries to figure out the effects of social capital on various aspects of oral health.

Periodontal Health Status of Different Socio-economic Groups in Out-Patient Department of TMDC & RC, Moradabad, India.

UNLABELLED: Aims & Objective: To assess the oral health awareness and periodontal health status of different socio-economic groups in out-patient department of the Teerthanker Mahaveer Dental College and Research Centre (TMDC&RC), Moradabad, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 416 subjects of 30-60 years age group with different socio-economic status classified according to modified Kuppuswamy scale (2012). Subjects were interviewed by the questionnaire and Community Periodontal Index was recorded. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Chi-square test (SPSS version 17). RESULT: This study showed that the code 2 and code 3 is more in lower socio-economic status (p =0.115 and p=0.079 respectively). Significant association was seen in Code 0, code 1 & code 4 (p<0.01) which is indicative that upper class have more healthy periodontal status than lower. CONCLUSION: Significant association exists between oral health awareness and periodontal health with the socio-economic status of the individual.

An unusual case of ectodermal dysplasia: combating senile features at an early age.

Ectodermal dysplasia (ED) refers to a group of inherited diseases that have developmental defects in at least two major structures derived from the ectoderm, that is, hair, teeth, nails and sweat glands. Although more than 192 distinct disorders have been described, the most common is X-linked recessive hypohidrotic ED (Christ-Siemens-Touraine syndrome). Since such patients usually presents with missing teeth, dentists are usually the first person to diagnose such cases. Diagnosis of such cases is important because absence of sweat glands can lead to hyperthermia which can be life-threatening if proper care is not taken. Through this manuscript, we report a case of anhidrotic ED affecting deciduous and permanent dentition, which is rare.

Effect of Terminalia chebula extract and chlorhexidine on salivary pH and periodontal health: 2 weeks randomized control trial.

A double blind, randomized, controlled study with three parallel treatment groups was done to evaluate the efficacy of a Terminalia chebula 10% mouth rinse compared with chlorhexidine 0.12% mouth rinse, applied two times daily for 2 weeks, in the treatment of dental plaque and gingivitis. Seventy-eight patients were included in the study. The efficacy variables were periodontal indices on days 0, 7 and 14 after commencement of therapy. Twenty six patients received chlorhexidine mouth rinse, twenty six Terminalia chebula mouth rinse and twenty six received saline solution. The clinical parameters were significantly reduced by both chlorhexidine and Terminalia chebula mouth rinse although no significant difference was seen between the two groups (P > 0.05). This study demonstrated that Terminalia chebula mouth rinse is effective in reducing microbial plaque, gingival inflammation and neutralizing salivary pH.