Efficiency of casein phosphopeptide amorphous calcium phosphate versus topical fluorides on remineralizing early enamel carious lesions - A systematic review and meta analysis.

Objective: To assess the remineralizing efficiency of caesin phosphopepdide amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) versus topical fluorides on early enamel lesions in vivo. Data sources: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO were searched based on the PICOS criteria up to December 2022 with English language restriction. All relevant studies were subjected to two separate reviews before being included at the title, abstract, and full text levels. Study selection: 41 studies were reviewed and 11 selected for inclusion in the final sample for the review. All were randomized clinical trials with the follow-up period of the studies ranging from 3 to 12 months. Out of the 11 studies, only two are with low risk of bias on assessment with Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool, while the other nine articles were with the moderate and high risk of bias. Conclusions: Conflicting evidence exists on the clinical efficacy of CPP-ACP compared to the various fluoride forms tested, and no adverse effect associated with CPP-ACP use was discovered in comparison to fluorides that had certain detrimental health impacts. Although, the review results in favor of both fluorides and CPP-ACP with similar clinical efficiency, when ill effects are considered the CPP-ACP can be a choice of remineralizing early enamel lesions. However, before concrete suggestions can be given, high-quality, well-designed clinical research in this area are still necessary. Clinical significance: A considerable remineralizing impact has been shown in both in vitro and in vivo experiments, making CPP-ACP/CPP-ACPF a more promising remineralizing agent than fluorides. Therefore, this can be applied clinically to early enamel carious lesion.

Prevalence of Occupational Injuries of the Oral and Maxillofacial Region and Their Covariates Among Building Construction Workers in Chennai.

Background and aim With many risky environmental conditions, civil construction sites are prone to physical injuries, especially those pertaining to the oral and maxillofacial regions. The current study was an effort to assess the magnitude and pattern of such oral and maxillofacial injuries and the factors associated with them. Methodology This descriptive study was carried out on 524 construction workers, of whom 254 met the inclusion criteria related to work site injuries. An interviewer-administered proforma with basic demographic details is used in conjunction with an intraoral examination to classify the dental injury. Descriptive statistics were done to evaluate the frequency of injury occurrence, while inferential statistics, including the chi-square test and regression analysis, were done to evaluate the association between injury and the variable under concern. Result The study includes a total of 254 participants, with ages ranging from 20 to above 50 years, of whom 230 (91%) were males and 24 (9.4%) were females. The majority, 200 (78.7%), were unskilled laborers, and 195 (76.7%) were migrant workers with language barriers. It was found that 95 (76.7%) had a history of dental injury alone, while 59 (23.2%) had a history of oral maxillofacial injury. Among the reasons for injury, the increased odds ratios (OD) were noted in the collapse of the surrounding area as 0.050 (0.029-0.075), rainy season 1.001 (0.891-1.281), unskilled labor 1.020 (0.910-1.30), and migrants 1.010 (0.901-1.200). The OD for males is 2.052 (1.941-2.101). Conclusion The current study confirms that the magnitude of workplace-related injuries is significant, and the majority of them stem from basic language barriers among migrant workers and a lack of knowledge to adhere to safety protocols and instructions given.

Working hours impact on the sleep quality and oral health status among migrant construction workers in Chennai.

Background: Nowadays, a shift in our lifestyle which espouses long working hours and low sleep quality can have a direct impact on the general health and oral health status. Sleep deprivation results from intense long working hours. Aim: To recognize the impact of long working hours, on sleep and oral health assessments of migrant construction workers. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted among migrant construction workers working in Chennai comprised of 1,521 participants. The sleep quality was assessed using the Insomnia Severity Scale-7 and the working hours was found using the Google forms and their oral health status was assessed using the Oral hygiene index- Simplified (OHIS-S) and the Decayed Missing and Filled teeth (DMFT) index. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistical Software version 23.0. Statistical tests like the Chi-square association and one-way Analysis of variance (ANOVA) (normally distributed) were used for the analysis of three group comparisons. Results: From the study results, most of the participants were between 25 and 35 years, smokers, had negligence on oral health and had poor sleep quality due to their long working hours. On the association between the working hours per week and OHIS, DMFT and Insomnia Severity Scale total score, a statistically significant relationship was found using the one-way ANOVA. Conclusion: The results from our study brought neglected oral health care of the construction workers into the limelight which will help us in our future efforts to improve the oral health of the construction workers.

Assessment of oral health status among intellectually and physically disabled population in Chennai.

Background: Oral health is an integral part of general health. In certain populations, especially among intellectually and physically disabled individuals, oral health is neglected. People with disabilities deserve the same opportunities for oral health and hygiene as those who are abled, but sadly dental care is the most common unmet health care need of the disabled people. Aim: The purpose of the study is to assess the oral health status and dental care utilization of people above 15 years with intellectual and physical disability in Chennai. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the dental caries experience, gingival status, prevalence of fluorosis and lesion, and dental service utilization among 132 intellectually and physically disabled people in Chennai. After obtaining the caregivers consent of the participants, oral health was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) proforma, 2013. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 23. Results: When DMFT indexes were examined with regard to sex, the mean DMFT was found to be higher for males with 1.453 ± 1.847 whereas females have 1.403 ± 1.73, and mean DMFT was found to be more for the 26-35 years age group with 2.3 ± 2.01. 81.8% of the population had no gingival bleeding whereas only 18.18% had gingival bleeding. Conclusion: With the obtained results, people with physical disability have a high mean DMFT compared with intellectual disability. The present study showed dental negligence among mentally disabled population where the parents, caretakers, and dentists are responsible.

Assessment of anxiety, depression and nicotine dependence among construction workers in Chennai - A cross sectional study.

Background: Tobacco dependence has been identified as one of the important public health problems faced by both developing and also the developed countries. Anxiety and depression might also influence the quality of life of the tobacco users which increases the dependence on nicotine. Materials and methods: The study was conducted among male construction workers with the habit of tobacco (production workers and labourers) in Chennai who were all working under different organizations from June 15, 2021 to August 15, 2021(n = 416). GAD-7 anxiety severity questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence was used to collect the data. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 23. Results: Since the data is normally distributed, Parametric tests have been carried out. A highly statistically significant difference (p = 0.00) was found on finding the association of fagerstrom nicotine dependence with the groups (smokers, smokeless and both users) from One-way ANOVA test. A positive correlation was found between nicotine dependence, GAD-7(r = 0.82) and PHQ-9(r = 0.79). Conclusion: Nicotine dependence plays a vital role in an individual's anxiety and depression level. Higher the nicotine dependence higher their anxiety and depression level. Long working hours also plays an evident role which influences workers mental health directly.

Oral health status for primary dentition - A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Formulating an oral health status which will include oral hygiene index (OHI) exclusively for children, deft index, and the incidence of white spot lesions (WSL) will make it easier for the examiner to assess the current oral health status of a child and help in planning preventive strategies. This index will provide a comprehensive yet quick way to assess the oral health status of children as it includes past caries experience, present oral hygiene status, and future prediction of caries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred children (100 male, 100 female) aged 3-5 years (primary dentition) were included in this study. OHI, recorded index tooth wise and segment wise, deft index, and the WSLs classification were recorded in all the children. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the accuracy of recording OHI in children index tooth wise and segment wise. RESULTS: All the three indices were recorded for the 200 subjects, and based on the area under the curve of receiver operating characteristics, it was found that the OHI for primary dentition can be recorded tooth wise or segment wise. Index teeth chosen for primary dentition were labial surfaces of 54, 61, and 64, lingual surfaces of 82, 75, and 85. CONCLUSION: It includes the past caries experience, present hygiene status, and the future prediction of caries, making it a wholesome index. This cumulative index can be widely used in studies of epidemiology and ensure quicker evaluation during dental health programs in public school systems.

Comparing the Effectiveness of Herbal and Conventional Dentifrices in Reducing Dental Plaque and Gingivitis: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: The important cause of chronic gingivitis was proved to be dental plaque, which is a well-organized biofilm. However, self-care efforts or mechanical control of dental plaque by toothbrushing was important; these alone will not be enough to prevent gingivitis. AIM: The aim of the present systematic review was to compare the effectiveness of herbal and conventional toothpastes on reduction of dental plaque and gingivitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from original scientific papers published in PubMed, Cochrane, Lilacs, and Google Scholar were taken for review up to November 2020. Randomized controlled trials and clinical trials compare the effectiveness of herbal and non-herbal toothpastes on reduction of dental plaque and gingivitis. Articles published in English language only were included. References from the identified publications were manually searched to identify additional relevant articles. Seven publications fulfilled all the inclusion criteria and were finally selected for systematic review. Outcome measurements for gingivitis were gingival index and dental plaque index. RESULTS: As all the studies were randomized controlled trials, level of evidence was II. Among all studies, green tea dentifrice toothpastes showed significant reduction when compared with conventional dentifrice, and ayurvedic toothpaste and Carica papaya leaf extract were also effective. CONCLUSION: Herbal toothpaste seems to be powerful similar to non-herbal toothpaste; however, it is no longer extra superior to fluoride toothpaste. Further, long-term randomized studies of >6 months are needed to investigate the beneficial effects of intervention alone.