Comparison of in-person versus telephonic interview on tobacco cessation in an Indian dental setting.

Oral health professionals in the dental office settings have a distinctive opportunity to increase tobacco abstinence rates among tobacco users as tobacco use has significant adverse effects on oral health. This review assesses the effectiveness of tobacco cessation interventions offered to cigarette smokers and smokeless tobacco users in the dental office setting. The following electronic retrieval systems and databases were searched for the identification of studies, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PUBMED, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, SCIENCE DIRECT and TRIP. The review included randomized clinical trials assessing tobacco cessation interventions conducted by oral health professionals in the dental office setting. Seven clinical trials met the criteria for inclusion in this review. All the studies have employed behavioral therapy, telephonic counseling's and pharmacotherapy as interventional component. The rate of abstinence and biochemical validation were the outcome measurements. Since all the studies included were randomized clinical trials, the level of evidence was II. Available evidence suggests that telephonic interventions for tobacco use conducted by oral health professionals in the dental office setting may increase tobacco abstinence rates among smokers and smokeless tobacco users. This review data suggests that telephone has a pragmatic effect on interactional aspects of psychological therapy. Further research should be carried out to make conclusive recommendations regarding the intervention components that can be incorporated in the dental office settings.

Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activity of Ocimum tenuiflorum and Stevia rebaudiana-Mediated Silver Nanoparticles - An In vitro Study.

Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the nanoparticles of silver between 1 nm and 100 nm in size. In this study, AgNPs were extracted from Ocimum tenuiflorum and Stevia rebaudiana which is a medicinal plant of Indian origin, worshipped by the Hindus and used in Ayurvedic medicine since ancient times. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the antimicrobial and cytotoxic effect of AgNPs reinforced with the herb O. tenuiflorum and S. rebaudiana against oral pathogens. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, the organisms used were Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus sp., and Candida albicans. Agar well-diffusion method was used to assess the antimicrobial efficacy of the nanoparticles at 25 mL, 50 mL, and 100 mL. To assess the cytotoxic effect, brine shrimp lethality assay was used. Results: Zone of inhibition was found to be highest at 100 mL against S. mutans, S. aureus, Lactobacillus sp., and C. albicans. The cytotoxic activity at 5 mL and 10 mL was 0%. The maximum cytotoxicity was seen at 80 mL where 30% of the Nauplii's died. Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that AgNPs reinforced with O. tenuiflorum and S. rebaudiana extracts has the potential as an antimicrobial agent and has less cytotoxic effect on brime shrimp and can be used as an alternative to commercially available antimicrobial agents.

Determination of salivary cortisol and salivary pH level in gaming teenagers - A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Internet gaming disorder and cybervictimization has a disproportionate increase during the COVID 19 pandemic. Teenagers and adolescents have high risk for addiction to online gaming. Online gaming increases the stress level of the users affecting the general and the oral health. The study aims to determine the salivary cortisol and salivary pH among the gaming teenagers. Materials and methods: The cross-sectional study recruited 45 gaming teenagers with the mean age of 15.5 years. The participants were stratified according to the type of online gaming played as mind, aggressive and betting gaming. Their salivary pH and salivary cortisol were assessed. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: The mean salivary pH was found to be less among females playing aggressive games (7.11 ± 0.30) and males playing mind games (7.24 ± 0.16). Salivary cortisol level was found to be statistically high in males (6.66 ± 1.33) and females (7.82 ± 0.66) playing aggressive games. The sub-group analysis of salivary pH and cortisol for gender showed a significant difference in the mean salivary cortisol level (p < 0.05) with no difference in the salivary pH (p > 0.05). Based on the number of hours spent in online gaming, there was a significant increase in the mean salivary cortisol level among the participants playing >3 h (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Salivary cortisol is high among individuals playing aggressive games compared to mind and betting games. Also, salivary cortisol is high in females compared to males with no change in salivary pH.

Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activity of Thymus vulgaris-mediated selenium nanoparticles: An in vitro study.

Background: Nanotechnology is the specialty associated with material science and biology, rather than a particular field. It entails the method of particles at nanoscale called Nanoparticles, wherein they have control over bulk macroscopic properties of the identical material. The "drug nanocarrier," selenium possesses strong antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-cancer as well as anti-inflammatory properties. As the medicinal plant Thymus vulgaris possesses a lot of phytochemicals, this study was conducted to assess the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of selenium nanoparticles (SeNps) reinforced with T. vulgaris. Materials and Methods: Anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant activity of SeNps reinforced with T. vulgaris extract were assessed using bovine serum albumin and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay, respectively, at 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 µL. Results: The values for anti-inflammatory property of nanoparticles were higher than the standard values at 30, 40, and 50 µL concentrations. Percentage of inhibition was highest at 40 µL (87.7%) and 50 µL (92.6%). The values for antioxidant property of nanoparticles were found to be higher than the standard values at 10, 20, and 30 µL concentrations. Percentage of inhibition was highest at 30 µL (68.3%). Conclusion: SeNps reinforced with T. vulgaris extract have a potential as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent and can be used as an alternative to commercially available products.

Efficacy of Chitosan and Chlorhexidine Mouthwash on Dental Plaque and Gingival Inflammation: A Systematic Review.

Mouthwash is the effective chemical plaque control mechanism being practiced globally. Teeth and tongue discoloration, a temporary change in taste perception, an increase in calculus deposits, a burning sensation, and genotoxicity of buccal epithelial cells are all possible side effects. This review evaluates the efficacy of chitosan mouthwash in comparison to chlorhexidine mouthwash in combating plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation. Electronic databases such as Medline, Cochrane, LILACS, TRIP, Google scholar, and clinical trial registries (CTRI) for ongoing trials were searched with appropriate medical subheadings (MeSH) and search terms. Randomized clinical trials comparing the efficacy of chitosan mouthwash and chlorhexidine mouthwash on dental plaque accumulation and gingivitis were included. The outcome variables of interest were plaque index, gingival index, gingival bleeding index, and colony-forming unit (CFU/ml). All data from the included studies were extracted in a customized extraction sheet. The risk of bias across the studies was assessed using the Cochrane tool for intervention (ROB-2), which consisted of six domains. Of the included three studies, we found one study with an overall low risk of bias and two studies with an overall high risk of bias across the domains. Though there was a significant reduction in plaque accumulation, gingival inflammation, and colony-forming units on the use of chitosan mouthwash and chlorhexidine mouthwash separately, all three included studies reported that a combination of both be more effective.

Probiotic curd as antibacterial agent against pathogens causing oral deformities - in vitro microbiological study.

Major oral deformities fall under dental caries and periodontal diseases hence active prevention of these two diseases can contribute to good oral health and preserves oral hygiene. Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus, Candida, and anaerobic organisms are the organisms responsible for causing oral cavity-related deformities. Probiotics which is the useful and nonpathogenic bacteria are added to food products which tend to be advantageous to human health. A wide range of studies indicates that these probiotics are useful against oral tissues. Hence, the primary goal of the study aims to determine the antibacterial potential of probiotic curd against pathogens causing various oral diseases and deformities. A laboratory-oriented in vitro microbiological study design was framed to detect the antimicrobial potential of the probiotic curd. Subgingival calculus specimens were collected and anaerobic organisms were isolated in thioglycollate broth. Lawn cultures were subjected to the surface of brain heart infusion agar and 100 µl of probiotic curd, normal curd, and filtrate were taken in a micropipette and inoculated over the specific wells. The culture plates were incubated anaerobically at 37°C for 24 h. The culture plates were monitored for the zone of inhibition to assess the antibacterial activity against the test pathogens. The results showed that there was no antibacterial activity against the anaerobic bacteria cultivated from subgingival calculus. However, further validation must be done on the same with purified components from the probiotic curd. Probiotic curd is normally considered a vital immune-boosting nutritional supplement. However, the antibacterial activity must be evaluated with care with the purified filtrates of the curd to substantiate its exact role against dental pathogens.

Prevalence and dependency of tobacco use among tribal gypsies in Thoothukudi district - A cross sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: The Narikuravars or "gypsy" are a semi vagrant groups distributed across borders, but primarily live in Tamil Nadu, India. They are notorious to face discrimination that interprets into low education level, low socio-economic status and lack of pertinent access to health care. The focus of the present study is to determine the prevalence and dependency with tobacco use among tribal gypsies in Thoothukudi district. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study design of the present study was a cross sectional which was done in Thoothukudi district in the month of December, 2019. Oral health status of the study population was analysed by WHO assessment form (adults), 2013. Tobacco dependence was analysed by Fagerstrom Nicotine dependency scale. The inclusion criteria were to include every gypsy person who is a citizen of Thoothukudi district and of all ages. The study included all the narikuravars (164) whose origin is Thoothukudi district. SPSS version 20.0 was used for statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics and Chi square tests were done to establish the distribution and association of the variables, respectively. RESULTS: The total study participants of this cross-sectional study were 164, among them 128 were adults and 36 were children. Results revealed that among the adult population 64.55% were using tobacco, among them 29.1% were using smoking tobacco, 63.4% were using smokeless tobacco and 7.5% were using both. Medium nicotine dependency was more prevalent in both smoking and smokeless tobacco users (82.75% and 53.57%). The association between prevalence of tobacco use and gingival bleeding was statistically significant. Gingival bleeding was present in 88.9% of tobacco users and 11% of non-users (p value- 0.01). Significant association was found between gender and tobacco usage (p value- 0.042), dental erosion and tobacco usage (p value- 0.007). There exists significant association established between gender and nicotine dependency. (p value - 0.000). CONCLUSION: More than 60% of the adult study participants were using some form of tobacco. Medium tobacco dependency was prevalent among tobacco users. The tribal people have no access to all the services as their counterparts and it's our duty to educate them and create an insight about the ill effects of tobacco usage.

A qualitative study on attitude towards smoking, quitting and tobacco control policies among current smokers of different socio-economic status.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco consumed as smoke and smokeless forms is an important preventable public health issue projected to be the single largest cause of mortality worldwide. The aim of the study was to qualitatively assess the attitudes towards smoking, quitting and tobacco control policies among current smokers of different socio-economic status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An in-depth interview for 10 current smokers and a focus group discussion comprising of 10 current smokers was conducted with a guide and moderator which was audio recorded. About 6, 8 and 6 subjects from white collar, blue collar, and black collar employee status participated in the study. Their tobacco consumption and dependence using the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence scale (FTNDS) was assessed. RESULTS: About 50% of the participants had low; 30% had moderate and 20% had high nicotine dependency. Most of the participants started smoking by peer influence and continued as it made them to socialize. Relapses during their quit attempt was mainly due to work stress. Participants heard about the control of tobacco act but were unsure of the features in it. They perceived that no changes will happen if government bans production and selling of tobacco products. Also anti-tobacco commercials in social media will have no use. Nicotine replacement therapy may help in quitting the habit. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that people in low socio-economic status had high nicotine dependency with inadequate knowledge on tobacco control policies. They strongly believe that an individual's self-restrain only can succeed him in quitting the habit.

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.