Estimation and comparison of levels of salivary nitric oxide in patients with oral lichen planus and controls

Normal salivary function is considered to be critical for the maintenance of healthy oral mucosa. Oral fluids provide an easily available, non-invasive medium for the diagnosis of wide range of diseases and clinical situations. The objective of this study was to estimate and compare salivary nitric oxide levels in patients with oral lichen planus and healthy individuals. To estimate the levels of salivary nitric oxide in patients with oral lichen planus and compare them with those of healthy subjects [controls]. Saliva was collected by spitting method. Unstimulated whole saliva thus collected was refrigerated at 4°C, and processed within 24h for the estimation of nitric oxide levels which was done using Griess reaction. The results were analyzed using Student's "t" test. There was statistically significant difference in the levels of salivary nitric oxide between the study and control groups. The present study clearly indicates a significant increase in salivary nitric oxide levels in oral lichen planus patients as compared to controls

Redefining the potential applications of dental stem cells: An asset for future.

Recent exciting discoveries isolated dental stem cells from the pulp of the primary and permanent teeth, from the periodontal ligament, and from associated healthy tissues. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) represent a kind of adult cell colony which has the potent capacity of self-renewing and multilineage differentiation. Stem cell-based tooth engineering is deemed as a promising approach to the making of a biological tooth (bio-tooth) or engineering of functional tooth structures. Dental professionals have the opportunity to make their patients aware of these new sources of stem cells that can be stored for future use as new therapies are developed for a range of diseases and injuries. The aim of this article is to review and understand how dental stem cells are being used for regeneration of oral and conversely nonoral tissues. A brief review on banking is also done for storing of these valuable stem cells for future use.