Palatal schwannoma in an elderly woman.

Schwannoma also known as neurilemmoma is a benign tumour derived from schwann cells and is relatively rare in occurrence. Only 1% of the schwannomas in the head and neck region occur at intra-oral sites. Schwannomas usually occur during the third or fourth decades of life and the tongue is the most common intra-oral site. A case of intra-oral schwannoma in a 70-year-old female in the region of hard palate is described which is extremely rare.

Bioactive remineralization of dentin surface with calcium phosphate-based agents: An in vitro analysis.

Background: With the increasing prevalence of erosive tooth wear affecting both adults and children; designing optimum protocols of management in a noninvasive manner is gaining precedence. Aim: Comparative evaluation of topically applied calcium phosphate-based agents casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) and beta tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP) on the surface of eroded dentin. Materials and Methods: Dentin blocks from human third molars in four groups were subjected to the surface treatment: (G1) sound dentin (G2) demineralized dentin (G3) CPP-ACP (G4) ß-TCP. All the samples except control (G1) were immersed in an acidic solution incubated at 37°C for 96 h. The samples in G3 and G4 were topically treated with CPP-ACP and ß-TCP for 4 min twice daily for 14 days; followed by pH-cycling for 21 days. Surface hardness testing and surface morphology were observed using the scanning electron microscopy. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software with Kruskal-Wallis test and post hoc test. Results: Dentin treated with both CPP-ACP (37.25) and ß-TCP (32.05) recorded significantly higher VHN than demineralized (G2-23.51) but lower compared to sound control (G1-57.06). Conclusion: The topical application of CPP-ACP and ß-TCP agents shows definite potential in promoting the hardening of demineralized dentin surface.

Characterization of dynamic process of carious and erosive demineralization - an overview.

To review the analytical methods for carious and erosive demineralization an initial search of peer-reviewed scientific literature from the digital library database of PubMed/Medline indexed journals published up to early 2022 was carried out based on keywords relevant to the topic criteria including bibliographic citations from the papers to gather the most updated information. This current review aims to provide an updated overview of the advantages, limitations, and potential applications of direct and indirect research methods available for studying various dynamic stages of carious and erosive demineralization in enamel and dentin. This paper categorizes and describes the most suitable, frequently adopted and widely used quantitative and qualitative techniques in in vitro/in vivo research which are well-established, emerging, or comparatively novel techniques that are being explored for their potential validation.

The "Butterfly Effect" and Its Correlation to the Direction of the Fracture Line in Root Dentin.

INTRODUCTION: The butterfly effect is an optical phenomenon and is related to the presence of sclerotic dentin in the roots. The unique pattern of sclerotic dentin formation produces a characteristic butterfly shape in transverse sections of the roots. The objective of this study was to evaluate the direction of the fracture line in roots that exhibit the butterfly effect. METHODS: Thirty single-rooted premolars with oval-shaped roots were decoronated and embedded in acrylic blocks and subjected to vertical force under a universal testing machine (HPBSD; Tec-Sol India, Chennai, India). Fractured roots were examined under a stereomicroscope (Model no. 080772; Lawrence and Mayo, Mumbai, India) at ×10 magnification to determine the location and direction of the fracture line. To evaluate the correlation between the direction of sclerotic dentin and the direction of the fracture line, teeth were sectioned and observed under a stereomicroscope at ×20 and ×40 magnification. The correlation was analyzed using the Fisher exact test (P < .05 for the coronal and apical thirds and P > .05 for the middle third). RESULTS: Sclerotic dentin was observed more in the apical area and less in the coronal third of the root. The correlation between the direction of sclerotic dentin and the direction of the fracture line was statistically significant in the coronal and apical thirds of the root. CONCLUSIONS: The vertical root fracture that runs buccolingually is correlated to the harder sclerotic dentin present in the mesiodistal direction.

Biochemical and Cytological Comparison of Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumours to Nonkeratinising Odontogenic Cysts Fluid.

AIM: To evaluate the levels of albumin, prealbumin, total protein, inorganic phosphate and presence of keratinocytes in the cystic fluid for the diagnosis and appropriate treatment planning of keratocystic odontogenic tumours and other non keratinizing odontogenic cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen keratocystic odontogenic tumour and 15 controls were studied. The cystic fluid was aspirated and analysed to determine the levels of albumin, prealbumin, total protein, inorganic phosphate and the presence of keratinocytes. The data collected was statistically evaluated using Mann Whitney U-Test and Student's t-test. RESULTS: A highly significant difference (p<0.0001) was seen when a comparison of Prealbumin, total protein, inorganic phosphate and presence of keratinocytes was made between keratocystic odontogenic tumour and non keratinizing odontogenic cysts. The presence of albumin also showed a significant difference (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: A combined analysis of total protein, albumin, prealbumin, inorganic phosphorous and detection of epithelial squames may be used as a diagnostic adjunct in the preoperative diagnosis of keratocystic odontogenic tumour in a minimally invasive and highly accurate fashion.

Salivary protein concentration, flow rate, buffer capacity and pH estimation: A comparative study among young and elderly subjects, both normal and with gingivitis and periodontitis.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the salivary protein concentration in gingivitis and periodontitis patients and compare the parameters like salivary total protein, salivary albumin, salivary flow rate, pH, buffer capacity and flow rate in both young and elderly patients with simple methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty subjects were grouped based on their age as young and elderly. Each group was subgrouped (20 subjects) as controls, gingivitis and periodontitis. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected from patients and flow rate was noted down during collection of the sample. Salivary protein estimation was done using the Biuret method and salivary albumin was assessed using the Bromocresol green method. pH was estimated with a pHmeter and buffering capacity was analyzed with the titration method. Student's t-test, Fisher's test (ANOVA) and Tukey HSD (ANOVA) tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A very highly significant rise in the salivary total protein and albumin concentration was noted in gingivitis and periodontitis subjects of both young and elderly. An overall decrease in salivary flow rate was observed among the elderly, and also the salivary flow rate of women was significantly lower than that of men. CONCLUSION: Significant associations between salivary total protein and albumin in gingivitis and periodontitis were found with simple biochemical tests. A decrease in salivary flow rate among elderly and among women was noted.

The Self-Reported Knowledge, Attitude and the Practices Regarding the Early Detection of Oral Cancer and Precancerous Lesions among the Practising Dentists of Dakshina Kannada-A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the leading causes of mortality in India. The screening and the early detection of the premalignant and malignant lesions are the only means for controlling the disease. General dental practitioners can play a great role in this direction. The objective of the present study was to assess the self-reported knowledge, attitude, as well as the practices concerning the early detection of oral cancer among the dentists of Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India. MATERIAL AND METHODS: About 200 clinicians (BDS/MDS) were randomly selected for an 18 itemed questionnaire survey. The aspects which were enquired into were the usage of exfoliative cytology in their clinical practice, the recent attempts which are made by dentists at updating their knowledge on oral cancer, their practical approaches towards the screening for oral premalignant diseases, etc. RESULTS: Over 98% of the dentists reported to have not performed exfoliative cytology in their clinics. However, 85% had attended education programs on oral cancer. About 72% felt the need to be trained and they welcomed the suggestion of conducting practical workshops in this direction. 29.5% conducted biopsies when they encountered suspicious looking lesions, but only 13% counseled such patients for the habit cessation. 86% felt the need for Oral Pathology consultants in their clinics. CONCLUSION: This pilot survey identified an existing gap in the knowledge and practices among physicians and dentists and this emphasises the need to increase the numbers of oral cancer detection workshops which are held among the professional groups.