Clinical applications and performance of intelligent systems in dental and maxillofacial radiology: A review.

Intelligent systems (i.e., artificial intelligence), particularly deep learning, are machines able to mimic the cognitive functions of humans to perform tasks of problem-solving and learning. This field deals with computational models that can think and act intelligently, like the human brain, and construct algorithms that can learn from data to make predictions. Artificial intelligence is becoming important in radiology due to its ability to detect abnormalities in radiographic images that are unnoticed by the naked human eye. These systems have reduced radiologists' workload by rapidly recording and presenting data, and thereby monitoring the treatment response with a reduced risk of cognitive bias. Intelligent systems have an important role to play and could be used by dentists as an adjunct to other imaging modalities in making appropriate diagnoses and treatment plans. In the field of maxillofacial radiology, these systems have shown promise for the interpretation of complex images, accurate localization of landmarks, characterization of bone architecture, estimation of oral cancer risk, and the assessment of metastatic lymph nodes, periapical pathologies, and maxillary sinus pathologies. This review discusses the clinical applications and scope of intelligent systems such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and deep learning programs in maxillofacial imaging.

Digitization in forensic odontology: A paradigm shift in forensic investigations.

Forensic dentistry deals with proper handling, examination, and evaluation of dental records, which are then presented in the interest of law for justice. It plays a major role in identification of deceased individuals who cannot be identified visually or by other means after mass disasters or crimes. Digital forensics has revolutionized the traditional forensic investigations in terms of acquisition, analysis, and reporting of forensic evidence and its application is becoming common in the mass disasters, earthquakes, and terrorism. Sophistication of software and advent of digital technologies such as computers, computer-aided design computer-aided manufacturing systems, digital records, facial reconstruction, touch-free autopsy, and virtopsy has resulted in quick identification and extraction of a large amount of data with reduced sampling bias. This paper focuses on the evolution of forensic dentistry for effective detection and resolution of medico-legal matters and also highlights the use of comparison microscopes and new robotic tools by few forensic laboratories for automation of deoxyribonucleic acid sampling processes for human identification.

Efficacy of ozonized olive oil in the management of oral lesions and conditions: A clinical trial.

UNLABELLED: The oral cavity is an open ecosystem that shows a dynamic balance between the entrance of microorganisms (bacterial, viral or fungal), colonization modalities, nutritional balance, and host defenses against their removal. The oral lesions including aphthous ulcerations, herpes labialis, oral candidiasis, oral lichen planus, and angular cheilitis some of the common entities encountered in the clinical practice. A variety of treatment options is available in the literature for all of these lesions and conditions. Topical ozone therapy is a minimally invasive technique that can be used for these conditions without any side effects. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of ozonized olive oil in the treatment of oral lesions and conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A longitudinal study was carried out on 50 patients (aphthous ulcerations, herpes labialis, oral candidiasis, oral lichen planus, and angular cheilitis). The ozonized olive oil was applied twice daily until the lesion regresses for a maximum of 6 months. RESULTS: All the lesions regress in patients with aphthous ulcerations, herpes labialis, oral candidiasis and angular cheilitis or showed improvement in the signs and symptoms in oral lichen planus patients. No toxicity or side effect was observed in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: Ozone therapy though requires a gaseous form to be more effective, but topical form can also bring out the positive results without any toxicity or side effect. Hence, it can be considered as a minimally invasive therapy for the oral infective and immunological conditions.

Oral sex and oral health: An enigma in itself.

Oral sex is commonly practiced by sexually active couples of various age groups, including male-female and same-gender adolescents. The various type of oral sex practices are fellatio, cunnilingus, and analingus. Oral sex can transmit oral, respiratory, and genital infections from one site in body to the other. Oral health has a direct correlation on the transmission of infection; a cut in the mouth, bleeding gums, lip sores or broken skin increases chances of life-threatening infections. Although oral sex is considered a low risk activity, it is important to use protection such as physical barriers, health and medical issues, ethical issues, and oral hygiene and dental issues. The ulcerations or unhealthy periodontium in mouth accelerates the phenomenon of transmission of infections into the circulation. Thus, consequences of unhealthy or painful oral cavity are significant and oral health should be given paramount importance for the practice of oral sex.

An atypical metastasis of renal clear cell carcinoma to the upper lip: a case report.

Metastatic lesions of the oral cavity are extremely rare, accounting for approximately 1% of all malignant oral tumors. Renal clear cell carcinoma (RCCC) constitutes about 3% of the solid tumors in adults. It is the third most frequent neoplasm to metastasize to the head and neck region, preceded by breast and lung carcinoma. Because of the silent growth of this neoplasm, most patients are asymptomatic and are diagnosed in an advanced stage, frequently with metastases. We report an unusual case of a 60-year-old male patient with an ulcerated nodule on the upper lip mimicking a keratoacanthoma. He was treated for left-sided RCCC 5 months earlier. The lesion was excised, and the histopathologic findings were suggestive of metastatic RCCC. The clinical features, prognosis, and treatment modalities for metastatic lesions are reviewed in our report. This case is a rarity because only 3 cases of metastatic RCCC of the upper lip have been reported in the literature.

Oral manifestations of McCune-Albright syndrome.

McCune- Albright Syndrome (MAS) is a rare fibrosseous lesion, characterized by a classic triad of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (PFD), café -au-lait macules (CALM) and underlying endocrinopathies. We present the oral findings of an interesting case of MAS with relevant review of literature. A 30-year-old male presented to us with swelling of both jaws over a period of two years. Cutaneous examination revealed café - au - lait macule over the back, crossing the midline. Skeletal survey showed expansile, osteolytic, mixed radiolucent- radiopaque lesions in skull and jaw bones. Serum alkaline phosphatase was elevated (388 IU/L), with normal calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone and 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels. Diagnosis of McCune- Albright syndrome was made and he was treated with parenteral bisphosphonates (intravenous Zoledronate 4 mg) and is under follow up for surgical recontouring of the jaws. Early recognition facilitates better treatment and improves prognosis by reducing the morbidity.

Trends in endocrinology related research articles in a medical journal from India.

BACKGROUND: The details about the research productivity in the specialty of endocrinology from India is lacking. We plan to assess the publishing trends and the research productivity of Endocrinology related research articles published in the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India (JAPI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We carried the bibliometric analysis of endocrinology related articles from JAPI. The data were obtained from the JAPI website for the publications between 2000 and 2011. The articles were analyzed for the type (original article, case reports, correspondence, and pictorial image), subspecialty (diabetes, thyroid, etc.), and place of the research. Data were presented with descriptive statistics in numbers and percentages. RESULTS: Out of a total 2977 articles published by JAPI, 312 articles belong to endocrine subspecialty. Endocrinology related articles constitute about 11.2%-23.2% of the published articles per year in JAPI and the percentage is increasing every year. Original articles (52%) and case reports (27%) constituite the majority, while the rest were letters to editor (9%) and pictorial images (12%). Diabetes (57%) and metabolic bone disorders (16%) lead the subspecialty articles, followed by thyroid (9%), adrenal and gonad (8%), and pituitary (8%). Chennai (20%), Mumbai (14%), and Delhi (9%) are the top 3 places contributing to the articles followed by Chandigarh and Varanasi. CONCLUSION: Majority of endocrinology related research productivity is seen in form of original articles and case reports. Diabetes is the leading disease with maximum research articles from Chennai and other glands are equally represented in the research productivity.