A Bibliometric Analysis of Most Cited Papers on Vesiculobullous Oral Lesions.

Aim: A well-known method for quantitatively evaluating scholarly work is bibliometric analysis. Best-cited papers raise awareness of the influential publications and patterns in the literature on a specific subject. The aim was to conduct bibliometric analysis to determine most cited articles on vesiculobullous oral lesions. This is the first study on citation analysis with respect to vesiculobullous oral lesions. Materials and Methods: A retrospective data search was explored on December 2022 using the Scopus database. The articles were evaluated, and fundamental data for bibliometric analysis was reviewed. Standard details about the author, linked organizations, publishing year, and place of origin were noted. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square analysis. VOSviewer software was used to determine the bibliometric network analysis for co-occurrence among coauthors and commonly used keywords. Results: A total of 344 articles published from 1971 to 2022 were included in the study. A total of 6680 citations and 19.41 citations per article were observed. The journal Archives of Dermatology received the most citation. There was a significant association between the number of citations and the journal type (open access vs. non-open access) (P < 0.05). Four to five highly related clusters with the help of VOSviewer software were found during co-occurrence network analysis. Conclusions: The top 10 articles on vesiculobullous oral lesions that received the most citations were listed in detail in the present study. This will be a valuable resource for academics, clinicians, and researchers in the fields of dermatology, general pathology, oral pathology, and oral medicine.

Psychological Stress as a Determinant of Increased Maximum Voluntary Bite Force - A Clinical Observational Study.

Background Psychological stress is a known risk factor and modulator for several oral diseases. It is among the critical etiological factors of bruxism and several other disorders. The quantum of bite force is one of the prime determinants of wear resistance and the clinical performance of restorations. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the relationship between the maximum voluntary bite force (MVBF) and the amount of perceived stress experienced by an individual.  Materials and methods Patients (n=111) fulfilling the exclusion and inclusion criteria were divided into high, medium, and low-stress groups based on their stress scores deduced from the Perceived Stress Scale questionnaire (PSS). Bite force measurement was recorded in Newtons (N) for each subject using a portable customized bite recording FlexiForce sensor (B 201). The data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and independent samples t-test. Results  Among the females, the bite force in the medium and high-stress groups was greater compared to the low-stress level group. On the other hand, there was no difference in bite force between any of the stress level groups among male participants.  Conclusion The results show that higher MVBF is associated with higher perceived stress scores in adult females. Practical Implications Psychological counseling can be included in the dental treatment plan of individuals with a high-stress score to counteract their stress-related higher occlusal forces, parafunctional jaw movements, and risky oral health behaviors, thereby potentially reducing the incidence of adverse outcomes such as temporomandibular joint dysfunction and restoration failure by careful choice of restorative materials.

Management Protocols of the Hot Tooth-A KAP Survey among General Dentists and Endodontists.

Aim: Pain management is a cornerstone in the practice of endodontics. However, optimum pain control has been a challenge in cases of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis resulting in a "hot tooth." Thus, the objective of the study is to assess the knowledge and attitude and to determine the clinical protocols of "hot tooth" management followed among general practitioners and specialists. Materials and Methods: The KAP questionnaire contained 05 knowledge, 04 attitudes, and 06 practice-related items. The questionnaire was pretested among 10 randomly selected general dentists and endodontists. Testing-retesting was also performed. The questionnaire was self-administered and the acceptance to answer the questionnaire was considered consent to participate in the study. The sample size was calculated to be 200 with a 95% level of confidence. Descriptive statistics were used. For significance level, P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The Chi-square test was used for comparison between the endodontists and the general dentists. Results: The anesthetic techniques that clinicians are most skilled in are infiltration and inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) - 96.6% and 98.5% respectively. The intraosseous technique (IO) was the least preferred technique (6.8%). The most common supplementary injection used among both the BDS and MDS graduates was intrapulpal anesthesia. In cases of acute pulpitis, 54% of the respondents prescribed NSAIDs as a pre-anesthetic medication. Conclusion: The current study shows that supplemental injections like intraosseous and intraligamental techniques are underutilized. Also, the benefits of preanesthetic medication for hot tooth management are not harnessed among clinicians despite the sufficient body of evidence.

Extragingival pyogenic granuloma of the lower lip masquerading as a vascular lesion.

Pyogenic granuloma (PG) is a benign nonneoplastic mucocutaneous lesion. It occurs as a result of chronic irritation or due to hormonal changes. The most favorable site for this fairly common lesion is gingiva, but rarely, it can occur outside the oral cavity, later often difficult to diagnose, as a diverse group of the pathologic process can produce such lesions outside the oral cavity. The diagnosis is also challenging as the lesions appear as smooth or lobulated red nodules with easy bleeding, occasionally ulcerated mimicking malignancies. The purpose of this article is to report a rare case of extragingival PG of the lower lip simulating as a vascular lesion in young male of 30 years old diagnosed by ultrasound followed by histopathological examination.

Caring for cancer patients during COVID-19 global pandemic: Risk factors and precautionary principle.

The current global pandemic COVID-19 challenges oncologists to reorganise cancer care in order to strikingly reduce hospital visits and admissions. Cancer patients are more susceptible to infections and likely to get severe consequences compared with other patients. Health-care facility services are quickly changing their systems and workflow in response to the global pandemic COVID-19 crisis. These alterations mitigate infection risks and give profound effects on crucial aspects of care, including patients with cancer. Here, we discuss the current situations and a roadmap for cancer care during the COVID-19 crisis. In the prevalence of global cancer and higher transmission of pandemic COVID-19, there is an urgent need to realise the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection and their related life-threatening outcomes specifically for cancer patients.

Exposure Risks and Preventive Strategies Considered in Dental Care Settings to Combat Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

In recent times, numerous scientific articles have been published on the risks of exposure to infectious microorganisms in dental care settings. The main mode of transmission of such infectious organisms is primarily through bioaerosols generated during routine dental procedures which put both dental care providers and their patients at an increased risk of exposure. Other frequent modes of infection transmission often reported include cross contamination and inadequate adoption of infection control protocols. The main objective of this article is to highlight the findings of those studies that have reported on the routes and modes of transmission of infectious organisms in dental settings, to report possibilities of cross contamination in dental care settings, and also to report any breach in adherence to infection control protocols in dental care settings. We also intend to emphasize on standard infection control protocols and strategies that need to be considered in dental care settings during disease outbreaks like coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Association of Periodontitis With Metabolic Syndrome: A Case-Control Study.

AIM: This study was undertaken to assess the association between periodontitis and metabolic syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study was designed among 100 cases as patients with metabolic syndrome aged 35-74 years, and age- and sex-matched 100 controls as apparently healthy relatives or friends accompanying the cases visiting the diabetic outpatient department at Victoria Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, using convenience sampling method. Information related to diabetes, hypertension, and oral hygiene practices was collected. Periodontal health status was measured using community periodontal index. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed based on the criteria of National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used for analysis. RESULTS: Significantly more number of cases had shallow pockets 4-5 mm, deep pockets ≥ 6 mm, and also more number of loss of attachment code 1, code 2, code 3, and code 4 compared to controls. Bivariate analysis showed significant association between metabolic syndrome and body mass index, smoking, and tobacco chewing. The association between periodontitis and metabolic syndrome was significant with increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome among the subjects with community periodontal index code 3 and code 4 (odds ratio [OR] = 17) and among the subjects having loss of attachment code 1, code 2, code 3, and code 4 (OR = 12). Association remained significant even after adjustment with other variables (adjusted OR = 6). CONCLUSION: This study showed significant association between periodontitis and metabolic syndrome. Further prospective and randomized control trials are recommended to assess causal association between these two diseases.

Microwave-assisted tissue processing, fixation and staining in tissues of different thicknesses: A comparative study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: The study aimed at assessment of microwave assisted tissue fixation, processing and staining and to determine if it can replace standard formalin fixed paraffin embedded processing in tissues of different thickness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Specimens from buccal mucosa and gingiva was used in the study and were divided into three different thickness and was fixed, processed and stained according to conventional method and with a use of kitchen microwave oven respectively. The present study is the first of its kind where oral tissues was fixed, processed and stained with a kitchen microwave in three different thickness. The results obtained was statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 21.0 software. RESULTS: The new technique of fixation, tissue processing and staining using a microwave employed in the present study represented a major change from conventional method and achieved significant reduction in time taken. CONCLUSION: The ease of application and speed of this technique significantly reduced turnaround time in diagnostic labs.

Impact of electronic cigarette smoking on the Saudi population through the analysis of literature: A systematic review.

Tobacco usage is harming the health, the treasury and the spirit of Saudi Arabia. Every year, more than 7000 of its people are killed by tobacco-caused diseases. Still, more than 20,000 children and 3,352,000 adults continue to use tobacco each day. Likewise, the usage of electronic (e)-cigarette is also increasing; this could be because of the publicity and marketing strategies adopted by the manufacturers of these products which are attracting the younger population. This review was taken up to determine the usage and attitude toward e-cigarette smoking among the Saudi population through the analysis of literature. This review identified peer-reviewed articles using several search terms and databases from 2010 to 2018. PubMed, ISI-Web of Science, Medline and Google Scholar were searched using the following alternate terms for e-cigarettes: electronic cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems following which hand search was conducted through the reference list of articles. The search results only found descriptive data on these e-cigarettes among the Saudi population. This literature review reported that the usage of these e-cigarettes was high among this population and recorded a wide variety of reasons for using e-cigarettes. Reducing tobacco use, considering e-cigarette as less harmful, less addictive, for pleasure and peer influence, lower cost and curiosity were the most commonly reported reasons. Recognizing the dangerous impact of smoking and usage of other type of tobacco, the aggressive marketing of these e-cigarettes needs to be controlled.

Estimation of Antimicrobial Properties of Aqueous and Alcoholic Extracts of Salvadora Persica (Miswak) on Oral Microbial Pathogens - An Invitro Study.

INTRODUCTION: Twigs of Salvadora persica (Miswak) plant are being used as a means of oral hygiene since ages for brushing teeth. Though clinical research and trials have shown promising results on effectiveness of Miswak, but some reports are conflicting. AIM: To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of crude aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Salvadora persica (Miswak) against the common microbial pathogens causing dental caries and periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study of one year duration was conducted in Yenopoya dental and medical college, Mangalore. The twigs of Salvadora persica were collected and alcoholic and aqueous extracts were prepared using standard techniques. The antimicrobial properties of the extracts against common oral pathogens like Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus mitis, Candida albicans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Prevotella intermedia, & Peptostreptococcus were performed by agar well diffusion method and two fold broth dilution method. RESULTS: No significant results was obtained when water extracts of Salvadora persica was tested except for minimum inhibitory effect against Streptococcus mutans, Prevotella intermedia & Peptostreptococcus and Candida albicans. Relatively significant inhibitory effect was noted with respect to alcoholic extract of Salvadora persica. CONCLUSION: Although comparatively less than chlorhexidine which is a known antimicrobial agent, the alcoholic extracts of Salvadora persica showed antimicrobial effect against the common microbial pathogens causing dental caries and periodontitis indicating a potential beneficial effect of this plant. However, further research with more standardized extraction procedure and advanced techniques is required to find out the exact chemicals responsible for the antimicrobial properties of the plant extract.