Microplastics in oral healthcare products (OHPs) and their environmental health risks and mitigation measures.

The environmental input of microplastics from personal care products has received significant attention; however, less focus has been paid to oral healthcare products. The present study assessed the occurrence of microplastics in commercially available oral healthcare products such as toothbrushes, toothpastes, toothpowder, mouthwash, dental floss, and mouth freshener spray that have a pan-India distribution. The extracted microplastics were quantified and characterised using a microscope and ATR-FTIR. All products showed microplastic contamination, where toothbrushes showed the maximum particles (30-120 particles/brush) and mouth freshener sprays (0.2-3.5 particles/ml) had the least abundance. Fragments, fibres, beads, and films were the various shapes of microplastics observed, where fragments (60%) were dominant. Various colours such as pink, green, blue, yellow, black, and colourless were observed, where colourless (40%) particles were dominant. Microplastics were categorized into three sizes: <0.1 mm (63%), 0.1-0.3 mm (35%), and >0.3 mm (2%). Four major types of polymers, such as polyethylene (52%), polyamide (30%), polyethylene terephthalate (15%), and polybutylene terephthalate (3%), were identified. Risk assessment studies such as Daily Microplastics Emission (DME), Annual Microplastics Exposure (AME), and Polymer Hazard Index (PHI) were carried out. The DME projection for India was the highest for mouthwash (74 billion particles/day) and the least for mouth freshener sprays (0.36 billion particles/day). The AME projection for an individual was the highest in toothbrushes (48,910 particles ind.-1 yr.-1) and the least in mouth freshener sprays (111 particles ind.-1 yr.-1). PHI shows that the identified polymers fall under the low-to high-risk categories. This study forecasts the community health risks linked to microplastics in oral healthcare products and suggests mitigation strategies. It has the potential to shape environmental policy development in response.

Role of dry ice in decoverslipping of microscopic slides: A new insight.

Background: The process of decoverslipping is often required in a laboratory to review or examine an older slide which tends to fade over time, making it almost impossible to use it for research or study purposes. The sections then need to be re-stained which can only be done after removing the coverslip. The traditional method of decoverslipping using xylene is a time-consuming process. Various methods have been used in the past; however, none were found to be completely effective. Dry ice, the solid form of carbon dioxide, is an easily available, cheap cooling agent with a low freezing temperature (-78.5°C) which was evaluated for its efficacy in decoverslipping process, as an alternative to xylene. Materials and Method: 64 faded haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained histopathology slides were randomly selected and segregated, according to duration of year, into eight major groups. Each group was further divided into four subgroups according to the time that the slides were subjected for decoverslipping. The slides were placed on dry ice and the time was set. Once the coverslip was removed, the slides were placed in xylene to remove any residual mountant. The tissue sections were evaluated for physical disfigurement followed by re-staining with H&E to check for any change in tissue morphology. Result: The mean time taken for removal of coverslip using dry ice was 35 seconds. Conclusion: This technique is easy, fast, and effective, with no tissue loss or compromise in staining quality, thereby preventing xylene toxicity and its effect on the environment.

Estimation and comparison of salivary flow rate and its composition in diabetic patients and nondiabetic patients: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia irregularities in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and protein. It is often associated with the development of microvascular and macrovascular complications and neuropathies. The health of oral tissues is known to be related to the quality and quantity of saliva both of which may be altered in diabetes. AIM: The aim of the present study was to determine the salivary flow rate, electrolytes and total proteins in saliva of Type II diabetic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total number of 120 participants were included in this study, in which 80 patients were suffering from Type II DM (which included both controlled and uncontrolled diabetes) and 40 nondiabetic persons (controls). The study population included both the genders, with an age range of 40-70 years. The study population was divided into three groups. RESULTS: The values of total protein, sodium, potassium and salivary flow rate among controls, controlled diabetes and uncontrolled diabetes were collected, formulated and multiple comparisons between the groups using the analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey honestly significant difference analysis were done in version 16.0 of SPSS software. CONCLUSION: Studies with larger sample size are warranted to know the exact pathophysiology of controlled and uncontrolled Type II DM in terms of salivary flow rate, salivary electrolytes and total protein.

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma in the maxillary gingiva.

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare, unique, and aggressive variant of squamous cell carcinoma which mostly occurs in the upper aerodigestive tract. Histologically and immunologically different from conventional squamous cell carcinoma, it is mostly seen in men of the sixth and seventh decades and is commonly associated with tobacco and alcohol usage. BSCC usually presents as a high stage disease with distant metastasis, high recurrence rate, and poor prognosis. In the head-and-neck region, BSCC has a strong predilection for sites such as the base of the tongue, soft palate, and epiglottis. Less commonly, it may also occur on the floor of the mouth, gingiva, and tonsils. In the present article, we report a case of BSCC in the right maxillary anterior gingiva of a 57-year-old female for its rarity.

Analysis of the association between polymorphisms in Vitamin D receptor gene and dental caries.

BACKGROUND: The influence of environmental factors on dental caries is a well-established fact; however, little is known about the impact of genetics on the caries process. AIMS: This study was aimed to analyse the association between the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphism and dental caries. It also compared the risk of dental caries between individuals with homozygous (tt and TT) genotype and heterozygous (Tt) genotype. Further, this study also aimed to compare VDR gene polymorphism by gender. METHODOLOGY: A total of 196 subjects were selected based on their decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) index according to the WHO guidelines (1997), and were divided into two groups based on caries experience. The case group was further classified into low and high caries groups. The saliva samples were collected, DNA was extracted, and VDR Taq1 (T/C) gene polymorphism was analysed by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and visualized under 2% agarose gel. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the VDR Taq1 polymorphism and dental caries between the case and control group. However, further stratification showed a statistically significant difference based on caries experience in the study group. The heterozygous mutant genotype (Tt) was associated with a higher caries experience (62.1%) (P = 0.008) with the frequency of 't' allele being 77% as compared to 'T' allele (63.6%) in the high caries group. CONCLUSION: VDR Taq1 gene polymorphism does not seem to have a role in the incidence of dental caries in the studied population; however, it may have a role in the severity of the caries process.