Comparison of salivary flow rate and pH between healthy subjects and tobacco and areca nut chewers.

Introduction: Tobacco and areca nuts release carcinogens, which cause alterations in saliva. Evaluation of these changes through estimation of salivary flow rate and pH was performed in tobacco and areca nut chewers and apparently healthy subjects. Material and Methods: The study group for this comparative study comprised 60 subjects with 20 areca nut chewers (group 1), 20 tobacco chewers (group 2), and 20 non-tobacco and areca nut chewers (group 3) in the ages between 18 and 75 years. After collection of saliva from each subject, the salivary flow rate (SFR) was measured by using graduated tubes, whereas salivary pH was measured using a digital salivary pH meter. Tukey HSD post hoc test was performed for comparison of mean SFR and mean pH between study group subjects. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to find the mean difference in SFR and pH in duration, intensity, and frequency among various types of areca nut and tobacco users. A "P" value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The mean age among groups 1, 2, and 3 was 37.70 ± 10.44, 39.75 ± 10.16, and 37.90 ± 10.52 years, respectively, with a statistically insignificant difference. The mean salivary flow rate (ml/20 min) was maximum in group 3 (13.23), followed by group 2 (11.75) and group 1 (10.48), with the statistically significant difference as P < 0.05. The mean salivary pH was maximum in group 3 (7.07), followed by group 2 (6.86) and group 1 (6.49), with the statistically significant difference as P < 0.05. Conclusion: Long-term use of tobacco and areca nuts in a chewable form can significantly reduce the salivary flow rate and salivary pH. Hence, these measurements can be used as chair side, non-invasive measures for assessing pathological changes in oral mucosa linked to vulnerable effects among people addicted to these adverse habits; thereby, early re-organization can prevent mobility and mortality.

Publishing your research work: Updated concepts and nuances of few metrics used to assess journal quality.

Authors have a multitude of options for journals for publishing their research. However, their choice is mostly based on academic credits required for promotion, cost of publication, timeliness of process, etc., The purpose of this narrative review is to enlighten the authors about some other journal metrics used to assess journal ranking and quality in international scenario. The main concepts discussed in this paper are the impact factor and cite score. The paper includes an explanation of terms like web of science, journal citation reports, and how they are related to impact factor. This will help the authors to make the right decision about choosing the right journal for publishing their research. Along with the historic concepts we have included the latest updates about changes being made to the journal citation report and impact factor released in 2023 June. Hopefully with the review paper, we will be able to encourage the inclusion of such concepts and curriculum of post-graduation courses considering publishing a paper and choosing a journal are an integral aspect of a researcher's work life.

An unconventional career path for an oral pathologist: Sharing personal insights from experience as a part of medical publishing industry.

Oral pathologists or dentists in general opting for alternate career paths are very common nowadays. Financial security, lesser availability of jobs and work satisfaction are the most commonly observed reasons for this openness to switch career. While there is a multitude of alternate career options available such as medical writing and pharmacovigilance in this review, we aim to give an insight specifically on opportunities available in the medical journals aspect of the publishing industry. Oral pathologists can opt to take this field as a full-time engagement and attain a constant growth in terms of finances, knowledge and personal development. One of the authors has opted for this career path and has provided personal opinions about the scope, opportunities and perks of working in this industry.

Effect of Er:YAG laser cavity preparation on the bond strength of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-free and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-rich self-etch adhesive systems: An in vitro study.

BACKGROUND: Despite many advantages of lasers and reduction of the risk of surface bonding errors with newer self-etch systems, they have not been thoroughly researched. This study was done to evaluate the effect of Er:YAG laser cavity preparation on the microtensile bond strength of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)-rich and HEMA-free one-step self-etch adhesive systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this in vitro study, eighty freshly extracted human premolars were collected. Cavities were prepared in 40 teeth with carbide bur (Group 1) and in other 40 teeth with Er:YAG LASER (490 mJ and 15 Hz) (Group 2). Subgroups of twenty teeth each were made according to the adhesive systems used. After placement of restoration, the mean values of the bond strength were calculated using universal testing machine. Data were then tabulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics (Significant at P < 0.05). RESULTS: The overall microtensile bonding strength was higher when the cavities were prepared with bur compared to those with Er:YAG laser. Mean bond strengths of single-bottle self-etching seventh-generation dentin bonding agents to bur-prepared cavities were higher than those to laser-prepared cavities irrespective of the adhesive system (P = 0.01). No statistically significant difference was observed between HEMA-free and HEMA-rich self-etch adhesive systems. CONCLUSION: The effect of Er:YAG laser for cavity preparation did not show improved performance when evaluated using microtensile bond strength with seventh-generation bonding agents, Adper Easy One and G-Bond. More studies are required to assess the effect of lasers.

Unicystic Ameloblastoma of Mandible with an Unusual Diverse Histopathology: A Rare Case Report.

Ameloblastomas of jaws are benign odontogenic tumours with four clinical variants being solid multicystic type, unicystic type, extra osseous type and desmoplastic type. Unicystic ameloblastoma accounts for only 13% of all the known cases in the scientific literature. Follicular and plexiform patterns are the commonly seen histopathological patterns in unicystic ameloblastoma. Though rare in itself, presence of granular cells along with acanthomatous changes occurring in unicystic ameloblastoma is a rare phenomenon. We present a rare case report of unicystic ameloblastoma of right mandible with an unusual histopathology. It exhibited both luminal and mural types as well as both acanthomatous and granular cell changes found together. As occurrence of unicystic ameloblastoma of jaws with such varied histopathology is rare, their course, clinical outcome, prognosis and recurrence rate are not clear. Documentation of more such cases in literature may make pathogenesis and nature of these lesions more insightful.

Evaluation of Gengigel® Application in the Management of Furcation with Coronally Advanced Flap through Surgical Re-Entry-A Split Mouth Clinical Study.

INTRODUCTION: One of the challenging and unique periodontal problem of Grade II furcation defect has been managed through different treatment modalities in the past. A successful approach is based on complete closure of the defect. Different regenerative approaches have been tried. AIM: This study was carried out with an aim to evaluate the role of Gengigel® (0.8% hyaluronic acid) as a potential material for regeneration of lost attachment apparatus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 20 sites with Grade II furcation defects from 10 patients were selected using random sampling technique. These were divided into Group A (placement of hyaluronic acid) and Group B (without placement of hyaluronic acid) according to treatment modality. Furcation defect assessment was done in vertical and horizontal depth preoperatively and postoperatively at six months through surgical re-entry. Recorded data was subjected to the statistical analysis unpaired and paired t-tests for intergroup and intragroup comparisons respectively. RESULTS: Mean plaque index, gingival index and bleeding index score showed statistically highly significant and significant results respectively, for both the groups at baseline and six months. Mean difference in probing pocket depth and Relative Attachment Level (RAL) were statistically highly significant, whereas, mean difference of gingival position margin was non significant for both the groups, at baseline and six months. Mean difference in horizontal component at baseline and six months was statistically highly significant for both the groups. Mean difference in vertical component at baseline and six months was statistically significant for both the groups. On comparison, the mean difference in vertical and horizontal component of Group A and Group B at six months was statistically not significant. CONCLUSION: Both Gengigel® with coronally positioned flap and coronally positioned flap alone are effective in the treatment of Grade II furcation defects. The combination of Gengigel® with coronally positioned flap leads to better results in hard tissue measurement as compared to coronally positioned flap alone.

Stromal fibers in oral squamous cell carcinoma: A possible new prognostic indicator?

BACKGROUND: Many studies have been carried out to study the role of extracellular matrix proteins, growth factors and matrix metalloproteinases on tumor invasion. However, literature related to the analysis of connective tissue fibers in varying grades of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is very limited. AIM: To analyze the changes in collagen and elastic fibers in varying grades of (OSCC). SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This retrospective study was carried out using a light and polarizing microscope. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three sections each were cut from fifty samples of varying grades of OSCC and ten samples of control followed by staining with H and E, Picrosirius-Red and Verhoeff-Van Gieson. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of collagen and elastic fibers were accomplished using set criteria. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data were entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 13.5 for analysis. RESULTS: A change in colors of collagen fibers was seen on progressing from well to poorly differentiated OSCC. Thin collagen fibers predominantly exhibited greenish yellow, but the thick fibers exhibited a variety of colors. As the grade of OSCC progressed, collagen fibers were loosely packed haphazardly arranged. Statistically insignificant results were obtained for quantitative analysis of collagen and qualitative analysis of elastic fibers. CONCLUSION: The collagen fibers undergo a change in color, orientation and packing in the stroma of varying grades of OSCC. The uniqueness of this study lies in the exploration of elastic fibers in OSCC which has not been done so far.

Lipoma of mandibular buccal vestibule: a case with histopathological literature review.

Lipoma is a tumour of soft tissue with rare occurrence in oral cavity accounting for only 1-4% of benign oral tumours. Most common sites of involvement are the buccal mucosa, tongue and floor of the mouth with typical presentation of an asymptomatic, soft, smooth-surfaced, nodular and yellowish mass. Histopathologically, a classical lipoma resembles normal adipose tissue and it has multiple variants which are less commonly seen except fibrolipoma. The article presents a case report of a relatively large oral classical lipoma in a 60-year-old man on a rare site, mandibular buccal vestibule, along with a review of the literature and special emphasis on its various histopathological variants.

A rare presentation of lipoma on mandibular mucogingival junction.

Lipoma is the most common tumor of mesenchymal tissues of body, but its occurrence in oral cavity is infrequent. Buccal mucosa is the most common intraoral site of lipoma followed by tongue, floor of the mouth, and buccal vestibule. The involvement of mucogingival junction is rare. We present a unique case report of oral lipoma occurring on mandibular mucogingival junction with review of literature which has emphasis on differential diagnosis.

Kaleidoscope of oral artifacts: A vivid picture through light and polarizing microscope.

BACKGROUND: This study is based on finding of an inexplicable artifact that was seen in the tissue received as periapical granuloma. AIM: To observe the histological appearance of different commonly implanted food particles and easily incorporated substances from a laboratory in the oral biopsy tissues. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various food particles such as wheat chapatti, beans, peas, pulses, and coriander leaves and substances such as a suture, cotton, and paper that can easily gain entry during biopsy and histotechnical procedures were intentionally introduced in the tissue specimens of a uterus from outside. Both light and polarizing microscopes were utilized to view them. RESULTS: Different food particles and substances gave different appearances that could lead to misdiagnosis. Some of these also exhibited positive birefringence under the polarizing microscope. CONCLUSION: Knowledge and familiarity with probable foreign substances which can appear in tissues may help prevent misdiagnosis or erroneous diagnosis of biopsy specimens.

Estimation of time elapsed since the death from identification of morphological and histological time-related changes in dental pulp: An observational study from porcine teeth.

AIM: Putrefaction of the human body with its rate and stages of the various changes occurring in this entire process have been explored widely by the forensic medicine experts to estimate the time elapsed since death. However, experimental data reported in literature pertaining to rates of putrefaction of the dental pulp retrieved from jaws of the dead is scarce. This study makes an attempt to find out the series of various changes which occur during the process of putrefaction of the dental pulp in a coastal environment like that of Southern India. An attempt has also been made to estimate the time elapsed since the death by assessing the duration for which dental pulp remains microscopically intact. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three different study setups at different times, followed one by other were created. In each setup, 10 specimens of porcine jaws with teeth were buried in surface soil and 10 specimens in subsurface soil. Dental pulp was retrieved at an interval of every 24 h to see for the various changes. All the environmental parameters including average daily rainfall precipitation, temperature, soil humidity, soil temperature, and soil pH were recorded. RESULTS: A specific series of morphological changes in terms of changes in size, color, consistency, and odor; and a sequence of histological changes were observed from both surface and subsurface samples. CONCLUSION: Dental pulp buried in a coastal environment goes through a specific series of morphological and histological changes which can be interpreted up to 144 h from burial, after which pulp ceases to exist.

Prevalence of oral lesions and measurement of salivary pH in the different trimesters of pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION: Oral changes observed during pregnancy have been studied for many years, but their magnitude and frequency have not been stressed upon. This study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of oral lesions during different trimesters of pregnancy and their correlation with salivary pH change. METHODS: The gingival, simplified oral hygiene, community periodontal and decayed-missing-filled teeth indices were used to assess a total of 120 pregnant women (40 in each trimester group) and 40 nonpregnant women (control group). Salivary pH was measured using a digital pH meter. Presence of any oral lesions was determined via oral examination. RESULTS: Scores for all indices increased while salivary pH decreased from the control group to the first trimester group, through to the third. Oral lesions were seen in 44.2% of pregnant women. Lesions were seen in 27.5%, 52.5% and 52.5% of women in the first, second and third trimesters, respectively. The percentage of pregnant women with one oral lesion was highest in the second trimester (47.5%), whereas the third trimester had the highest prevalence (17.5%) of two concurrent oral lesions. The incidence of fissured tongue was highest in the first trimester group, and that of gingival enlargement was highest in the third trimester group. In the second trimester group, there was an almost equal incidence of fissured tongue and gingival/mucosal enlargement. CONCLUSION: Most changes in oral tissues during pregnancy can be avoided with good oral hygiene. Salivary pH could be used to assess the prevalence of oral lesions in the different trimesters of pregnancy.

Amnion and Chorion Membranes: Potential Stem Cell Reservoir with Wide Applications in Periodontics.

The periodontal therapy usually aims at elimination of disease causing bacteria and resolution of inflammation. It involves either resective or regenerative surgery to resolve the inflammation associated defects. Over the years, several methods have been used for achievement of periodontal regeneration. One of the oldest biomaterials used for scaffolds is the fetal membrane. The amniotic membranes of developing embryo, that is, amnion (innermost lining) and chorion (a layer next to it), have the properties with significant potential uses in dentistry. This paper reviews the properties, mechanism of action, and various applications of these placental membranes in general and specifically in Periodontics.

An unusual case report of basal cell adenoma: A Diagnostic Enchanter.

Oral lesions show a wide range of biologic behaviours. There are various lesions which may mimic others and present in such an unusual manner thus making them very difficult to diagnose clinico-pathologically. An accurate diagnosis is not only important for correct treatment planning but also for determination of prognosis. Thus, it is very important for a surgical pathologist to be aware of the various atypical presentations of the lesions. The present unusual case report of basal cell adenoma occurring on upper lip with frank areas of calcifications and abundant inspissated mucoid secretions is an example of one such case. BCA is an uncommon benign epithelial salivary gland neoplasm. It is one of the nine subcategories of salivary gland epithelial tumours according to WHO 2005 classification of salivary gland tumors. It is composed of basaloid cells organized with a prominent basal cell layer and distinct basement membrane-like structure and no myxochondroid stromal component as seen in pleomorphic adenomas. To our best knowledge, no case in English literature has been reported BCA with exuberant inspissated mucoid secretions and frank areas of calcifications to such a large extent and this is the first case to report the same. Key words: Basal cell adenoma, calcifications, diagnosis, inspissated mucoid secretions, surgical pathologist.