Perception of dental students regarding possible career challenges and associated factors towards working in rural areas: A questionnaire based survey.

OBJECTIVE: The shortage of health care professionals in rural areas contributes toward discriminatory health care delivery. The present study was planned with a similar intent and aimed to evaluate the perception of dental students regarding their future in rural areas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was designed as a cross-sectional study comprising of a 30-item questionnaire survey instrument distributed among a total of 550 dental students while the results obtained were subjected to statistical analysis. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 12.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Independent student's t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for comparison among the variables while the Chi-square test was used to determine the association between the variables. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in the attitude based on gender (P = 0.43), although, a statistically significant difference was observed in the attitude of students based on the year of their education with a positive attitude toward rural dental practice generally noted in the first year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students which significantly declined with the increasing level of education (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Dental students were more influenced by the negative aspects of rural dental practice though they had, in their mind, a positive approach for the same at the beginning of their education, but this significantly declined with the increasing level of their education.

Osteoporosis risk group: Screening for osteoporosis in dental clinics using panoramic radiographs.

Osteoporosis is a specific condition which is characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) and deterioration of bone structure resulting in an increased susceptibility to fractures. It contributes to a great deal of morbidity and mortality, and is a large burden to the healthcare system, especially in the case of the elderly population. In the last four decades, a plethora of studies have reported characteristic oral radiographic findings in the early stages of osteoporosis, suggesting the possible use of oral radiographic signs for the early detection of the condition. Digital orthopantomographs (OPGs) are usually taken for the screening of dental patients during routine dental evaluations. These radiographs and the characteristic changes seen on them may have a significant role in the screening for initial osteoporotic changes. A number of precise radiomorphometric indices of the mandible have also been developed to allow quantification of the mandibular bone mass for identification of the initial signs of osteoporosis. The present review focuses on the possible role of panoramic radiographs in the initial screening for osteoporosis in dental clinics in high-risk groups.

Calcifying Epithelial Odontogenic Cyst of Maxilla: Report of A Case and Review and Discussion on the Terminology and Classification.

A cyst is defined as a pathological cavity which may or may not have an epithelial lining and which has a fluid, semi-fluid, or gaseous contents and is not formed by accumulation of pus. The calcifying epithelial odontogenic cyst (CEOC) was first reported by Gorlin et al. in 1962. At that time, it was classified as a cyst related to the odontogenic apparatus. It was later renamed as calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor (CCOT) in the World Health Organization classification devised in 2005 due to its histological complexity, morphological diversity, and aggressive proliferation. CCOT was later recognized by numerous names including Gorlin cyst, calcifying ghost cell odontogenic cyst, and/or dentinogenic ghost cell tumor. It has a peak incidence during the second and third decades of life and does not demonstrate any gender predilection. Radiographically, CEOC may appear as a unilocular or multilocular radiolucent lesion with either well-circumscribed or poorly-defined margins and may also be observed in association with unerupted teeth. Calcification is an important radiographic feature for the interpretation of CEOC/CCOT. The typical histopathological features of CEOC include a fibrous wall and lining of odontogenic epithelium with either columnar or cuboidal basal cells resembling ameloblasts. The treatment of choice for CEOC is conservative surgical enucleation, however, recurrence is also not found to be uncommon. Herein, we are reporting a case of the same in a 21-year-old female which was a great dilemma during the diagnostic work-up.

Clinical diagnostic criteria versus advanced imaging in prediction of cervical lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinomas: A magnetic resonance imaging based study.

CONTEXT AND AIM: The inaccuracies in clinical examination have been well documented, while advanced imaging modalities, including computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have been shown to have superior diagnostic accuracy in detecting occult and nodal metastasis. The aim of the present study was to identify as well as evaluate the inaccuracies in clinical examination and of clinical diagnostic criteria in known cases of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) with the help of MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 24 patients attending as outpatients were included in the study, while clinically diagnosed and histopathologically proven cases of OSCC were examined clinically and then subjected to advanced imaging with the help of MRI. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), while paired t-test was performed for evaluating the size of tumor and lymph node recorded on clinical and imaging findings. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Detection of tumor size and lymph node metastasis was found to be higher in case of MRI than when accomplished by clinical staging alone, while paired t-test values for difference in results were found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that clinical diagnostic criteria alone were not sufficient and reliable for detecting metastatic lymphadenopathy, highlighting the significance of advanced imaging modalities such as MRI for an efficient preoperative diagnostic workup, as well a tool for planning treatment in patients with OSCCs.

Assessment of Oral Mucosal Integrity Status in Patients with Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis represents one of the most common oral pathoses with multifactorial etiology. Decrease in mucosal barrier resistance is believed to be one of the etiologies in its pathogenesis. This study was conducted to assess the oral mucosal integrity status by evaluating the salivary albumin level in patients with aphthous stomatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients diagnosed with aphthous stomatitis were selected as case group. Equal number of age- and sex-matched healthy individuals formed the control group. Salivary albumin level was estimated during active and quiescent stage of the disease in both case group and control group. RESULT: Mean salivary albumin level for the case group during the active and quiescent stage was 0.070 g/dL (SD = 0.037) and 0.004 g/dL (SD = 0.007) (SPSS, version 7.0), respectively, and that for the control group was 0.027 g/dL (SD =0.042). Statistically significant difference was found on comparison of the mean salivary albumin level between the case group during active and quiescent stage and the normal controls using Mann-Whitney U test. No statistically significant difference in salivary albumin level was seen between the quiescent stage in case group and the normal controls. CONCLUSION: Increase in salivary albumin level at the time of disease presentation could be attributed to the leakage of albumin through the ulcerated mucosa. Absence of significant elevation in the salivary albumin level after the resolution of the aphthous ulcer apparently indicates inherently a healthy mucosal barrier in majority of the patients.

Impacted Upper Lateral Incisor in a 16-Year-Old Female-"Compound Odontome" the Culprit-A Case Report.

Odontoma is the most commonly found odontogenic tumor. Odontomas are an abnormal mass of calcified dental tissue, usually representing a developmental anomaly. They are benign and originate from an alteration of differentiated mesenchymal and epithelial odontogenic cells. They have the capacity of forming enamel, dentin, and cementum. Etiology in still unknown, but different theories have been postulated. Because these tumors are asymptomatic, 75% of all cases are diagnosed before the second decade of life, due to a delay in eruption of permanent teeth. Treatment of choice for these tumors is enucleation. The authors describe one such case of compound odontome obstructing the eruption of a permanent lateral incisor.