Occurrence of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the oral cavity of patients with dental caries.

Oral streptococci are the major group of microbes isolated from oral microflora. They represent frequent pathogens of infective endocarditis (IE), and it is assumed that in most of the cases oral streptococci are acquired via mucosa layer of oral cavity. Staphylococcus aureus is also frequently isolated from IE as it accounts for 20%-30% of all cases. Vancomycin has been the most reliable therapeutic agent against infections caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The main objective of this study was to examine the occurrence of S. aureus species in dental caries specimens. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of S. aureus to four antibiotics namely vancomycin, linezolid, teicoplanin, and daptomycin was performed. Detection of vancomycin resistance was conducted using polymerase chain reaction. Among the tested 150 strains, 98 were MRSA and of that 54 were vancomycin sensitive and 27 were resistant. All 98 MRSA strains were positive for mecA and 36 yielded pvl, whereas 13 carried vanA and only 2 were positive for vanB. Majority of the isolates showed sensitivity toward daptomycin and linezolid. Strains of S. aureus exhibiting decreased susceptibility to different antibiotics like vancomycin, daptomycin, and linezolid severely compromise the therapeutic alternatives and require a considerable amount of time, public awareness, and integrative health-care strategies to prevent the emergence of resistance to these compounds.

Microbiome of dental implants and its clinical aspect.

Although dental implants are most common prosthetic treatment used to replace missing tooth, it gained considerable importance over a decade owing to the availability of advanced imagery techniques that can help in achieving a greater success rate and much better osseointegration. However, the chances that the implanted tooth can be rejected due to inflammation caused by oral microflora still persist. This review gives the viewers an overall idea of the dental implants, role of advanced imaging in implantation and instances of peri-implantitis that occur after implantation process. This review also entails the latest research on the different treatment modalities against peri-implantitis documented in peer-review journals.

AIDS Awareness: Indispensible Prerequisite Among Fishermen Population.

OBJECTIVES: Fishermen are among the most vulnerable groups for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS with reported high prevalence. Poor knowledge base has been evidenced by a few studies. The present study was conducted to assess the knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS among fishermen of the Kutch coast, Gujarat, India. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 950 fishermen of the Kutch coast, in the months of January-February 2015. Knowledge of HIV/AIDS of fishermen was assessed using structured interview schedules with 12 questions. The information on socio-demographic characteristics was also obtained. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. The confidence level and level of significance were fixed at 95% and 5%, respectively. RESULTS: A major proportion of participants (57.2%) had no access to any potential source of information and had never heard about HIV/AIDS (65.1%). Some of them were aware of modes of transmission of AIDS but only a few of them knew about the methods of prevention. Only 23.1% of participants were observed with appropriate knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS. Bivariate and multivariate analysis revealed significant variation in the proportion of participants with appropriate knowledge with age and educational status. CONCLUSION: Overall, the knowledge of the fishermen community in the present study was evidenced to be poor creating an alarming situation demanding educative interventions as a part of AIDS control programs.

Sex determination using discriminant function analysis in Indigenous (Kurubas) children and adolescents of Coorg, Karnataka, India: A lateral cephalometric study.

Aim: To test the validity of sex discrimination using lateral cephalometric radiograph and discriminant function analysis in Indigenous (Kuruba) children and adolescents of Coorg, Karnataka, India. Methods and materials: Six hundred and sixteen lateral cephalograms of 380 male and 236 females of age ranging from 6.5 to 18 years of Indigenous population of Coorg, Karnataka, India called Kurubas having a normal occlusion were included in the study. Lateral cephalograms were obtained in a standard position with teeth in centric occlusion and lips relaxed. Each radiograph was traced and cephalometric landmarks were measured using digital calliper. Calculations of 24 cephalometric measurements were performed. Results: Males exhibited significantly greater mean angular and linear cephalometric measurements as compared to females (p < 0.05) (Table 5). Also, significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in all the variables according to age (Table 6). Out of 24 variables, only ULTc predicts the gender. The reliability of the derived discriminant function was assessed among study subjects; 100% of males and females were recognized correctly. Conclusion: The final outcome of this study validates the existence of sexual dimorphism in the skeleton as early as 6.5 years of age. There is a need for further research to determine other landmarks that can help in sex determination and norms for Indigenous (Kuruba) population and also other Indigenous population of Coorg, Karnataka, India.

Relation Between Periodontal Status and Pre-Cancerous Condition (Oral Lichen Planus): A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common chronic mucocutaneous disease mostly seen in middle aged and elderly females. Oral lichen planus can occur in different oral sites such as gingiva, labial, buccal mucosa and on the tongue. And can have an indirect effect on initiating periodontitis. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the periodontal status of OLP patients and compare it with that of healthy controls. The presence of erosive lesions among gingival tissues makes oral hygiene procedures difficult to perform for obvious reasons. Plaque control and rigorous oral hygiene are primary requisites for the treatment of any oro-mucosal disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty patients with the erosive and reticular form of OLP as a study group and 30 healthy subjects as a control group were selected. The periodontal status of all subjects including gingival index (GI), Russell's periodontal index (PI) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were evaluated in both groups. Finally, the data was analyzed by a paired t-test using SPSS software v. 22. RESULTS: The mean values of GI, PI and BOP were observed to be higher in the study group compared to the control group, and this was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The results shown are suggestive that periodontal status was poor in the study group as compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies need to investigate periodontal status in oral lichen planus patients with larger sample size, and careful follow-up of these will assure an increase in the quality of life of these patients. The patient should be informed regarding the risk of periodontal problems in OLP and should be advised to have regular dental checkups to avoid a worsening of the conditio.

Spontaneous rupture of the cervical oesophagus following nose blowing: a case report.

Spontaneous rupture of the oesophagus is a rare event. Most have been reported in association with oesophageal carcinoma, peptic ulceration and alcohol abuse followed by forceful episode of vomiting. We, however, report a case of spontaneous rupture of the oesophagus in an otherwise healthy individual with no history of alcohol intake, as a consequence of blowing of the nose.