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Background: The mandible, a key bone in the lower face, is prone to trauma. Although mandibular fractures are widely recognized as common and costly, there is a research gap on this topic in Afghanistan. This study explores the causes of lower jaw fractures and their link to demographic factors in the Afghan population., Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 535 medical records from a Kabul tertiary hospital (March 2021 to March 2022) examined lower jaw fractures, patient demographics (age, sex), and injury causes. Statistical methods, including chi-square tests and Pearson's contingency coefficient, were employed to explore correlations between mandibular fractures and demographic factors., Results: In this study, we analyzed 579 mandibular fractures in 535 patients, with road accidents (33.08%), falls (22.61%), and interpersonal conflicts being the leading causes. Most patients were aged 21-30, with single fractures being the most common (92.3%) and parasymphyseal fractures being the most prevalent (28.5%). Although certain fracture types were significantly correlated with age, no notable association was found between age and injury cause., Conclusion: This study reveals that road accidents, falls, and interpersonal conflicts are the main causes of lower jaw fractures in Kabul, with the highest incidence in individuals aged 21-30. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted public health interventions, such as improved road safety campaigns and stricter traffic regulation enforcement, to lower injury rates. Incorporating these insights into clinical practice can also help healthcare providers more effectively manage lower jaw fractures in affected populations., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Ahmadi et al.)

Background & Objectives: Generally, the blockage of upper respiratory tract in children is seen with the hypertrophy of adenoids and tonsils. Normally for patients with adenoid hypertrophy (AH), Adenoidectomy with or without Tonsillectomy is carried out, however it has its own complications like haemorrhage and recurrence of adenoid tissue. Consequently, therapeutic approach has increased extraordinary consideration rather than surgical procedure. The inflammatory process proposed for AH has prompted the utilization of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat this issue. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of Montelukast sodium in children with enlarged adenoids., Methods: A randomized controlled trail was performed from April 2018 to March 2019 in the Otorhinolaryngology clinic of Dr. Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital, Islamabad. In this randomized, placebo treatment-controlled trial, 60 children aged 4-12 years meeting inclusion criteria were isolated into two groups. The study group was treated with Montelukast sodium 5mg consistently for three months while the control group got placebo treatment for a similar timeframe. A questionnaire was filled by parents/ guardians of every child before and after the intervention to evaluate the severity of sleep discomfort, snoring and mouth breathing., Results: Following 3 months of treatment, significant reduction in size of the adenoids was seen in 76% of study group compared with just 3% of control group getting placebo treatment., Conclusion: Montelukast sodium seems to be effective in the reduction of the size of adenoids and improvement in clinical manifestations. It can be viewed as a viable option in contrast to surgical treatment in children with hypertrophy of adenoids., (Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.)

Objectives: Various agents are currently available for treatment of hypersensitive dentine, however, their resistance to erosion intraorally by various erosive drinks is still questionable. The aim of this study is to test the efficacy of a hydroxyapatite paste to decrease dentine permeability and resist an erosion challenge., Methods: Hydroxyapatite powder was mixed with 25% phosphoric acid to form a paste which was applied on dentine having patent dentinal tubules orifices (treated with EDTA, 2 min) and the resulting layer formed on top of dentine was irradiated by Nd:YAG laser. The treated dentin surfaces were exposed to erosion challenge (6% citric acid, 1 min). Dentine permeability was measured before/after the application of the hydroxyapatite paste before/after the erosion challenge before/after the application of Nd:YAG laser using a split chamber device. The top and the fractured dentine surfaces were examined with scanning electron microscope (SEM). Moreover, the chemical nature of the compounds formed on top of dentine surface was examined using the SEM equipped with energy- dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDS) and FTIR/ATR (Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared) techniques. The Mann-Whitney test (p < 0.05) was used to compare the effects of using the hydroxyapatite paste on dentine permeability and calcium/phosphate ratio of the treated dentine surfaces., Results: The application of the hydroxyapatite paste to dentine significantly decreased dentine permeability (p < 0.05). Hydroxyapatite paste was able to occlude patent dentinal tubule orifices with a layer of calcium-phosphate compounds and the application of Nd:YAG laser on the aforementioned layer improved its erosion resistance., Conclusion: Hydroxyapatite paste applied with the technique adopted in the current study has a high potential to be a useful aid in the treatment of dentine hypersensitivity. However, cost and knowledge for using Nd:YAG laser are important factors should be taken into consideration before using the aforementioned technique.