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Background: Tooth carving exercise is fundamental in rendering the dental practitioner capable of identification of deciduous and permanent teeth, recognition and treatment of dental pathology and other rehabilitation procedures. The present study was aimed to determine the perception of the tooth carving exercise in the dental curriculum and its clinical implications amongst dental students (interns and post graduates), dental practitioners, and dental academicians all over India. Material and Methods: The questionnaire consisted of 14 questions related to tooth carving and dental anatomy which was validated by two senior pathologists. The questionnaire was circulated via Google forms and the responses were collected through WhatsApp and emails over a period of 3 months. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed to find out the correlation between different groups Result and Conclusion: The Response Rate of our study was 99.3 %, reflecting the positive attitude of participants towards the tooth carving exercises. According to our survey, majority of the subjects believed that tooth carving on wax blocks is quite valid and effective in future practice. 80% of the students (interns and postgraduates) and 91% of academicians and clinicians believed that tooth carving on wax blocks helped them forge and fortify their knowledge of tooth morphology and thereby identify associated pathologies. The study outcome indicates that carving on wax blocks is essential in terms of acquiring a basic understanding of the morphology of the teeth and its applications in clinical dentistry and thereby, reiterating its necessity to continue in the dental curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC), a common malignancy of the head and neck region, is frequently diagnosed at advanced stages, necessitating the development of efficient diagnostic methods. Profiling autoantibodies generated against tumor-associated antigens have lately demonstrated a promising role in diagnosis, predicting disease course, and response to therapeutics and relapse. Methods: In the current study, we, for the first time, aimed to identify and evaluate the diagnostic value of autoantibodies in serum samples of patients with OSCC using autoantibody profiling by an immunome protein array. The utility of anti-NUBP2 antibody and tissue positivity in OSCC was further evaluated. Results and discussion: We identified a total of 53 autoantibodies with significant differential levels between OSCC and control groups, including 25 that were increased in OSCC and 28 that were decreased. These included autoantibodies against Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1), nucleotide-binding protein 2 (NUBP2), and protein pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1), among others. Immunohistochemical validation indicated positive staining of NUBP2 in a large majority of cases (72%). Further, analysis of OSCC data available in TCGA revealed higher NUBP2 expression correlated with better disease-free patient survival. In conclusion, the differential serum autoantibodies identified in the current study, including those for NUBP2, could be used as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis or as screening biomarkers for OSCC pending investigation in a larger cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Age estimation using regressive alterations such as root dentin translucency, PDL attachment, and attrition are easy and reliable way of predicting the age. However, extensive and population-specific formula has not been generated. This attempt was to assess the correlation of these alterations with age and to generate a Linear regressive formula, specific to this population. Methods and Material: Three alterations were assessed such as dental attrition, root dentin translucency, and periodontal attachment level from the extracted teeth. Dental attrition was measured using Johanson's and Li and Ji criteria. PDL attachment level and root dentin translucency was measured using the Johanson method and the Lamendin method. Statistical Analysis: SPSS software (Version 27), Pearson correlation test, and Linear regressive analysis were used. Results: Our results showed all three factors/parameters such as attrition, periodontal ligament, and translucency having a very good correlation with age and correlation coefficient r value ranging from 0.6 to 0.8. All the parameters were having statistically significant correlation with P value <0.005. Among them, root dentin translucency with Johanson G method showed excellent correlation with r = 0.83 followed by PDL attachment by Johanson G method with r = 0.702. Conclusions: Regressive changes such as Dentin translucency, PDL attachment and attrition on Coastal Karnataka showed a very good correlation with age. Among them, Dentin translucency by Johanson G method had the best correlation with the a standard error of estimate (SEE). Results of our study indicates that all these parameters [Translucency, PDL attachment, and attrition] can be utilized in age estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eosinophilic granuloma (EG) is a type of histiocytosis X with uncertain etiology. The lesion manifests as single or multiple areas of bone destruction with mild-to-severe pain or may be asymptomatic in some cases. In this article, a case of EG with actinomycosis is reported which occurred in an 11-year-old male in the left buccal vestibule extending from 22 to 24. Histopathologically, it showed dense, cellular infiltrate in the connective tissue composed of abundant eosinophils intermixed with atypical cells. After 4 months, the same patient reported with a recurrence in the palatal region. Histopathologically, the section showed some colonies of actinomycosis along with the features of EG. EG with metachronous actinomycosis is very rare in the literature. This article reports a new case of EG with actinomycosis and reviews previously reported cases of actinomycosis associated with other lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The menace of COVID 19 pandemic has become a major public health concern all over the world. It is a pandemic outbreak that originated from Wuhan, Hubei province of China in December 2019. All healthcare professionals including dental surgeons are in the front line and a high chance of constantly getting infected. Droplet and aerosol transmissions are the utmost concern in dental clinics and dental college hospitals. Hence, COVID 19 has a high risk of spread through droplets and aerosols generated during dental procedures from infected patients. This review article highlights the dental perspective and discusses the various preventive measures undertaken to control the spread of infection in dental clinics and dental college hospital setups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Clefts of the lip, with or without cleft palate and cleft palate only, collectively called as orofacial clefts (OFCs) are one of the most common congenital malformations with varying degrees of penetrance and phenotype expressions. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) cytosine-to-thymine (c. 677 C>T), adenine-to-cytosine (c.1298 A>C) single- nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and South Indian patients with the nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without palate (NSCL ± P). Methods: A cohort consisting of 25 cases of NSCL ± P and 18 controls from a South Indian cohort were included in this case–control study. Genetic analysis of c.677C>T and c.1298A C polymorphisms in the MTHFR gene was carried out using Sanger sequencing and analyzed from chromatogram profiles. Data interpretation was done using statistical software MedCalc Statistical Software version 16.2 and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 22.0). Results: DNA sequence analysis of the MTHFR gene revealed c. 677C>T and c. 1298A>C polymorphisms in 16% and 76% of NSCL ± P cases, respectively. Heterozygous variant in MTHFR c. 1298A>C polymorphism was found to be a significant risk factor (P = 0.0164) for NSCL ± P in South Indian ethnic population. c.677C>T polymorphism, in particular, was apparently dormant overall in the study population. These results offer certain novelty in terms of the distinctive pattern in SNPs of genotypes observed in the study. Conclusion: NSCL ± P is one of the most common and challenging congenital malformations with complex etiological basis. Common risk factors such as MTHFR SNPs, namely c.677C>T and c.1298A>C, are subjected to variations in terms of ethnic group, geographic region and micro/macro-environmental factors. Overall, our study has explored part of South Indian ethnic population and revealed a different and unique distribution of mutations in this sample population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of radiotherapy doses on mineral density and percentage mineral volume of human permanent tooth enamel.Materials and Methods: Synchrotron radiation Xray microcomputed tomography (SRμCT) and microhardness testing were carried out on 8 and 20 tooth samples, respectively. Enamel mineral density was derived from SRμCT technique using ImageJ software. Microhardness samples were subjected to Vickers indentations followed by calculation of microhardness and percentage mineral volume values using respective mathematical measures. Data were analyzed using paired t-test at a significance level of 5%. Qualitative analysis of the enamel microstructure was done with two-dimensional projection images and scanned electron micrographs using μCT and field emission scanning electron microscopy, respectively.Results: Vickers microhardness and SRμCT techniques showed a decrease in microhardness and an increase in mineral density, respectively, in postirradiated samples. These changes were related to mineral density variation and alteration of hydroxyapatite crystal lattice in enamel surface. Enamel microstructure showed key features such as microporosities and loss of smooth homogeneous surface. These indicate tribological loss and delamination of enamel which might lead to radiation caries.Conclusions: Tooth surface loss might be a major contributing factor for radiation caries in head-and-neck cancer patients prescribed to radiotherapy. Such direct effects of radiotherapy cause enamel abrasion, delamination, and damage to the dentinoenamel junction. Suitable measures should, therefore, be worked out to protect nontarget oral tissues such as teeth while delivering effective dosages to target regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Detection of oral cancer at an early stage is of utmost importance to decrease morbidity and mortality. Tumor stroma plays a critical role during carcinogenesis. There is lack of information regarding the characteristics of the stroma in relation to the invading malignant epithelial cells and the interdependence between stroma and tumor cells in different grades of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).Aim: The present study was aimed to analyze and compare the nature of stroma in the vicinity of invading tumor islands in different grades of OSCC, using a histochemical technique picrosirius-polarization method. The present study also evaluated and correlated the possible role of inflammatory response in determining the nature of the stroma.Subjects and Methods: The study included thirty cases of different grades of histologically diagnosed OSCC and ten sections of normal buccal mucosa as a control group. Nature of collagen was analyzed using picrosirius-polarization method, and intensity of inflammatory cell infiltrate was recorded using ImageJ software (1.42q, NIH, USA). The results were tabulated and analyzed statistically.Results: Normal oral mucosa showed predominantly reddish birefringence. All cases of well-differentiated OSCC showed reddish-orange color. Nearly 70% moderately differentiated cases showed yellowish-orange (YO) and 60% of poorly differentiated cases, showed greenish-yellow (GY). The mean inflammatory cell count was highest in well-differentiated group. There was shift to YO and GY collagen when the cell differentiation and inflammatory cell count decreased in moderate and poorly differentiated cases.Conclusion: Both inflammatory cells and tumor cells have a role in determining the nature of the collagen fibers in tumor stroma of OSCC, probably with opposing effects on stromal behavior and hence both are significant in predicting prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without palate (NSCL ± P) is a genetic predisposition involving defects in shape and makeup of the lip and palate. Elevation of homocysteine (Hcy) levels is seen in medical complications such as developmental anomalies causing neural tube defects, congenital vascular diseases, neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions. Evaluation of serum Hcy levels forms an important feature to look further into molecular aspects Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the Hcy levels in NSCL ± P cases by comparing with control cases having no orofacial deformities. Settings and Design: This study was performed with a biochemical assay in a research laboratory. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional prevalence study was done to compare the concentrations of Hcy between 25 NSCL ± P patients and 15 healthy controls. Blood samples were collected from both the patients and controls and assessed for serum Hcy level using competent chemiluminescent immunoassay technique. Statistical Analysis Used: Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The average Hcy concentration was 9.5 µmol/L in control group. There was an increase in Hcy concentration among the NSCL ± P cases with an average value of 18.4 μmol/L. The results were found to be statistically significant using Student's t-test. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that Hcy concentration has a significant elevation in NSCL ± P patients when compared with that of control cases.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glandular odontogenic cyst (GOC) is a rare entity with around 111 cases available in the literature. The occurrence of GOC with ameloblastoma as a collision tumor is rarest, and such a case poses problems in the form of diagnostic dilemma and management. The present case report describes and discusses a rare case of GOC with ameloblastomatous component occurring in right maxilla of a 54.year.old male patient with a chief complaint of painful swelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks are routinely preserved after pathological diagnosis and possess tremendous potential for biomarker discovery. These archival samples are prone to degradation on prolonged storage due to the formalin cross-linking. Aims: This study aimed to evaluate whether the storage period of the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor blocks had a significant impact on the yield and purity of the isolated DNA archived for 11 years. Settings and Design: A retrospective study was carried out in the Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology in accordance with the Institutional Ethics Committee. Materials and Methods: Genomic DNA extraction was performed using TaKaRa DEXPAT Easy DNA kit from 40 FFPE tissue blocks of oral squamous cell carcinoma archived for 11 years (2006–2017). NanoDrop spectrophotometer was used to determine the DNA yield (A260) and purity (A260/A280 ratio). The quality of DNA fragments was validated using agarose gel electrophoresis. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was obtained by SPSS 22, MS Excel and analyzed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. P < 0.05 was set for statistical significance. Results: There was no statistically significant difference observed both in terms of DNA yield (P = 0.996) and purity (P = 0.997) of FFPE tumor blocks archived for 11 years among the study groups. Conclusions: It was concluded that, irrespective of years of storage of the FFPE, it is possible to extract genomic DNA and use it for molecular studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fraudulent behaviour of predatory journals/conferences through E-mail solicitations and author's perspective in unknowingly becoming victims of predatory publishing scheme, by being unaware of the fact that the journals in which they are involved are possibly predatory are highlighted here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer reported globally, with an annual incidence of over 300,000 cases, of which 62% arise in developing countries. Radiation therapy is a treatment modality that uses ionizing radiation as a therapeutic agent. It is widely employed in the treatment of head and neck cancer, as a primary therapy coupled with surgical procedure and chemotherapy or as a palliative treatment for advanced tumors. However, radiotherapy can cause a series of complications such as xerostomia, mucositis, osteoradionecrosis, and radiation caries. Composite circular disc containing different ratios of acrylic and barium sulfate (BaSO4) were made in-house. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the percentage attenuation from these composite shields in 60Co gamma rays. A maximum of 8% radiation attenuation was achieved using 1:4 ratio of acrylic-BaSO4 composite shields. The study proposes BaSO4 as one of the compounds in combination with acrylic resin or any other thermoplastic substances for making biocompatible radiation attenuating devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucocele is a common oral mucosal lesion of minor salivary gland that usually appears as a discrete, more or less soft non-painful swelling of the mucosa. The most common etiology of this kind of lesion is probably local trauma, although most of the patients or their relatives couldnotre call any episode of trauma when asked, but congenital mucoceles of new bom babies are very rare. The occurrence of mucoceles in new born babies is a very rare phenomenon. The purpose of this article is to present a case of an extravasation mucocele in an 8-month old female child present since birth and discuss its aetiology, pathogenesis and treatment modality in brief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck cancer cases have an annual incidence of 5,50,000 cases with 3,00,000 deaths each year and developing countries account for about 62 % of this burden. Oral squamous cell carcinoma accounts for more than 90% of all oral cancers and is the most common type of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma causing for about 128,000 deaths worldwide. Three most common fatal cancers affecting Indian men in the age group of 30-69 years are oral (including lip and pharynx), stomach, and lung (including trachea and larynx) cancers. In India, around 40% of cancers are head and neck cancers in contrast to 4-5% in developed countries. Radiotherapy (RT) plays an important role in the management of patients with head and neck cancers. The quality of life post-RT is often drastically reduced due to numerous radiation-induced oral complications including hyposalivation, severe dentition breakdown, associated loss of masticatory function, and various other problems. Radiation therapy is associated with a variety of side effects that vary according to total dosage, rate of radiation delivery, fraction size, field of radiation, radiation source, previous surgical intervention, and individual patient status. Patients may undergo radiation therapy for 3-7 weeks with a total dose ranging from 3000 to >7000 cGy, depending on tumor type and location. In 90-100% of patients whose radiation fields include the oral cavity, some degree of oral complication is expected to develop. Depending on the location of the malignancy, inevitably, the salivary glands, oral mucosa, and jaws have to be included in the radiation treatment portals, resulting in deleterious consequences which affect not only the oral mucosa but also the adjacent salivary glands. There are various advancements in design and delivery of radiotherapy. It began with External beam radiotherapy with Cobalt (Co) gamma irradiation 1950s. With progress, Linear accelerators with X ray radiations came in to reduce the impact of megavoltage radiations. Brachytherapy is another newer therapeutic modality that may provide a significant improvement in the therapeutic ratio when appropriately applied, and hence, is an appealing treatment strategy for the head and neck cancers.For several tumor sites in the head and neck, the use of a brachytherapy implant has been demonstrated to be effective and is optimally provided within a multidisciplinary team setting. This enables meticulous attention to technical and treatment-related factors that have been demonstrated to influence the therapeutic ratio for low-dose-rate implants. Recent technologic advances have enabled the study of promising high-dose-rate and pulsed-dose-rate after loading brachytherapy techniques, in an attempt to expand the role of brachytherapy in the head and neck. These techniques minimize radiation exposure hazards while offering the physical and biologic advantages of brachytherapy. However adverse effects of radiotherapy to oral tissues in head and neck cancer patients continues to persist. Scattered radiation received to the adjacent soft and hard tissues is an unavoidable occurrence and hence provides scope for a complimentary approach to protect vulnerable non-target tissues/glands during the therapeutic regimen. The quality of life (QOL) post-RT, is often drastically reduced due to numerous radiation-induced oral complications like hypo-salivation leading to xerostomia and caries, severe dentition breakdown, associated loss of masticatory function, osteoradionecrosis, edema of tongue and lips, erythema and ulceration of oral mucosa. Diagnosis and treatment is delayed owing to late presentation of malignancy, lack of awareness, and extreme obsession with prevailing habits like smoking, gutka/tobacco chewing and alcoholism especially in head & neck cancers. In India, there are around 480 radiotherapy centers providing both External beam radiotherapy and Brachytherapy. . Radiation shields can provide necessary protection to non-target tissues from invasive ionizing radiation. Apart from thyroid collar shielding to patients, hardly any other radiation protective measures have been used as an effective radiation shield material. Consequently, research efforts have focused towards designing efficient, lightweight, cost-effective, flexible and most importantly, biocompatible shielding materials for protection of normal tissues against the radiation during therapy. The urgent need for protection of healthy tissues during radiotherapy for any cancer treatment protocol will minimize the side effects and help the patients have a better quality of life in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]