Introduction: The goal of health education is to improve knowledge, which may lead to the adoption of favourable oral health behaviours that contribute to better oral health. It is surprising that many oral health education programmes are not implemented as early as primary school children. Aim: To assess the effect of short term oral health education on oral hygiene status of 8-10yr old school children in Maduravoyal, Chennai. Material and methods: A community interventional trial was conducted. After the collection of the baseline data on oral hygiene status by Plaque Control Record (O' Leary T, Drake R, Naylor, 1972) (PCR %) a short computer based oral health education for 20 minutes was given to total of 120 students belonging to the third, fourth and fifth standard in this school. One month after the first visit, follow-up PCR% was taken. Results: A total of 117 students participated in this study in which 51(43.5%) were males and 66(56.5%) were females. Four weeks after the oral health education, children's PCR % changed from 90.59% to 82.76%, which was statistically very highly significant (p=.000). The difference in mean baseline PCR % for males and for females was statistically significant (p=.03). The difference in mean baseline and follow-up PCR% for males and for females was statistically significant (p=.03 and p=.04 respectively). Conclusion: Therefore it can be concluded that a single short education intervention is effective in bringing about oral health related behaviour change.

Objective: To obtain information on caries prevalence and treatment needs of children aged 5-10 years to plan appropriate dental care services. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 750 primary school children aged 5-10 years in the areas of Kadapa mandal, YSR district, Andhrapradesh. The study population was obtained by "cluster random sampling" of children from eight primary schools. Dental caries was assessed using diagnostic criteria recommended by WHO (1997). The chi-square test and two-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 750, 5-10 year old children were examined (369 boys and 381 girls). The prevalence of caries in primary dentition was 77.7% and in permanent dentition it was 35.1%. The mean dmft and decayed missing filted tooth (DMFT) scores were 1.27 and 0.78 respectively. Although the mean dmft scores were not statistically significant different for the two sexes, the mean DMFT score was found to be higher among girls than among boys. There was a strong need for single surface restorations (62%). Conclusion: The results of this baseline study revealed that dental caries is a major public health problem in this population and implementation of an active and effective program of comprehensive dental care is necessary to achieve optimal dental health in child population.

Aim: The current study aimed at testing the various mouth washes commercially available in the market against Candida albicans, at full strength, in-vitro. Methodology: "Well diffusion" method was used for antifungal susceptibility test using Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) strain and three commercially available mouthwashes, namely 0.2% Chlorhexidine, 3% Potassium Nitrate and Listerine. The maximum zone of inhibition was measured at 24 hrs and 48hrs respectively, to know the antifungal effects. Results: Out of the 3 mouthwashes used, only chlorhexidine proved to be effective against Candida albicans. The other two mouthwashes did not show any antifungal action against the test organism. Conclusion: Despite the antifungal effects of Chlorhexidine, more investigations on different strains of C. albicans are required before recommending its clinical application.

The present paper introduces the application of binary logistic regression to data pertaining to dentistry for use in publishing article. This article provides a brief overview of the type of logistic regression tests that are available to analyze research data and determine association and predict the model of concern in detail.

Background: Tobacco use is one of the major challenges to public health today. Globally dentists acknowledge that helping tobacco users to quit the habit is a part of professional responsibility. With the above objective we opened Tobacco Cessation Clinic (TCC) in Department of Community Dentistry, People's College of Dental Sciences, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. This paper reflects the one year data of individual visiting our TCC and provides a platform for greater commitment of dentists in tobacco control initiation including advocacy and cessation program. Aims and Objectives: 1. To assess the prevalence and forms of tobacco use among patients visiting People?s College of Dental Sciences and Research centre, Bhopal. 2. To guide them to refrain from tobacco habit by orientation and regular re-enforcement. 3. Recommendation for tobacco free environment. Methodology: All the patients and accompanying persons visiting Tobacco Cessation Clinic from 1st June 2007 to 1st June 2008, addicted to tobacco use in any form were included in the study. A pretested proforma including oral examination was used for data collection. Results: Majority of subjects were male and in 21-30 years of age. Out of 146 subjects, only 5.47% subjects were refrained from tobacco habit, majority of them (49.31%) were totally unmotivated. Conclusion: The statistical data of Tobacco Cessation Clinic represents the overview of tobacco related health problems & use of tobacco within Bhopal district. There is a need for capacity building for smoking cessation and treatment of tobacco dependence.

Health Education of the general public is an integral part of a prevention oriented approach to health and disease problems. Health education can bring about changes in life styles and risk factors of disease. Oral disease continues to bother mankind in spite of great advances made in the field of oral health. In order to reduce the level of dental diseases and to improve oral health in populations; oral health workers, government departments and NGO's have embarked on oral health education (OHE) programmes as a means to achieve this goal. The different target groups in dental health education are: School Children, Adults, Chronically ill & Geriatric people and emotionally ill people. Oral health education is the need of the hour in spite of advances made in the direction of prevention of oral diseases. Dental health education programs should be applicable to all segments of the population and should be developed through appropriate program planning and implementation criteria. One may conclude that the time is favourable for effective and adequate programs for dental health education to be developed and implemented.

The quest to achieve and improve professionalism is a never-ending one. One such attempt is introducing mindfulness practice into dental curriculum. The qualities cultivated through mindfulness closely resemble the global attitude of professionalism. Professionalism and mindfulness are broad overlapping constructs with a common professional aim: letting go of selfish, short-sighted rewards and promoting the long-term common good. This article reviews the role of mindfulness in higher education as well as clinical practice.

Introduction: Dentistry is an art and science which helps in maintaining proper oral health status in the society. As with many health care fields, many myths have grown the field of dentistry, while many of these are harmless, others lead people to take inadequate care of their teeth, or cause them to avoid visiting the dentist regularly. Ignoring dental care or avoiding dentist can lead to serious problems, many of which can only treated by dentist. To avoid unnecessary pain and expense by learning the truth about the dental myths regarding dental care. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the dental myths among dental patients in Salem city. and suggest possible measures to learning truth about dental myths. Materials and methods: New patients attending outpatient department of Vinayaka Mission's Sankarachariyar Dental College, Salem participated in the present study. The study involved completion of the predesigned questionnaire and the data was analyzed by using statistical package SPSS 10 version. Results: A total of 863 dental out patients were participated in the present study. The study population according to gender, 501 (58.05%) were male and 362 (41.95%) were female. according to age groups, 15-24 yrs-172 (20%), 25-34 yrs-229 (27%), 35-44 yrs-227 (32%), 45-54 yrs-88(10%), 55yrs and above 97 (11%). according to education, illiterate 156 (18%), School 395 (46%), College 208 (24%), Others 104 (12%).according to occupation, employed 190 (22%), unemployed 251 (29%), skilled 276 (32%), professional 17 (2%), others 129 (15%). Discussion: In the present study, The age of dental patient range from15-69 years and mean age 33.4 years, among the study population 395 (46%) of them have school education level. and 276 (32%) of them skilled workers. The detailed analysis of our study revealed that, the maximum number 532 (61%) of respondents think that teething will leads to dysentery. whereas only 26 (3%) of them think that dental infections results from god' s curse.

Dental erosion has been defined as loss of tooth structure by chemical means that does not involve bacteria. Dental erosion is a condition of growing concern in the dental profession as it causes irreversible damage to the dentition. The aetiology of erosion is multifactorial and related to various chemical, life style and behavioural; and biological factors. To prevent further progression, it is important to detect this condition as early as possible. Dentists ought to know the clinical appearance, possible signs and symptoms of progression of erosive lesions and their causes so that adequate preventive and, if necessary, restorative measures can be initiated. However, many times it is difficult to differentiate from attrition and abrasion. The aim of this paper has been to review the past and current literature on prevalence, determinants and management of dental erosion.

Objective: To determine the views, experiences and level of satisfaction with services provided by the Community and Salaried Dental Services of Tower Hamlets Primary Health Care Trust, London. Materials & Methods: A questionnaire survey was carried out to assess the patient satisfaction. The first part covered access and availability of care, and was further subdivided into four sub-groups with ten questions each. The second part dealt with aspects of care and had three sub-groups. The third section was about the overall satisfaction. The final section covered questions about demography, age, gender & ethnic group. Data was analyzed using SPSS software. Results: A total of 241 respondents participated in the study. Mean age of the study population was 36.61 years. 211 (87.5%) respondents found it to be easy to contact the dental surgery by telephone. Forty five respondents (18.6%) felt that it was difficult to get an appointment with the dentist of their choice. 198 (82.1%) respondents felt that receptionist explained things clearly to them. The principal reason for attending the clinic is 'attended clinic in the past', the convenient location i.e. 'nearest dental clinic' and thirdly referred by a 'health care professional'. 213 (88.3%) respondents felt that the dentist is sensitive to their needs. 218 (90.4%) felt that all the options were explained when decisions were made about their treatment. 231 (95.8%) respondents felt their dentist was skilled enough with their dental problems. 226 (93.7%) respondents indicated that they would use the dental clinic again, Conclusion: Though, the study has an overall satisfaction result, there were some comments by the patients, which might help to improve the existing system, and base the future policy decisions of the trust.

Background: Tooth loss is of major concern which can greatly affect the quality of life. As suchno data is available about prevalence of tooth mortality among Tumkur population; the present study wasconducted with the objective to know the prevalence and common reasons for tooth mortality. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted for a period of one month among individualsaged 15-50yrs, reporting to the Out Patient Department of Sri Siddhartha Dental College & Hospital,Tumkur. Subjects were assessed by a combination of a questionnaire and clinical examination (Type III). Results: Prevalence of tooth loss in the study population was 32.43% with mean number of toothloss at 3.2"3.8. Socio-behavioural factors had significant influence on tooth loss. Among the reasons fortooth loss, dental caries accounted for 78.26% followed by periodontal disease. Ignorance (53%) andunawareness (28%) were the most common reasons for not saving the tooth. Conclusion: Tooth loss is a major dental health concern. Dental caries and periodontal disease werefound to be as a major cause for tooth mortality. Ignorance towards dental health was an important reasonfor tooth mortality, hence steps should be put forth to eliminate this darkness through oral health educationand preventive programmes on a larger scale.

A biomarker is in general a substance used as an indicator of a biological state. The term biomarkerhas entered the epidemiological and environmental vocabulary as a short form for biological marker orbiochemical marker. It is a characteristic that can be objectively measured and evaluated as an indicatorof normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a therapeuticintervention. A biomarker can also be used to indicate exposure to various environmental substances inepidemiology and toxicology.Fluoride is believed to be a major factor in the substantial decline in dental caries in the permanentdentition in many countries over the last several decades. It is also associated with dental fluorosis andhas potential health risks such as bone fragility if consumed in excessive amounts. A fluoride biomarkercan provide a cumulative record of exposures from birth and provide valid and reliable estimates of fluorideexposure amounts.

Background: For many years doctors have openly used background music to help them stay relaxedand focussed during surgical procedures. So, the purpose of the present study is to evaluate the influenceof music on surgeons including oral and maxillofacial surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, assistants,postgraduate students working in the operating room. Methods: A total of 107 (male = 43, female = 64) participants were included in the study. Datawas obtained by self administered questionnaire among the personnel working in the operating room atvarious hospitals of Delhi. Results: .73% (n=78) prefer music to be played during surgical procedures. Preferences for listeningto music was found to be higher among nurses and surgeons. 71% (n=54) considered low volume of musicto be appropriate and 48% (n=51) felt that music makes them calmer. Conclusion: According to the present study, music has a positive effect on the staff working in theoperating rooms.

Introduction: Dental injuries are common in childhood. The combination of curiosity, immature motor skills, and lack of judgment renders school children particularly susceptible to falling. It is accepted within the dental profession that avulsed permanent incisors in children should be replanted if possible. The prognosis for replantation of avulsed incisor teeth largely depends on the knowledge and early emergency management. So the study aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes of school teachers prior to the child's initial contact with oral health care system. Materials and Methods: A total of 207 available school teachers constituted the study population. A 14 item, multiple choice, close ended questionnaires was used to assess the knowledge. Results: Majority of school teachers were unsatisfied with their knowledge which they self assessed as poor. Over 94% schoolteachers were unaware of emergency treatment available for dental injuries. Conclusions: From the present study, it appeared that oral health educational programmes would be necessary to improve school teacher's lack of awareness for the early management of traumatized avulsed teeth including storage media, critical timing for replantation of avulsed teeth, early referrals and other precautionary measures.

The wrinkles and grooves on labial mucosa forms a characteristic pattern called as lip prints and the study of which is referred to as cheiloscopy. This is unique to an individual just like the fingerprints. This study aims to ascertain the use of lip prints in identification and sex determination. A total of 120 subjects, 60 males and 60 females were included in this study. The materials used to record lip prints were lipstick, bond paper, cellophane tape, a brush for applying the lipstick, and a magnifying lens. The lip-print was then analyzed and interpreted to determine the sex of individuals. The most predominant pattern was Type II (33.33%). In males, Type III (36.66%) lip pattern was predominantly reported whereas Type II (43.33%) lip pattern was commonly found in females. Statistical analysis (applying Z-test for proportion) showed significant difference for type II and III lip patterns (P < 0.05) in males and females. This study showed that lip prints are reliable for recognition of the sex of an individual and can also serve as very important tool in the identification of a person based on the characteristic arrangement of lines appearing on the red part of the lips.

Introduction: The occupational diseases are constantly on rise and one of the most neglected causes is the risk of the needle stick injuries which occur on regular basis in day today routine of hospital and healthcare setups. The aim of the study was to determine the risk of needle stick injury in dental health care workers. Methodology: The present study was conducted in a private dental college (name not disclosed for privacy) in Karnataka State of India for duration of 3 days. All the staff members including staff nurses and cleaners, post graduate students and interns of the dental institution who were present during the study period were interviewed. Questions regarding times of injury, part affected, type of injury, and when it was injured were asked. The questionnaire was then analyzed for results using SPSS version 16 software and the results were as follows. Results: The present study analyzed descriptively the responses from the participants and found out that of 175 subjects 74 had a needle stick injury in their past one year which is of much concern. Conclusion: The under reporting or not reporting of these incidents may mislead us to the fact that similar kind of injuries are not present to cause a concern which very much evident from the present study.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify reasons for choosing dentistry as a career and to consider the factors that had influenced their decision among dental students in V.M.S. Dental College, Salem. Materials and Methods: A self-completion Questionnaire which was distributed among both undergraduates and postgraduates dental students. Answers were then analyzed to find differences between the groups. Results: A total of 405 dental students were participated in the present study. Among the study population, only 74 (18%) of them from Dentistry background. about 231 (57%) of them choosing dentistry because of their own interest and 93 (23%) of them choosing dentistry because of unavailability of other courses. after completion of the course about 213 (53%) have opted for higher education, followed by 127 (31%) for private practice. To start practice 306 (75%) of them choose urban and 99 (25%) ) of them choose rural area. about 176 (43%) opted for private practice, after their graduation they interested to go abroad for further studies about 154 (38%) and182 (45%) for further practice. Among the study population, if they not dentist, 245 (60.5%) of them have opted professional course and 39 (9.7%) of them like to do business. About 320 (79%) of them consider dentistry as mainstream career. About 273 (67.5%) of them will suggest others to join dentistry. About192 (47%) of them think that dentistry suits both male and female. According to their post graduate subject choice 88 (22%) of them are interested in oral pathology, 78 (20%) of them are interested in oral surgery and oral medicine, equally. Among the study population74 (18%) of them say that scope of dentistry is excellent in India and 189 (47%) of them consider good scope.

In this era, even though major research has been made in advanced treatment modalities the basic requirement of prevention has not changed. This aspect has a major role to play for success of advanced treatment. This is possible because a thought has also been given to provide aids and agents for prevention of dental and periodontal diseases. Dentifrice is one such important tool which can help patients in attaining required level of prevention. Recently many ingredients have been added to the routine components of dentifrices which increase their effectiveness and functionality. Thus we are now made available with more advanced toothpastes. This article will make aware the dental professionals about the different antiplaque/antibacterial, anticaries, anticalculus, antihypersensitivity, antihalitosis and antioxidant agents used in dentifrices and tried and found to be effective. This article will facilitate easy selection of dentifrices as per patients require.

Objective: To assess the prosthetic status and treatment needs of institutionalised elders in Chennai. Materials and methods: A cross - sectional study was conducted among 289 residents of old age homes in Chennai. Demographic information was collected followed by clinical examination of Prosthetic status and treatment needs using a section of WHO oral health assessment form (1997). Results: 88.2% of the subjects had no prosthesis in the maxillary arch, 90.3% subjects had no prosthesis in the mandibular arch, there was a significant difference between the prosthetic status and gender in maxillary arch (p = 0.04) while there is no significant difference between prosthetic status and gender in mandibular arch (p = 0.2). The need for full prosthesis was highest and it increased with age, followed by multi -unit prosthesis (23.9%) in maxillary arch and need for a combination of one and / or multi - unit prosthesis in mandibular arch (28.7%), there was very highly significant difference between prosthetic needs and gender in both maxillary and mandibular arch (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The findings of the study demonstrated a high unmet prosthetic treatment needs among the institutionalized elderly population surveyed.

Nanotechnology has brought about a revolution in medical and dental care. The application of nanotechnology in dentistry has created tremendous effects in dental care. The incorporation of nanotechnology in dental materials has drastically improved the properties of these materials. Nanodentistry could result in a simplified local anesthesia procedure, dentition renaturalization, permanent hypersensitivity cure, complete orthodontic realignments during a single office visit, covalently bonded diamondised enamel and oral prophylaxis using mechanical dental nanorobots. Nanodentistry would play a vital role in dental treatment worldwide in the near future.

Background: Numerous studies have demonstrated that dental fear is associated with poorer dental visiting, deteriorated oral health, low quality of life, and low self esteem. Objectives: (1) To assess the prevalence of dental fear among Indian adults (2) To explore the differences in oral health, oral hygiene and dental visit habits between individuals with high and low dental fear. Materials and Methods: A total of 2000 individuals aged 21 years and above were invited to participate in the study. The method of data collection comprised clinical measurements and self administered questionnaire. Dental fear was measured using the Corah dental anxiety scale. Oral health status was assessed by Simplified Oral Hygiene Index, Decayed, Missing, Filled teeth and; Filled and Sound teeth. Data was statistically analyzed by Student's t tests, Chi-square tests, and multivariate analysis. P value was considered statistically significant. Results: The percentage of individuals with high dental fear varied between from 3.9% to 7.8%. Dental fear had significant effect on filled and sound teeth when adjusted for the other variables. Conclusion: Dental fear is one part of the process determining oral health in different age groups. There is a need to identify and effectively tackle dental fear as an important step in improving oral health of the population.

Tobacco is the second major preventable cause of death in the world. With this perspective, dental health professionals not only serve as providers of care for their patients, but also are expected to model the advice they impart. Hence, this survey was undertaken to assess the tobacco use amongst the dental students. Methodology: The questionnaire Global Health Professional survey (GHPS) from WHO and CDC was utilized, to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of Tobacco. Results: Life-time prevalence of cigarette smoking for third year dental students in Bangalore was 12.1%. Over 80 % of current cigarette smokers felt like having a cigarette within 30 minutes of awaking in the morning. Three - quarters of students surveyed had some knowledge on pharmacotherapy for tobacco-use Cessation. Conclusions: It was observed that the most of the dental students had this grave habit; hence this problem should be first tackled before the common man is focused on, as they play a major role in helping the patients who rely on the dental health profession for quitting this habit to an extent.

Objective: Dental caries is among the most common dental problems affecting humans. The present study was aimed to assess the prevalence of dental caries in rural population in different age groups and their awareness about the general dental health. Methods: The current study was conducted on 251 subjects in the age groups of 21-30 years, 31-40 years and 41-60 years from the rural areas in the state of Punjab, India. Dental examination was performed and subjects were asked a questionnaire and the data was recorded and analyzed for the role of different factors in the occurrence of dental caries including dietary habit. Results: Caries prevalence (DMFT>0) was 76.36% in 21-30 years, 86.84% in 31-40 years and 87.69% in 41-60 years age groups. The number of decaying teeth was significantly higher than missing or filled teeth. Conclusions: A very high DMFT score was observed in these people from rural Punjab with number of decayed teeth significantly higher than missing and filled teeth thus indicating the lack of awareness about dental health in this group. A significant relationship was observed between dental caries and oral hygiene habits.

Management of Dental caries demands early detection of caries lesion. This article provides an over view of state of the art methodology for detection and assessment of early carious lesion and suggest advancement in field of assessment, caries activity status is an only answer. Caries activity test determines a cutoff point to determine for caries predilection.

Material & Methods: The study population comprised a representative sample of 700 school children aged 6 to 14 years, with 345 males and 355 females. The data about the status of first permanent molar was assessed by clinical examination and findings were recorded on a pre tested Proforma. The two stage sampling was done, in the first stage random sampling of Tenali Schools, and in the second stage cluster sampling of 6 to 14 years School children. Results: The result showed that the prevalence of dental caries in first molars for the study population was 47.42%. Out of 2662 first molars examined, 798 (30.39%) were decayed in the study population and this decay varied in males (38.23%) and females (22.92%). Out of the 37.29% of the children who required treatments, 18.86% first molars needed one surface filling, 12.71% needed two or more surface fillings, 2.86% needed pulp care, 3.43% needed extraction and 1.57% needed replacement. Conclusion: It can be concluded from the study that the occurrence of caries of first molars increased in mixed dentition period. Caries was significantly higher in males (52.58%) when compared to females(47.42%). Recommendations: It is recommended from the study that emphasis should be given in periodic screening and provision of dental services for initial lesions at an early age.

Dental caries is a very frequent oral disease and continues to be the most common infectious diseaseof childhood. Aim: To assess the dental caries experience and frequency of sugar consumption and to correlatethe relationship between the two factors in 12 and 15 year old children in Chennai. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional epidemiological study was conducted among 12 and 15year old children in Chennai. A 24 hour diet recall and the WHO 1997 dentition status and treatmentneeds were recorded. The sweet score was calculated based on the information from the diet chart. Results: Mean DMFT of the sample was 1.08. Overall prevalence of dental caries was 45.6%. Morethan 50%(906) children were caries free.249(15.6%) and 224(14%) had one and two carious lesionsrespectively. Only 46(2.9%) of children had no sugar exposures per day. Majority, 517(32.3%) had twosugar exposures per day. Sweet score was excellent in 270(16.9%) subjects, with a majority, 1001(62.6%)in the 'Watch out zone'. There was positive correlation between DMFT and the frequency of sugarexposures per day and sweet score with a statistically significant association between DMFT and frequencyof sugar exposures per day. Conclusion: As parents and schoolteachers are important informants in oral health of the children,their involvement should be considered in planning oral health education for children. The school mayserve as an effective platform for promotion of oral health in relation to children as well as families.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition that causes the airways to constrict and produce excessmucus, making breathing difficult. The reported prevalence of childhood asthma is increasing worldwide.Surveys undertaken during the past 20 years using similar methods throughout have found a consistentincrease in the prevalence of asthma. Many medications used to treat asthma have effects on the mouth,teeth and throat. This article reviews the correlation between asthma and oral health. Common OralProblems due to Asthma Medications may be Candidiasis and dry mouth. Asthmatic medications can placethe patient at risk of dental erosion by reducing salivary protection against extrinsic or intrinsic acids. Theeffect of asthma on oral health is the subject of debate among majority of the dentists. Increase frequencyof dental visits with your dentist or hygienist to prevent oral problems.

Background: The belief that conditions affecting the mouth could have implications on peripheraltissue and organs has been held from the very earliest medical recordings. The role of the "classic"cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, however, does not explain all clinical and epidemiologicalfeatures of CVD. The hypothesis that oral infections, especially periodontal infections, have potentiallyserious systemic implications is now gaining credence. Based on the clinical impression that periodontaldisease is common among patients with myocardial infarction, this study is taken up to assess theperiodontal health status among these patients and to know the association between periodontal diseaseand acute myocardial infarction. (AMI). Material and methods: The study groups comprised of a total of 102 (50 cases and 52 controls)subjects at Narayana institute of cardiac sciences, Bangalore. The cases with proven clinical and laboratorydiagnoses of a first attack of AMI event and age matched controls without any history of AMI . All thesubjects under went a complete periodontal examination using Community periodontal index, lipid andblood glucose profile tests, weight and height, Blood pressure checkup and a questionnaire on sociodemographic and life style conditions. Statistical analysis: Chi square test and t test were used for significance of any difference inproportions and means respectively. To estimate the association, Logistic regression analysis was used toasses the relation of periodontal disease risk for AMI. Results: Univariate analysis showed statistically significant results between males, aged patients,smoking, hypertensive, diabetics and alcoholics. these risk factors were further forced into the regressionmodel to adjust for their impact on AMI and the significant variables were current smokers, hypertension,and CPI code 4 were (with p value <.05)statistically significant. Conclusions: Severe periodontitis was found to be more common in patients with AMI and supportsthe previously reported association of periodontitis as a risk factor for AMI.

Objective: To evaluate self-reported oral health attitudes and behaviour among dental students in adental institution in Hyderabad city using the modified HU-DBI and to compare oral health attitudedifferences between years of study and gender. Materials & Methods: A modified English version of HU-DBI survey questionnaire was employedin the study. All undergraduate dental students at Panineeya Institute of Dental Sciences, Hyderabadparticipated voluntarily in the study. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Internal consistency as calculated by Cronbach's alpha was 0.57 and the validity of thequestionnaire was 0.74. The mean age of the entire study population was 19.80 + 1.28; 84 males (25.7%)and 243 (74.3%) females participated in the study. Males and females exhibited no significant differencewith the levels of oral health attitudes and behaviour (p < 0.37) whereas significant difference was seenamong various years of study (p = 0.000) with the fourth year students having the highest percentage. Conclusion: Oral health attitudes and behaviour among this group of Indian dental students was foundto be good and improved with increasing year of study.

The oral health awareness and status of nursing students were studied in Davanagare city. 150 subjectsunderwent two components of assessment: questionnaire assessing oral health knowledge and behaviour,and clinical examination for oral health status. Indices used are Plaque index, Community PeriodontalIndex of treatment needs (CPITN) and Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth index (DMFT). More than 70% ofthe subjects were reported to brush their teeth once daily and very few used supplemental cleaning tools.They also knew the importance of healthy oral condition, the various causes and prevention of tooth decayand gum diseases. Although majority (81.9%) visited the dentist only when they feel it is necessary to doso. Clinical examination showed mean scores of 1.22 forplaque index; Code 2 of the CPITN Index wasthe highest (70.3%) among the subjects. The total mean DMFT was 1.92, and the decayed componentwas the highest (D=158 teeth). These findings suggest that the subjects have acceptable oral healthawareness, and also reasonable existing oral health status.

Introduction: A twin is defined as one of two offspring born at the same birth. If a particular traitis correlated highly between monozygotic twins and less correlated between dizygotic twins, then there isa genetic contribution to variation on that particular trait. Aim and Objective: To analyse the tooth size, arch length and palatal rugae pattern in monozygoticand dizygotic twins and to compare these dental traits between the monozygotic co-twins and the dizygoticco-twins. Materials and Methods: The maximum mesiodistal and buccolingual dimensions of the crowns of28 permanent teeth, first incisor through second molar in each quadrant, of 9 pairs of monozygotic twinsand 21 pairs of dizygotic twins were recorded using calipers calibrated to 0.01 mm. The maxillary andmandibular arch length were determined by drawing a line from a point midway to the central incisorsperpendicular to the tangent touching the distal surfaces of the first permanent molars. The method ofrugae identification was based on the classification of Thomas et at (1983). This classification in includesnumber, length, shape and unification of rugae. Results: The monozygotic (MZ) twins showed greater correlation with respect to MesiodistalDimension MD (r = 0.928). Buccolingual Dimension BD (r = 0.904), maxillary arch length (r= 0.744),mandibular arch length (r=0.878), left rugae (r = 0.49) and right rugae (r = 0.592) than the dizygotic (DZ)twins. Conclusion: The remarkable similarity in the tooth size, arch length and palatal rugae pattern ofmonozygotic twins suggests a strong inheritability factor and that these may be useful as additional toolsfor zygosity determination along with other dental traits.

Objectives: To compare the oral health related quality of life (OHQRoL) and caries status betweenschool children living with their parents and orphan children and to assess the factors that influence theoral health related quality of life. Methods: Study sample consisted of 279 school children living with their parents and 257 orphanchildren thus making a total sample of 536 school children. Sampling frame comprised of 12-15 years oldchildren attending two upper primary public schools and two special schools for orphan children at Udaipur,India. Clinical examination for caries status and personal interviews on oral health related quality of lifewere conducted by a single trained and calibrated examiner. Results: Children without parents presented poor scores for OHQRoL items and a higher cariesexperience as compared to those having parents. Caries status was significantly related to OHRQoL andits domains. Subjects with no caries reported the good OHRQoL which deteriorated as the caries scoreincreased. Children who never visited dentist reported poorer OHRQoL than regular visitors and malesexperienced better oral health quality of life than females. Only two items of the five variables enteredthe step wise linear regression analysis and were responsible for a variance of 21.3% for OHRQoL (table3), however DMFT constituted the first best predictor which solely explained a variance 15.8%. @ABSTXT= Conclusions: Oral health related quality of life along with its domains differed significantly betweenchildren with and without parents. Furthermore, gender, dental visiting habits and caries status significantlyinfluenced the oral health quality of life.

Introduction: The personal protective equipments like Doctor's apron & Mouth mask can serve asa potential source of cross-contamination. Aim: To assess the risk of spread of nosocomial infections from contaminated aprons and protectionprovided by face masks of dental post-graduate students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 25 Post-graduate students who were givendisposable surgical sterile aprons and masks at the starting of the working day (9.00 am) and asked tocontinue their regular clinical work. A mannikin which served as a control for protective effect of maskswas placed at a position opposite (2 'o' clock position) to the operator. After an exposure of 5 hours at2 pm, swabs were collected from chest area and sleeve cuff area of the aprons, inside and outside surfaceof masks worn by operator and manikin. Total CFU and the presence of potentially pathogenic andnon-pathogenic bacteria were done. Results: The mean CFU present in the chest area was more than sleeve area and high in the insidesurface of mask worn by post-graduate student and Manikin. The difference of mean CFU between insideand outside surface of manikin's mask was not significant, that is CFU is almost equal inside and outsideof the mask which indicates masks as not efficient filters of bacterial aerosols. Both gram positive &negative organism were isolated. Conclusion: The aprons are potential source of cross infection in dental setting and commonly usedmasks were found to be the least adequate filters of bacterial aerosols.

Tobacco has been referred to by several derogatory names. The extensive destruction in every aspectof human life, body mind and emotion caused by the use of tobacco is widely documented. Potential oftobacco having a curative side is presently being explored through research into plant sources. This articlepresents some possibilities in this innovative area of study.

Aim of the study: The study was done to assess the oral health status in terms of dental cariesprevalence, prosthetic status among the patients above 12 yrs attending H.P. Govt. Dental College &Hospital Shimla. Materials and method: It was cross sectional study. Data was recorded on a structured format.DMFT index and Prosthetic status and prothetic need indices were used to collect information regardingcaries and edentulism. The collected data was analyzed using the SPSS, statistical software (SPSS version11.05) Result: The mean DMFT was 6.5 prevalence of caries was found 80.5%. Mean value of decayedteeth, missing teeth, and filled teeth was 2.7, 3.0. and 0.8 respectively. 19.4% (119) subjects had 0 decayedteeth and total DMFT was 0 in 7.2% (44) subjects. 3.4% subjects were wearing some kind of prosthesesin maxilla and 5% in mandible. 27% (166) of subjects needed prosthesis in maxillary and 37.7% (230)needed prosthesis in mandibular arch. Conclusion: prevalence of dental caries was found considerably high (80.5%). Even prosthetic needwas also common in this population. These people should be educated to maintain oral hygiene and shouldbe motivated to take care of their teeth and come to Dental Hospital at beginning of the disease only.

Aim: To assess the oral health status and treatment needs of match-box factory workers inGudiyatham taluk of Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted among the match-box factory workers inGudiyatham taluk of Vellore district. Following the pilot study, the sample size of 948 match-box factoryworkers was needed for this study. The cluster sampling methodology was used to select the samples. Theclusters (match-box factories) were randomly selected one after the other to get the required sample size.The source of data was primary, which consisted of a clinical examination (WHO Oral Health AssessmentForm - 1997). Results: The prevalence for bleeding on probing, calculus, shallow pocket and deep pocket by highestscore was found to be 36.2%, 37.6%, 9.6% and 6.2% respectively. Mean number of sextants code 3 orhigher and code 4 increased with age and was statistically very highly significant. 20.6% had cariouslesions and mean DMFT was 2.842.05. The mean DMFT increased with age with the highest, being6.262.99 in the age group =55 years and it was statistically significant. The more commonly neededtreatment modalities were one surface restoration and two surface restorations being in 67.1% and 23.5 %of subjects respectively. 20.3% and 23.1% of subjects required prosthesis in upper and lower jaws,respectively. Conclusion: The match-box workers in Gudiyatham, suffer from the common dental diseases likedental caries and periodontal diseases. As observed in the present study the working environment does notseem to have an effect on their oral health.

The number of 'Asymptomatic Third Molars' selected for prophylactic removal varies widely amonggeneral dental practitioners and oral surgeons. Several reasons are given for the early removal ofasymptomatic or pathology-free impacted third molars such as cyst, tumours, infections, damage to adjacentteeth. However, the justification for prophylactic removal of impacted third molars is less certain and hasbeen debated for many years. Hence prophylactic removal should only be carried out if there is goodevidence of patient benefit which is reviewed in this paper.

Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude, practices and oral hygiene status of match-box factoryworkers in Gudiyatham taluk of Vellore District, Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted among the match-box factory workers inGudiyatham taluk of Vellore district. Following the pilot study, the sample size of 948 match-box factoryworkers was needed for this study. The cluster sampling methodology was used to select the samples. Theclusters (match-box factories) were randomly selected one after the other to get the required sample size.The sources of data were primary, which consisted of a clinical examination to assess the level of oralhygiene (Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified) and a questionnaire on oral health knowledge, attitude andpractices. Results: 42.9% perceived the appearance of their teeth to be good. 48.3% visited a dentist only whenthere is pain / discomfort. 82% stated that they brush their teeth once daily and around 16% have thehabit of consuming tobacco in some form. Among the study subjects 74.7% had fair oral hygiene, 24.9%had good oral hygiene and 0.4% had poor oral hygiene. Conclusion: There is a need for improvement in the oral health knowledge, attitude, practices amongthe match-box factory workers which could be brought about with the help of health education by dentistand primary health care workers. It has also been observed that the level of oral hygiene was fair amongmajority of the match-box factory workers.

With the emergence of a new era in dentistry, ozone therapy has been established as a safe andeffective method for preventing and treating dental caries. Unlike conventional methods, which are highlyinvasive, this novel treatment approach promotes caries reversal and the remineralization of teeth withoutdamaging their structure. The goal of treating carious lesions with ozone is to reduce the causativemicrobiota and contributing risk factors, to halt the caries process and to stimulate remineralization, andthis goal is achieved markedly. Ozone began with its application in medical field and currently is acornerstone in dental care. The strong oxidizing ability of ozone has lead to its widespread application indentistry.

Oral health care for disabled children is a health care area that has received scant attention. It isestimated that one out of two children with a significant disability cannot find a professional resource toprovide appropriate and necessary dental care. Lack of access to dental services for this growing segmentof our population is reaching critical levels and is public health issue of growing concern.

India is a huge country and face diverse health care problems. India is facing an acute shortage ofHealth Professionals including Public Health professionals. It is important for all health care professionalsto have a fundamental knowledge of dealing with outbreaks so that they can act fast and prevent as muchdamage as possible. The dental surgeons in India can be a great source of motivation in public healthcare because now they form a sizable chunk of health care professionals and a basic knowledge in epidemicmanagement for them can definitely help in timely intervention and prevent any further loss in emergencysituations. India is adding 23000 dentists annually and approximately 1.8 lakh dentists are registered withstate dental councils.The threats from all diseases and bio-terrorism are real and we should be prepared for any eventuality.An effective public health system in place can prevent as well as control an outbreak. Epidemiologyprovides the scientific basis, the systematic approach, and the prevention orientations that are needed. Bythis paper, we seek to provide basic information in a simple way to all health care professionals includingDentists in their fight to prevent and control of an outbreak. We are requesting policy makers at all levelsin India to work on legislation to mandate Dentists as Public Health Professionals in emergencies workingdirectly under Medical Officers posted in PHC's. In addition, it will create more oral care awareness also.

Introduction: Many infectious agents can be transmitted from patients to dental professionals whenoral care is being provided. It is therefore critical for practicing professionals to adapt proper infectioncontrol measures to protect themselves and their patients. Aim and Objectives: To check the effect of Pre-procedural rinse on aerosols in the Dental officeand to assess the level of knowledge and attitude towards aerosol contamination among dental students'in Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India. Materials and Methods: An experimental study was conducted to assess the effect of antimicrobialpre-procedural rinsing on aerosols in the dental office on 10 patients with mild to moderate gingivitisbetween the age group of 25 to 40 years which was followed by a questionnaire survey done among 193dental students to assess their level of knowledge and attitude towards aerosol contamination and isolation. Results: The reduction in the CFUs of aerosols after the use of antimicrobial mouth rinse wasstatistically significant {p<0.003}. Among the 193dental students, 51 (26.4%) had low level of knowledge,131 (67.8%) had acceptable level of knowledge and 11 (5.8%) had high level of knowledge. The levelof knowledge gradually increased with the year of study {p<0.001}.Conclusion: In our study we observed that Antimicrobial Pre - procedural mouthrinse containing 0.2%Chlorhexidine gluconate was effective in reducing viable bacteria in oral spatter and the level of knowledgeamong the dental students regarding aerosol contamination and isolation gradually increased with the yearof the study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the periodontal health status and factorsaffecting it among school children of India. Methods: A total of 2670 children aged 12 and 15 years belonging to both sexes from urban andrural were included in the study. A proforma was prepared to record the information and indices with thehelp of WHO oral assessment form (1997). For the purpose of data analysis statistical package SPSS 11was used. The data has been processed by using Chi-square test for statistical significance. Results: Distribution of tooth brush with tooth paste is observed to be maximum practiced withinurban and rural communities with 96.7 and 58.4% respectfully. Highest reported score among both thepopulation is calculus with 73.0% and 78.5% among urban and rural population respectively. Conclusion: Higher calculus scores represent a significant diseased state among the children. Authorssuggest a cost effective mechanism which point out the preventive approach to deal with such diseases.

Currently the use of natural products as an alternative to the conventional allopathic formulationsavailable for the treatment of various diseases is in focus. Propolis, a natural remedy is a resinous yellowbrown to dark brown substance that honey bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, shrubs or other botanicalsources to seal unwanted open spaces in the hive, defending it from outside contaminants. The mainchemical classes present in propolis are flavonoids, phenolics and other various aromatic compounds.Flavonoids are well known plant compounds that have antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant andanti-inflammatory proprieties. Different commercial propolis products are available in market. Propolis hasbeen used in dentistry for various purposes and has a promising role in future medicine as well as indentistry. This paper is an attempt to review various uses of this compound in dentistry.

Hospital waste refers to all waste, biologic or non- biologic that is discarded and not intended forfurther use. Medical waste is a subset of hospital waste; it refers to the material generated as a result ofdiagnosis, treatment or immunization of patients and associated biomedical research. Hospital wastemanagement has been brought into focus in India recently, particularly with the notification of the BMW(Management and Handling) Rules, 1998. The rule makes it mandatory for the health care establishmentssegregate, disinfect and dispose their waste in an eco-friendly manner. Hospital wastes are classified intohazardous and non-hazardous wastes. Hazardous wastes constitute about 85% of the waste generated inmost healthcare set-ups. This includes waste comprising of food remnants, fruit peels, wash water, papercartons, packaging material etc. Safe and effective management of waste is not only a legal necessity butalso a social responsibility. Lack of concern, motivation, awareness and cost factor are some of the problemsfaced in the proper hospital waste management. Proper surveys of waste management procedures in dentalpractices are needed.

Introduction: Malocclusion is as an occlusion in which there is a malrelationship between the archesin any of the planes or in which there are anomalies in tooth position beyond the normal limits. Aim and Objectives: To assess the prevalence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needsamong 12 - 15 years old school children of Maduravoyal area, Chennai and to assess the relationshipbetween the oral habits and malocclusion. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 300 school children aged12 to 15 years and data was recorded using Dental Aesthetic Index and subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Overall prevalence of Malocclusion was 73.7%. 26.3% had no abnormality, 36.7% haddefinite malocclusion, 27.7% had severe malocclusion, 9.3% had handicapping malocclusion. Thumbsucking and Tongue thrusting habit had a significant association with maxillary overjet and openbite. Conclusion: Oral habits if persist beyond the preschool age is commonly associated with thedevelopment of malocclusion.

Background: This study evaluated the correlates for tooth extraction among patients between the age group 15-50 years Method: A cross-sectional hospital based survey in Bangalore city, India was conducted among patients attending four major Government Hospitals during April 2005 and November 2005.A total of 2014 patients participated in a clinical examination and completed interviews. Results: A total of 2314 teeth were extracted among 2014 patients. Majority of them were females who constituted 56% (1134) and 880 (44%) were males. Among both the sexes in all age groups, dental caries and periodontal diseases contributed to 54.7% and 29.7% of tooth loss respectively. Impactions, orthodontic reasons, prosthetic reasons, trauma, pericoronitis, prior to radiation therapy and miscellaneous reasons contributed to 15.6% of tooth loss. On the whole, the tooth mortality rate per person in males was 1.25 and in females 1.27. This was statistically significant. (F-value 53.70, p = 0.000). The lower socioeconomic classes (upper lower and lower class) contributed to 55.57% of overall teeth lost where as the upper class had only 8% of the teeth lost. Females lost more number of teeth than males in orthodontic, pericoronitis, impaction and prosthetic groups. Due to traumatic reasons like falls and accidents, males lost more number of maxillary incisors and maxillary second molars. Conclusion: Caries was the principle cause of tooth loss and molar teeth were the teeth most commonly lost. The results are consistent with prevalence and extent of tooth loss due to caries and due to reasons other than caries being differently related to disease- and socio- behavioral risk indicators.

Trace elements are those which are present in only minute quantities in animal tissues, regardless of their abundance in nature. They influence susceptibility to oral diseases either by altering the resistance of the tooth itself or by modifying the local environment in the oral cavity. Trace elements also form an essential part of the cellular defense mechanisms against oxidative damage to the DNA. Nutritional guidance is one of the very important components of preventive dentistry today. Proper nutrition is important not only for the formation of sound teeth but also for the maintenance of oral health. Dietary recommendations made to aid in the control of oral disease are simultaneously optimal recommendations for improving general health.

In spite of strong evidence that counselling increases quit rates, it is sparsely followed by the health practitioners in practice. Behavioural counselling for tobacco users is based on the theory that learning processes operate in the development, maintenance and cessation of tobacco use. Certain core conditions such as empathy, unconditional positive regard, genuineness, immediacy, confrontation, reflective listening are necessary for successful counselling. Health professionals are in an ideal setting to serve as patient educators on the adverse effects of smoking on oral and systemic health, and to implement smoking cessation.

Introduction: Diagnostically dentists may detect the first signs of HIV infection as HIV infection associated lesions may appear in or around the mouth. There is little evidence of how best dentists are prepared to assume ethical and professional responsibility to prevent the spread of the HIV infection. This study was undertaken to assess knowledge & attitude about HIV infection & AIDS among dental professional in Bangalore city. Material & methods: The data was collected from 550 dental professionals by administering a specially designed proforma. Knowledge & attitude of the dental professionals was evaluated using a Likert scale. Results & conclusion: Of the 550 respondents, 57.09% (n = 314) were male dental professionals and 42.19% (n = 236) were female dental professionals. The age ranged from 23 to 65 years. Most of the respondents, 79.3% (n = 436) were practicing dentistry for less than 10 years. In this study overall knowledge score of the dental professionals was better compared to their overall attitude score. HIV related knowledge and attitude to treat HIV infected or AIDS patients were best predicted by age and number of years in practice.

Background: Health care system involves holistic approach to tackle the patients especially who are in critical care. This adds to the gaining importance of spiritual dimension & approach now-a-days. As critical care involves overall aspect it becomes important to know in brief about spiritual care in health system.

Background: Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been the most dramatic disease event of the second half of the twentieth century. The majority of those infected have been in the most productive years of their life, causing a secondary economic impact beyond the cost of caring for them and creating a new cohort of orphans. Aim: To assess to awareness of HIV-AIDS among the patients of a multispecialty hospital in Chennai city. Materials and methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among the patients visiting the hospital. Results: The results of the study showed that 100% of the subjects were aware of HIV/AIDS. For most of them the major source of information about HIV/AIDS was television. Females had significantly higher knowledge than males (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: Though the entire study population was aware of HIV-AIDS, there was a lacuna in the mode of transmission of the disease.

Dental personnel and their patients are susceptible for number of occupational hazards. These cause the appearance of various ailments, specific to the profession, which develop and intensify with years. In many cases they result in diseases and disease complexes. The noise of suctions, saliva ejectors, turbines, engines, amalgamators, compressors, etc., causes impaired hearing. Dental medicaments and materials as well as disinfectants used in dental surgeries cause allergies and skin diseases. Strained posture at work destabilizes the osteoarticular system and causes overburdening of the spine. The overburdening also affects certain groups of muscles and joints. This brings about diseases of the musculoskeletal system and of the peripheral nervous system. Also, the functioning of the respiratory, cardiovascular and alimentary systems is disrupted. Close contact with the patients, with their saliva and blood, exposes the dentist to occupational biohazards, mainly of the contagious kind. The adverse effects of mercury and nitrous oxide are well-known, less so those of visible blue light. Many clinical situations may be a source of stress for the dental practitioner. Moreover, a limited surgical area and its artificial lighting results in eye strain, conjunctivitis, blurred vision or shortsightedness. Hence relying on literature the present paper discusses some selected occupational hazards.

Objectives: To assess the knowledge of emergency management of orofacial trauma among physical education students of Bengaluru university. Methodology: A cross sectional descriptive questionnaire survey was undertaken to assess the knowledge of emergency management of orofacial trauma among all the available physical education trainees undergoing Bachelors in Physical education course (II year) in the colleges under Bengaluru university. Questions regarding mild to complicated orofacial trauma were included to evaluate the knowledge of the students in management of such injuries. Results: Among the 251 subjects, 209 were males and 42 were females. 210 (83.7%) had undergone first aid training. 195 (77.7%) of them felt that immediate treatment of a broken tooth was necessary. 156 (62.1%) of them were aware of the immediate action to be taken in case of a bleeding lip injury. When asked about the identification of permanent tooth 139 (54.9%) identified it wrongly and 113 (45.1%) of the respondents identified it correctly. For an avulsion injury, only 63 (25.1%) of them chose the correct action. 230 (91.6%) felt that information on emergency management of trauma was necessary, only 21 (8.4%) thought it was not important. Conclusion: Present study shows that the knowledge of the students was substantially good in managing injuries but there was significantly very low knowledge of management of an avulsed tooth.

Background: School teachers play an important role in the all round development of children. Quiet often they play a major role as health educators in the school set up. To discharge this responsibility they must be aware of the facts related to health in general and oral health in particular. Objectives: To asses the Dental awareness, attitudes and oral health practices among school teachers of Kanakapura. Also to compare the level of knowledge between higher primary and high school teachers. Methodology: The list of all higher primary and high schools was obtained .and by random sampling about 250 school teachers were selected for the study. The study was a self administered questionnaire survey. The questionnaire had 30 questions pertaining to knowledge, attitude and oral health practices. ttest and Chi square tests are used for statistical analysis. Results: The study group consisted of 250 school teachers. Among them most of the teachers 161(64.9%) had average knowledge about oral hygiene. About 194(78.2%) had positive attitude about oral health and around 191(77%) teachers were practicing the correct oral hygiene methods. Conclusion: Teachers require being educated through effective media so that they acquire improved awareness on oral hygiene, positive attitude and healthy oral hygiene practices. This would in turn help them to create total awareness among school children's.

Purpose: To determine correlation in the hygiene of hard and soft tissues of the mouth. Materials and methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on 100 subjects (patients and accompanying person) attending out patient department at oxford dental college aged above 12 years. Details regarding oral hygiene practices and hygiene of hard tissues were recorded using the oral hygiene index (John.C.Greene and Jack.R.Vermillion) and hygiene of soft tissues was recorded using the tongue coating index (Winkel 2003) and the use of disclosing agent (Methylene blue) for other parts of soft tissues in a specially designed Proforma. The results were subjected to statistical analysis using the Pearson correlation test. Results: The results showed that the correlation between the OHI and STI was found to be moderate (0.487), where as the correlation between OHI and TCI was found to be weak (0.327) and correlation between TCI and STI were found to be negligible (0.196). Conclusion: In this study a positive correlation (moderate) was found between the oral hygiene index and the soft tissue index, hence the oral hygiene index reflects the hygiene of hard and soft tissues of the mouth. It is recommended that Oral hygiene regimen should include the maintenance of the hygiene in relation to the tongue and soft tissues

Chronic diseases such as cancer and other non-communicable diseases are fast replacing communicable diseases in India and other developing countries. Tobacco is the most important identified cause of cancer followed by dietary practices, inadequate physical activity, alcohol consumption, infections due to viruses and sexual behavior. Diet is now considered a major weapon against cancer. Recent research indicates that what you eat may help to significantly reduce your cancer risk. Nutrition education is important for increasing public awareness, promoting good health and for control of cancers. A combination of foods in a predominantly plant based diet interact in ways that boost their individual anticancer effects.

Organ transplantation along with the immunosuppressive therapy, which has developed in recent years in India, has saved many failing lives, thus restoring and improving the quality and longevity of life. With the known increasing trends in the poor dental health in India it becomes all the more important to be more knowledgeable and treat dental patients with a broader perspective, keeping the complications and precautions prior to and after the transplantation surgeries. The present day's dental surgeons are at the cross roads and so must understand that these organ transplant cases need specialized dental care and their compromised health and immune system place them at an increased risk for systemic as well as oral infections. Thus this article provides a review of the dental implications among the organ transplant patients.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of self-performed mechanical plaque control with dentifrice containing 0.3% triclosan on gingivitis on routine and short term brushing. Method: An experiment was conducted on a group of 30 subjects with dentifrice containing triclosan 0.3%. The effect of triclosan on gingival health was assessed using gingival index at base line and at 4 weeks. Results: The results showed that there was a marked improvement between gingival health and short term use of triclosan dentifrice with mean gingival score of 1.45 + 0.26 at base line and 1.30 + 0.28 at 4 weeks period. Conclusion: It was observed that the use of triclosan 0.3% dentifrice in routine tooth brushing improves gingival health.

Introduction: Dentistry is a prominent field of surgery, involve exposure to blood and other potential infectious material, therefore require high quality infection risk control. The population at the risk of infection is of all ages, genders, social classes & practitioners. Aim: To evaluate knowledge of personnel protection barriers among dental practitioner in Bhopal City, Madhya Pradesh. Material and Method: Self-administered structured, coded questionnaire was distributed to 200 private practitioners and teaching staff in all the dental colleges in Bhopal city. Result: Fifty three percent of the dentists use gloves, 79.8% always used facemask and headcaps were less frequently used during treatment procedures. Conclusion: There is need for creation of awareness and continuous education about the prevention of cross contamination and used of self protection methods.

After undergoing many periods of demineralization and remineralization the matured tooth surface is less soluble and more resistant to caries challenges. When incorporated into mineral crystal structure as tooth bound fluoride, it is in a highly stable form and is not released into the solution except under extremely acidic conditions. Remineralization is enhanced by providing low levels of calcium and phosphate in conjugation with minimal amounts of fluoride. Fluoride continues to be considered the most important therapy available today to promote lesion remineralization.

Background: Chronic renal failure is defined as a progressive decline of the renal function associated with the reduced glomerular filtration rate and the incidence of this global threat to health has been on rise in the recent past in the developing countries like India. The life expectancy of these patients has increased as a result of the better medical support available and such patients demand a better oral health care. Objective: To assess the oral signs, symptoms and lesions in the patient suffering from chronic renal failure among the general population of the Guntur District and the time dependent changes in the oral manifestations. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional assessment was conducted among the general population of the Guntur district and 100 persons were evaluated. Random samples were collected and standard performa was prepared in order to elicit the details of the oral manifestations among the patients with this disease. Results: Among the 100 study sample, the prevalence of the oral signs and symptoms of higher incidence were 67% with uremic fetor, 65% with xerostomia and 62% with unpleasant taste. The various oral lesions prevalent were 73% patients were reported with dry, fissured lips, 23% were showing different types of candidiasis, 32% showed saburral tongue. 22% of the patients were detected with enamel hypoplasia and 98% of the patient showed low carious index. Conclusion: The patient with chronic renal failure had high prevalence of uremic fetor, xerostomia, unpleasant taste along with dry, fissured lips, saburral tongue and candidiasis and such patient also showed a poor oral hygiene with low caries index.

Background: Dental awareness has been inborn issue among the developed and developing countries and the prevalence varies considerably in different countries, geographic locations, and age groups. With the lifestyle of the Indian school children's people changing significantly over the decades, dental erosion has begun to receive more attention. However, the information about dental awareness among south Indian school children is scarce. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of dental awareness and associated risk factors in 11-14-year-old school children in Kendra Vidyalaya Government School located in Adayar, Chennai. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was performed by trained, calibrated examiners. A simple random sample of 11-14 year-old children (210 girls and 192 boys) from Kendra Vidyalaya Schools was examined for dental awareness using the diagnostic criteria of Standard questionnaire was applied to record the distribution of knowledge, attitude and practice of dental hygiene. Data on the socio-economic status, health behaviors, and general health involved in the etiology of dental awareness were obtained from a self-completed questionnaire. The analyses were performed using SPSS software and Epi info 2000 (trend analysis). Results: In this study a sum of 210 girls (52.2) and 192 boys (47.8) were taken. The overall prevalence of dental caries was found to be 190 (47.3) in these individuals and these association was found to be significant.

Background: Diabetes mellitus has been increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. Despite the universal recognition of the dangers of diabetes mellitus, diabetic patients' awareness of and attitudes toward their heightened risk for oral diseases has not been fully addressed. Objectives: 1. To assess the knowledge and awareness of diabetic patients of their risk for systemic and oral diseases as complications associated with diabetes, 2. to assess their attitudes toward maintaining good oral health through proper oral hygiene and regular dental check-ups. Materials and Methods: Seven hundred self-administered questionnaires were distributed among diabetic patients in a private hospital of Bhopal city (M.P.). The questionnaire contained questions related to participants' age and sex, tobacco use, prosthetic status, type and duration of diabetes, and their awareness for systemic and oral diseases as complications associated with diabetes, attitudes toward maintaining good oral health. Completed questionnaires were used in the current study for data analysis. Results: A majority of the participants had type 2 diabetes (63%). Diabetic patients had low awareness of their increased risk for oral diseases. Sixty seven percent of the participants brushed their teeth once daily and none of them had ever used dental floss. Conclusion: Diabetic patients have little knowledge of their increased risk for oral diseases. In order to promote oral health and to reduce the risk of oral diseases, there is a need to develop programs to educate the public about the oral manifestations and complications of diabetes.

Nanotechnology has been part of mainstream scientific theory with potential medical and dental applications since the early 1990s, Nanoparticles, nanospheres, nanorods, nanotubes, nanofibers, dendrimers and other nanostructures have been studied for various applications to biologic tissues and systems. Nanodentistry will make possible the maintenance of comprehensive oral health by employing nanomaterial's, including tissue engineering, and ultimately, dental Nanorobots. Nanotechnology carries a significant potential for misuse and abuse on a scale and scope never seen before. However, they also have potential to bring about significant benefits, such as improved health, better use of natural resources, and reduced environmental pollution.

Sudden loss of anterior teeth is a catastrophic event for a patient. The missing anterior teeth have implications in how one presents themselves to others and the psychological effects of how we feel about ourselves. Sudden tooth loss in the esthetic zone of the anterior region can be due to trauma, periodontal disease, or endodontic failure. If the teeth are intact, it is easiest to use them as natural pontics and bond it to the adjacent teeth with fiber reinforcement ribbon and adhesive composite resin. When the teeth are not usable a denture teeth or a composite resin pontics can be shaped to fit the space of the missing teeth.

Biomimetics is the field of scientific endeavor which attempts to design system and synthesize materials through biomimicry also known by various names such as bionics, biognosis. This concept has been applied in dental materials, for the regeneration of the dental structures from the stem cells through tissue engineering, has its final evolution in the field of endodontics and also in, implant dentistry to achieve faster osseointegration.Hence this paper reviews the history, current concepts of biomimetics applied in dentistry, scope of biomimetics in the future and biomimetics in india.

Background: Their have been relatively few investigations of dental caries among the tribal children. Several investigations have noted that the tribal children have higher level of dental caries and a lower level of care taken. Objective: To determine the Dental caries status in tribal children of Javadhu Hills (Tamil Nadu). Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to determine the Dental caries status in tribal children of Javadhu Hills (Tamil Nadu). A study conducted in a sample of 292 children of 6-20 years of age. A specially designed survey proforma was prepared to collect the data. The dental caries was recorded by using DMFT Index. Results: Showed that the mean DMFT score for the 6-10 years age group was found to be 21.23% with the mean DMFT of 1.92, in 11-15 yrs age group the total DMFT score was 57.33% with the mean DMFT of 1.76 and In 16-20 yrs age group the total DMFT score was 21.44% with the mean DMFT of 1.57. The total mean DMFT was 1.75. Conclusion: The present study reported the mean DMFT of 1.75. The decayed 'D' and missing component 'M' was major contributor to mean DMFT in the tribal children of Javadhu Hills (Tamil Nadu). There was no contribution of 'F' (Filled) component.

Women may be more susceptible to oral health problems because of the unique hormonal changes they experience. Hormones not only affect the blood supply to the gum tissue, but also the body's response to the toxins (poisons) that result from plaque build up. As a result of these changes, women are more prone to the development of periodontal disease at certain stages of their lives as well as to other oral health problems. Women's oral health depends on their different stages of life. For many women, these changes are directly related to surges in sex-hormone levels, such as in puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, lactation and menopause. Women are also more likely to be diagnosed with TMJ, myofacial pain and eating disorders. Together, a patient and his or her dentist can create a treatment and prevention plan that specifically meets their needs

Aim: To assess the awareness among non-medical degree students about the risk factors and signs of oral cancer in Mangalore. Methodology: A questionnaire study using self administered close ended questionnaire containing 17 questions pertaining to awareness of risk factors and signs of oral cancerwas conducted among 542 non-medical degree students attending 2 colleges in Mangalore city. ANOVA (analysis of variation) and chi-square test was used for analysis. Results: :The BBM students have less knowledge compared to BSc, BCom and BA students and most of them obtained their knowledge through newspapers, magazines and television. Conclusions: There is a lack of awareness about risk factors and signs of oral cancer among the non medical students.Frequent educational programmes are needed to improve the situation thereby reducing the incidence of oral cancer in the community.

Across the life there are various age group ranging from young born to age ones. School going children are grown up adults now, young adults are grown up citizens now, and middle aged have become elders. Throughout the world a demographic revolution is underway. Medical advancements aimed at better monitoring day to day and simple intervention such as blood pressure and clotting level, will prevent many sudden deaths or strokes. Because of improvement in medical and health services the life span has increased, the proportion of older people is growing faster than any other age group. The percentage of older people continues to grow world wide, especially in developing countries. Non-communicable diseases are rapidly becoming the leading causes of disability and mortality. Globally, poor oral health among older people has been particularly evident in high levels of tooth loss and dental caries. This review is to highlight the oral health needs of older people and health care programs undertaken in different parts of the world for the betterment of geriatric population.

The dentist-patient relationship has long been assumed to be a straightforward association and encounter between an expert in medicine and a person in need of dental care. In the last decade, rapid changes in the health care delivery system and the social climate have resulted in considerable strain on this relationship. These factors include the ethical standards of dentists, the communication between dentists and patients, and their shared responsibilities of decision-making. Much patient dissatisfaction and many complaints are due to breakdown in the dentist-patient relationship. Therefore the scope of this article is to review the behavioral researches published mainly in the past two decades especially on patient-dentist relationship, dental anxiety, communication and patients' satisfaction.

Introduction: Today metals are abundant in drinking water, air and soil. It is very difficult to avoid exposure to any of the harmful metals that are so prevalent in our environment where we are living or working. Methodology: It is a comparative study to evaluate the oral health between brass industry workers and non industrial workers belonging to similar socioeconomic strata of Moradabad city. A total of 500 workers from each group aged 30-50 with 5 years working experience were selected through random sampling. To compare the proportion chi-square test was used. Mean values were compared using students t-test. SPSS version 15.0 was used for statistical analyses. Results: It was seen that mean no. of decayed teeth in non-brass group (2.542.00) was significantly higher as compared to brass group (1.861.78). Among the non-brass workers bleeding sextant is most prevalent. Pockets more than 6mm are not prevalent among any of the age groups from brass and non-brass workers. Conclusion: The Oral health status of Brass Industry Workers was relatively poor with poor periodontal health when compared to General Population. Further studies of oral occupational disease should be conducted in order to check or confirm previous reports and to discover possible manifestations arising in new industries.

Background and Objectives: Dental caries is a major public health problem. Many studies indicated a negative association between drinking water fluoride levels and dental caries. But there are studies, which showed the association to be positive or none. This study was conducted to assess prevalence of dental caries and dental fluorosis at different water fluoride levels in Markapur mandal of Andhra Pradesh. Method: A cross sectional analytical study was conducted among the permanent residents of Markapur mandal. A total of 2100 school children aged 5-16 years were selected by random sampling from the schools in the different villages of the mandal with different levels of natural fluoride concentrations in drinking water. Dental caries was recorded using DMFT and deft indices. Dental fluorosis was recorded using Dean's classification of fluorosis. Results: Males were more than the females. The mean deft/DMFT gradually increased from the below optimal category to optimal category and to the above optimal category. 85.4% were affected with fluorosis in the permanent teeth and the percentage increased as the fluoride levels increased. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Chi Square and multiple regression analysis were done for the statistical analysis. Conclusion: There was a direct positive relationship between water fluoride levels and prevalence of dental caries and fluorosis. Fluorosis was also seen even in areas with below optimal and optimal fluoride levels in school children of Markapur mandal.

Peripheral ossifying Fibroma (POF) is a non-neoplastic enlargement of the gingiva that is classified as a reactive hyperplastic inflammatory lesion. POF is typically a solitary, slowly growing nodular mass that is either pedunculated or sessile. It is possible to misdiagnose peripheral ossifying fibroma as pyogenic granuloma, peripheral giant cell granuloma, or odontogenic tumors. Therefore, histopathological examination along with the clinical findings is essential for an accurate diagnosis of such lesions. Differential diagnosis is important, because POF has a tendency to recur with a recurrence rate of nearly 20%. This common solitary gingival growth is managed by excisional biopsy. Objective of the present report is to describe 3 cases of peripheral ossifying fibroma, which were followed for one and half years with signs of recurrence in one case, thereby emphasizing the importance of proper excision and aggressive curettage of the adjacent tissues for prevention of recurrence.

Casein phospho-peptides-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) products have been widely used in the field of preventive dentistry. Casein phospho-peptides exerts its main effect through binding and stabilizing calcium and phosphate ion at amorphous non-crystalline state where they can enter enamel and enhance remineralization. The following article presents a background on these products, in addition to the scientific rationale behind its various useful effects on oral cavity.

Objective: To assess knowledge and attitudes of post-graduate students towards evidence based dentistry (EBD). Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using self-administered questionnaire. The study sample (255) consisted of all I, II and III year post-graduate students of the two dental colleges in Davangere. In addition to general information, the questionnaire consisted mainly of closed questions and five-point likert scale was used to evaluate the responses. Results are expressed in percentage of responses. Results: The response rate was 95.5%. 36% of the students had some understanding of the concept of EBD and were able to apply, 13% had understanding but were unable to apply, 35% knew and 16% were unaware of the concept. Majority of the students favored that EBD improves patient care and is a better approach to clinical-decision making than tradition-based care. 20% of the students had been on EBD course. Conclusion: Though majority of the students had the knowledge of and positive attitude towards EBD, it is not a concept every student is accepting and familiar with. So, it is now the time to make the students aware and utilize the concept whenever and wherever sound evidence is brought to light.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to survey the treatment choices that the dentists in Guntur had regarding dental care for pregnant patients. Material and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on management choices of the pregnant dental patient such as dental treatment practices and therapeutic choices of dentists and also their socio-demographic and practice characteristic. Results: Total of 26 questionnaires were collected. Most of the participants were general practitioners and some are attached to dental college for teaching, with 1to25 year's clinical experience and practicing in town, only 38.5% of the participants will take dental x-ray for a pregnant patient who has pain from a tooth with doubtful diagnosis or would extract a non-restorable painful tooth. Mostly all the surveyed dentists would extract a non-restorable painful tooth during pregnancy. 73.1% of the participating dentists would replace a missing molar with a fixed partial denture during pregnancy. The majority of the participants (98%) would give oral hygiene instructions, 92.3% prescribe a mouthwash and 92.3% do scaling and root planing for a pregnant patient with gingival bleeding and calculus deposits. Five antibiotic choices were surveyed; Amoxicillin, Clindamycin, Tetracycline, Metronidazole and Cephalosporines. The majority of the dentists (84.6%) would prescribe Amoxicillin to a pregnant patient. Four analgesic agents were surveyed; Paracetamole, Ibuprofen, Aspirin and Codeine. By far Paracetamole was the most popular analgesic agent (92.3%). The choice of four types of local anesthesia agents during pregnancy was surveyed. The majority of the dentists (57.7%) would use xylocaine with Adrenalin. Conclusion : This survey showed that there is a clear lack of knowledge about appropriate management of the pregnant dental patient among the surveyed dentists regardless of their socio-demographic and practice characteristics necessitating continuous education on the dental management of pregnant dental patient.

The objective of the review is to evaluate the scientific evidence of the effectiveness and side effects related to fluoride supplements and to update the clinical recommendations on the prescription of fluoride supplements for caries prevention. The use of fluoride supplements for preventing dental caries first started in late 1940's and was intended as a substitute for fluoridated water for children in non- fluoridated areas. The fluoride supplements come in the form of tablets (chewable or non-chewable), drops and lozenges The effectiveness of fluoride supplements in reducing caries is stated by many studies in the past; although these were questioned by many authors. The evidence supports fluoride's systemic mechanism of caries prevention when it is incorporated into the tooth pre-eruptively. Also, ingested fluoride can exert a topical mechanism of action when it is redistributed to the oral environment by the means of saliva. The ingestion of fluoride by means of supplements may be associated with increased risk of developing enamel fluorosis. The increase in exposure of fluoride from other sources like ingestion of water, toothpastes, beverages, foods and professional dental products may also cause enamel fluorosis. It is concluded that fluoride supplements should be used as directed to maximize their caries-preventive benefit and should be prescribed only to children who are at high risk of developing caries and whose primary source of drinking water is deficient in fluoride. The recommendations when prescribing fluoride supplements emphasize the need for caries risk assessment and consideration of total fluoride intake.

The present paper introduces the general philosophy behind hypothesis testing, importance of P values and confidence intervals with the use of published article. This article provides a brief overview of the type of statistical tests that available to analyze research data and the most commonly used statistical tests are presented in detail.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the oral cleansing habits, oral hygiene levels and caries status of rural school going children in Mangalore, Karnataka. Material and methods: A sample of 278 school going children of 12 years of age were examined in five different rural schools; three government and two private schools, in Mangalore. A questionnaire regarding the teeth cleansing methods was filled for each student. Oral examinations were carried out to record the oral hygiene and caries status of these children using oral hygiene index simplified and DMFT index. Fischer's exact test and chi- square test were used for analyzing the data. Results: Only 9.7% of the private school children brushed their teeth twice a day as compared to none of the government school children. There was no significant difference between private and government school children regarding oral hygiene or caries status. Conclusion: The greatest need of dental health education at an early age including proper instruction of oral hygiene practices and school based preventive programs, which would help in improving preventive dental behaviour and attitude which is beneficial for the entire life time.

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is one of the earliest diseases affecting pre school children. Objective: The purpose of this study was to find out the feeding habits and to determine the prevalence of ECC among pre-school children of Guntur city. Methodology: A cross sectional study consisting of 100 pre-school children aged 30-70 months who were accompanied by their mothers were selected. Assessment was done using questionnaire for the accompanied mothers and dental examination of their child. Later the data was subjected to statistical analysis using. Conclusion: It was observed that there was increased risk of developing ECC with bedtime feeding habits and among those children weaned after 12 months of age.

Halitosis or bad breath is an oral health condition characterized by unpleasant odors emanating time after time from the oral cavity. The origin of halitosis may be related both to oral and systemic conditions, but a large percentage of cases are generally related to an oral cause. Oral causes are related to deep carious lesions, periodontal disease, oral infections, peri-implant disease, pericoronitis, mucosal ulcerations, impacted food or debris and mainly, tongue coating. In general, halitosis most often results from the microbial degradation of oral organic substrates including volatile sulfur compounds (VSC). So far, there are few studies evaluating the prevalence of oral malodor in the general population. Thus, the aim of the present review was to describe the etiological factors, prevalence data and the therapeutic mechanical and chemical approaches related to halitosis.

Aesthetics has become an important issue over the past few years and has led to the development of new materials and techniques in dentistry. Body decoration has also gained influence. Irreversible changes to the human body have been practised by ancient as well as modern civilizations for a variety of reasons. Some changes are made to express spiritual devotion or dedication to magic, to fulfil social demands, to make a personal statement or to enhance individual sex appeal. Some of these procedures such as skin tattooing, branding and body piercing that were used by ancient civilisations are commonly seen today especially in developing countries. Body piercings, in particular, have been extended to all parts of the human body and can be found to be adorned by members of all socioeconomic groups. Of special interest to oral health professionals is the recent worldwide increase in intraoral piercings at sites such as the lip, tongue, cheek, frenum and uvula. Depending on the piercing area, specific complications involving the hard and soft tissues have been observed, including tooth fractures, gingival recession, tooth sensitivity and gingival trauma. In addition, speech impairement, interference with mastication and swallowing, aspiration, infection, allergic responses, haematoma and prolonged bleeding have also been occured. Therefore, dentists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons should be aware and advise patients with oral and facial piercings or those who plan to acquire this type of body art. Hence this paper reviews the oral piercing, types of oral piercing and its complications.

Bioaerosols which carry potentially hazardous microbes, viruses, fungi and allergens are of important concern in dentistry because of their potential effects on the health of patients and of dental personnel. Objective: To assess the level of atmospheric microbial contamination before, during and after clinical procedures in multi chair dental environments and to compare the findings during each time. Methodology: Air sampling was performed from the respective dental departments by placing blood agar plates 2 feet away from the patients mouth before, during and after clinical procedures. Samples were incubated aerobically at 37$c for 48 hrs. Colony counting was performed and expressed as colonies per plate (c/plate). Results: The results showed that atmospheric microbial contamination was higher during the clinical procedures as compared to the levels before and after the clinical procedures.The largest bacterial colony counts were seen in the periodontics followed by endodontics and by pedodontics. t-test carried out, failed to demonstrate significant difference in the colony counts between the various departments. Conclusion: The study shows the increased risk of transmission of infectious agents to the dentists. Hence, all necessary preventive measures should be advised and need to be followed strictly.

Chitosan is derived from chitin which is present in skeleton of crabs, shrimps and cell wall of fungi. Chitosan possesses properties which makes it beneficial to dentistry Chitosan mainly exerts antifungal, antibacterial, antiprotozoal, anticancer, antiplaque, antitartar, hemostatic, wound healing,and inhibits the growth of cariogenic bacteria. It is used mainly in the form of rinses; chewing gums and toothpastes. The applicability of chitosan in the field of preventive dentistry should be further explored. The present article highlights properties and effects of chitosan on oral diseases which might be advantageous in the field of public health dentistry.

In the past 25 years the area of medical research is growing immensely. Large number of studies has been undertaken in both developed and developing countries. Though this is a matter of pride at the same time there is a lack of awareness of ethical and legal aspect of biomedical research in the investigators. History has shown lot of ethical violations. Some of the ethical issues being informed consent, confidentiality and privacy. World Health Organizations' in association with various organizations have now given a guidelines for the protection of human participants in biomedical research starting from Nuremberg Code to recent Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights. Hence this paper is an attempt to highlight the Ethical guidelines by ICMR for Biomedical research and Role of ethic committees.

Background Occupational exposure to sulfuric acid mists has been described in association with dental erosion and ulcerative mucosal lesions explained by the high irritant and corrosive acid effects that damage the enamel structure, cause inflammatory and immune reactions and reduce the salivary pH that can also compromise resistance to infections in the oral cavity. Aim and Objectives To assess the Dental erosion, Dental caries experience and periodontal status among battery factory workers of Ghaziabad. India Material & Methods Study was conducted in 8 randomly selected battery factories of Ghaziabad. All the subjects present in these factories on the days of examination were included. A total of 562 (Male - 386, Female - 176) aged between 25-58yrs were examined. Results The results show 351 subjects (62.5%) had Dental caries experience The Overall periodontal condition was poor with 85.1% of the subjects showing some or the other signs of periodontal disease. The periodontal health deteriorated with increasing working experience of the workers 1-5 years - 14.3%, 5-10 years - 23.5%, 10+ years - 36.2% showed the pocket depths of 4-5mm. 98.8% showed some degree of dental erosion. 23.7% of the workers with more than 10 years of working experience showed 3rd degree of Dental erosion compared to 0% from 1-10 years and the difference was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion The present study revealed that chronic exposure in the working environment significantly affects oral health condition among exposed workers It can be concluded that the most common adverse effects on dental health of exposed workers were the significant increase in the prevalence of periodontal diseases, dental erosions and in the prevalence of decay.

Context: The theme of "World Health Day 2011" is " Combat drug resistance-No action today, No cure tomorrow" is very applicable, as the present study emphatically demonstrates the current issues related to the overwhelming concerns regarding indiscriminate use of antibiotics, leading to a bleak tomorrow where cures may be few. Aim: To know the prescription pattern of antibiotics for various dental procedures by dental practitioners Materials and Methods: A pretested questionnaire was used. Questionnaire contained two sections pertaining to prescription of antibiotics for healthy and medically compromised patients during various dental procedures, with therapeutic and prophylactic considerations. Results: Questionnaire Response rate of 66.6%.was observed. Amoxicillin emerged as the most preferred antibiotic for dental procedures both as a therapeutic as well as a prophylactic drug. 50% of the Endodontists and 40% of the general dentists opted to prescribe antibiotics during root canal therapy where ideally operative intervention would suffice. Overuse of antibiotics for routine scaling and extraction was observed. Conclusion: The dental profession as a whole needs to acquire a deeper understanding of the global effect of superfluous antibiotic prescription. Antibiotics when judiciously used are precise life-saving drugs.

Dental students encounter numerous sources of professional stress, in dental college. This stress can have a negative impact on their personal and professional life. The purpose of the study was to determine gender differences in the main source of stress among dental students in five years of undergraduate study. It is a questionnaire study with 49 close ended questions. Results & Conclusion: Female students were more stressed than male dental students. There is a need to review the curriculum and evaluate what impacts on female students stress levels and also introduce strategies to reduce the stress level among female dental students.

Carbonated drinks are the most popular drinks consumed in the world and the targeted population is the youth in every country across the globe. The consumption is not just limited to the vulnerable group but surprisingly, health professionals also drink soda/ carbonated drinks without being aware of the constituents or the effects of these drinks. The aim of the present study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of dental students (interns) regarding consumption of carbonated drinks in Bangalore city. Out of 960 interns presently in the dental colleges of Bangalore city, a sample size of 274 was taken. Pre-tested structured questionnaire were distributed to the participants and filled forms were taken back. the analysis of descriptive in nature. About 97% (n=262) of the students had heard of carbonated drinks and only 83% (n=221) knew about the ill effects caused by these drinks. Reasons stated were taste (29%) and availability (21%). Interestingly 43% of the students believed that having carbonated drinks personified their image, especially when consumed with alcohol (n=125 i.e 41%.). Average consumption stated by the students is about 200-250 ml (38%) where as 30% consumed about 350-500 ml. Hence, it is vital for the health professional to be aware and also bring about a change in their own attitudes and practices towards the harm caused by various food items commercially available in the market.

Purpose: Decreased serum vitamin D levels have been linked with gingivitis. Also studies have shown that vitamin D has anti inflammatory effect at higher dose. The objective of this study was to determine the optimum level of vitamin D that could initiate an anti inflammatory effect on gingivitis after oral supplementation. Materials and methods: After collecting the baseline serum vitamin D and gingival status in the 96 subjects of the 451 screened, a double blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in Maratha Mandal Dental College Belgaum.. The subjects were divided into four groups and later randomly given a daily oral vitamin D3 supplementation in dose of 2000 IU for Group A, 1000 IU for Group B , 500 IU for Group C and placebo for Group D over three months period. The changes in gingival scores were measured at the period of 1st, 2nd and 3rd month to assess the anti inflammatory effect. Results: Group A which had mean baseline serum vitamin D of 22.46 ± 6.97 had a final visit scores of 52.20 ± 10.17. An average increase of 9.91 was seen per month. The mean baseline gingival scores in this group of 2.4 got reduced to 1.7 at end of first month and later to 0.8 at end of two months and 0.3 at the end of third month. When baseline scores were compared with subsequent visit scores by Wilcoxon paired test, Group A showed significant anti inflammatory effect at end of first month itself with P<0.0001. The group B with baseline serum vitamin D levels of 26.50 ± 3.68 had an average increase of 5.62 per month with final visit scores of 43.67 ± 8.80. The mean baseline gingival scores in this group from 2.3 got reduced to 2.0 at end of first month and later to 1.1 at end of two months and 0.5 at the end of third month. This group showed anti inflammatory effect at the end of 2nd month with P<0.0001.Group C had significant anti inflammatory effect at the end of the 3rd month with P<0.0001 having baseline gingival scores as 2.2 after one month as 1.9, after two months as 1.4 and 0.8 at the last visit. Also baseline vitamin D scores was 23.98 ± 5.65 and final visit score of 36.81 ± 6.13 respectively, a monthly increase of.4.27. However Group D did not show significant anti inflammatory effect. The anti inflammatory was initiated when serum vitamin D level in the groups reached 30-32 ng/ml. Conclusion: An optimum level of 30-35 ng/ml of serum vitamin D can initiate an anti inflammatory effect on gingivitis.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal conditions of the female prison inmates. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Female yerawada prison, Pune, Maharashtra. Method: Participants underwent a structured interview and dental examination. Results: 32.7 % had no history of caries, 67.6 % had caries. None of the inmates had completely healthy periodontium. Maximum number of subjects had calculus. Conclusion: This survey emphasises the need for oral health care services and programs to improve the oral health of prisoners.

Background: There has been an alarming increase in smoking among young adults since the early 1990s. Tobacco smoking among adults is of public concern. Occupational stress and lifestyle patterns may be important factors associated with smoking among professionals. Aim of the study: To determine the prevalence of tobacco smoking among software professionals in a company in Bangalore city, India. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among software professionals working at a software company, Bangalore. The questionnaire was close ended, multiple choice consisting of seven questions. The questionnaire consisted of questions related to smoking tobacco and the participants' interest in tobacco cessation counseling. Results: Response rate in this study was 74%. The prevalence of smokers was 51% which includes both male and females. The major factor for the development of the habit of smoking among males was curiosity and style and fun among females. More than 50% in both the genders were not interested in tobacco cessation counseling. Conclusion: It is therefore, important to target this population; tobacco control and tobacco cessation activities continue to remain important public and personal health issues.

Purpose: Gingivitis is the inflammation of gingiva and a mildest form of periodontal disease. Earlier studies have revealed that vitamin D has an anti inflammatory effect on gingiva and low levels of serum vitamin D are associated with many chronic diseases.. The objective of this study was to assess the association of serum level of 25-OHD to marginal gingivitis. Materials and Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted in Maratha Mandal dental college, Belgaum, India. Out of the 451 people screened, 96 subjects who had Gingivitis score more than 1 and who satisfied the inclusion criteria and signed the informed consent were considered for the study. The gingival status was assessed by Loe and Silness Index and the serum vitamin D levels of 25-OHD were analysed by The Diasorin vitamin D Direct Elisa kit Germany. Also the information on the Demographic profile which included the age, sex, weight and calculus status was collected in the form. Results: On statistical analysis the relationship of serum vitamin D with gingival status was found to be negative and statistically significant at P<0.05. Further with multivariate analysis the total contribution of age, sex, vitamin D, weight and calculus on gingival status was 38.92% in which the calculus status contributed maximum of 20.11% compared to minimum of 0.83% by gender, followed by serum vitamin D 11.77%, age by 3.96% and weight by 2.25% respectively Conclusion: Based on this analysis we can conclude that serum vitamin D and calculus are the most important contributors for the gingival status.

Purpose: To analyze levels of Fluoride in different sources of drinking water; its relation with severity of dental fluorosis among study population of 12-15 year old school going children from selected administrative areas of Kanakapura taluk. Method: A cross sectional, school based, epidemiological study was conducted to know the prevalence and severity of Dental Fluorosis among 1621 school going children taken from 14 villages among 43 villages of 6 hoblis in Kanakpura taluk. Study population was selected by stratified cluster random sampling, About 250 children were randomly selected from the schools of villages in each hoblis. Subsequently the samples from the sources of drinking water were collected for the estimation of Fluoride ion concentration in the water. A pilot study was carried out on field settings on randomly selected 100 students and changes were implemented where ever required, during the study. A WHO type III examination was conducted by the single examiner and findings recorded by a single trained assistant. Chi square analysis, odds ratio and Karl pearson's co-relation was used to analyse the results. Results: Of 1621, 12-15 year old school children 565 (34.9%) had fluorosis; among these, about 289 (17.8%) had questionable fluorosis, 158 (9.7%) very mild, 84 (5.2%) mild, 28 (1.7%) moderate and 6 (0.4%) severe fluorosis and CFI score ranged from 0.172-0.5319. Conclusion: The prevalence of fluorosis in Kanakapura is in negative range of public health concern.

Objectives: (i) To determine the prevalence of dental caries amongst 12-15 years old school going children of Warananagar, Kolhapur. ii) To assess the oral hygiene practices of 12-15 years old school going children of Warananagar, Kolhapur. Materials and methods: The study population consisted of 594 school going children (368 males and 226 females) aged 12-15 years, from Warananagar, Kolhapur. The children were interviewed and data on their oral hygiene practices were recorded. This was followed by a clinical oral examination to record DMFT/DMFS index using standardized procedures. Results: The overall dental caries prevalence was 64.98%, with a mean DMFT of 1.92 and DMFS of 2.85. Decayed component formed the majority of the caries index. Only 61.95% of the subjects used toothbrush to clean their teeth. Rest of them used their fingers. Only 38.72% of the children brushed their teeth twice a day. 79.12% used tooth paste, 20.37% used tooth powder. Conclusion: The results of the present study revealed that dental caries is prevalent in considerable percentage of the 12-15 years old school going children of Warananagar. This population requires school dental programs with emphasis on oral hygiene practices and to increase awareness and knowledge of teachers, parents and care givers regarding oral health.

As the planet is getting warmer by the year due to burning of fossil fuels, the level of green house gases in the atmosphere is high endangering the livability on our planet. So it is the need of the hour what every one of us in the dental profession can do our bit to reduce green house gases in our day to day dental practice by practicing green or eco dentistry.

Statement of problem: Genetically determined hyper pigmentation of melanin in dark skin individuals is due to hyperactivity of melanocytes, creating a major esthetic problem Purpose of study: This case series demonstrates a simple and effective surgical depigmentation technique that does not require sophisticated instruments or apparatus, yet yields esthetically acceptable results along with patient's satisfaction. Materials and methods: Fifteen (males-twelve, females-three) cases were selected with diffuse blackish discoloration of gingival. With the use of surgical excision and round bur, the sites were depigmented and evaluated for six months. Results: Esthetically pleasing results were seen, with no repigmentation notice in a span of six months. Also, no side effects and ease performance made this method still a gold standard in a population like India. Conclusions: It is simple, easy to perform, cost effective method and gives esthetically pleasing results; made it a treatment of choice.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the oral health status treatment needs, coverage of the oral health care of MMCDSR Dental College (a rural dental college) and various access barriers of the population in utilization of oral health services of MMCDSR dental college. Methods: A cross sectional hospital based survey was conducted in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, MMCDS&R Mullana, Haryana, India, interviewing 1232 patients over a period of 10 months, from March 2008 to December 2008. The data was recorded on modified WHO format (1997). Results: A total of 1232 subjects were examined with mean age of 35.64. 66.6% (820) patients were from villages (rural), with 33% (406) of them coming from within 10 km radius around college. Lack of time as main reason for delay in seeking treatment was quoted by 32.14% (396). Prevalence of oromucosal lesions was 9.7% (120). 60% (733) patients had dental caries with mean DMFT of 8.47. Nearly 36.7% needed some kind of prosthesis in maxillary arch and 43.4% in mandibular arch. Nearly 48% of patients had some kind of periodontal problems. Conclusion: Oral health status has been found to be poor necessitating mass health education programmes to educate the people. Access barriers in form of lack of time and poor transportation can be removed by altering or extending the college timings the rural mass needs for effective delivery of oral health care.

Introduction The effective use of computers, information and information technology has become necessary competence for the oral health care professionals and students. Numerous consensus documents place a strong emphasis in generic and field-specific computer literacy, especially with in the field of academic oral health care education. Hence the aim of our study was to assess the computer literacy and its usage among dental post-graduate students in Bangalore city. Materials and methods A total of 741 post-graduate dental students from 9 specialties, from 14 dental colleges of Bangalore city, affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, were selected for the study. Data were collected through the self administered questionnaire. Results 483 post-graduate students responded to the survey, resulting in a response rate of 65.18%. The mean age of the participants was 27.5 years. There were 47% males and 53% females who participated in the study. Out of these 38.7% were in first year, 34.2% were in second year and 27.1% were in third year. 54.7% of the students were using computers everyday, 33.3% were using 2 to 3 days a week, 11.6% were using once a week and 0.4% were using once a month for their academic activities. When students were asked to grade their general computer skills (Windows, Microsoft Office and internet) 2.9% graded as 'unable or beginner', 45.1% graded as 'competent in some basic skills' and 52% graded as 'competent in most skills'. Conclusion The computer literacy of dental post-graduate students of Bangalore city is adequate. Most of the students are competent in the basic skills. Students had the positive attitudes towards the implementation of computer courses in their college and also basic computer literacy should be a part of undergraduate dental program as a supplementary tools of learning.

Objective: A cross sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of periodontal status, oro mucosal lesions, prosthetic status and needs among institutionalized elderly of Ghaziabad. Materials and Method: All the subjects present in the institution at the time of examination were included. The assessment was carried out for periodontal status, oro mucosal lesions, prosthetic status and needs among the institutionalized elderly population of Ghaziabad using WHO oral health survey 1997. Statistical package SPSS 18.0 was used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 203 subjects were examined with the mean age of 68.276.39 years. 56.8% reported discontinuing a toothbrush. Around 45.5% had no functional teeth. 83.7% did not visit dentist in the past 3 months, 12.8% had leukoplakia, mostly affecting the buccal mucosa, 34.5% of the individuals wore prosthesis. Conclusion: Education for maintenance of oral hygiene and regular dental checkup should be stressed upon with focus on prosthetic care.

India has one of the highest rates of oral cancer in the world. Tobacco is one of the most common hazardous substance for general health as well as oral health. The use of tobacco in any form increases the risk of oral cancer. To assess the knowledge regarding the harmful effects of betel quid, areca nut and tobacco among the general population of Guntur city and understanding regarding oral cancer risk. To assess the reasons for the consumption of betel quid, areca nut and tobacco. A descriptive cross sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among general population of Guntur city and 600 persons were assessed for the evaluation of habits of smoking and chewing tobacco. The study consists of simple random sampling and a Standard questionnaire was developed which elicited details of samples and information about tobacco chewing practices. Prevalence of betel quid, areca nut and tobacco habits among general population of Guntur is high. 81.67% respondents consume tobacco either in smoke or smokeless form. 7.53% consume betel quid and 5% consume areca nut 6% consume tobacco, betel quid and areca nut in combination. Among the Guntur city population there is general lack of awareness regarding risk factors of oral cancer.

The Comet Assay, also called single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE), is a sensitive and rapid technique for quantifying and analyzing DNA damage in individual cells. This is one of the techniques used in the area of cancer research for the evaluation of genotoxicity and effectiveness of chemoprevention. Ostling & Johansson developed this technique in 1984 . The Comet Assay can be used to detect DNA damage caused by double strand breaks, single strand breaks, alkali labile sites, oxidative base damage, and DNA cross-linking with DNA or protein. The Comet Assay is also used to monitor DNA repair by living cells. It has been reported that smokers have higher level of DNA damage in nasal epithelial cells and buccal cells. Comet assay is an excellent screening test for exposures that may be DNA damaging even in the oral cavity.