Introduction: Fluoride is one of the indispensable elements for the living being. However, the intake of F above the threshold level can affect the central nervous system even before causing dental or skeletal fluorosis. Aim: The aim was to assess the effect of fluoride in drinking water on the intelligence quotient (IQ) of 8-12 years old school going children residing in high and low Fluoride (F) areas of Delhi. Materials and Methods: A total of 200 school children were selected, 100 from low F area and 100 from high F area. The IQ of the children was assessed using Ravens Standardized Progressive Matrices Test. Information for each child's sociodemographic data, mother's diet during pregnancy, duration of residency in the village, source of drinking water, and duration of drinking water from the source was entered on a specially designed proforma from mothers of children. Height and weight were also recorded for each child to assess the nutritional status. Independent t-test and Chi-square test was used to compare mean IQ scores in high and low fluoridated areas. Pearson's correlation and multivariate linear regression were used to appraise the issue of all the study variables on IQ. Results: Comparison of mean IQ of children in both high (76.20 ± 19.10) and low F (85.80 ± 18.85) areas showed a significant difference (P = 0.013). Multiple regression analysis between child IQ and all other independent variables revealed that mother's diet during pregnancy (P = 0.001) along with F in drinking water (P = 0.017) were the independent variables with the greatest explanatory power for child IQ variance (r² = 0.417) without interaction with other variables. Conclusion: Fluoride in the drinking water was significantly related with the IQ of children. Along with fluoride, mother's diet during pregnancy was also found to be significantly related with IQ of children. Researches in the same field are further advocated with large sample size and over a large geographical area.

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Introduction: Saliva is a complex and important body fluid which is very essential for oral health and it is the first biological fluid that is exposed to cigarette smoke, which contains numerous toxic compositions responsible for structural and functional changes in saliva. Aim: To evaluate the long-term effect of smoking on salivary flow rate (SFR) and salivary pH. Materials and Methods: The subjects of the study were divided into smokers and nonsmokers. Each group comprised of 35 male adults. The saliva of each subject was collected under resting conditions. They were asked to spit in a graduated container at an interval of 60 s for 5 min. Salivary pH was measured immediately after measuring SFR using the (Indikrom Paper) pH indicator and calibrated cylinder. Based on the color change of the indicator paper strip, the pH was assessed in comparison with a color chart. Data were analyzed by Student's t-test using SPSS 15. Results: The mean (±standard deviation) SFR and pH were 0.20 (±0.05) ml/min and 6.30 (±0.36) respectively in smokers while the mean SFR and pH were 0.36 (±0.06) ml/min and 7.10 (±0.24) in nonsmokers. The difference was statistically significant (P = 0.00). Conclusion: Long-term smoking significantly reduces the SFR and salivary pH.

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Introduction: The understanding of patient's view is considered as an important component in doctor–patient relationship. The health-care provider with an empathetic understanding may perceive patient's need as more reasonable and thus therapeutic. Aim: To assess empathy among clinical dental students in a teaching dental institution. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among clinical dental students during the period between June 2016 and July 2016 in a teaching dental institution in Khammam town. Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Care Provider Student version was used to assess empathy among the students in this study. Gender differences were analyzed using t-test, and one-way ANOVA was used for comparison of empathy scores across year of study. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 364 students participated in the study with a mean age of 22.76 ± 2.4 years. Males exhibited more empathy (86.54 ± 7) compared to females. The mean empathy level was found to be highest for the postgraduates (85.92 ± 6.5) followed by 3^rd year students (P = 0.0943). Conclusion: There is a need to train these students not only from technical point of view but also in “life skills” such as communication, interpersonal relationship and empathy.

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Background: Natural products have been used for several years in folk medicine. Over the last decade herbal medications turned out to be a popular form of therapy throughout the world when used in prophylaxis and treatment of various diseases. Many side-effects associated with modern medicines have been averted by using herbal medicines, and thus they are safer to use. Objective: The aim was to evaluate the effect of herbs on the periodontal diseases. Data Source: A literature review was performed in PubMed Central and Cochrane library using MeSH Terms - herbal medicine, periodontitis, and dentistry. Materials and Methods: Of a total 368 titles appeared 39 were related to the research question. Further search criteria were applied to the articles, of which 13 articles fulfilled the criteria and were selected for the review. Five articles that were hand searched were also included. Results and Conclusion: In the available literature, it was found that the low toxicity of herbs encourage further investigation that leads to a better understanding of alternative medicine for prevention of plaque formation and strengthening of the gums, as well as in reducing the incidence of periodontal infections.

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Background: The school dental screening program has been in existence from the beginning of 20 ^th century. Its value in encouraging attendance among school children is not fully established. Aim: The aim was to determine the effectiveness of school dental screening on stimulating dental attendance rates among school children in Vikarabad town. Objectives: (a) To compare the dental attendance rates between 6-9 and 10-13 years old age groups, among male and female school children in Vikarabad town. (b) To identify the type of dental treatment received by the school children. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted among school children aged 6-13 years old from 16 schools that were randomly selected and divided into two groups. Eight schools had a dental screening program (study group = 300 children) and had blanket referral cards and 8 schools that did not have the intervention (control group = 300). The dental attendance rates were determined after 3 months of follow-up period by evaluating the blanket referral cards for the study group and by an oral questionnaire for the control group. Results: The dental attendance rate was 27% for the study group and 18% for the control group which is statistically significant. The attendance rate was higher among 10-13 years of children both in test group and control groups. Among the children who visited the dentist, 53% in the control group and 69% from the test group got simple amalgam and glass ionomer cement restorations. Conclusion: The dental attendance rates were improved following school dental screening.

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Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) and chronic periodontitis are common chronic diseases in adults in the world population. Once periodontal disease is established, the chronic nature of this infection may contribute to worsening of diabetic status leading to more severe diabetes-related complications. It has been proposed that the relation of periodontitis and diabetes is bidirectional. Objectives: The objective was to compare the clinical response and glycemic control in type 2 DM patients with periodontitis, before and after the nonsurgical periodontal treatment with controls. Materials and Methods: A total 70 type 2 DM patients with chronic generalized moderate periodontitis was divided into 2 groups. Treatment group (35) received one stage full mouth scaling and root planning plus oral hygiene instructions; the control group (35) received only oral hygiene instructions. At baseline, 1 ^st month and 3 ^rd month, the clinical periodontal parameters (plaque index [PI], gingival index [GI], pocket depth [PD], clinical attachment loss [CAL], gingival recession [GR], and bleeding on probing [BOP]) and glycemic parameters (fasting blood sugar [FBS], and postprandial blood sugar [PPBS]) were recorded, whereas the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was recorded only at baseline and 3rd month. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: When comparing the mean scores of clinical parameters for both the groups, there was a significant difference in all clinical parameters, that is, mean PI, GI, BOP, PD, CAL scores except mean GR, whereas for the glycemic parameters, there was a significant difference in mean FBS; PPBS values and no significant difference in mean percentage of HbA1c for treatment group at 3 ^rd month follow-up. Conclusion: Findings of the present study showed that nonsurgical periodontal treatment resulted in lower glycemic levels and the reduction of clinical parameters of periodontal infection, confirming the existing relation between type 2 DM and periodontal disease.

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Introduction: Dental students are the future leaders in oral health care and are expected to be teachers of oral hygiene as well as role models of self-care regimens for their patients. Objective: The objective was to assess self-reported oral health attitude and behavior among undergraduate dental students and to analyze variations between gender and level of education. Materials and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire based on the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) was distributed among 270 undergraduate students which consisted of 20 dichotomous responses (yes-no). Data were analyzed using the analysis of variance and statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Females had better oral health attitude and behavior toward visiting the dentist and oral hygiene practices, mean HU-DBI score of 8.8 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the preclinical students (1 ^st , 2 ^nd years) had better oral health attitude and behavior especially towards gingival health, oral hygiene practices and visiting the dentist (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Among dental students, the overall attitude of oral health was good, even though there were deficits in a few areas. The oral health attitudes and behavior were better among female's dental students and were not improved with increasing levels of education. Better comprehensive dental education with exposure to dental health and prevention is suggested to improve dental students' oral health attitudes and behavior.

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Aim: To evaluate if a commercially available herbal mouthwash, can be a better choice as an anti-plaque and antigingivitis agent when compared with chlorhexidine. Materials and Methods: In a double-blind, parallel group randomized clinical trial 90 nursing students aged 18-25 years were randomly divided into three groups: A (chlorhexidine), B (HiOra) and C (distilled water). These groups were asked to rinse with their respective mouthwash two times daily for 21 days. Plaque and gingivitis were evaluated by using Turesky et al. modification of Quigley Hein Plaque Index (1970) and Modified Gingival Index by Lobene et al. (1986) respectively. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA test. Results: There was statistically significant reduction in plaque and gingival scores from baseline to 21 days in both the groups A and B. Conclusions: Although chlorhexidine group proved to be the best anti-plaque and antigingivitis agent, it was found that HiOra group also showed gradual improvement from baseline to 21 days. Whereas no improvement was seen in the Group C using distilled water over 21 days.

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Introduction: In developing country like India, street foods such as salads and fresh cut fruits are widely consumed. Among all street foods, fruit juices are common beverages, consumed more because of higher consumer preference both in terms of taste and health. Moreover, there is a dearth of Indian studies on contamination of street vended fruit juices. Aim: To determine the pH and specific microorganisms in freshly squeezed street vended fruit juices. Materials and Methods: Four fruit juices i.e., Grapes, Sweet Lime, Pineapple and Sapota were chosen for the study. Juices were collected in summer season in months between April and June 2013. Ten samples of 50 ml each fruit juice was collected in sterile bottles from various street vendors of Dilshuknagar area of Hyderabad city. Transportation of samples to Food Toxicology laboratory, National Institute of Nutrition was done in the ice box and processing was done within 2–4 h. Results: All juices showed bacterial contamination except one sample of grape juice. Pineapple juice samples showed the high bacterial contamination with all samples positive for fecal coliforms and Shigella spp. (100%). Salmonella spp. was detected only in one sample of Sapota juice (10%). Significant difference among fruit juices for prevalence of microorganisms was seen only for Escherichia coli (P = 0.03) with least count in Grape juice (20%). Conclusion: Freshly squeezed street vended fruit juices were contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, which significantly attributed to public health problem.

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Introduction: Dental caries is seen across all age groups and in all populations. Several sociobehavioral factors existing in a broader cultural and environmental context can affect caries prevalence. Aims: To determine the prevalence and severity of caries across gender, age, and educational levels and to study the association between oral hygiene behaviors, daily habits, and caries. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study recruited participants ≥18 years from Ramgarh, Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh, India. Information was collected on demographics, oral hygiene behaviors, and daily habits. Overall caries experience was quantified using decayed, missing, filled tooth index through intraoral examinations. Results: Use of toothbrushes, (P < 0.001) toothpastes (P < 0.001), and fluoridated toothpastes (P = 0.01) was significantly higher in younger participants aged 18–34 years than in older adults. Brushing twice daily (P = 0.05), use of toothbrushes (P < 0.001), toothpaste (P < 0.001), and fluoridated toothpaste (P < 0.001) was significantly higher among participants with ≥8 years education than participants with no formal education or ≤8 years of education. Use of tobacco was significantly more common among people with no education, people with ≤8 years of education (P = 0.02), and males (P < 0.001). Participants ≥45 years had 3.2 times higher odds of having decayed, missing, filled teeth scores ≥1 than the younger age groups. Conclusions: Poor oral hygiene behaviors among older adults, males, and participants with ≤8 years of education were associated with higher caries experience and missing teeth as a result of caries.

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Introduction: The relationship between oral health and tooth retention is complex. Dental caries and periodontal diseases are the main reasons for tooth loss; the contribution of other modifying factors such as cultural beliefs, socioeconomic characteristics, access to dental care, and dental practitioner's philosophy of treatment may also influence the decision to extract teeth. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and risk indicators of tooth loss in an adult population visiting community health centers (CHCs), Nellore district. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients visiting the outpatient wards of 10 CHCs which were selected by multistage random sampling. A total of 450 patients in the age range of 35–74 years were surveyed using a structured questionnaire followed by clinical examination. Questionnaire was regarding age, sex, socioeconomic status (SES), smoking habits, dental visiting patterns, and oral hygiene practices. Clinical examination was performed using dentition status from the WHO pro forma and loss of attachment (LOA) with LOA Index. Results: Overall prevalence of tooth loss was 50.39%. The highest prevalence of tooth loss was reported in 65–74 years old age group (96.18%) and upper lower class. Males had highest tooth loss prevalence (64.29%) with mean tooth loss of 3.08 ± 3.59. Multiple logistic regression done to assess the impact of various independent variables on tooth loss revealed that age, gender, SES, habits of cleaning teeth, frequency of brushing teeth, time of brushing, dietary habits, visit to dentist, dental caries, and LOA had a significant impact on tooth loss. Conclusion: Age, gender, SES, habits of cleaning teeth, frequency of brushing teeth, time of brushing, dietary habits, visit to dentist, dental caries, and LOA were identified as risk indicators for tooth loss among adult people visiting community health centers in Andhra Pradesh.

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Introduction: Oral health has long been recognized as an integral part of general health. The trend indicates an increase in oral health problems in developing countries like India. When it comes to rural population, a multitude of challenges prevail pertaining to the betterment of oral health care. Aim: To determine the oral health care-seeking behaviors in rural Andhra Pradesh and to identify the influencing factors. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 18 years and above population using a structured pretested questionnaire. A total of 2711 subjects were selected using stratified proportionate random sampling technique. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 20 software. Percentages of the categorical variables were computed and compared by Chi-square test at 5% level of significance. Logistic regression was used to determine the influence of sociodemographic variables and oral health needs on the utilization of oral health-care services. Results: Of 2711 subjects, 1144 have experienced previous dental problems, toothache being the most experienced dental problem (46.32%) and the common treatment underwent was extraction. Most preferred treatment center by the study subjects were private dental college, and reason identified was accessibility which constituted about 44.5% of all the reasons. Most common reason for not visiting the dentist was the poor attitude of the subjects toward the dental problems as it constituted about 43.75% of the total influencing factors. Conclusion: Poor attitudes on the importance of oral health were quite evident, and efforts must be made to bring a change in this scenario.

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Background: The oral cavity is vulnerable to external agents and some occupational exposures are associated with oral changes in both hard and soft tissues. Objectives: To assess oral health status in battery factory workers of Kanpur city and to describe the prevalence and nature of oral health problems among workers. Materials and Methods: A total of 70 battery workers were enrolled and divided into study and control groups based on acid exposure. The data was recorded on a modified World Health Organization 1997 proforma. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 15.0. The categorical variables were compared using Chi-square test for proportions while the quantitative ordinal variables were compared using Mann-Whitney U-test. Quantitative continuous variables were compared using Independent samples t-test. Results: The mean age of all the workers surveyed was 36.24 years. Differences in the erosion, oral hygiene and gingival index scores among the two groups were highly significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Oral health status was poor and significantly associated with dental erosion.

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Introduction: Motives for choosing a career are complex, and a choice of dentistry as a career is no exception. It is expected that the person should have some expectations in terms of their future, and the fulfillment of these expectations should give some amount of satisfaction. Aim: The aim was to explore factors influencing dental professional career: Attitudes, perceptions, and motivations. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in May and June 2013, among 445 interns working in the dental colleges of Bangalore using a self-administered validated questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 18. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation test were used (P < 0.05). Results: The most popular reason for choosing dentistry as a career was to serve people (81.3%). Majority of them enjoyed helping people (92.8%); appeared to be satisfied with their doctor-patient relationship (92.4%); appreciated the independence in the profession (92.1%); aspired to enhance clinical skills (94.2%) and realized the importance of higher education (87%) in the future. Private practice (81.4%) was the most preferred future career plan. Attitudes and perceptions significantly correlated with future career plans (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Service to mankind coupled with autonomy, self-efficacy and inclination to excel in one's own field appeared to influence dental careers in India.

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Introduction: Oral health is an integral component of general health and is essential for well-being. India is one of the most populated countries in the world and majority of them resides in rural areas. Moradabad is one of the oldest cities of Uttar Pradesh with diverse culture and beliefs. Aim: The aim was to evaluate the periodontal health status of the rural Moradabad population. Materials and Methods: A representative transversal study on 550 adults aged 20-49 years of rural Moradabad was conducted from February 2011 to June 2011. The survey was carried out using a self-designed questionnaire. Periodontal health was assessed using WHO criteria (1997). Results: Overall the prevalence of periodontal diseases among study subjects was overall 91.6%. Males had a higher prevalence of periodontal disease (93.8%) as compared to females (89.5%). Out of total subjects 37.8% had Community Periodontal Index (CPI) score 4 and 32.5% had score 3. About 7.3% of subjects had loss of attachment (LOA) with 20.2% of them having LOA score 1. Statistically, there was a significant difference (P < 0.001) among the number of subjects having different CPI and LOA scores. In a multivariate binary logistic model with age > 35 years, smoking, tobacco chewing (independent risk factors) were significantly associated with CPI > 2 (dependent variable) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The current periodontal health status of rural adult population of Moradabad city can be attributed to low literacy along with socio economic status and oral habits. To improve the periodontal health status of the rural population of Moradabad, it is suggested that a community-based approach can be designed.

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Introduction: The changes in salivary composition could have some role in controlling and/or maintaining oxidative damage in the oral cavity. Many adolescents and children have inadequate oral and general health because of active and uncontrolled dental caries. Materials and Methods: Oral examination to assess the dental caries experience was carried out using decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) index. The salivary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was measured by using "ammonium molybdate method." Data were analyzed using Pearsons correlation and one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni multiple comparison test. A P value of 0.05 was taken as the level of significance. Results: With increasing DMFT scores, TAC of saliva also increased correspondingly. When the TAC of saliva was correlated against DMFT scores, there was a correlation of 0.981 (P < 0.0005). Conclusion: With increasing dental caries experience, the TAC of saliva was found to increase. TAC of saliva could be a marker for dental caries activity among children.

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Introduction: Dental caries is the most prevalent disease among mentally handicapped (MH) children worldwide. Dental neglect may throw light on complex relationships between individual behavior, environmental factors, and dental caries in children. Objectives: The objective was to assess the prevalence and severity of untreated dental caries and to explore the relationship between untreated dental caries and dental neglect among MH children and healthy children in Bangalore city. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted on 130, 6-17 years MH and 152 healthy school children in Bangalore city. A questionnaire on the children's sociodemographic background, oral health-related behaviors, and dental neglect scale was completed by the parents. Caries was assessed according to World Health Organization criteria (1997). Odontogenic infections were recorded using the pufa/PUFA index. Statistical tests such as Mann-Whitney U-test, Chi-square test, Spearmans correlation, and step-wise linear regression were performed at significance level P < 0.05. Results: Dental caries was present in 89.2% of MH children as compared with 88.15% of the healthy children. Caries experience significantly correlated with consequences of untreated dental caries in both the groups (P = 0.001). No statistical significant correlation was observed between dental neglect and dental caries experience and its consequences in both the groups. Conclusions: High prevalence of dental caries and dental neglect in both the groups calls for an integrated approach. Oral health promotion and intervention programs should be targeted and concentrated toward these risk groups.

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Introduction: Aphthous stomatitis is very common, affecting about 20-60% of the normal individuals to some degree. Although its etiology is not well-understood, it is multifactorial, and stress could be one possible triggering factor. Aims: The aim was to assess the prevalence of aphthous stomatitis and its association with psychological stress in both medical and dental graduate students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 275 medical and dental student cohorts of an educational setup in India. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, information regarding psychological stress, and 1-year period prevalence of aphthous stomatitis was collected. Data analysis was done with SPSS software version 20 (Chicago Inc., IL, USA). Categorical variables were compared using Chi-square test and comparison between mean stress scores and aphthous stomatitis was done with ANOVA and binary logistic regression was done. P ≤0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of aphthous stomatitis in the study population was 78.1% and males were more commonly affected than females. Among the student cohorts, final year MBBS and final year BDS students were highly affected than others, which is statistically significant. Conclusions: Stress increases the risk of aphthous stomatitis. Stress management strategies are necessary for medical and dental graduate students.

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Introduction: White coat is associated with standard of professionalism and care and helps in gaining the trust of their patients. On the other hand, these white coats are known to be potentially contaminated with pathogenic bacteria and there has been always a concern about the risk of transmitting pathogenic bacteria in hospital settings. Aims: The aim was to know the difference in microbial contamination of white coats between preclinical and clinical dental students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study done on dental students in a dental institution in a South Indian state. Fifty dental students (25 preclinical and 25 clinical) were included. Sterile saline dipped cotton swabs were used to collect samples from predetermined areas. Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to test the significance. SPSS version 20 was used for analysis. Results: Clinical students (16%) had more pathogens on their white coats than preclinical students (8%), whereas nonpathogenic commensals were more in nonclinical students (84%) compared to clinical students. Conclusions: White coats are contaminated by bacteria, but further research should be carried to know the virulence of these bacteria in susceptible individuals.

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Introduction: Advances in the field of dentistry is occurring at an exponential rate, and there is an immense pressure and challenge for the dentist to keep up with it to remain competent across the full spectrum of dental profession. Aim: To assess the frequency of attending the continuing professional development (CPD) courses as well as to assess the preferences and barriers for CPD among dental practitioners in Hubli-Dharwad, India. Materials and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire inquired on the frequency of attending CPD courses, and three questions on preferences and barriers for the same among 112 practitioners. Pearson's Chi-square test was used to find any association with gender and qualification with dependent variables. Results: Consent for the study was given by 92.9% practicing dentists. The mean age was 32.3 years. A majority of practitioners (45.2%) said that they attended CDE courses at least once in 6 months, 32.7% attended at least once in a year, and 22.1% attended rarely or never. A majority of dentists preferred esthetic dentistry. Most preferred methods for CPD courses were hands-on treatment on live patients and hands-on in clinically simulated situations. Lack of time was perceived as the most important barrier. Conclusions: A little less than half of the practitioners attended CPD courses once in 6 months with a substantial number attending very rarely or never. Most of them preferred esthetic dentistry and hands-on courses and lack of time was the most important barrier for attending CPD courses by Hubli-Dharwad dentists.

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Introduction: Oral health has an impact on overall general health. It is important to assess the influence of these oral disorders on quality of life. Aim: To validate a Hindi version of the oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14) and to assess the instrument's psychometric properties in the Indian population. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in Moradabad city with a sample of 186 participants. The same individuals underwent clinical examinations by a calibrated dentist for recording simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S) index. The OHIP was initially translated and cross-culturally adapted to Hindi following guidelines; then, subsequently validated for the psychometric characteristics of reliability and validity. The reliability of the OHIP-14 was assessed by the use of Cronbach's coefficient. Reproducibility was evaluated by measuring test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient). Results: The overall value of Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficient of the OHIP-14 was estimated to be 0.8. The corrected item-total correlation coefficients values were above 0.2 that has been recommended for including an item in a scale. All Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were statistically significant, whereas the highest association was detected within the physical disability subscale (rs = 0.37), and the lowest within the social disability (rs = 0.08). It was seen that the OHIP-14 scores were higher for those individuals who had higher OHI-S scores and vice-versa. Conclusion: The translated Hindi version of OHIP-14 questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument to measure the oral health-related quality of life in the Indian adult population.

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Introduction: Differently-abled children face unique challenges to receive routine dental care. Aim: To assess the barriers to dental care in differently-abled children and also to assess their oral hygiene status and caries experience. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed to collect information from 331 differently-abled children aged 6–14 years attending four special schools and 21 integrated schools in Kochi. The children were grouped into intellectually impaired (II), visually impaired, hearing impaired, and orthopedically handicapped. The information regarding access to care was collected from the parents/caretakers using a pretested structured questionnaire. A special recording form was used to collect clinical data on Dentition status and Oral Hygiene Index Simplified. The data was cleaned, coded, and analyzed for descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS software version 22. Results: The significant barrier to dental care was financial difficulty (68.6%); more among II (39%). The mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) value was found to be higher among the children with orthopedically handicapped (1.62 ± 2.7) than others. A higher mean dmft value was found among the II (2.81 ± 3.4) than others. Oral hygiene status of most of the differently-abled children was found to be good. Conclusion: Limited access to dental care among differently-abled children was found out.

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Introduction: Poor oral health can have a profound effect on the quality of life. The experience of pain, endurance of dental abscesses, problems with eating and chewing, embarrassment about the shape of teeth or about missing, discolored or damaged teeth can adversely affect people's daily lives and well-being. Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of oral hygiene among college students in Bengaluru city. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered 21-item structured questionnaire that assessed oral health and hygiene knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 499 students from various professions. 202 engineering students, 99 MBA/BBM students, 99 nursing students, and 99 students from B.Com. The study was conducted during June and July 2013. The results were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Chi-square test using SPSS version 14. All tests were set at a 0.05 significance level. Results: The toothbrush with toothpaste is the most common oral hygiene aid used for cleaning teeth, which was adopted by 304 (60.9%) students. More than half 287 (57.5) of the students felt that dental caries affected their esthetics. 358 (71.7) students felt that the health of the mouth and dentition had an impact on the health of the body. Conclusion: The toothbrush with toothpaste is the most common oral hygiene aid used for cleaning teeth; it was observed that a greater number of students brushed their teeth in the morning. Dental pain was the main reason to visit a dentist.

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Introduction: Dental anxiety is a common and potentially distressing problem, both for the patients and for dental practitioners. It is considered to be the main barrier and affects the working lives of dental professional potentially compromising their performance. Aim: To know the effect of aromatherapy in the reduction of dental anxiety and to compare the anxiety levels of dental patients with the control group. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial design was used. Of 40 dental clinics in Khammam town, 10 dental clinics were selected by simple random sampling method. A total of 100 patients attending the dental clinic for the first time were included in the study. Ambient odor of lavender was maintained with a candle warmer. A questionnaire comprising demographic information, smoking status, Modified dental anxiety scale (Humphries et al. in 1995), was given to the patients when they were waiting in the waiting room. Student's t-test and ANOVA test were used for data analysis. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: Considerable decrease in anxiety scores in 3 age groups was observed. A statistically significant (P = 0.002) decrease with age in mean anxiety score. A significant difference in anxiety scores of lavender group, a significant decrease of anxiety scores with an increase of age. Conclusion: Lavender decreased the current anxiety scores of patients effectively.

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