ABSTRACT
Context: Age estimation allows the identification of living individuals, dead victims and estimation of age in children using maxillofacial radiographs. Aim: To compare age estimation by mandibular third molar developmental stages using modified Demirjian’s method on OPG with age estimation by mandibular linear dimensions on lateral cephalogram. Setting and Design: A total of 200 randomly selected subjects (100 males and 100 females), with age range from 9 to 20 years, and 200 Digital Orthopantomograms and 200 Digital Lateral Cephalograms were utilized for the study. Methods and Material: Radiographs were taken with Kodak 8000C Digital Panoramic and Cephalometric machine operating at 60–90 kvp, with exposure time of 8–18 s at 2–15 mA, with an inbuilt magnification factor. A flat screen Compaq TFT?LCD monitor was used to view the OPG images. Linear mandibular dimensional measurements were made on each Digital Lateral Cephalogram using Trophy Dicom Software. Statistical Analysis Used: Regression analysis and regression coefficient for establishing gender?specific equation were observed. Evaluation of results and statistical analysis was carried by using Student’s ‘t’ test. For all test, ‘P’ value of 0.05 or less was utilized for measuring the degree of significance. Intra?observer variability was detected using reliability analysis. Results: The accuracy of age estimation by OPG was 93.8% and by lateral cephalogram was 79.7%. Conclusion: The OPG analysis is more reliable than the cephalometric parameters.
ABSTRACT
Background: Worldwide, oral carcinoma is one of the most prevalent cancers and is one of the most common causes of death. Toxicity by oxygen radicals has been suggested as an important cause of cancer. Several researchers have reported an association of plasma/serum uric acid with different cancers. Aim: The aim was to determine the serum uric acid level in patients with newly diagnosed oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and then to compare and correlate it with those of normal subjects and also to determine the role of uric acid in the etiology of OSCC. Materials and Methods: The study group included 41 OSCC patients and 40 age‑ and sex‑ matched healthy subjects as a control group. Estimation of serum urate concentration was determined enzymatically with a commercially available reagent. The data were statistically evaluated with Student’s t‑test and Chi‑square test using SPSS 11.5 software. Results: The mean serum uric acid levels were very low with the study group as compared to control group and were very highly significant (t = 4.14, P < 0.001). It was also found that risk of OSCC was more in a study group with low serum uric acid levels with tobacco intake. Conclusion: This study showed that serum uric acid was lower in oral cancer patients compared with healthy volunteers and low serum uric acid was associated with increased risk of oral cancer development.
ABSTRACT
Aims: · This study was conducted to know sex determination potential from mesiodistal dimensions of permanent canines. · To find out the average size of canines in males and females of south Indian population. · To compare the findings with National and International Studies. Study Design: The subjects were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria set forth for the study. Measurements of mesiodistal widths of the four canines were made on the dental casts of each of the 600 subjects with Digital caliper with 0.01 resolution and subjected to statistical analysis. Statistical methods used were statistical mean, standard deviation, Student’s t-test (p< 0.05), step-wise discriminant analysis and cross validated discriminant analysis using SPSS version 11.00. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Al-Badar Rural Dental College and Hospital, Gulbarga, Karnataka, India, between May 2008 and May 2011. Methodology: We included 600 patients (300 men, 300 women; age range 17-25 years) Results: · The mesiodistal width of canines of both the jaws is significantly greater in males than females. · The mean maxillary canine width in males and females is 7.73 mm. The mean mandibular canine width in males and females is 6.825 mm. · The mean (male and female), maxillary and mandibular canine width is found to be less in South Indian Population as compared to Central Indian population. · The mean (male and female), maxillary and mandibular canine width is found to be less in South India Population as compared to values given by Wheelers and similar to the study done in the Saudi population. Conclusion: The present study measured only linear dimensions because of simplicity, reliability, inexpensibility and in a setup where latest technology utilizing DNA methods are not available and gender estimation has to be managed based on jaw fragments.