Using a portable sulfide monitor as a motivational tool: A clinical study.

Aims and Objectives: Bad breath has a significant impact on daily life of those who suffer from it. Oral malodor may rank only behind dental caries and periodontal disease as the cause of patient's visit to dentist. An aim of this study was to use a portable sulfide monitor as a motivational tool for encouraging the patients towards the better oral hygiene by correlating the plaque scores with sulfide monitor scores, and comparing the sulfide monitor scores before and after complete prophylaxis and 3 months after patient motivation. Materials and Methods : 30 patients with chronic periodontitis, having chief complaint of oral malodor participated in this study. At first visit, the plaque scores (P1) and sulfide monitor scores before (BCR1) and after complete oral prophylaxis (BCR2) were taken. Then the patients were motivated towards the better oral hygiene. After 3 months, plaque scores (P2) and sulfide monitor scores (BCR3) were recorded again. Statistical Analysis: It was done using SPSS (student package software for statistical analysis). Paired sample test was performed. Results: Statistically significant reduction in sulfide monitor scores was reported after the complete oral prophylaxis and 3 months after patient motivation. Plaque scores were significantly reduced after a period of 3 months. Plaque scores and breathchecker scores were positively correlated. Conclusion : An intensity of the oral malodor was positively correlated with the plaque scores. The portable sulfide monitor was efficacious in motivating the patients towards the better oral hygiene.

Periodontal vaccine.

Vaccine is the name applied generally to a substance of the nature of dead or attenuated living infectious material introduced into the body with the object of increasing its power to resist or get rid of a disease. Vaccines are generally prophylactic, i.e. they ameliorate the effects of future infection. One such vaccine considered here is the "Periodontal vaccine". Till date, no preventive modality exists for periodontal disease and treatment rendered is palliative. Thus, availability of periodontal vaccine would not only prevent and modulate periodontal disease, but also enhance the quality of life of people for whom periodontal treatment cannot be easily obtained. The aim of the research should be development of a multispecies vaccine targeting the four prime periodontal pathogens, viz. Porphyromonas gingivalis, T. forsythus, T. denticola and A. comitans. Success is still elusive in case of periodontal vaccine due to the complex etiopathogenesis of the disease.

Bone allografts: A review of safety and efficacy.

Although bone allografts are being widely used in dentistry, many of clinicians appear to be unfamiliar with their preparation and processing as well as their use as safe and effective graft materials. The major concerns associated with these materials are antigenicity and risk of disease transmission from donor to recipient. To minimize this risk, the production of an allograft worthy of distribution and implantation requires strict attention to detail through a comprehensive process. With an increasing clinical requirement for bone grafting procedures, there is a commensurate increase in patients' demands for assurance that bank bone will not be infected with pathogens. To ensure the patients, dental surgeons should be able to cite factual information and recommendations by responsible organizations regarding safety of allografts. Knowledge of human bone allograft procurement, processing, and tracking may allow dentists to better educate patients and address concerns about this valuable treatment option. The purpose of this review is to furnish and update the current knowledge on processing, safety, and efficacy of allograft materials.

Alkaline phosphatase as a periodontal disease marker.

Background: The potential of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as an important diagnostic marker of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) has been the subject to investigation since 1970. ALP is stored in specific granules and secretory vesicles of the neutrophils and is mainly released during their migration to the site of infection. It is also present in bacteria within dental plaque, osteoblasts and fibroblasts. It has, thus, become important to elucidate whether GCF levels of ALP are potential measures of the inflammatory activity occurring in the adjacent periodontal tissues. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the total activity of ALP in the GCF collected from healthy sites, sites with gingivitis and with chronic adult periodontitis. An attempt was also made to establish the correlation of ALP activity with plaque index, gingival index, bleeding index and probing depth. Materials and Methods: A total of 18 patients were divided into three groups: viz., healthy sites, Group I; gingivitis, Group II; chronic periodontitis, Group III. Clinical parameters like plaque index, bleeding index, gingival index and probing depth were recorded. The ALP level in GCF of all three groups was determined by spectrophotometric analysis. Results: Total enzyme activity of ALP was significantly higher in periodontitis as compared with that in healthy and gingivitis sites, and was significantly and positively correlated with probing depth. Conclusion: ALP can be considered as a periodontal disease marker as it can distinguish between healthy and inflamed sites. However, to better define its capacity for periodontal diagnosis, additional longitudinal studies are required.