The Effect of Pain and Swelling Related to Third Molars on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the effect of pain and swelling related to third molars on patients' quality of life prior to third molar surgery. Material and Methods: The effects on quality of life with reference to oral health of 246 healthy patients seeking treatment of third molars were analyzed using the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) questionnaire before surgery. The patients' sociodemographic characteristics, medical and dental history, reasons for third molar removal were recorded. Adverse effects of pain and swelling on oral health-related quality of life were recorded. Results: The mean age of the patients included in the study was 23.15 years, with maximum male patients and the mean OHIP-14 score of 8.01 ± 7.51. About 36.97% of patients reported that their chief complaint was pain/swelling due to third molar infection, and 27.9% of subjects reported one or more of the 14 OHIP items. The odds of reporting for age with ≥25 years was approximately 2 times greater than age with ≤25 years (OR=1.56, 95% CI: 1.01-2.57) and tooth loss due to traumatic history (OR=3.14, 95% CI: 2.12-6.54). Conclusion: Adverse influences on quality of life were seen in a significant number of patients seeking third molar removal. The probabilities increased by 3-fold for patients who had experienced pain or swelling than asymptomatic individuals.

Tooth Coronal Index: A Novel Tool For Age Estimation on Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate dental age assessment reliability through Tooth Coronal Index (TCI) method. Material and Methods: The cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of 160 individuals aged between 20-70 years were analyzed in the present study. The height of the crown, i.e., coronal height, and the height of the coronal pulp cavity, i.e., coronal pulp cavity height, of mandibular second premolars and first molars were calculated and then TCI was measured. The actual age of a subject was compared with TCI of tooth and the acquired data were subjected to Pearson's correlation and unpaired t-tests. Results: Negative correlation was observed between the real age and TCI of mandibular first molar (r = -0.094, p=0.382) and second premolar (r = -0.176, p=0.0961. Statistically significant difference was observed between actual age and TCI for mandibular second premolar and first molar (p<0.001). Conclusion: Tooth coronal index has the potential to estimate age of an individual on CBCT scans. It is simple, cost-effective than histological methods and can be applied to both living and unknown dead.

Efficacy of Oil Pulling in the Management of Oral Submucous Fibrosis: A Preliminary Study

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of oil pulling in the management of oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF). Material and Methods: A total of 62 patients clinically and histopathologically diagnosed as OSMF were incorporated in the present study. The subjects are randomly divided equally into two groups, Group A (oil pulling group) and Group B (placebo group). Subjects in Group A were asked to perform OP with sesame oil on an empty stomach in the morning for 3 months and Group B was given placebo capsules for 3 months. Assessment of various clinical parameters was done regularly, and data were analyzed using the Chi-square test. Results: Eighty-two percent had a habit of betel nut chewing, while 18% of the patients had tobacco chewing habits, which were among the main causative factors for OSMF. Clinical improvements in mouth opening, tongue protrusion, difficulty in speech and deglutition, and burning sensation were significant in the Group A. None of the patients reported any discomfort or side effects. The symptoms were not severe in nature and resolved in few days without stopping the therapy. Conclusion: Oil pulling can bring about significant clinical improvements in the symptoms like a mouth opening and tongue protrusion.

Oropharyngeal styloids: An unusual presentation.

The close proximity of the styloid process to many of the vital neurovascular structures in the neck makes it clinically significant. The styloid process is said to be elongated if it is longer than 3.0 cm in length. Anatomical variations are very common and clinical symptoms arising from such variations have to be recognized. Elongated styloid processes may cause chronic throat pain along with foreign body sensation, dysphagia, vague facial pain, and otalgia. Surgical excision of an elongated styloid is considered as a satisfactory treatment for such cases. Here, we present a unique case of bilaterally elongated styloids that could be visualized just by depressing the tongue, when they appeared like the tusks of an elephant in the oropharyngeal region.

Sequence of oral manifestations in rhino-maxillary mucormycosis.

Mucormycosis, caused by saprophytic fungi of the order Mucorales of the class Zygomycetes, is a rare opportunistic fungal infection, which has a rapidly progressive and fulminant course with fatal outcome. These fungi are ubiquitous, found in soil, bread molds, decaying fruits and vegetables. The most common form of mucormycosis is rhinocerebral and is usually seen in uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or in immunocompromised patients. This fungus invades the arteries, leading to thrombosis that subsequently causes necrosis of hard and soft tissues. We report a case of palatal perforation by rhino-maxillary mucormycosis in an immunocompromised patient. The aim of this article is to draw attention to the clinical presentation and pathogenesis of mucormycosis and to emphasize the need for high degree of suspicion in its diagnosis and management.