A study on lip print types among the people of Kerala.

Cheiloscopy, the study of lip prints is an upcoming tool for the identification of persons. The lip print of every person is unique and can be used to fix personal identity. Previous work done on the subject also reveals that lip prints show differences according to the race and the ethnic origins of a person. This study was taken up to determine the predominant lip print type in Kerala population. 50 male and 50 female subjects of Kerala origin were included in the study and the middle 1 cm of the lower lip was taken as the study area. The lip prints were recorded by applying lipstick on the lips, then cellophane tape was applied on the lips and the prints were taken. These prints were studied and classified according to Tsuchihashi’s classification of Type I (complete vertical grooves), Type I‟ (incomplete vertical grooves), Type II (forking grooves), Type III (intersect-ing grooves), Type IV (reticular grooves) and Type V (undetermined grooves). The predominant type in each qua-drant was noted and the percentage was calculated. It was found that Type IV (reticular grooves) was the predomi-nant pattern.

Por que o clareamento dental caseiro deve ser feito sob a supervisão de um dentista? / Why should dental home bleaching be performed under the supervision of a dentist?

O objetivo deste artigo é demonstrar a importância de uma visita ao dentista por alguém interessado em clareamento dental. Mais do que nunca, as pessoas estão ansiosas por dentes mais brancos. Desde o aparecimento dos produtos de clareamento auto-administrados no início dos anos 2000, nunca foi tão fácil ter acesso a tantos tipos diferentes de produtos. Embora o processo de clareamento pareça ser simples, ele é um procedimento odontológico que precisa de um exame dentário prévio por diversas razões. O dentista não apenas conduzirá exames dentários e periodontais, mas também perguntará ao paciente sobre seu estado de saúde, para ter certeza de que não há contra-indicações. Ele diagnosticará a possível causa do manchamento dental e será capaz de determinar a chance de sucesso, a duração e o custo do tratamento e explicar os possíveis efeitos colaterais. O paciente também pode se beneficiar da supervisão do dentista, se quaisquer complicações surgirem durante o tratamento de clareamento. Uma discussão de todos esses aspectos é apresentada neste artigo.

Cell death does not herald epithelial involution ("atrophy") in oral sub mucous fibrosis: a TEM study.

The disease progression in oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) seems to be in a biphasic manner, along both fibroblastic and keratinocytic lineages. The epithelial malignancy is considered to be a sequel of connective tissue changes. "Atrophy" of epithelium makes it amenable to the effect of oral carcinogens. This concept looks rather simplistic in the light of the current understanding of epithelial cell biology. So the concept of epithelial "atrophy" needs redressal against the backdrop of recent investigations. 12 cases of clinically and histologically advanced OSF cases (M:F = 4:8) who were habitual areca-quid chewers comprise the study group. 5 (M:F=1:4) non-OSF, non-areca-nut chewing healthy volunteers, constituted the control group. Biopsy was done and the sections were processed for light and electron microscopy. Cell countings were made based on established criteria for apoptosis and necrosis under the high resolution of a TEM and electron micrographs were taken. The Apoptotic Index (A1) calculated for the diseased mucosa was 3.0 +/- 1.3 and for the control was 2.1 +/- 1.5 (X2 = 1.21, df= 1, p>0.05). The necrotic indices (NI) were respectively, 2.5 +/- 0.6 and 2.0 +/- 1.3 (X2 = 0.24, df = 1, p>0.05). The Absolute Cell death Index (ACI), which is the cumulative figure of apoptosis and necrosis indices, was 5.5 and 4.2 respectively for diseased and normal samples (X2 = 1.8, df = 1, p>0.05). The inability to compute an increased ACI in OSF epithelium, when compared to normal, goes against the concept of epithelial "atrophy". Atrophy envisages an increased apoptotic cell death of keratinocytes, induced by the same signals that caused atrophy and this may contribute to loss of cell of an entire organ. This basic concept in pathology seems to be unfounded with disease. This prompted us for an alternative concept in favour of a reduced proliferation index of the adult stem cell compartment of the oral epithelium. So this study favours the concept of epithelial hypoplasia, rather than atrophy, which causes thinning of surface epithelium in advanced OSF.