Pattern and presentation of odontogenic jaw cysts: a clinical experience

Objective: To determine the pattern and presentations of odontogenic jaw cysts in patients reporting at the Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry

Study Design: Descriptive study

Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, from Jan to Dec 2007

Material and Methods: Hundred patients including 70 males and 30 females with the age range 5-65 years were included in the study. History, clinical examination, radiographic examination and histopathologic examination of lesion were carried out for each patient. A proforma was filled for each patient for all relevant information, presentation and pattern. Diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 10

Results: Out of total 100 patients, 58% were diagnosed with radicular cysts, 25% with dentigerous cysts, 15% with odontogenic keratocyst, 1% patient with calcifying epithelial odontogenic cyst and 1% patient was diagnosed with eruption cyst

Conclusion: The study demonstrates that radicular cyst was the most common odontogenic cysts followed by dentigerous and odontogenic keratocysts respectively in our study sample

Efficacy of intra-alveolar chlorhexidine gel in reducing frequency of alveolar osteitis in mandibular third molar surgery

To determine the efficacy of intra-alveolar administration of chlorhexidine [CHX] gel in reducing the frequency of alveolar osteitis [AO] after impacted mandibular third molar surgery. A randomized control trial study. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from January to December 2007. One hundred patients including 65 males and 35 females with the age range 18-40 years were divided in two equal groups [50 each in the CHX and the control groups]. Surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molar was carried out and after surgery CHX gel was placed into the alveolus of CHX group. Patients were followed at the first, second and third postoperative days. A proforma indicating presence or absence of pain, blood clot disintegration, halitosis and AO was filled for each patient. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for qualitative data. Chi-square test was applied to compare both subgroups. Eighteen patients [18%] were diagnosed with AO [11 males and 7 females]. Out of these 18 cases, 14 [28%] were found in control group [9 males and 5 females], while 4 cases [8%] in the CHX group [2 males and 2 females]. This was statistically significant p=0.017. Single application of CHX gel was effective in reducing frequency of AO following mandibular third molar surgery

Inadequacies in history taking and clinical examination by the dentists

History taking and clinical examination are the most important steps in the diagnosis and hence overall patient management in medicine, surgery and dentistry. The purpose of this study was to determine the history taking and clinical examination practices of dentists. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed among two hundred randomly selected dentists of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The questionnaire assessed how often these dentists recorded all the steps of history and how often they examined their patients thoroughly. While the vast majority of dentists asked most of their patient's demographics, chief complaint and the history of their chief complaint and examined all teeth of their patients, a considerable number of them missed the medical, family and socioeconomic history, did not record vital signs, and did not examine the entire head and neck and oral mucosa of all their patients. This study emphasizes deficiencies and inadequacies in the history taking and clinical examination practices of dentists in the studied sample

Frequency of hepatitis b and c in oral and maxilofacial surgery patients at Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry

To see the frequency of hepatitis B virus [HBV] and hepatitis C virus [HCV] carriers in oral and maxillofacial surgical patients. Descriptive study. This study was carried out at Oral and Maxillofacial surgery department of Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry [AFID], Rawalpindi from June 2006 to July 2007. Patients who were admitted at Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department during the study period for any kind of maxillofacial surgery were screened before operation for HBV, and HCV. A total of 842 patients were screened. Eighty percent were males and 20% were females with age ranging from 5-70 years. HBV was positive in 7% patients and HCV was positive in 9% of patients. The high frequency of HBV and HCV in maxillofacial surgical patients suggests a routine screening for HBsAg and anti-HCV for all patients prior to surgery