Sleep-Related Hallucinations.

The diagnostic category of sleep-related hallucinations (SRH) replaces the previous category of Terrifying Hypnagogic Hallucinations in the 2001 edition of International Classification of Sleep Disorders-R. Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations (HHH) that occur in the absence of other symptoms or disorder and, within the limits of normal sleep, are most likely non-pathological. By contrast, complex nocturnal visual hallucinations (CNVH) may reflect a dimension of psychopathology reflecting different combinations of etiologic influences. The identification and conceptualization of CNVH is relatively new, and more research is needed to clarify whether CNVH share common mechanisms with HHH.

Diagnostic accuracy of tele-dentistry in screening children for dental caries by community health workers in a lower-middle-income country.

BACKGROUND: Tele-dentistry can be useful for dental caries screening of children, especially in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). AIM: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of mobile phone photographs taken by a community health worker (CHW) for caries detection in Iran. DESIGN: Children aged 6-12 years were visually examined by a paediatric dentist. Following dental examinations, intraoral photographs were taken by a trained CHW. Two remote dentists assessed intraoral photographs for dental caries. Diagnostic accuracy of tele-dentistry for caries detection was evaluated. In addition, the questionnaire about oral health and parents' views towards tele-dentistry was prepared. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-one children aged 8.74 ± 1.62 years participated. The caries prevalence was 30% for the whole dentition. Tele-dentistry demonstrated high accuracy, with a sensitivity exceeding 80% and specificity exceeding 90%. The inter-rater reliability for remote dentists' assessments to the gold standard dental examination ranged from substantial to almost perfect (kappa: 75%-93%). Additionally, 80% of parents whose children participated in this study had positive views towards tele-dentistry. CONCLUSION: Tele-dentistry was shown to be an alternative approach to clinical examinations for caries detection among school children. Employing non-dental care professionals in tele-dentistry has been emerged as a reliable and cost-effective approach, especially in LMICs.

Patterns and predictors of dental hospitalizations in patients with acquired brain injury from pre-injury to acute and post-acute injury.

BACKGROUND: Acquired brain injury (ABI) can cause long-term disability and functional impairment. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the prevalence of dental hospitalizations in an ABI cohort across different phases of injury and identify factors associated with such hospitalizations. METHODS: The cohort comprises patients with ABI (n = 683), traumatic (n = 282) and non-traumatic (n = 401) who were admitted to a neurorehabilitation service in Western Australia between 1991 and 2016. De-identified patient data were linked to the Hospital Morbidity Data Collection. The incidence of dental hospitalizations was calculated per 1,000 person-years (PY), and associated factors were investigated using multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression. RESULTS: Dental hospitalizations significantly increased from pre-injury (3.35/1,000PY) to acute injury (302.65, Δ+299.3) and remained elevated in the post-acute phase (23.98, Δ+20.63). Dental caries had the highest incidence rate among all diagnoses in the pre-injury and post-acute phases (0.68 and 8.93, respectively), followed by gingivitis and periodontal diseases (3.60) in the post-acute phase. Tooth extractions were performed more often than restorative and preventive treatment in the pre-and post-injury phase, p < 0.001. Dental hospitalizations were associated with the type of ABI, age at injury, remoteness, and history of pre-injury hospitalization. CONCLUSION: Implementing comprehensive preventive dental care can reduce potentially preventable dental hospitalization among ABI patients.

Experience of primary caregivers in utilising an mHealth application for remote dental screening in preschool children.

Objectives This study aimed to address the acceptance of mHealth applications for a dental screening app that facilitates patient information entry and captures dental photos remotely to assist in caries diagnosis in preschool children in Australia. Methods All participants were recruited through the ORIGINS Project, a community-based interventional birth cohort study in Western Australia. Forty-two primary caregivers, who were the users of a teledental screening app, were given a questionnaire with 17 questions; these were constructed based on the theme of the Technology Acceptance Model: perceived ease of use (PE), perceived usefulness (PU), behavioural intention to adopt (BI), anxiety (ANX), attitude toward a behaviour (ATB), and self-efficacy (SE). Cronbach's alpha was estimated to determine internal consistency. Path analysis was employed to quantify the relationship between each theme. Results The mean values for most themes indicated high satisfaction with the intervention among caregivers (scores out of 5): PE (4.54 ± 0.55), PU (4.65 ± 0.49), BI (4.40 ± 0.65), ATB (4.23 ± 0.70), SE (4.36 ± 0.64). Results indicated high consistency in response in the PE, PU, ATB, and SE (α = 0.74-0.84) and moderate consistency was observed in ANX and BI (α = 0.50-0.62). The overall intention of using the dental screening app was significantly related to both PU and ATB (P Conclusion The perceived usefulness and attitude toward behaviours influenced the overall behavioural intention of the participants to use the telehealth model in dental screening. Recognising these relationships indicates community readiness for implementing the telehealth application in the dental program and enables identification of areas for improving its diffusion.

Malignant and non-malignant oral lesions classification and diagnosis with deep neural networks.

OBJECTIVES: Given the increasing incidence of oral cancer, it is essential to provide high-risk communities, especially in remote regions, with an affordable, user-friendly tool for visual lesion diagnosis. This proof-of-concept study explored the utility and feasibility of a smartphone application that can photograph and diagnose oral lesions. METHODS: The images of oral lesions with confirmed diagnoses were sourced from oral and maxillofacial textbooks. In total, 342 images were extracted, encompassing lesions from various regions of the oral cavity such as the gingiva, palate, and labial mucosa. The lesions were segregated into three categories: Class 1 represented non-neoplastic lesions, Class 2 included benign neoplasms, and Class 3 contained premalignant/malignant lesions. The images were analysed using MobileNetV3 and EfficientNetV2 models, with the process producing an accuracy curve, confusion matrix, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: The EfficientNetV2 model showed a steep increase in validation accuracy early in the iterations, plateauing at a score of 0.71. According to the confusion matrix, this model's testing accuracy for diagnosing non-neoplastic and premalignant/malignant lesions was 64% and 80% respectively. Conversely, the MobileNetV3 model exhibited a more gradual increase, reaching a plateau at a validation accuracy of 0.70. The MobileNetV3 model's testing accuracy for diagnosing non-neoplastic and premalignant/malignant lesions, according to the confusion matrix, was 64% and 82% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our proof-of-concept study effectively demonstrated the potential accuracy of AI software in distinguishing malignant lesions. This could play a vital role in remote screenings for populations with limited access to dental practitioners. However, the discrepancies between the classification of images and the results of "non-malignant lesions" calls for further refinement of the models and the classification system used. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The findings of this study indicate that AI software has the potential to aid in the identification or screening of malignant oral lesions. Further improvements are required to enhance accuracy in classifying non-malignant lesions.

The feasibility of a digital health approach to facilitate remote dental screening among preschool children during COVID-19 and social restrictions.

BACKGROUND: Tele-dentistry can be useful to facilitate screening of children, especially those living in rural and remote communities, and during the COVID-19 pandemic. AIM: This study evaluated the feasibility of tele-dental screening for the identification of early childhood caries (ECC) in preschoolers using an app operated by their parents with remote review by oral-health therapists. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was a sub-project nested in ORIGINS Project, a longitudinal birth cohort study in Western Australia. Initially, children were visually examined by a paediatric dentist (gold standard). Subsequently, dental photographs were taken by parents using a smartphone camera. Two trained oral health professionals asynchronously evaluated dental photographs. The presence of dental caries was recorded as per the International Caries Detection and Assessment System-II classification. The diagnostic accuracy and reliability of the tele-dental screening and the gold standard dental examinations were then compared. RESULTS: Forty-two children aged <4 years were enrolled in the study. Twenty-five per cent of examined children had dental caries (mean dmfs = 0.7). A total of 370 dental photographs were obtained. Parents were able to take good-quality photographs, with 90% of photographs rated as good to fair quality. Tele-dental screening demonstrated high specificity (>=95.5%) for both reviewers compared to the gold standard dental examination. However, the sensitivity scores for the two reviewers varied, ranging from 44% to 88.4%. CONCLUSION: Tele-dental screening for ECC was shown to be a feasible approach following a brief training for primary caregivers. This approach can offer a potential low-cost and sustainable alternative for visual dental examinations for young children, particularly in times of COVID-19-related restrictions.

Factors associated with dental hospitalisations in children with intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder: a Western Australian population-based retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: This study investigated dental hospitalisations in Western Australian (WA) children with intellectual disability (ID) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged up to 18 years. METHODS: Data on WA live births from 1983 to 2004 from the WA Midwives Notification System were linked to the Intellectual Disability Exploring Answers database, the WA Hospital Morbidity Data System, and the Western Australian Birth Defects Registry databases. Children were followed from birth to 2010 and the data grouped into three age-groups. Primary and secondary admissions for relevant dental diagnoses were identified and factors associated with having a dental hospitalisation investigated. RESULTS: There were 1366, 1596, and 780 dental hospitalisations amongst 1122, 1154, and 609 children with ID and/or ASD in the 0-6, >6-12, and >12-18 year age groups, respectively. Children with severe ID were much more likely to be hospitalised than those with mild/moderate ID. More socioeconomically disadvantaged children were less likely to be hospitalised than children whose parents were socially advantaged. CONCLUSIONS: There is concern that more vulnerable children in the WA community with ID or ASD are receiving an inadequate level of dental services compared with other groups resulting in potentially preventable hospitalisations, a situation in need of urgent remediation.Implications for rehabilitationLittle is known about why some children with intellectual disability (ID) or autism are being hospitalised for their dental care and others are not.Children with disability whose families are socioeconomically disadvantaged should have equivalent opportunity to receive optimal dental care.Dental practitioners at all levels need training and confidence in treating children with ID.

Does socioeconomic status influence oral cancer awareness? The role of public education.

BACKGROUND: Public awareness on oral cancer is thought to improve prevention and early diagnosis; however, the role of socioeconomic status in this awareness is not clear. AIMS: The aim was to investigate whether an association exists between socioeconomic status and oral cancer awareness in adults. METHODS: A multi-stage random sample of adults was investigated in Tehran in 2016-2017. The outcome was awareness of oral cancer and knowledge of risk factors and signs and symptoms using a self-administered questionnaire. The main exposures were self-reported socioeconomic status of 8 indicators of family assets and economic situation. Wealth index was created using principal component analysis, and participants were classified into 5 quintiles. Regression analysis was applied to test associations. RESULTS: Out of 1800 adults, 1312 completed questionnaires were returned (72.8% response rate). The mean age was 37.8 (standard deviation 9.0) years; about 60% were female. Statistical analysis revealed the higher the wealth index, the higher the score for oral cancer knowledge and awareness. Awareness and knowledge were significantly lower among participants in the poorest quintile: they had a knowledge score on oral cancer risk factors 1.58 points [95% confidence interval (CI): -2.19;-0.96] lower, and a knowledge score on oral cancer signs 1.34 points (95 CI: -1.98;-0.72) lower compared with the richest quintile. CONCLUSION: Socioeconomic inequalities were observed in oral cancer awareness in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Population Survey of Knowledge about Oral Cancer and Related Factors in the Capital of Iran.

Knowledge about oral cancer risk factors and signs is thought to improve prevention and early diagnosis, and in turn, increases survival. In this population-based survey, knowledge about oral cancer was assessed in Iran. A total of 1800 self-administered questionnaires (collecting sociodemographic data and questions regarding oral cancer risk factors and signs) were distributed through random sampling. Final scores ranged between 0 and 15 for the risk factors and 0-11 for the signs. Scores below the median indicated a low level of knowledge, scores representing the third quartile of correct answers indicated a moderate level of knowledge, and scores representing the upper quartile indicated a high level of knowledge. Statistical tests were used for analysis of knowledge level in different sociodemographic categories. A total of 1312 participants completed the questionnaires. The average of knowledge scores for risk factors was 5.3 ± 3.0 and for signs was 4.5 ± 2.9. Overall, 75 and 56% respectively were able to identify major risk factors (smoking and alcohol); 23.5% could not define any related signs and symptoms. Dividing scores into quartiles indicated that three out of four people had "low" knowledge about risk factors and 58% had "low" knowledge about signs and symptoms. Females and highly educated people had more knowledge of oral cancer. Significant difference was found between job and level of knowledge (P = 0.001). This survey revealed that public knowledge of oral cancer was not satisfactory in Iran. Efforts should be done to inform and educate people with risk factors, initial clinical presentation, and symptoms, in order to improve prevention and promote early diagnosis.

Disparities in Oral Cancer Awareness: a Population Survey in Tehran, Iran.

Oral cancer is a life-threatening disease with low survival rates, especially when diagnosed in an advanced stage. Lack of awareness about this cancer among the population is proposed as a possible reason for this diagnostic delay. The aim of this study was to evaluate oral cancer awareness, as well as the association of this with sociodemographic status in Tehran. In this cross-sectional population-based survey, 1800 self-administered questionnaires (collecting sociodemographic data, questions regarding oral cancer awareness and the source of information) were distributed through multistage stratified random sampling. Scores for questions ranged from 0 to 4, and totals were summed. The outcome of question responses was also analyzed separately. In total, 1312 questionnaires were available for analysis, from 788 females and 489 males (37.8 ± 9.02 years). Only 30% of the respondents were aware of oral cancer. The average score for awareness was 1.09 ± 1.6 with no significant differences between age groups and genders. Almost 6.5% of participants had complete awareness about oral cancer. A significant difference was found between mean scores in different levels of education and occupation (p = 0.0001). From 585 responses to the "source of information" question, "public media" was the most important source (almost 50%). Only 2% mentioned "dentists" as a source of information. This study indicated an alarming lack of oral cancer awareness and literacy in Tehran, Iran. Dentists should be obliged to practice their pivotal role in informing the public about oral cancer.

Is there any association between green tea consumption and the risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Finding from a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Green tea consumption has been shown to reduce the incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in experimental animal models, however the results from human studies are inconclusive. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between green tea consumption and the risk of HNSCC. DESIGN: The study utilised a standardised questionnaire to investigate the relationship between green tea consumption and HNSCC experience. Data about amount of green tea consumption was recorded from 147 patients with HNSCC and 263 age and gender matched controls. The results were analyzed with SPSS statistical software Version 21 using Chi- square test, and Logistic Regression (with a 95% confidence interval). Significance levels were set at 95% and p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Statistical analysis indicated significant differences between different groups of tea consumers in terms of HNSCC risk (P < 0.001). The risk of developing oral cancer those who consume <1 cup of green tea daily was (OR = 0.29 (0.16-0.52) and for the group of > = 1 cup green tea consumers was 0.38(0.17-0.86) of those who never consume green tea (Reference point) after adjustment for other risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support that green tea consumption may reduce the risk of HNSCC. To confirm the efficacy of green tea intake in preventing the development of HNSCC in humans further investigation is needed.

Knowledge of Oral Precancerous Lesions Considering Years Since Graduation Among Dentists in the Capital City of Iran: a Pathway to Early Oral Cancer Diagnosis and Referral?

Background: Late diagnosis and improper treatment lead to many avoidable deaths in patients suffering from oral cancer. This study evaluated the knowledge and perceptions of general dentists regarding oral precancerous lesions and oral cancer risk factors with reference to early diagnosis and referral. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 200 private general dental practitioners were randomly selected in Tehran, Iran. Demographic information and years since graduation were recorded; knowledge levels were evaluated with a standardized questionnaire consisting of 15 closed-response item questions about precancerous lesions and oral cavity cancer. Each correct answer got one point. Results: Out of 200 selected dentists, 153 returned completed questionnaires. The average age of participants was 36 and the average achieved score was 7.96 out of 15 (Min 3, Max 13). Most (64.7%) of participants were in the group that graduated within the previous 10 years, 23.5% between 10 and 20 years since graduation, and 11.8% more than 20 years previously. There was a statistically significant difference between the most recently graduated group (< 10 years) and the other two groups. The dentists' awareness was also significantly dependent on age. There was no statistically significant difference in awareness between male and female dentists. Conclusion: As professional oral health care providers, dentists should be aware of all aspects regarding precancerous lesions in order to optimize early diagnosis and referral of oral cancer patients. Training courses and continuing education seem to be an essential strategy to increase and maintain knowledge of this group.

Relationship Between Mothers' Knowledge and Attitude Towards the Importance of Oral Health and Dental Status of their Young Children.

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between mothers' knowledge, attitude and dental caries status and their young children's dental caries status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 153 2- to 6-year old children old and their mothers were dentally examined. Mothers' decayed, missing or filled teeth (DMFT) and children's decayed, missing or filled teeth (dmft) were recorded. A validated questionnaire was used to examine maternal knowledge and attitudes regarding the importance for the oral health of their children. RESULTS: The average age of children and mothers were 5.1 and 31 years, respectively. The mothers' and children's mean DMFT and dmft were 12 and 6, respectively. The mean level of mothers' knowledge was 31.5 out of 40, while the mean attitude was 24.5 out of 30 points. There was a statistically significant inverse correlation between mothers' knowledge and their DMFT (r = -0.7), and between mothers' knowledge and children's dmft (r = -0.6). Also, there was an inverse correlation between mothers' attitude and DMFT (r = -0.8), and between mothers' attitude and dmft (r = -0.7). A direct correlation between mothers' DMFT and children's dmft (r = +0.6) was observed. CONCLUSION: Attempts at improving the knowledge and attitude in parents have a substantial impact on improving the oral health of next generation.

Does green tea consumption improve the salivary antioxidant status of smokers?

OBJECTIVE: Considering the higher rate of oral cancer, and reduction in salivary antioxidants in smokers as indicated in previous studies, antioxidant- containing nutrients such as green tea, seem to be beneficial in counteracting against oxidative stress in this group. This study assessed the salivary total antioxidant alteration in smokers compared to nonsmokers, after short-tem (7days) and long-term (3 weeks), green tea drinking. DESIGN: In this experimental study, 20 volunteer moderate-to-heavy male smokers, and 20 matched healthy non-smokers were selected to participate, according to the inclusion criteria. Participants were instructed to drink two cups of green tea per day, by dissolving 2g of green tea in 150ml of hot water for each cup. After saliva collection, antioxidant capacity of saliva was measured at baseline, after 7days, and after 21days. Statistical evaluation was done by SPSS 21, using paired samplet tests, one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni tests. RESULTS: At day zero nonsmokers had a higher antioxidant capacity than smokers (686.6±62.22 vs. 338.8±59.9) mM/50µl, P<0.001. There was also a significant difference between two groups in salivary total antioxidant capacity after one week and three weeks of green tea consumption (P<0.001). However, there was an upward trend in both smokers and non-smokers over the study period (after tea drinking). In addition, a significant difference was found in total antioxidant capacity alteration in smokers compared to non-smokers from baseline to day 21. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the effectiveness of green tea consumption in salivary antioxidants enhancement in smokers, in both the short- and long term.

Is There a Relation between ABO Blood Groups and Clinical Outcome in Patients with Pemphigoid? A Case-Control Study.

Background. Relationship between blood groups and dermatologic diseases remains controversial and was not yet fully elucidated nor explained clearly. The aim of this study was to examine if any relation exists between different types of pemphigoid diseases and ABO blood group. Methods. In this case-control study, 159 pemphigoid patients and 152 healthy matched-controls were evaluated. All blood group (including Rh status) data for the study was obtained from the hospital medical records. Statistical comparisons were completed with chi-square test and logistic regression. Results. Blood group "O" was found in 32.9% of patients and 38.2% of control group. Blood group "A" was found among 30.8% of patients and 34.2% of control group, while group "B" was reported in 27.4% of cases and 21.1% of controls and "AB" was identified among 8.9% of patients and 6.6% of control group. 84.9% of patients were Rh positive, while in the control group 86.2% of patients were Rh positive. No significant differences were found regarding ABO blood groups (P = 0.46) or Rh (P = 0.76) between pemphigoid patients and control group. Also, older females had the higher risk of developing bullous pemphigoid. Conclusion. We found no relationship between ABO blood groups and pemphigoid disease.

Comparison of the Effect of Low-Level Laser and Phenytoin Therapy on Skin Wound Healing in Rats.

INTRODUCTION: Different modalities have been used to achieve better results in wound healing among which are laser and pharmacological agents. To our knowledge, there is no investigation to compare phenytoin and laser together. In this study, we aimed to evaluate laser and phenytoin efficacy and compare their effect on wound healing. METHODS: We used 60 rats. The animals were divided into 4 groups, 15 rats in each and each group was subdivided into 3 subgroups for which postoperative evaluation was performed on days 3, 7, and 14. After general anesthesia and back hair shaving of each rat, an excisional wound was made. The wounds in group 2 were treated with 1% phenytoin cream. In group 3, the wounds were irradiated with diode laser. The wounds of group 4 were treated with both phenytoin cream and laser administration. The animals of group 1 served as control. For histopathological evaluation, hematoxylin and eosin staining was used. Polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs), re-epithelization, fibroblasts, new vessels and collagen were evaluated. RESULTS: Faster reduction in polymorphonuclear cells after 7 and 14 days and more collagen fibers on the third day in laser treated group was statistically significant (P < .05) .The result for the phenytoin treated group were not better than control group. When both laser and phenytoin were used samples showed more collagen fibers on the third day, which was statistically significant (P < .05). CONCLUSION: It seems that low level laser is effective in skin wound healing and have better results than phenytoin application.

Diode Laser in Minor Oral Surgery: A Case Series of Laser Removal of Different Benign Exophytic Lesions.

INTRODUCTION: The role of laser in conservative management of oral disease is well established. Laser procedures are common in the fields of oral surgery, implant dentistry, endodontic, and periodontic therapy. CASE: This case series describes the use of diode laser for the excision of oral exophytic lesions. All the patients attended the oral medicine department of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Criteria in patient selection were accessibility to lesions, patient fear from blade surgery, aesthetics, and probability of bleeding. An informed consent was filled by every patient. All of the lesions were completely excised under local anaesthesia by diode laser with 300 µm-fibre tip, 808 nm continuous wavelength and 3-3.5 W power for 3×60 seconds (Dr Smile, Italia). During surgery, the fibre tip was in contact with lesions. No analgesics were prescribed to the patients. The patients were followed for the first, second, and forth week after treatment. CONCLUSION: The lesions could be excised using the diode laser. This procedure was a quick clinical technique without bleeding.

Giant Cell Fibroma of the Buccal Mucosa with Laser Excision: Report of Unusual Case.

Giant Cell Fibroma (GCF) was described as a new entity of fibrous hyperplastic soft tissue. It seems that stimulus from an unexplained origin can have a role in its etiology. Histopathologically GCF is consisted of multinucleated fibroblasts that have oval shape nuclei within the eosinophilic cytoplasm. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice and recurrence is very rare. Here we report a case of relatively large GCF in a 54-year-old man. Gingiva is the common location of GCF. As in our case, it may be mistaken as irritation fibroma especially if it is on the buccal mucosa, the most common location for fibroma. Correct diagnosis is based on biopsy and clinical examination to see surface texture roughness. To minimize bleeding because of its large size an excisional biopsy with Diod laser was performed under local anesthesia for this patient.

Effect of Cigarette Smoke on Salivary Total Antioxidant Capacity.

Background and aims. Cigarette smoke can induce oral cancer by its free radicals and oxidative damage. Salivary anti-oxidants system is believed to have an important role in defense mechanisms against oxidative stress. This study was compared total antioxidant capacity (TAoC) of saliva in smokers and nonsmokers. Materials and methods . In this cross-sectional study, 30 male smokers with mean age of 45.23 years and 30 nonsmokers with mean age of 45.30 years participated. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected in the morning in two groups by spitting method. TAoC of saliva was measured with the special kit in two groups at the same time. Statistical analysis was performed by covariance test. Results. The mean salivary TAoC in nonsmokers (0.741±0.123 U/ml) was higher than that in smokers (0.529±0.167 U/ml). This difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusion. Smoking can alter salivary antioxidant capacity.

Evaluation of cytotoxic effects of Anbarnesa on fibroblast L929: Can it be used as a mouthwash?

AIMS: In Iranian traditional medicine Anbarnesa (derived from smoke from burning female donkey's stool) has been used to treat ulcers and inflammatory conditions like stomatitis and ear infections (otitis). We assess the properties of Anbarnesa as an alternative mouthwash. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, Anbarnesa smoke was analyzed using aGC-mass device. The smoke collected was dissolved at different densities in propylene glycol and incubated in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium in direct contact with fibroblast cells. Assessment of cytotoxicity was done at 1, 24 and 72 h. Cell viability was measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium test, and ELISA Reader machine was used to read the results. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA test. RESULTS: The findings of this study showed Anbarnesa was nontoxic in 1/64, 1/128 and 1/256 dilutions. In 1/32 dilution, toxicity was seen after 72 h. In dilutions, 1/8 and 1/16 toxicity were seen in the 1(st) h. CONCLUSION: According to the initial results of Anbarnesa may be used as an alternative mouthwash with fewer side-effects for plaque control and prevention of periodontal disease.