The tobacco trade and trail in Karnataka.

CONTEXT: Tobacco use is a major public health challenge in India with 275 million adults consuming different tobacco products. Despite innumerable laws, the overall picture of the current system is not clear and the menace of tobacco persists. What does it take to stop this menace? The present study made an attempt to throw some light on the prevailing discrepancy in the current system. AIMS: The aim of the study was to explore the knowledge and attitude of people involved in growth and sales of tobacco. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative research was aimed at farmers growing tobacco in Mysore district and vendors selling tobacco in Bangalore. Snowball sampling technique was used to select the farmers. Simple random sampling technique was used to shortlist vendors selling tobacco products in Bangalore. Data were collected using semistructured questionnaire through interviews which were recorded using an audio recorder. RESULTS: Inductive analysis was conducted for the present study and the responses were divided into three categories, that is, awareness of laws, compliance to laws, and opinion regarding banning tobacco. Ninety percent of the growers and all the tobacco vendors (100%) were aware of the laws governing them; however, the compliance was poor in both the populations (32% and 20%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of law is an area that needs to be strengthened. Violations of these laws are not adequately reported; this matter should be dealt with. It was seen that the system which creates the laws itself promotes the growth and thereby the distribution of the tobacco products.

New Vision for Improving the Oral Health Education of Visually Impaired Children- A Non Randomized Control Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Visually impaired people have poorer oral hygiene when compared to others. Therefore, there is a necessity for individual training by making awareness in oral care and plaque control so as to improve their oral hygiene. AIM: The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of oral health innovative educative method among visually impaired children of Bengaluru city of India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A non-randomized control trial was conducted among 40 visually impaired individuals attending special school for blind. The study was conducted for a duration of six months. Baseline data regarding oral health knowledge, attitude and practices was obtained through a questionnaire in Braille and oral plaque assessment was done using Silness and Loe plaque index (1964). Music based brushing technique, cast models and an oral health education talk and booklet in Braille was delivered stressing on importance of oral health. The results of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) before and after health education were analysed using Chi-square test with SPSS version 22.0. RESULTS: The overall KAP was lower in the preintervention period among the visually impaired children with mean score of 6.98 while after the modified oral health education session, it was increased to a mean score of 14.68 which was statistically significant at p<0.001. There was a significant change in the oral plaque scores with 80% of the children having fair scores in the preintervention period to 30% in the postintervention period. CONCLUSION: This oral health education module showed good results which can be implemented to effectively increase the awareness about dental health.

Comparative Evaluation of Antibacterial and Adhesive Properties of Chitosan Modified Glass Ionomer Cement and Conventional Glass Ionomer Cement: an In vitro Study.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies have reported the incorporation of modifiers with conventional Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) to enhance its antibacterial effect. One such modification being the addition of Chitosan (CH). However, these modifiers might affect the physical properties of the restorations. AIM: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of modifying the liquid phase of conventional GIC with 10% v/v CH on the antibacterial properties and adhesion to enamel in comparison to conventional GIC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The liquid of commercially available restorative GIC (Fuji IX, GC Industrial Corporation, Japan) was modified with 10% v/v CH solution (Everest Biotech, Bengaluru). GIC powders were mixed with the unmodified and the CH-modified liquids at the desired powder/liquid ratio. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to determine the setting reaction between the conventional and CH modified GIC liquid with GIC powder. For evaluation of the antibacterial properties, biofilms of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) were formed on the GIC discs and characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). For the characterization of the adhesive properties, the unmodified and CH-modified GICs were bonded to the enamel surface and the microshear bond strength (µSBs) was evaluated. Student's paired t-test was used to compare the micro-shear bond strength between CH modified GIC and unmodified GIC. RESULTS: Modification with 10% v/v CH solution improved the antibacterial properties of GIC against S. mutans in terms of resistance to biofilm formation which was assessed using SEM. Microshear bond strength of CH modified GIC was 85.40 MPa compared to 46.94 MPa of conventional GIC. This difference was found to be statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Modifying the liquid phase of a conventional GIC with 10% v/v CH significantly improves the antibacterial property of GIC as well as its adhesion to enamel.

Determinants of Tobacco Use and Prevalence of Oral Precancerous Lesions in Cab Drivers in Bengaluru City, India.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco is a most important risk factor for various types of cancer as well as some noncommunicable disease. Around 34.6% of Indian population consume tobacco. The tobacco consumption is higher in some vulnerable population such as drivers, daily wage laborers, and policemen. Tobacco consumption is known to cause oral cancers, and screening for oral cancer in these individuals is known to reduce mortality from cancer. The study was designed to assess the determinants of tobacco use and the prevalence of oral precancerous lesions in cab drivers. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study among cab drivers at prepaid taxi counters in Bengaluru city. A total of 450 cab drivers were enrolled in the study, of which 225 cab drivers were interviewed during morning hours and remaining half at night time using a semi-structured questionnaire. All were screened for oral cancer/precancerous lesions. RESULTS: Nearly 70.88% of cab drivers were consuming tobacco in any form. Long working hours, working at night, and family members consuming tobacco were significant risk factors for tobacco use among cab drivers. Forty-eight drivers were detected to have oral precancerous lesions. CONCLUSIONS: It was very evident that long hours of driving and infrequent shifts played a greater role in acquiring the habit. Behavioral counseling and new laws need to be formed to limit the working hours in drivers to have an effective tobacco control.