Impact of oral contraceptives on periodontal health.

BACKGROUND: Oral contraceptives pills (OCPs) are common and a convenient form of contraception. The use of hormonal contraceptives by women has been considered to influence gingival and periodontal disease progression. AIM: This study was conducted to assess the effect of oral contraceptive pills on the periodontal health. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 200 females aged 18 years and above of Jaipur city. The study subjects were divided into two groups i.e. contraceptive users and non-contraceptive users, each group consisted 100 females. Data was collected using Modified WHO Performa (1997). Periodontal status was examined using Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and Loss of Attachment (LOA). Chi-square test and one sample t-test was used for statistical analysis and P value was set (p< 0.05) as significant. RESULTS: Mean CPI score in subjects and non-contraceptive users was 2.34+ 0.81 and 1.16+ 0.89 respectively. Mean LOA score in each group was 0.28+ 0.45 and 0.19+ 0.50 respectively. CONCLUSION: Oral Contraceptive pills had adverse effects on periodontal health.

Quality of life of cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer is a one of the major public health problem both in developed and developing countries around the globe. Quality-of-life (QOL) of a cancer patient before and after the treatment is an important issue especially for the cancer survivors, their families, and the care providers. In cancer prospective, Quality-of-life can been defined as a sense of well-being, it is a multidimensional perspective that includes dimensions such as physical, psychological, social, and spiritual, changes in one QOL dimension can influence perceptions in other dimensions also. Cancer patients should demand information related to adverse effects of chemotherapy and actions to be taken to reduce them, also there should be provision of providing sufficient information prior to beginning of the treatment procedure irrespective to type of treatment, so that patient is aware of all the treatment modalities and their side effects and self-care strategies so as to reduce treatment-related concerns.

Bidi smoking: an underestimated issue of Indian society.

OBJECTIVE: Bidi smoking has always been an under-talked issue of Indian society. Bidis are rolled in tendu leaves which are non porous and have low combustibility due to which they affect the smoker's lungs even more. In spite of the increased toxicology associated with bidis, they are often ignored. The reason for this can be attributed to their home-made production, decreased taxation and the greater prevalence of bidis in rural areas. Since bidis are rolled and packed at home, packaging does not have any warnings about the harmful effects of bidi smoking. Many cases of smoking-associated cancer have been recorded in the country lately. This raises a concern about the economic balance of the nation, as to whether there is a revenue generation with tax on the sale of tobacco or if there is an economic loss due to the various diseases that result from bidi smoking.

Screening for oral cancer.

Oral cancer is considered as a serious health problem resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Early detection and prevention play a key role in controlling the burden of oral cancer worldwide. The five-year survival rate of oral cancer still remains low and delayed diagnosis is considered as one of the major reasons. This increases the demand for oral screening. Currently, screening of oral cancer is largely based on visual examination. Various evidence strongly suggest the validity of visual inspection in reducing mortality in patients at risk for oral cancer. Simple visual examination is accompanied with adjunctive techniques for subjective interpretation of dysplastic changes. These include toluidine blue staining, brush biopsy, chemiluminescence and tissue autofluorescence. This review highlights the efficacy of various diagnostic methods in screening of oral cancer.

Management of an Anophthalmic Patient by the Fabrication of Custom Made Ocular Prosthesis

The loss or disfigurement of a body parts specially that pertaining to the face has a deep psychological and social impact on the patient. After enucleation, evisceration or exteneration of the eye, the aim of an ocular prosthesis should be to restore the natural appearance, install confidence and a sense social acceptability in the patient. Custom made prosthesis has several advantages over the stock eye prosthesis. This article illustrates rehabilitation of the enucleated right eye of a patient with a custom made ocular prosthesis.

Oral Implant Imaging: A Review

Selecting an appropriate implant imaging technique has become a challenging task since the advent of advanced imaging modalities, and many of these are used for implant imaging. On imaging, the modality should not only consider the anatomy but should also provide dimensional accuracy. Many dentists use the conventional method, mostly orthopantograph (OPG), in their routine practice of implant placement. However, because of the drawbacks associated with OPG, higher technologies, such as computed tomography (CT) and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), are better accepted. These help improve image sharpness and reduce distortion. These techniques are not used widely due to the cost effect. Therefore, to decide on the type of imaging technique, all associated advantages and disadvantages should be considered, which will be broadly discussed in this review.

Oral Health of Stone Mine Workers of Jodhpur City, Rajasthan, India

BACKGROUND: Occupational injuries cause major health problems, which the developed, developing, and underdeveloped nations worldwide are facing today. The present study aimed to assess dental caries, periodontal health of stone mine workers, and the relationship between wasting diseases and the years of working experience. METHODS: The study population comprised 510 men, selected based on the stratified cluster sampling procedure. Clinical oral examinations were carried out, and periodontal disease, dental caries, and wasting diseases were recorded. RESULTS: Workers were in the age group of 17-56 years; the prevalence of dental caries in the workers was found to be 74%, with a mean decayed, missing, filled teeth index of 2.89. A periodontal pocket of more than 6 mm was observed in 6% of the workers. CONCLUSION: The oral health of mine workers is in a poor state; steps should be taken so as to provide basic medical and dental care facilities.