Oil pulling and importance of traditional medicine in oral health maintenance.

Dental diseases have detrimental effects on the functionality and quality of life of individuals. In addition, a strong relationship has been established between various oral and systemic diseases. In fact, the prevention and treatment of dental caries and periodontal disease have been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease significantly. This goes beyond the role of oral health as a means to identify early manifestations of systemic diseases in the oral cavity. It highlights the necessity of maintaining an optimal oral hygiene to significantly modify the risk factors for serious systemic diseases. The use of oil pulling can be frequently found in ancient medical text and is supported by recent studies for its efficacy and long-term use for maintaining and improving oral health. This article provides an overview on the concept of oil pulling or oil swishing, its mechanism of action and a summary of the evidence available, which highlights the role of oil pulling in specific oral diseases. The goal of this review is to highlight the ancient procedure that has the potential to be used as an adjunct to conventional chemical means of dental plaque control, such as mouth rinses. Incorporating oil swishing as a component of daily oral hygiene can significantly improve oral and general health, specifically in lower socioeconomic groups and rural communities that may have interrupted access to health-care services and dental products such as dentifrices and mouth washes due to various factors; availability and affordability being the most important.

Antibacterial Activity of Two Chemomechanical Caries Removal Gels on Carious Dentin of Primary Teeth: An in vitro Study.

INTRODUCTION: Chemomechanical caries removal (CMCR) is an effective method of caries removal especially for primary teeth as they cause less discomfort when compared with conventional caries removal. The most significant thing about caries removal is the elimination of cariogenic bacteria. This study compares the antibacterial activity of two CMCR gels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 40 primary molar teeth with carious dentin were split along the long axis in a laboratory. Total viable count (TVC) was taken for the teeth before splitting as a measure of colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL). Each half was treated with either Carisolv or Carie-Care CMCR gels. Clean dentin samples were evaluated for Streptococcus mutans (SM) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (LB) after removal of carious tissue using the caries removal gels using serial dilutions and incubating on specific agar plates. RESULTS: The results showed significant reduction in mean TVC after use of both the CMCR gels. Both gels reduced the CFU/mL of SM and LB to a significant level (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the antibacterial activities of the two CMCR gels. CONCLUSION: The CMCR gels (Carisolv and Carie-Care) significantly reduced the residual TVC as well as SM and LB in carious primary dentin. Both CMCR gels had a similar antibacterial activity on the carious dentin of primary teeth. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The CMCR gels tested have a significant antibacterial activity and can be effectively used for elimination of caries-causing bacteria in primary teeth.

Access to oral health care services among adults with learning disabilities: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of oral diseases including dental caries and periodontal conditions is remarkably higher in people with disabilities. The provision of accessible oral health services for people with learning disabilities may be challenging. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the review were to identify barriers in accessing oral health care that persists within society, enabling or disabling people with learning disabilities. METHODS: Using the Arksey O'Malley framework, a scoping review was conducted on PubMed/Medline, OVIDSP, and EMBASE. Studies were evaluated and short-listed based on the inclusion criteria, which consisted of: (1) study participants or population with learning disabilities, (2) aged 16 years or over, (3) reporting on access to oral health services, (4) published in the English language. Those that justified the inclusion criteria were carefully chosen after a blind peer-reviewed process when relevance and quality were debated. RESULTS: Nine studies were eventually included from searches. Tabulation of data was done under the heading of study type, outcomes, the year of publication and patient selection. The majority of studies provided a biomedical overview of access for adults with learning disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: The concept of access for people with disability is still ill-defined and obscure. Access to oral health care and needs of people with learning disabilities are complex and multi-facet.

Surgical templates for dental implant positioning; current knowledge and clinical perspectives.

Dental implants have been used in a variety of different forms for many years. Since the mid-20(th) century, there has been an increase in interest in the implant process for the replacement of missing teeth. Branemark was one of the initial pioneers who applied scientifically based research techniques to develop an endosseous implant that forms an immobile connection with bone. The need for a dental implant to completely address multiple physical and biological factors imposes tremendous constraints on the surgical and handling protocol. Metallic dental implants have been successfully used for decades, but they have serious shortcomings related to their bony union and the fact that their mechanical properties do not match those of bone. However, anatomic limitation and restorative demands encourage the surgeon to gain precision in planning and surgical positioning of dental implants. Ideal placement of the implant facilitates the establishment of favorable forces on the implants and the prosthetic component as well as ensures an aesthetic outcome. Therefore, it is advisable to establish a logical continuity between the planned restoration and the surgical phases, it is essential to use a transfer device that for sure increases the predictability of success. The surgical guide template is fabricated by a dental technician after the presurgical restorative appointments that primarily include determination of occlusal scheme and implant angulations. Here, authors genuinely attempted to review the evolution and clinical applicability of surgical templates used in the placement of dental implants.

Modifying gummy smile: a minimally invasive approach.

AIM: Excessive gingival display is a problem that can be managed by variety of procedures. These procedures include non-surgical and surgical methods. The underlying cause of gummy smile can affect the type of procedure to be selected. Most patients prefer minimally invasive procedures with outstanding results. The authors describe a minimally invasive lip repositioning technique for management of gummy smile. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients (10 females, 2 males) with gingival display of 4 mm or more were operated under local anesthesia using a modified lip repositioning technique. Patients were followed up for 1, 3, 6 and 12 months and gingival display was measured at each follow up visit. The gingival mucosa was dissected and levator labii superioris and depressor septi muscles were freed and repositioned in a lower position. The levator labii superioris muscles were pulled in a lower position using circumdental sutures for 10 days. Both surgeon's and patient's satisfaction of surgical outcome was recorded at each follow-up visit. RESULTS: At early stage of follow-up the main complaints of patients were the feeling of tension in the upper lip and circum oral area, mild pain which was managed with analgesics. One month postoperatively, the gingival display in all patients was recorded to be between 2 and 4 mm with a mean of (2.6 mm). Patient satisfaction records after 1 month showed that 10 patients were satisfied with the results. Three months postoperatively, the gingival display in all patients was recorded and found to be between 2 and 5 mm with a mean of 3 mm. Patient satisfaction records showed that 8 patients were satisfied with the results as they gave scores between. Surgeon's satisfaction at three months follow up showed that the surgeons were satisfied in 8 patients. The same results were found in the 6 and 12 months follow-up periods without any changes. Complete relapse was recorded only in one case at the third postoperative month. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the proposed lip repositioning technique is an acceptable minimally invasive procedure in managing gummy smile. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A non-invasive procedure to avoid other complicated surgical procedures.

Reasons for and patterns relating to the extraction of permanent teeth in a subset of the Saudi population.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the reasons for and patterns of extraction of permanent teeth in a subset of the Saudi population. METHODS: During a 3-month period, dentists were asked to record, using a specially designed survey form, the reasons for every extraction of a permanent tooth. The reasons for tooth extraction were assigned to different causes, ie, dental caries, periodontal disease, eruption problems, trauma, orthodontics, failed root canal treatment, and others. The data requested for each extraction were: patient age, gender, nationality, and type of tooth removed and the reason for its extraction. RESULTS: The highest percentage of extractions was observed in young females aged 10-30 years. Presence of caries was observed to be the main reason for extraction (50.2%) followed by orthodontic problems (18.2%), eruption problems (17.5%), and periodontal problems (8.2%). The most frequently extracted posterior teeth were the third mandibular molar (19.4%), the third maxillary molar (16.4%), the first maxillary premolar (13.2%), and the first mandibular molar (10.9%). CONCLUSION: Dental caries was found to be the most common reason for extraction of teeth. Molar teeth were found to be the most frequently extracted, with an increased number of extracted first premolars as a result of orthodontic treatment. The highest percentage of extractions was observed in young females aged 10-30 years.