Evaluation of the efficacy of neem (Azadirachta indica) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) as storage media in maintaining periodontal ligament cell viability: An in vitro study.

AIMS: The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of neem and turmeric as storage media in maintaining periodontal ligament (PDL) cell viability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety premolar extracted teeth were randomly selected and divided into three groups, namely milk as a control group and neem and turmeric as experimental groups. The teeth were placed in one of the three storage media for 30 min. Scrapped PDL fibers were collected in Falcon tubes, incubated, and centrifuged for 5 min at 800 rpm. Obtained PDL cells were stained with trypan blue, observed, and counted in a hemocytometer under microscope, which was followed by the calculation of percentages of viable cells. One-way ANOVA was applied for comparison between different groups, and Tukey's test was applied for pair-wise comparison. RESULTS: Mean percentage of viable cells in milk was 89.98 ± 4.11%, whereas in neem and turmeric extracts, it was 88.00 ± 5.85% and 81.63 ± 7.12%, respectively. There was a significant difference between all the three storage media for the viable PDL cells (P = 0.001). Intergroup comparison of the different storage media showed that there was a statistically highly significant difference between milk and turmeric (P ≤ 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in between turmeric and neem (P ≤ 0.531) for the viable cell percentage, with neem being better storage medium than the turmeric. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of the current study, it can be concluded that neem is as efficient as milk in maintaining the PDL cell viability. Turmeric, though is an efficient storage medium, was not as efficient as milk and neem.

Family-Related Factors Associated with Caries Prevalence in the Primary Dentition of 5-6-year-old Children in Urban and Rural Areas of Jabalpur City.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of dental caries in primary dentition of 5-6-year-old children in urban and rural areas of Jabalpur city. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the rural and urban areas of Jabalpur city, India. A power analysis was carried out to select a representative sample of 5-6-year-old children (n = 408), 204 from government schools and 204 from private schools. Parents were interviewed using a self-structured questionnaire to collect data with regard to variables under evaluation. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Collected data were subjected to descriptive analysis using the SPSS 12.0 version. Risk factor association with dental caries was investigated using a stepwise logistic regression analysis with P < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: This shows significantly higher decayed missing filled teeth among rural children than urban children. It was seen that 46.5% of children whose mothers were illiterate were affected with dental caries. In urban area, 91.5% of children whereas 77% of children in rural area have parental control on sugar consumption. CONCLUSION: It is important to focus on parents' education level when planning preventive programs for young children. Assessing family-related risk factors is essential when instituting preventive/treatment programs for young children.