Split-Mouth Comparison of Pain and Healing Associated With the Electrocautery and Bur Abrasion Methods in the Treatment of Depigmentation: A Case Report.

The most common aesthetic issue that affects people's smiles is gingival pigmentation, especially in those with high smile lines. This pigmented gingiva is thought to be naturally occurring melanin pigments that add to the gingiva's endogenous pigmentation. The goal of plastic periodontal surgery known as "gingival depigmentation" is to lighten the dark gingiva by scraping off the gingival epithelium. Gingival depigmentation has been performed with a variety of techniques, including bur abrasion, scraping, partial thickness flap, cryotherapy, electrocautery, and laser. The present case comprised a split-mouth design in which depigmentation using an electrosurgical unit and soft tissue trimming bur was used for the maxillary sections, and evaluated the difference in pain felt by the patient and healing of the surgical site between the sites treated with the electrosurgical unit and bur abrasion method. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to quantify pain felt by the patient on the seventh day, whereas healing was assessed on the seventh day and at a one-month interval visually. The results of this study showed that the electrocautery-treated site showed better results in terms of pain experienced by the patient and also with the surgical site healing.

Association of periodontitis with pre term low birth weight - A review.

Prematurity is one of the main causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The association between periodontitis and premature delivery and low weight at birth has been suggested in many literature. Pregnancy totally depends on physiological immune tolerance of a women. During pregnancy shifts in the microbial composition of the subgingival dental plaque biofilm promotes the formation of more hazardous and destructive microbial community. In women suffering with periodontitis, the infected periodontal tissues may act as source of bacteria and their products can reach to the foetus-placenta unit through circulation. This helps the bacterial agents and their products to activate inflammatory signalling pathways locally and in extra-oral sites, including the placenta-foetal unit, which may not only induce preterm labor but also restrict the intrauterine growth. Number of literature has shown about the effectiveness of providing periodontal treatment in preventing gestational complications by controlling the infection and inflammation in periodontitis patients during pregnancy. In this review we aimed to throw the light on the current data of association between pregnancy and periodontitis, pathogenic mechanisms underlying this association, evidence of this association and effect of providing periodontal treatment as a safety precaution to the mothers.

Effect of Subgingival Doxycycline Placement on Clinical and Microbiological Parameters in Inflammatory Periodontal Disease: Both in Vivo and in Vitro Studies.

AIM: To eva luate the effect of subgingival placement of doxycy-cline in the form of a resorbable membrane on the clinical and microbiological parameters in the treatment of inflammatory periodontal disease. Material and methods; We evaluated the effects of a controlled release system containing doxycycline both in vivo and in vitro conditions. Drug systems were prepared for both, and a total of 19 patients were included in the study with age range from 35 to 50 years. Clinical parameters like gingival index, probing depth, attachment loss, and gingival shrinkage were evaluated along with microbiological evaluation as well for a period of 10 weeks. RESULTS: In vitro study showed that the doxycycline hydroxy-propyl methylcellulose films are capable of releasing the drug in a sustained way with respect to time. It was observed that the gingival index score, periodontal probing depth, and gingival shrinkage showed low levels at the doxycycline-treated sites as compared to the placebo group. The microbial culture results also showed a marked reduction in the total anaerobic count post-treatment and till the end of the 10 week study period in the doxycycline-treated group. Thus, overall results showed that 30% doxycycline methylcellulose strips have significant effects and benefits on clinical and microbial parameters in more than 5 mm deep periodontal pockets. CONCLUSION: We conclude that 30% doxycycline both in vivo and vitro study has proven to be an effective antibiotic of choice both clinically and microbiologically. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Doxycycline has proven to have great promise as an antibiotic of choice. Thus, there is a significant advantage in the clinical use of doxycycline formulation for both the therapist and the patient. It can help dental professionals as an additional means to maintain an improved clinical health in periodontal problems of their patients. With this new therapeutic modality, we can augment the ability to treat periodontitis more effectively.

Natal teeth in premature dizygotic twin girls.

Presence or eruption of teeth immediately at or after birth is a rarely reported phenomenon. This condition is referred to as natal teeth, neonatal teeth, congenital teeth, fetal teeth, predeciduous teeth and dentitia praecox. The most affected teeth are lower primary central incisors with the incidence of 1:2000 for natal and 1:3500 for neonatal teeth. The aetiology of this anomaly is still not clear, however, attributes have been reported in relation to congenital teeth, multiple factors and some syndromes. The management of such cases depends on clinical characteristics of natal or neonatal teeth, as well as complications that they might cause. The aim of this paper is to discuss a rare case of occurrence of two natal teeth in both premature dizygotic twin female babies with specific emphasis on the literature review related to concerns regarding prevalence, aetiology, clinical characteristics, differential diagnosis, complications and management.

Role of Triphala in dentistry.

Ayurveda is considered as the "science of life," because the ancient Indian system of health care focused views of man and his illness. India has an age-old heritage of traditional herbal medicine. Conventional drugs usually provide effective antibiotic therapy for bacterial infections, but there is an increasing problem of antibiotic resistance and a continuing need for new solutions. Hence, now herbal drugs are being preferred to synthetic antibiotics. 'Triphala' is a well-known powdered preparation in the Indian system of medicine (ISM). It consists of equal parts of the Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula, and Terminalia belerica. Currently, Triphala is being extensively researched for its various therapeutic effects including its anti-caries, antioxidant, anti-collagenase, and anti-microbial activities. The present review will focus on the comprehensive appraisal of Triphala and its several applications in dentistry.