Arginine: A New Paradigm in Preventive Oral Care.

Dental caries is ubiquitous and one of the most prevalent oral diseases and the foremost cause of dental pain and poor quality of life (QoL). Fluoride is an effective caries preventive agent; however, despite its use, there remain some gaps in prevention of dental caries. Arginine, an amino acid, helps to maintain a noncariogenic plaque. It shows synergistic effects with fluoride in dental caries and can help nourish the tooth by enhancing the remineralization effect of fluoride. Supplementing fluoride dentifrices with arginine can bridge the gap in caries prevention. Several clinical studies with 1.5% arginine + fluoride provide evidence for its use in prevention of dental caries. This report throws light on the benefits of arginine in dental caries and guides on its use with fluoride. Recommendations given in the report will help in effective prevention of dental caries. How to cite this article: Goyal V, Damle S, Puranik MP, et al. Arginine: A New Paradigm in Preventive Oral Care. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(5):698-706.

Potentially Malignant Oral Disorders and Cancer Transformation.

Cancer in the oral cavity is often preceded by precursor lesions. Nine oral mucosal disorders are known to have an increased risk of malignant transformation. The etiology varies from disorders caused by exogenous factors such as tobacco and autoimmune inflammation to idiopathic or inherited genetic aberrations. In this review, these potentially malignant disorders (PMDs) are described regarding clinical presentation and histopathological architecture. Special attention is paid to the underlying etiologies of PMDs and the potential pathways leading to cancer. The clinical perspective focuses on the importance of accurate and timely diagnosis.

Comparison of antibacterial efficacy of coconut oil and chlorhexidine on Streptococcus mutans: An in vivo study.

AIMS: Streptococcus mutans is the most common organism causing dental caries. Various chemotherapeutic agents are available that help in treating the bacteria, with each having their own merits and demerits. Recent research has shown that coconut oil has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial action. Therefore, the present was conducted to determine the antibacterial efficacy of coconut oil and to compare it with chlorhexidine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of fifty female children aged 8-12 years were included in the study. Twenty five children were randomly distributed to each group, i.e., the study group (coconut oil) and the control group (chlorhexidine). The participants were asked to routinely perform oil swishing with coconut oil and chlorhexidine and rinse every day in the morning after brushing for 2-3 minutes. S. mutans in saliva and plaque were determined using a chairside method, i.e., the Dentocult SM Strip Mutans test. Patients were instructed to continue oil swishing for 30 days. S. mutans. counts in plaque and saliva on day 1, day 15, and day 30 were recorded and the results were compared using Wilcoxon matched pairs signed ranks test. RESULTS: The results showed that there is a statistically significant decrease in S. mutans. count from coconut oil as well as chlorhexidine group from baseline to 30 days. The study also showed that in comparison of coconut oil and chlorhexidine there is no statistically significant change regarding the antibacterial efficacy. CONCLUSION: Coconut oil is as effective as chlorhexidine in the reduction of S. mutans.

Effect of coconut oil in plaque related gingivitis - A preliminary report.

BACKGROUND: Oil pulling or oil swishing therapy is a traditional procedure in which the practitioners rinse or swish oil in their mouth. It is supposed to cure oral and systemic diseases but the evidence is minimal. Oil pulling with sesame oil and sunflower oil was found to reduce plaque related gingivitis. Coconut oil is an easily available edible oil. It is unique because it contains predominantly medium chain fatty acids of which 45-50 percent is lauric acid. Lauric acid has proven anti inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. No studies have been done on the benefits of oil pulling using coconut oil to date. So a pilot study was planned to assess the effect of coconut oil pulling on plaque induced gingivitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of coconut oil pulling/oil swishing on plaque formation and plaque induced gingivitis. A prospective interventional study was carried out. 60 age matched adolescent boys and girls in the age-group of 16-18 years with plaque induced gingivitis were included in the study and oil pulling was included in their oral hygiene routine. The study period was 30 days. Plaque and gingival indices of the subjects were assessed at baseline days 1,7,15 and 30. The data was analyzed using paired t test. RESULTS: A statistically significant decrease in the plaque and gingival indices was noticed from day 7 and the scores continued to decrease during the period of study. CONCLUSION: Oil pulling using coconut oil could be an effective adjuvant procedure in decreasing plaque formation and plaque induced gingivitis.

Hypertrichotic Giant Nevus Spilus Tardivus and Neurofibroma of the Tongue in Sporadic von Recklinghausen's Disease.

Solitary neurofibromas are rare, benign tumours of nonodontogenic origin. The presentation of a solitary neurofibroma on the tongue is an uncommon occurrence and we present such a case here which was discovered in concomitance with multiple neurofibromatosis type 1 (von Recklinghausen's disease). Such a rare presentation seen in this case is a diagnostic challenge and often clinched only with the aid of histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. This work also discusses the various differential diagnoses that can be considered in similar cases. The presence of a hypertrichotic "giant" nevus spilus tardivus (Becker's nevus) is also a rare finding in this particular case. We present such a case which will be of interest to the budding dental practitioner. The lesion was excised and the patient followed up without any evidence of malignant transformation.

Prevalence of mesiodens among 6- 14 year school children

Mesiodens are considered as one of the most common supernumerary teeth. The main objective of the study was to determine the prevalence rate of mesiodens in the school going children between the age group of 6-14 years The study shows a prevalence rate of 0.7% with sex ratio of 2:1 favouring males.

Trismus pseudocamptodactyly syndrome: a sporadic cause of trismus.

Trismus pseudocamptodactyly syndrome is a very rare autosomal dominant inherited disorder characterized by the inability to completely open the mouth (trismus) and the presence of abnormally short tendon units causing the fingers to curve (camptodactyly). Early diagnosis and management of this condition is important to prevent facial deformities in the patient. Reporting such a case is important as case reports are one of the sources of data for calculating the prevalence of rare diseases. Here, we report a case of trismus pseudocamptodactyly syndrome in an eight-year-old boy with a brief review of the literature.

Oromandibular Limb Hypogenesis Syndrome Type IIB: Case Report of Hypoglossia-Hypodactyly.

Hypoglossia-hypodactyly is a rare congenital anomaly affecting the tongue and the limbs. Hall in 1971 classified it under a complex group of disorders called oromandibular limb hypogenesis syndromes. It is an extremely rare condition with around 40 cases reported in the world literature. The cause of the syndrome is unknown. Some type of intrauterine trauma is the most widely accepted etiology. The characteristic features of the syndrome are hypoglossia, limb anomalies of variable degree, and micrognathia of the mandible. This unique case report of hypoglossia-hypodactyly was observed in a patient with normal mandible. In addition, patient also had pulmonary regurgitation. His parents and other siblings were normal. Positive prenatal history of maternal hyperthermia was obtained suspecting it to be the cause of the syndrome.