ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Anxious patients tend to exaggerate the aversive events before the actual dental therapy. The anxiety and fear are the major factors that regulate cortisol levels. AIM: Our study aims to estimate the salivary cortisol among patients subjected to dental extraction and correlate any existence between pre- and post-extraction cortisol levels and vital parameters compared to the control group. METHODOLOGY: The study sample included sixty individuals, thirty patients indicated for a dental extraction, and thirty healthy patients between the ages of 18 and 60 years. We collected saliva samples from the control group and pre- and post-extraction samples from the study group participants and vital parameters. We used quantitative ELISA Kit, Diagnostics Biochem Canada Inc. (DBC), to estimate the salivary cortisol level. We evaluated the values using the Chi-square test, Pearson correlation test, and paired t-test using the JMP 15; JMP Pro, Version 15 (SAS) Microsoft® Windows® for × 64. RESULTS: The mean value of cortisol concentration of saliva was significantly greater in the preextraction group (6.13 ± 0.53 µg/dl) than after extraction group (3.17 ± 0.14 µg/dl) (P < 0.001). There were no significant associations between hemodynamic parameters and salivary cortisol concentration except for the postextraction systolic blood pressure (BP). A comparison of hemodynamic parameters between the study and control group revealed substantial differences in systolic BP. CONCLUSION: The patient's anticipation and anxiety toward dental therapy elevate the cortisol level. Dental surgeons should treat the patients more conveniently and effectively without any strains and provide a comfortable atmosphere to avoid stress-related consequences.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Every dentist should anticipate being confronted with a medical emergency (ME), and one should always be ready to treat the most catastrophic ones. AIM: This study aimed to assess the knowledge of dental clinical students of Tamil Nadu in the ME understanding and management to create awareness toward patient care. METHODOLOGY: A total of 768 dental students, including final-year students and residents from different colleges, took part in the questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. The selection of study participants was by the convenience sampling method. The questionnaire contained thirty closed multiple-choice questions to assess their knowledge of MEs. Microsoft Office Excel software was used for compiling the answers. The descriptive analysis of the data is exhibited in graphs. RESULTS: The majority of participants were mindful of the vital signs; only 55% of the participants know the importance of checking their respiration rate. The knowledge of identifying MEs such as anaphylaxis was 91%, and only 27%-37% of the respondents knew to identify angina, transient ischemia, and lidocaine toxicity. Approximately 15%-40% of the respondents only knew the management of angina, cardiac arrest, hyperventilation, respiratory obstruction, and seizure. Only 10% agreed that the best office emergency kit should be prepared by themselves. Roughly 78% of the respondents were conscious of the patient's referral whenever necessary and aware of state dental acts. CONCLUSION: This study reflects a significant need for training in executing ME among dental students who are to transmute into future dental professionals.
ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Identification of unknown corpse can be established by their body features and belongings; when the features are distorted, it becomes a challenge for the forensic experts. Orthopantamograph (OPG) analysis is a simple, noninvasive, economic, and reliable method to sort for identification of the unidentified. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of OPG in age and sex determination. The objective of our study was to evaluate various measurements on the mandibular ramus and to correlate them with the age and sex of an individual. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A retrospective study was conducted using 150 OPGs that were taken in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology using Orthophos XG3 OPG machine. The mandibular ramus measurements were carried out using WebPlot Digitizer v 4.1. The measurement was statistically assessed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: SPSS version 20 was used for discriminate analysis, correlation, and regression analysis. RESULTS: The male population showed higher values of ramus measurements compared to the female population. A regression equation was positively drawn to estimate the age of the unknown individual. CONCLUSIONS: Coronoid height is the main predictive factor in age estimation of an individual irrespective of the gender whereas gonial angle is the extrapolative tool in gender prediction.
ABSTRACT
Myoepithelial carcinoma is an uncommon malignant salivary gland neoplasm with a predilection for parotid gland. However, its occurrence in minor salivary glands is considerably less with only 28 cases being reported in the literature. We report a case of myoepithelial carcinoma of palate in a 50-year-old woman. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an extensive lesion in the palate. Microscopically, the tumor exhibited a wide spectrum of cytomorphologic features that overlap with other salivary gland tumors. Immunohistochemistry served as an adjunct in the diagnosis of the lesion. Clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic correlation along with immunohistochemical profile enabled to arrive at a diagnosis of myoepithelial carcinoma.
