ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: For decades now, head and neck cancer (HNC) remains to be one of the deadliest; per se the treatment for the same has been evolving for the past years. Radiation therapy (RT) has been one among the various treatment modalities adopted to treat HNC. The fact that RT can affect the quality of life in these patients cannot be denied. In patients with HNC, these can bring about a wide array of lesions in oral cavity and its associated structures as these areas are invariably affected due to exposure to radiation as such. These include alteration in salivary parameters, changes in microbial flora, and occurrence of radiation caries. AIM: In our study we aimed at assessing the alteration in oral microbial flora inclusive of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus colony count before and after RT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Saliva and plaque samples were collected from patients with HNC, who were prescribed to undergo intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) amounting to a mean radiation dosage of 60 Gy units. The aforementioned samples were collected at three different intervals, before, immediately after, and 6 months after RT. The samples were cultured in selective media in three different dilutions (1:10, 1:100, and 1:1000). Following with colony counting is carried out using a standardized colony counter. CONCLUSION: The results showed a significant alteration in microbial flora pre- and post-RT. Individual parameters do not show a single stand in causing these changes. Moreover, these changes seem to have earned a multifactorial contribution.
ABSTRACT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to assess the dental treatment needs of 12- and 15-year-old school-going children of fishermen community residing at East Coast Road, Chennai. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 35 schools, 2 schools of private and government each were chosen to a final sample size of 650 students. Ethical clearance to conduct the research was obtained. A pilot study was undertaken during February 2012 at St. Joseph school, Kovalam to determine the feasibility of the study and also to determine the sample size. Examination was carried out by a single examiner to assess the treatment needs using World Health Organization Oral Health Surveys: Basic Methods pro forma (1997) excluding prosthetic treatment needs. The Chi-square test (χ2) was used to find out whether there existed a significant difference in the oral health status between 12- and 15-year-old school children and private and government school children. RESULTS: 12-year-old children and 15-year-old children had a mean decayed-missing-filled teeth value of 2.14 and 2.72, respectively. Majority of the study population 454 (241[68.8%] 12-year-old children and 213[71%] 15-year-old children) need one surface restoration. Majority of the study population 623 (95.8%) had community periodontal index (CPI) score of 2 (i.e., calculus), whereas only 27 (4.1%) of the study population had CPI score of 0 (i.e., healthy gums). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the oral health status of these children was poor with high caries prevalence and high Malocclusion.
