Premenstrual Syndrome: Awareness and Oral Manifestations in Patients Attending Dental Hospital in Pune.

Fluctuations in androgenic hormonal levels are noticeable through women's menstrual cycle. Changes in estrogen and progesterone have been shown to affect periodontium. Many women report an increase in gingival inflammation and discomfort associated with their menstrual cycle, most commonly before the menstrual period. Approximately 80% of women experience complaints of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) 7 to 10 days before menstruation. Therefore, the present study was carried out to check prevalence of PMS and its oral and periodontal manifestations in patients attending dental hospital. For the study, 100 systemically healthy women of reproductive age attending dental hospital were selected. Thorough recording of oral discomfort and associated symptoms during late luteal phase was done. Clinical parameters such as plaque index and gingival index were recorded. Thirty-seven females reported complaints suggestive of PMS. Oral changes during PMS were experienced by 59 females. Halitosis and oral ulcers were more frequent. Findings of the present study showed the possibility of influence of sex hormones on oral manifestations during premenstrual period.

Detection of Helicobacter pylori in oral squamous cell carcinoma using modified Giemsa stain: A new diagnostic approach.

Context: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. It is mainly known to be caused by tobacco in various forms and also due to viral, fungal infection and poor oral hygiene, etc. Poor oral hygiene leads to colonization of pathogenic bacteria including Helicobacter pylori. It seems that the presence of H. pylori might be a risk factor for developing oral cancer. The successful attempt was made to detect H. pylori in diagnosed specimens of OSCC using Warthin-starry and Giemsa stains in our department. The modified Giemsa stain is the method of choice because it is sensitive, cheap, easy to perform, faster, and reproducible. Aim: The aim of this study is to detect H. pylori in various grades of OSCC using modified Giemsa stain. Subjects and Methods: Thirty cases of various grades of OSCC were selected from the archives of the department. Five-micrometer-thick paraffin-embedded tissue sections of these cases were taken and stained with modified Giemsa and were studied under ×100 magnification. Results: All the tissue sections studied were positive for H. pylori bacteria. Conclusions: Our study showed a significant presence of H. pylori in histological sections of OSCC, and it seems likely that the presence of H. pylori might be a risk factor for the developing oral lesions such as oral cancer. Early detection and eradication of H. pylori in the oral cavity, especially in high-risk patients, might prevent its harmful consequences.

A Comparative Study to Evaluate Efficacy of Curcumin and Aloe Vera Gel along with Oral Physiotherapy in the Management of Oral Submucous Fibrosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Rationale (Hypothesis): The antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,immunomodulatory and anti-tumorigenic properties of natural plant's extracts like aloe Vera and curcumin  may produce beneficial therapeutic effects on OSMF patients and may lead to their symptomatic relief. Also, increase in the tissue elasticity with the help of oral physiotherapy excercises , would help in reinforcing increment in  mouth opening. AIM: The aim of the study is to compare the efficacy of Curcumin gel with Aloe Vera gel when both the gel are supplemented along with oral physiotherapy in the management of OSMF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A study of parallel group trial design, using simple randomization technique, was conducted on confirmed cases of OSMF. Patients were divided into two groups, one group(30 patients) was given curcumin gel(Curenext) and other group (30 patients) aloe Vera gel (Aloe Vera 100% relief) and each group was asked to do same oral physiotherapy excercises supplementally. Follow-up was done for 6 weeks and patients were assessed on the basis of improvement in mouth opening and burning sensation at 2, 4, and 6 weeks. RESULTS: There was an improvement in both the parameters at subsequent visits, but the Aloe Vera gel showed better improvement than curcumin gel in burning sensation after 6 weeks of treatment which was highly statistically significant p < 0.01. CONCLUSION: Curcumin gel and Aloe Vera gel are effective in improving OSMF symptoms, but aloe Vera gel is more efficacious in burning sensation improvement without any side effects. Hence, we can advocate these drugs as adjuvant treatment in addition to the recommended treatment.

Wheatgrass: Green Blood can Help to Fight Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and is one of the leading causes of death especially in developing countries like India. It is usually managed with the help of chemotherapeutic agents that are toxic not only to the tumor cells but also to normal cells in many ways. Whereas the traditional herbal medicines which are used from ancient days in India are generally known to be free of toxic effects and are effective. Wheatgrass is the young grass of the wheat plant 'Tritcumaestivum Linn', family Poaceae (Gramineae). It contains a number of vitamins, mineral, amino acids and vital enzymes, these play an important role in the anticancer approach of this herbal product. It is also called as 'green blood' because of its high content of chlorophyll, which bears a structural similarity to haemoglobin and this result in high oxygen supply to all the body tissues. AIM: To analyse the effect of the aqueous wheat grass extract on Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) cell line by MTT assay. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 'KB cell line' (Mouth Epidermal Carcinoma Cells) was used for the present study. Aqueous extract of wheat grass was prepared in the institution. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of the aqueous wheat grass extract on KB cell line(OSCC) by MTT assay. RESULTS: A 41.4% of OSCC cell inhibition was observed at 1000 µg/ml dilution of aqueous wheatgrass extract in 24 hours. CONCLUSION: The aqueous extract of wheatgrass has an inhibitory effect on the oral cancer cell line proliferation.