Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology最新文献

Background: Mouthwash, one of the important oral hygiene measures, is not regularly used by a majority of the population. Understanding their reasons can lead to research in developing mouthwashes with greater tolerance and compliance. The present survey is designed to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of mouthwash use among adult individuals in a suburban setting.

Methodology: A validated online KAP questionnaire was administered to adult volunteers of Chennai city, India, from 3 January to 3 February 2025.

Results: 265 respondents gave valid responses. 138 (52%) were male and 127 (48%) were female, with a mean age of 27.8 years. 111 (41.9%) respondents use a mouthwash, and 154 are non-users (58.1%). 37% of users reported a single daily frequency of mouthwashing. A majority (54%) reported a mouthwashing time between 10 and 30 s. 28% report waiting for 15 min before consuming food/liquids. 94% are aware that mouthwashing alone is not enough for oral health. More than half (55%) are aware that mouthwashes can have side effects. The mean KAP scores were 19.06, 18.05, and 21.80, respectively. KAP correlated strongly among the respondents (P < 0.01). Regression analysis of scores revealed socio-demographic differences.

Conclusion: The obtained scores revealed less than adequate KAP of mouthwash use in the population. This critical gap should be bridged by effective public health education and awareness programs. The data regarding the non-adherence and side effects of mouthwash can lead to further research in developing better products.

Background: Tumour microenvironment is one of the evading research studies in the progression of cancers. Circulating neutrophil's contribution to tumor growth and metastatic progression has been a matter of research interest. The phenotypic subset of low-density neutrophils (LDNs) has been seen as closely associated with disease severity in various cancers.

Aim and objectives: This study aims to investigate the LDN and normal-density neutrophil (NDN) populations in oral cancer.

Materials and methods: This is prospective research in which the CD16+ population was magnetically sorted and leukocytes were separated in a density gradient. Using a flow cytometer, the percentages of the neutrophil subpopulation were ascertained. It was established that there are two distinct populations of human neutrophils: LDNs and NDNs.

Results: Patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) showed a higher percentage of LDN/NDN ratio and a correspondingly lower percentage of LDN/NDN ratio when compared to the control group. In addition, patients with OSCC had higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLRs).

Conclusion: The current study showed a significant correlation between the LDN/NDN ratio in OSCC, which could be used as a benchmark for novel treatments. Additionally, the acquired LDNs/NDNs and NLR levels in cancer patients demonstrate their importance in OSCC patient prognosis and diagnosis.

Bone growth and remodelling are the outcomes of osteoblastic and osteoclastic cell activity which may be assessed by the biochemical markers. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a hydrolase enzyme associated with osteoblastic activity, and in contrast, acid phosphatase (AP) is associated with osteoclastic activity and is widely used as a prognostic and diagnostic marker for bone-related lesions. This systematic review aims to analyse the applicability of alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase as diagnostic and prognostic markers in various pathological conditions. A systematic review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases such as PubMed and Cochrane were searched for relevant articles with the keywords ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE and ACID PHOSPHATASE from 1990 to 2023. Studies on alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase levels in bone lesions and chronic kidney disease were included. After thorough scrutiny, 55 articles fulfilled our inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. On tabulating the extracted data, 15% of studies stated that pre-operative serum ALP levels differ in fibro-osseous lesions with fibrous dysplasia having the highest level. 11% of studies used a centrifugal autoanalyser and 10% of studies used colorimetry and ELISA for detecting serum ALP. This systematic review reveals the most widely used method of detection of ALP and AP in pathologic situations and also highlights its diagnostic and prognostic significance.

Background: Forensic dentistry deals with handling, examination, and evaluation of dental records, which are also required for medicolegal purpose. Digital forensic science has revolutionised the traditional forensic investigation by development of software and digital records. This results in quick identification and allows extraction of a large amount of data with less bias. As the conventional forensic procedures are tedious and time-consuming, there is a need for a digital platform that may help registration of dental records of all patients.

Aim: The study aims to assess the knowledge regarding Digital Dental Record Platform as a forensic aid for personal identification among the dental practitioners.

Methodology: After validation of the prepared questionnaire, it was circulated digitally as a google form and manually among dental practitioners in Belagavi city. The results obtained were tabulated and statistically analysed.

Results: 94.4% respondents thought that there is a need for a centralised digital platform to maintain dental records in India and it will be useful if the Indian government links the centralised dental record database with Aadhaar (91.7%). 92.6% respondents were willing to be a part of program where dental records are updated to a centralised digital platform.

Conclusion: India lacks a centralised digital platform as compared to western countries for forensic identification. Thus, there is a need for centralised digital dental record repository under Government of India which will be easily accessible for effective victim identification. A dentist plays a major role in this initiative as teeth and dental structures survive adverse conditions.

Proliferative Verrucous Leukoplakic (PVL) is a recently recognized Oral Potentially Malignant Disorder (OPMD) with the highest malignant transformation potential. These lesions are often resistant to the treatment and present with varied clinical and histological pictures in their course of progression. The histological spectrum observed in PVL are often confusing attributable to the extensive verrucous surface proliferation rendering an improper histological diagnosis, thus compromising treatment. To address the diagnostic ambiguity within this spectrum, Thompson et al. (2021) proposed four histopathologic categories for PVL, introducing the novel entity Barnaculate Carcinoma (BC). BC occupies an intermediate stage between Verrucous Hyperplasia (VH) and Verrucous Carcinoma (VC) and is defined as a bulky, non-invasive epithelial proliferation with distinctive morphological features, including extensive endophytic growth, flat surface, and an intact basement membrane. It resembles VC but lacks the classic invasion or extension beyond the adjacent epithelium. The name draws from barnacles, which attach firmly to surfaces-a trait mirrored in the lesion's 'stuck-on' appearance. While BC has not been recognized in the latest WHO 2022 classification of Head and Neck Tumours, it represents a unique subset specific to PVL, with no reported nodal metastasis or mortality in a limited follow-up. The delineation of BC could refine diagnosis and treatment, distinguishing it from VH and VC. However, further studies are warranted to validate its biological behaviour and determine therapeutic protocols. Recognizing BC in biopsies and evaluating patient outcomes will be critical in shaping future classification and management strategies.

Background: Covid patients experience changes in overall health and very less is known about variation in oral manifestations as per severity of Covid and how far it differs, which needs evaluation.

Aim: To analyse COVID-19 hospitalized patients for variations in clinical, demographic details, and oral manifestations as per severity of involvement (mild, moderate, and severe).

Patients and methods: This prospective study had 12 participants of RT-PCR positive COVID in each group, and hence, 36 participants were selected for mild, moderate, and severe cases. All patients' data were noted from the first day of hospitalization until completion of treatment, with a follow-up of a minimum of 7 days.

Results: In our study, the M: F ratio was 5:4 with a mean age of 39.44 years. The most common oral sites involved were labial mucosa, followed by buccal mucosa. In all mild, moderate, and severe cases, there was a significant association of labial mucosa (P = 0.038) and buccal mucosa (P = 0.011). COVID participants had sublingual varicosity, burning sensation, aphthous ulcers, mucositis, angular chelitis, coated tongue, candidiasis, dryness of the oral cavity, herpes labialis, geographic and fissured tongue.

Conclusion: Results show that oral manifestations and the well-being of patients worsen from mild to severe cases of COVID-19, poor oral hygiene, and multiple drug therapy for illness contribute to the same. These findings have significant implications for understanding oral manifestations as per variation in severity of COVID-19, with a multidisciplinary approach for management of COVID-19.

Background: Early diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM) is the key to controlling it. Dental care settings can offer an opportunity to identify unknown cases of DM. The Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS) is a validated and simple tool designed to predict the type II DM risk in the Indian population.

Objective: To assess the hyperglycaemia among undiagnosed type II DM patients and to compare random blood sugar (RBS) levels between various IDRS risk groups.

Materials and methods: This research included a sample of patients who visited two dental teaching hospitals for dental treatment between July and September 2024 based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Diabetes risk was evaluated with IDRS criteria, and capillary RBS was assessed with an Accu-Check^® glucometer. Chi-square test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and Mann-Whitney's tests for bivariate analysis, and binomial regression analysis to assess the predictors of hyperglycaemia were used.

Results: A sample of 652 individuals (370 males and 282 females) participated in this cross-sectional study. Around 35% of them were in high risk, 45% in medium risk, and 20% were in low risk categories. RBS levels >200 mg/dL were found in 18.25% of the participants, and among the high-risk patients, 35.65% had RBS levels >200 mg/dL. IDRS high-risk category and above 65 years were the two predictors identified in regression analysis.

Conclusion: Pre-procedural RBS estimation in high and moderate-risk patients is a valuable measure to identify unknown cases and prevent complications of DM. Dental clinics can play a vital role in this.

Aim: This study aims at the prediction of gender from radiographic condylar and coronoid measurements using random forest and elastic net algorithms.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionise the process of determining gender from skeletal remains by enhancing objectivity, efficiency, and accuracy. AI systems can be trained to automatically assess skeletal features relevant to gender identification, such as the size of the pelvis, skull, and specific mandibular traits.

Materials and methods: A total of 200 digital panoramic radiographs were collected, out of which 100 were males and 100 were females. The average age range of the samples was 20-40 years. Coronoid height and condylar height were measured using Planmeca Romexis Viewer Software version 2.9.2.R (Planmeca OY, Helsinki, Finland). Random forest and elastic net algorithms were employed in the study.

Results: The 20-30 years group had an average age of 25.68 years, while the 31-40 years group had an average age of 35.32 years. The 20-30 years group had a lower range and variability compared to the 31-40 years group. Both age groups had similar median values, but the 20-30 years group had slightly higher variability. In elastic net algorithms, the true positive rate was 0.925, indicating high accuracy in identifying positive cases. The random forest model's performance metrics included a precision of 0.7368, recall of 0.875, and F1-score of 0.79, indicating its effectiveness in predicting genders. A high AUC of 0.952 was observed.

Conclusion: The study shows that machine learning models can achieve high accuracy in gender prediction. However, future research should expand the sample size, explore additional features, and conduct cross-validation for applicability.

Background and objectives: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the mucous membranes with first-line treatment usually focused on corticosteroids for reducing inflammation and alleviating symptoms. Unfortunately, corticosteroids can carry risks, and with contraindications. When corticosteroids are contraindicated, cannot be tolerated, or need to be replaced due to side effects or some other reason, many different treatment and treatment strategies exist depending on what type of underlying condition is being treated. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to compare the efficacy of steroid (prednisolone) versus non-steroid agent (dapsone) in patients with oral lichen planus.

Materials and methods: Thirty patients, diagnosed histopathologically with OLP, which failed to respond to topical treatments, were included in the study. The selected patients were divided into two groups. Group I (n = 15) received a systemic steroid, Prednisolone 10 mg twice daily, and Group II (n = 15) received a non-steroidal Dapsone 100 mg once daily. Both groups were also prescribed Benzocaine Gel and Benzydamine Mouthwash, and local irritants were removed before administration. The reduction in size of lesion and the intensity of burning sensation were recorded.

Results: The two groups demonstrated a substantial degree of remission at the end of their treatment dosages. Both the groups had a positive outcome and similar response rates in terms of reduction in lesion size (group I = 65%; group II = 62%) and reduced pain intensity (group I = 88%; group II = 91%).

Conclusion: Dapsone can be considered as alternate to steroids; it was equivalent to prednisolone in efficacy.

Amidst the new arrival of application of ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre training Transformer) for scientific writing and in biomedical research projects, this AI powered chatbot is liable for "Artificial hallucinations" as the information provided by it, at times, does not relate to the real world scenario and needs continuous monitoring and re evaluation by human intervention. Though it has been mooted as a new panacea for students, researchers, and academicians to write credible scientific writing, the issue remains: "Is the information provided trustworthy"? Identifying this research gap, we intended to pen down a concept centric synthesis matrix framework (SMF) to identify the usages and perils of employing Chat GPT as a credible tool in the field of scientific writing in academics and research. Google Scholar and PubMed search databases were implemented with search strings using Boolean terms such as "Chat GPT", "Scientific writing", "Chat GPT and scientific writing", Chat GPT and Biomedical research", "Artificial hallucinations and Chat GPT", "Advantages and Chat GPT", "Disadvantages and Chat GPT", "Accuracy of Chat GPT and Scientific writing". We sourced articles, chiefly full text, written in the English language. The review was further assessed by using three category rubrics applying specific parameters such as coverage, synthesis, and significance of included studies. This review highlighted inferences derived from evidence based studies in which Chat GPT has reported huge concerns related to plagiarism, ethics, bias, incorrect content, etc., when used in scientific writing platforms. Hence, it cannot be a reliable tool and needs supervision by human intervention. This review additionally emphasized the importance of applying the SMF as a guiding principle in the field of scientific writing and hence should be included as a modification in curriculum design by educationalists and policy reformers in higher education as a quality enhancement initiative in the discipline of research.