The impact of qat (Catha edulis Forsk) chewing frequency on status of chronic periodontitis

Background: Chronic periodontitis occurs due to the reaction between bacterial components of dental plaque and the humoral and cellular host immune productions, such as cytokines and inflammatory mediators. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of qat (Catha edulis Forsk) chewing frequency on the status of chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 patients with chronic periodontitis were selected for this study and they were divided on the basis of qat chewing habits frequency into three equal groups, i.e., non qat chewing group (control group), qat chewing once daily and qat chewing twice daily. Plaque index (PLI), gingival index (GI), and Clinical attachment loss (CAL) were recorded. Gingival biopsies were obtained from selected site for assessing histopathological changes. The data were collect and analyzed by ANOVA test. Results: There were significant differences in PLI, GI, and CAL between qat chewing patients groups compared to non qat chewing patients group (control group). Histopathological study showed increased inflammatory cells in qat chewing patients groups compared to non chewing patients group. Conclusion: There was increased severity of chronic periodontitis with increased frequency of qat chewing habit daily there is a significance differences in clinical and histopathological findings between the patients in Group II and Group III (study groups) compared to Group I (control group). Clinical Significance: The current study reveal that the severity of chronic periodontitis may be increased with increased qat chewing frequency due to its traumatic effect on periodontal tissues

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography: A New Tool on the Horizon for Forensic Dentistry

Teeth and bones of calvarium are important structures from a forensic point of view, as they are extremely resilient to destruction or decomposition, even under temperature variations. Radiology is inevitably an important tool in forensic investigations. Maxillofacial radiology provides a considerable amount of information for the identification of remains and evidence in case of legal matters. The advent of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the arena of maxillofacial 3D imaging has contributed immensely to forensic science such as the age estimation through teeth, analysis of bite marks, determination of race and sex, etc. The advantages of accuracy in imaging the anatomy, digitized technology favoring easier comparison of records and storage of records for a longer period, cost reduction, dose reduction, and easier portability have made it an unavoidable adjunct in forensic investigations. The aim of this paper is to review and highlight the importance of CBCT in successful forensic identification and analysis. This review is written to address the various aspects of CBCT as a recently developed technology that may be very useful in some forensic contexts, based on searches for current studies in the literature using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases, to identify studies published since inception to December 2021, with no language restriction. In conclusion, CBCT is an accessible 3D imaging technology with many applications, one of them being in forensic sciences