ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PERIODONTAL DISEASE AMONG A GROUP OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN CHENNAI CITY: A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY

Objective: The main objective of this study is to assess the awareness about oral hygiene, etiology periodontal disease and awareness of treatmenttechniques for the same among medical professionals in Chennai city.METHODS: A survey will be carried out among a group of medical professionals comprising of interns, post graduates (PG) and faculty in medicalcolleges by means of questions to identify the knowledge of periodontitis, risk associated with periodontal disease and the general awareness amongmedical professionals with regards to periodontal care. The data obtained from the questionnaire was statistically analyzed and the results werecomputed. RESULTS: The results of this study show that there in increase in the knowledge about periodontal disease in postgraduates and faculty compared tointerns. It was observed that the awareness increased with the number of years of experience, however, across groups there was a deficiency in theknowledge with respect to latest treatment modalities available for periodontal disease.CONCLUSION: The input from the survey can be used to organize periodontal health programs and awareness among professionals about periodontaldisease and importance of treating the same.Keywords: Knowledge, Periodontal disease, Medical professionals

COMPARISON OF ANTIFUNGAL EFFECTS OF COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE HERBAL MOUTHWASHES AND CHLORHEXIDINE AGAINST CANDIDA ALBICANS IN DIABETIC PATIENTS: AN IN VITRO STUDY

Objective: Candida albicans is a part of the normal flora of the mouth in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Periodontitis is one of the main complicationsin diabetic patients. Mechanical and chemical plaque control are the most productive methods in preventing periodontal diseases in the oral cavity.The objective of this study is to compare the in vitro effect of herbal mouthwashes and chlorhexidine (CHX) against C. albicans.Methods: Saliva samples were obtained from diabetic patients reporting for treatment to Saveetha medical college. C. albicans was cultured from thesalivary sample. A yeast suspension was made by sub culturing the C. albicans. The mouthwashes used in the study are HiOra regular (0.2%), HiOrasensitive (0.5%), and clohex plus (CHX gluconate 0.02%) mouthwashes. The fungal suspension was spread on Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA) plateswith a sterile swab. Subsequently, wells of 6 mm in diameter were made with a suitable distance using sterile cork borer on pre-inoculated agar platesand filled with 100 μl of each mouthwashes. From the zones of inhibition seen, antimicrobial activity was expressed in terms of average diameter ofthe zones of inhibition measured.Results: Using HiOra regular mouthwash, 13/18 (72%) wells were found to show zone of inhibition ≥20 mm. In HiOra sensitive mouthwash, only9/18 (50%) showed inhibition zone ≥20 mm. With effect of regular CHX mouthwash, none of the strains showed the zone of inhibition to be ≥20 mm.Most of the strains responded well with all the three mouthwashes.Conclusion: Among the 2 herbal mouthwashes, HiOra regular mouthwash was most effective in inhibiting the candidal growth when compared tothe HiOra sensitive. HiOra regular mouthwash still showed better inhibitory actions when compared to the regular CHX mouthwash and the candidalspecies showed increased sensitivity to it.Keywords: Candida albicans, Chlorhexidine mouthwash, Diabetes mellitus, Herbal mouthwashes, Zone of inhibition

AWARENESS ABOUT PERIODONTITIS AND PRE-TERM LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS AMONG GYNECOLOGISTS IN CHENNAI- A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY

Background: Periodontal infection has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.  Subsequently it is important that gynecologists are educated about hormonal effects on women’s oral health.  The current study assessed gynecologist’s awareness regarding the effect of female sex hormones on periodontal health and preterm delivery. Materials and methods: Sixty-six gynecologists from the city of Chennai completed a questionnaire regarding awareness about female hormonal and periodontal health and its effects on pre-term low birth weight infants. Respondents were divided into three groups: Group A, (doctors who practiced at a medical colleges) Group B (doctors who practiced at private hospitals) and Group C. (doctors who practiced at both medical colleges and private hospitals) Survey responses were collected and data between the groups were statistically compared. Results: Our findings showed that most gynecologists were aware and concerned about female patient’s oral health during various hormonal phases.  However, gynecologists practicing at medical colleges (Group A) and gynecologists practicing at both medical colleges and private hospitals (Group C) had significantly greater health awareness than doctors practicing at private hospitals. (Group B) Conclusion: The results of the current study imply the fact that there is adequate knowledge about the effects of hormonal changes in the periodontal tissues. However, there is limited incorporation of this knowledge, especially among gynecologists who are exclusively into private practice

¿Cómo pasan las y los jóvenes su tiempo libre? Conclusiones de una investigación formativa en la India central rural, mediante el registro de actividades diarias, proyecto V-CaN

Introduction. The younger population is disproportionately affected by NCDs, which are also rapidly affecting the poorer sections of the Indian population. Adolescents' unhealthy food intake and lack of physical activity are major contributors to the emergence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Objective. To understand the way leisure time is utilized by the individuals of 10-30 years age from the rural central India, in order to find opportunities for promoting recreational activities. Methods. A qualitative study was conducted using Daily Activity Schedule for formative research for V-CaN (Vitalizing Communities against No communicable diseases) project in 12 villages selected using convenience sampling maintaining variability with individuals of age 10-30 years. The activity was conducted separately with boys and girls, and content analysis was performed to analyze dataIntroducción. La población más joven se ve afectada de forma desproporcionada por enfermedades no transmisibles (ENT), que también afectan rápidamente a los sectores más pobres de la población india. La ingesta de alimentos poco saludables y la falta de actividad física por parte de los adolescentes contribuyen en gran medida a la aparición deENTs. Objetivo. Comprender la utilización del tiempo libre por individuos de 10-30 años de edad en la India central rural para encontrar oportunidades de promoción de actividades recreativas. Métodos. Se realizóun estudio cualitativo utilizando el Programa de Actividades Diarias para la investigación formativa del proyecto V-CaN en 12 aldeas seleccionadas mediante muestreo de conveniencia manteniendo la variabilidad con individuos de edades comprendidas entre 10 y 30 años. La actividad se llevóa cabo por separado con niños y niñas y se realizóun análisis de contenido

Nanocomposite Hydrogels as Local Drug Delivery in Periodontics

Nanotechnology is predicted to revolutionize the control over materials and properties at ultrafine scales and the sensitivity of tools and devices applied in various scientific and technological fields. Dentistry as an individual healthcare unit is not exempted, having already been targeted directly with novel ‘nano-materials ’ at the same time as indirectly enjoying the benefits of nano-related advances in the electronics industry through the ongoing computerization of the modern practice. This short communication examines current practical application of nanocomposite hydrogels as local drug delivery in the field of periodontics along with the proposed application in the future from this novel multi-disciplinary science. Keywords:Local drug delivery, nanocomposites, nanodentistry, nanotechnology, Periodontics. Periodontitis is a disease involving supportive structures of the teeth which prevails in all groups, ethnicities, races and both gender. It is multi-factorial in etiology, and bacteria are one among these etiologic agents. Thus, an essentia

Comparative analysis of gingival crevicular fluid neopterin levels in health and periodontal disease: A biochemical study

Background: Periodontitis involves intricate interactions of the biofilm with the host immunoinflammatory response and subsequent alterations in bone and connective tissue homeostasis. Neopterin is a marker, belonging to the class of pteridines, which is associated with cell-mediated immunity. It is produced by interferon-γ stimulated macrophages. The levels of neopterin in body fluids are elevated in infections, autoimmune diseases, malignancies and allograft rejections. This investigation was designed to estimate the levels of neopterin in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in health, chronic gingivitis and chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: Thirty subjects were divided into three groups of ten subjects each as with healthy periodontium (Group 1), chronic gingivitis (Group 2) and chronic periodontitis (Group 3). The GCF samples were obtained from the subjects by placing color-coded calibrated, volumetric, micro-capillary pipettes extracrevicularly. The samples were placed in plastic vials and stored at −70°C until the time of neopterin estimation using enzyme immunoassay. Results: The mean neopterin level in Group 3 (126.28 ± 37.70 nmol/L) is significantly higher than the mean neopterin level in Group 1 (48.66 ± 18.82 nmol/L) and Group 2 (70.68 ± 18.26 nmol/L) (P 0.05). Conclusions: The results of our study indicate that the neopterin levels in GCF are positively associated with periodontal disease, which may provide a useful tool in monitoring its progression. Nevertheless, further longitudinal studies are required with larger sample sizes in which neopterin levels are progressively estimated and compared to baseline values