Maneuvering dentistry in COVID-19 era

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has annulled the routine practice of dentistry and due to the uncertainty of this unique situation, there is a need for procedural restructuring as well as effective reduction of the aerosol-rich environment in which dentistry is practiced and taught until wide scale testing and vaccination is achieved. Aim: The aim of this article is to review additional measures which would help in reduction of spread of infectious viral pathogens in a dental setting and also to address the requirements for effectively continuing dental education during this period. Conclusion: The COVID-19 era presents a fluid state of affairs in which new information of the disease is daily updated but basic steps outlined in the article can help in reducing the cross-infections in a dental setting which will result in maintaining the trust and safety of the patients till we achieve mass scale vaccination or immunity. Clinical Significance: The article addresses additional measures apart from maintaining the universal precautions for infection control which need to be adhered to reduce the SARS-CoV-2 infection potential to the patients and dental health-care professionals

Assessment of Gender Using Condyle-coronoid Angle and Various Linear Measurements of Mandibular Ramus in South Indian Population: A Digital Panoramic Study

Background: Gender determination is a valuable factor in forensic odontology. Mandible may play a important role in gender estimation as it shows significant dimorphism and is often recovered intact. Mandibular ramus as well as condyle and coronoid have shown sexual dimorphism. Digital panoramic radiographs can be used to determine the age and gender. The purpose of the current study was to measure, compare and evaluate the various measurements of mandibular ramus and as well as to assess their usefulness in gender determination. Materials and Methods: 100 panoramic images ( 50 males and 50 females) of Bagalkot district, Karnataka patients aged (18-58)yrs old were selected. Parameters namely condyle ramus height, coronoid ramus height, condyle coronoid breadth, maximum ramus breadth, minimum ramus breadth, coronoid-condyle angle were taken into consideration, the values were measured and data was analyzed. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software.Results: In the present study all the measurements of the mandibular ramus on digital panoramic radiographs showed a statistically significant difference between both the genders except maximum ramus breadth and coronoid-condylar breadth which shows statistically insignificant results