Oromandibular Dystonia: An Update for Dental Professionals

Oromandibular Dystonia (OMD) is a type of focal dystonia which affects the masticatory, cervical, facial, eyelid, laryngeal, and pharyngeal muscles. OMD patients may consult dentists with involuntary movement or spasm of the lips, tongue, involuntary jaw opening or closing, changes in the occlusion, slurred speech, drooling of saliva, difficulty in mastication, swallowing, and speaking. Due to the uncommon occurrence of OMD, this condition may be misdiagnosed and may lead to unnecessary treatment. Thus thorough knowledge regarding the features of OMD is essential for the dentists. Present review focus on the signs and symptoms of OMD, diagnosis and management of these patients

Post Herpetic Osteonecrosis of the Maxilla

Herpes Zoster (HZ) is caused by the secondary reactivation of Varicella Zoster virus. It is characterised by presence of severe pain and unilateral vesicles along the distribution of the affected nerve. Osteonecrosis is one of the rare complications of Herpes Zoster which is seen after the acute phase of the illness has subsided. We report a case of osteonecrosis of the maxilla in 35-years–old female. The subject gave a history of Herpes Zoster of the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve. After healing of the lesions, she then developed osteonecrosis of the maxilla. Further investigations revealed her HIV positive status. The clinical features, pathogenesis and management of this rare condition are described. Further, the occurrence of HZ induced osteonecrosis lead to the diagnosis of HIV in the present case

Oral leukoplakia: A review of clinical features and trends in management

Introduction: Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) conisit of the group of diseases of great importance for dentists. Oral leukoplakia (OL) has long been the subject of debate by numerous researchers. A common etiologic factor is tobacco, which is associated with oral cancer. The aim of the study is to indicate the severity of the lesion, the most common clinical characreistics and localization. The prevalence of leukoplakia in the world is 2.6% with a rate of malignant conversion ranging from 0.1% to 17.5%. Literature data about the prevalence and annual rate of malignant transformation, approximately 2%, indicate that these changes should be taken seriously and regularymonitored Conclusion: Occurate diagnosis provides the key to preventing to malignant transformation. Various medical and surgical treatment modalities for this lesion have been described. This article highlights various trends in the diagnosis and treatment of oral leukoplakia

Status of thiocyanate levels in the serum and saliva of non-smokers, ex-smokers and smokers

Background: Use of tobacco is often implicated in the development of oral diseases. Questionable accuracy of the traditional questionnaires to assess cigarette exposure necessitates the use of biomarkers like thiocyanate which provide a definitive quantitative measure.Objective: To assess the rise in the level of thiocyanate for measurement of smoking behaviour in adults.Materials and methods: Serum and salivary thiocyanate levels were estimated in 20 non-smokers, 20 ex-smokers and 40 smokers. Smokers were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of oral mucosal lesions.Results: The mean serum and salivary thiocyanate levels were increased significantly in smokers when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers. The levels were not significantly different between ex-smokers and non-smokers and between smokers with tobacco related oral mucosal lesions and those without. Statistically significant correlation was seen between the serum and salivary levels of thiocyanate.Conclusion: This study highlights the high level of thiocyanate in the serum and saliva of smokers when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers. Significant increase in thiocyanate level was also seen in saliva. Hence it can be stated that saliva can be used as a reliable, non-invasive tool to assess smoking behaviour in the population and its changes over time.Keywords: Thiocyanate, tobacco, smoking, cancer, pre-cancer

Status of thiocyanate levels in the serum and saliva of non-smokers, ex-smokers and smokers

Background: Use of tobacco is often implicated in the development of oral diseases. Questionable accuracy of the traditional questionnaires to assess cigarette exposure necessitates the use of biomarkers like thiocyanate which provide a definitive quantitative measure. Objective: To assess the rise in the level of thiocyanate for measurement of smoking behaviour in adults. Materials and methods: Serum and salivary thiocyanate levels were estimated in 20 non-smokers, 20 ex-smokers and 40 smokers. Smokers were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of oral mucosal lesions. Results: The mean serum and salivary thiocyanate levels were increased significantly in smokers when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers. The levels were not significantly different between ex-smokers and non-smokers and between smokers with tobacco related oral mucosal lesions and those without. Statistically significant correlation was seen between the serum and salivary levels of thiocyanate. Conclusion: This study highlights the high level of thiocyanate in the serum and saliva of smokers when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers. Significant increase in thiocyanate level was also seen in saliva. Hence it can be stated that saliva can be used as a reliable, non-invasive tool to assess smoking behaviour in the population and its changes over time

Ameloblastomas vs recurrent ameloblastomas: a systematic review

Introduction: Ameloblastoma is an odontogenic tumour with high recurrence rate. The objective of the present study was to evaluate existing literature regarding clinical, radiographic, histopathologic features, treatment, and recurrence rate of ameloblastomas and compare it with features of recurrent ameloblastomas. Materials and methods: A systematic review was done based on the PRISMA statement. Search was performed in “Pubmed” database with search terminology “recurrent ameloblastoma”, “ameloblastoma recurrence” for articles published between 2010 and 2020. Data were extracted from full‐text articles and discussed. Results: Out of 515 articles, 16 articles fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data was analysed in two sections. The first with 10 publications assessed features of ameloblastoma in general and their recurrence rate while the second section evaluated features of only recurrent ameloblastomas in 6 publications. There were 234 recurrences in 936 cases with recurrence rate of 23.50%. Male predominance was noted and mandible was commonly affected. Solid/multicystic ameloblastomas formed 74.5% of the tumours and unicystic formed 23.3%. The recurrence rate after conservative treatment was 64.9% and after radical treatment was 12%. Conclusions: The main factors for recurrence were multilocular ameloblastomas, follicular histopathology and conservative treatment

Pleomorphic adenoma of the soft palate: Myoepithelial cell predominant

The pleomorphic adenoma is the most common salivary gland tumor. A remarkable morphological diversity can exist from one tumor to the next. We present here a case of pleomorphic adenoma of minor salivary glands of the soft palate which had predominantly myoepithelial cells with minimal stroma, ductal cells, or tubular elements

Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor of the posterior maxilla

Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor (CEOT) is a rare odontogenic neoplasm comprising <1% of all odontogenic tumors. It is commonly seen in the third to fifth decades of life without any gender predilection. It usually occurs in the mandibular posterior region. A painless, slow growing swelling with bone expansion is the most common clinical feature of CEOT. Radiographically, it presents as a mixed lesion with or without an associated impacted tooth. Confirmation of the diagnosis is by histopathological examination. We describe an unusual case of CEOT occurring in the maxillary posterior region and involving the maxillary sinus. The associated impacted third molar was displaced to the lateral wall of the nose and root resorption was seen in all the teeth associated with the lesion. There was no evidence of calcification in conventional as well as computed tomography images