Autogenous tooth graft is an innovative and ingenious technique that employs a stepwise approach and utilizes human teeth as an autogenous source of bone graft. The structure of teeth closely resembles bone, both physically and biochemically, and can be efficiently used for the process as it depicts properties of osteoinduction and osteoconduction. Autogenous tooth bone has characteristics similar to bone grafts in terms of healing potential, physical properties, and clinical outcome. Autogenous tooth graft has shown reasonable promise as a graft material for the regeneration of maxillary and mandibular defects. Autogenous tooth bone graft finds its principal application in sinus and ridge augmentations and for socket preservation before implant placement. Additionally, it can be used successfully for alveolar cleft patients and patients with limited periodontal defects. The overall complication rates reported for autogenous tooth grafts are comparable to other graft sources. However, although long-term results are still underway, it is still recommended as a grafting option for limited defects in the cranio-facial region.

It has been nearly two years since the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected the world. Several innovations and discoveries related to COVID-19 are surfacing every day and new problems associated with the COVID-19 virus are also coming to light. A similar situation is with the emergence of deep invasive fungal infections associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Recent literature reported the cases of pulmonary and rhino-cerebral fungal infections appearing in patients previously infected by COVID-19. Histopathological analysis of these cases has shown that most of such infections are diagnosed as mucormycosis or aspergillosis. Rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis usually affects the maxillary sinus with involvement of maxillary teeth, orbits, and ethmoidal sinuses. Diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for both COVID-19 as well as mucormycosis. At this point, there is scanty data on the subject and most of the published literature comprises of either case reports or case series with no long-term data available. The aim of this review paper is to present the characteristics of COVID-19 related mucormycosis and associated clinical features, outcome, diagnostic and management strategies. A prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment planning can surely benefit these patients.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an optics-based imaging technique, which may be called an “optical biopsy.” It can be used to acquire structural information about a tissue at a resolution comparable to histopathology. OCT is based on the principle of low-coherence interferometry where near-infrared (NIR) light is shown on a tissue sample and then cross-sectional images are obtained based on backscattered light and echo time delay. Two main types of OCT are characterized as time-domain OCT (TD-OCT) and Fourier-domain OCT (FD-OCT). The applications of OCT in dentistry can be broadly divided into two groups, i.e., assessment of pathologies and assessment of surfaces and interfaces. Lately, OCT has made its transition from experimental laboratories to mainstream clinical applications. Starting from the short-term training courses, clinicians working in specialities like oral pathology, oral medicine, and oral implantology may find it a useful tool for their practices. It is now clear that OCT will be considered a gold standard diagnostic tool for the detection and characterization of several conditions and lesions of the orofacial region. However, the next challenge will be to incorporate it into the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum and train dental healthcare staff in the use of these devices.

Periodontal disease can cause irreversible damage to tooth-supporting tissues such as the root cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone, eventually leading to tooth loss. While standard periodontal treatments are usually helpful in reducing disease progression, they cannot repair or replace lost periodontal tissue. Periodontal regeneration has been demonstrated to be beneficial in treating intraosseous and furcation defects to varied degrees. Cell-based treatment for periodontal regeneration will become more efficient and predictable as tissue engineering and progenitor cell biology advance, surpassing the limitations of present therapeutic techniques. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with the ability to self-renew and differentiate into several cell types when stimulated. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been tested for periodontal regeneration in vitro and in humans, with promising results. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) possess a great regenerative and therapeutic potential. Their added benefits comprise ease of collection, endless source of stem cells, less immunorejection, and affordability. Further, their collection does not include the concerns associated with human embryonic stem cells. The purpose of this review is to address the most recent findings about periodontal regenerative mechanisms, different stem cells accessible for periodontal regeneration, and UC-MSCs and their involvement in periodontal regeneration.

Objective: To compare the results of periodontal infrabony lesions treated using nanohydroxyapatite (NcHA) graft with other bone grafts (BGs). Methods: Four electronic databases were searched including PubMed (NLM), Embase (Ovid), Medline, and Dentistry and Oral Sciences (EBSCO). The inclusion criteria included randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs). The clinical results of NcHA were compared with other BGs. For clinical attachment level (CAL) gain, probing pocket depth (PPD) decrease, and gingival recession (REC) change, weighted averages and forest plots were computed. Results: Seven RCTs fulfilled the selection criteria that were included. When NcHA was compared to other BGs, no clinically significant differences were found in terms of each outcome assessed, except the REC change for synthetic BGs as compared to NcHA. Conclusions: The use of an NcHA graft showed equivalent results compared to other types of BGs. To further validate these findings, future studies are required to compare the NcHA and various BGs over longer time periods and in furcation deficiencies.