The COVID-19 epidemic has affected not only people’s daily lives but also the working methods of clinicians, surgical procedures, open/minimally invasive procedures, operating room management, patient and healthcare worker safety, education and training. The main objective of this study was to review selected articles and determine the changes in the general surgery protocols/procedures before and after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature was carried out in PubMed-Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus and Google Scholar. The terms utilised for the searches were “SARS-CoV-2”, “Surgery”, “COVID-19”, “Surgical protocol”, “Surgical recommendations” and “before and after”. A total of 236 studies were identified, out of which 41 studies were included for data extraction. Significant changes in all the articles were observed with respect to the surgeries done before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the number of elective surgeries were considerably fewer in comparison to the pre-pandemic period. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, hospitals all throughout the world have conducted significantly fewer procedures, particularly elective/non-urgent surgeries.

Odontomas are hamartomatous lesions composed of mature enamel, dentin, and pulp, and may be compound or complex depending on the extent of morphodifferentiation or on their resemblance to normal teeth. They are the most common benign odontogenic tumours, constituting 22% of all odontogenic tumours of the jaw. They are often non-aggressive and slow growing in nature, and are usually diagnosed on routine radiological examinations in the second decade of life. We report the case of an unusually large, painless, complex odontoma, which is a rare entity. It was located in the left posterior mandible and was associated with missing 1(st) and 2(nd) left mandibular molars. The diagnosis was confirmed following surgical excision and histopathological analysis of the lesion.

Sialolithiasis along with sialadenitis is one of the commonly occurring salivary gland disorders. Sialadenitis is an inflammatory disease of the salivary glands. It usually occurs insidiously causing pain to the patient and may lead to development of fibrous mass of the salivary gland. The cause of sialadenitis is most commonly due to the salivary duct caliculi which is termed as sialolith or salivary stones which causes statis of saliva in the ducts. This condition is usually accompanied by pain and tenderness of the involved site. Therefore, we report a case of a male patient aged 60 years with pain in the floor of the mouth in the submandibular region which was diagnosed as submandibular sialolithiasis along with sialadenitis and propose a diagnostic algorithm.

Introduction: Early detection of oral malignant and potentially malignant disorders is very important in reducing morbidity and mortality. Truck drivers are transport workers who transport goods over long distances in trucks are at a very “high risk” due to various factors. The aim of this study was to detect potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions using the oral rub and rinse technique among truck drivers in Dakshina Kannada. Materials and Methods: An oral cancer screening program among truck drivers was conducted in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka. Data regarding socio-demographic details, history of tobacco use were collected. Oral cancer screening was carried out. Exfoliative cytology was done using the oral rub and rinse technique if red/white lesions were present and biopsies were taken in case of ulcerated lesions. Descriptive statistics was used in this study in the form of number and percentage. Results: A total of 964 subjects were screened for potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions. Most of the patients (83%) were current tobacco users. Of the 964 subjects, 148 had red/white lesions. Results of exfoliative cytology showed that 23% smears were Class I, 24% were Class II, 31% were Class III, and 16% were Class IV smears; 6% smears were unsatisfactory. Tissue biopsy was taken for 23 patients with ulcerated lesions − 2 were confirmed for oral squamous cell carcinoma and 21 had dysplasia. Conclusion: High-risk targeted screening for oral cancer can help identify oral precancerous lesions at an early stage.

The temperomandibular joint (TMJ) is a multiaxial ginlymoarthrodial synovial joint endowed with a capacity to perform a wide range of movements , primarily through its bicondylar mandibule freely articulating with a stationary (fixed) fossa of the squamous temporal. This short paper elaborates on an odd, yet possible, movement that can be performed by the joint: An illusory and paradoxical 'depression' that can result by a reversal in the roles of the two articulating bones, the mandible and the temporal. Whereas in classical depression, the TMJ utilizes two axises, the same joint during performance of the reversed articulation uses just a single axis to achieve an identical final outcome, separation of the alveolar ridges of two bones.This paper here discusses the kinetics and articular dynamics that coordinate the plethora of performed or possible movements with special reference and a closer observation of the depression – elevation sequence.