Context: The survival of atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) restorations would probably increase if near total elimination of cariogenic microorganisms could be done in the process of cavity cleaning before going ahead with the restoration. Thus, use of naturally occurring disinfecting agents for achieving this goal could herald a new beginning in the field of contemporary minimum intervention dentistry. Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of hand instruments in excavating dental caries and comparatively evaluate the roles of Aloe vera and propolis as potential cavity disinfecting agents after minimally invasive hand excavation of dental caries. Settings and Designs: Experimental, in vivo intergroup split mouth, randomized clinical trial. Subjects and Methods: The study included Group I (Control), Group II (A. vera) and Group III (propolis). Ten patients with three teeth each have occlusal/occlusoproximal lesions suitable for ART were selected. Dentinal samples were collected three times from each tooth viz., preexcavation, postexcavation and postdisinfection of the cavities. These dentinal samples were subjected to microbiological analyses for total viable count. Statistical Analysis Used: Repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni post-hoc test and one-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc test. Results: In all the three groups, significant amount of bacteria were left behind after hand excavation. Group II and Group III, in which cavities were treated with A. vera and propolis extracts respectively, showed a significant reduction in the bacterial counts when compared to control the group. Conclusions: Hand excavation alone does not completely eliminate bacteria, which may predispose treated teeth to secondary caries. Both propolis and A. vera extracts can be used as potential natural disinfecting agents, thereby embracing the concept of phytotherapy in minimum intervention dentistry.

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) is the most common congenital craniofacial anomaly. Rehabilitation of CLP generally requires a team approach. Alveolar and nasal reconstruction for these patients is a challenge for the reconstructive surgeon. Various procedures have been attempted to reduce the cleft gap, so as to obtain esthetic results postsurgically. The presurgical nasoalveolar molding (PNAM) technique, developed by Grayson, is a new approach to presurgical infant orthopedics. PNAM reduces the severity of the initial cleft alveolar and nasal deformity. Thus, it enables the surgeon and the patient to enjoy the benefits associated with repair of a cleft deformity that is minimal in severity. This article presents a brief insight into PNAM with a case series of three different cases (one unilateral and two bilateral) which underwent PNAM treatment and gave an excellent surgical prognosis.

Odontomas are mixed odontogenic tumors composed of mineralized tissue of ectomesenchymal origin. These are usually detected in routine radiographs and may have a variable etiology such as local trauma, genetic mutation, or infection. They are classified into two main types: complex and compound. Complex odontomas are rare and they rarely erupt into the oral cavity as they lack periodontal ligament. This is the report of one such case of complex odontoma where an 11-year-old girl reported with an asymptomatic swelling, in relation to the left angle of the mandible. The case report highlights the clinical and radiographic findings, investigations done to arrive at the diagnosis and the treatment rendered. This report is of clinical importance because of its rare association with the agenesis of a molar tooth.

Background: Dental practitioners must develop feasible and evidence‐based strategies to help parents/caregivers successfully implement daily oral hygiene measures among their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Aim: This scoping review aimed to explore challenges faced by parents/caregivers while performing routine oral hygiene care among their children with ASD.Design: A methodological framework recommended by Arksey and O'Malley and reporting guidelines prescribed by PRISMA‐ScR were adopted. A database search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, and ClinicalKey, to identify articles that addressed challenges faced by parents/caregivers while performing routine oral hygiene care for their children with ASD.Results: The search yielded 4934 articles. Following the inclusion/exclusion criteria, nine articles were included in this scoping review. A qualitative analysis of included articles following the PICOS coding criteria revealed major themes. These consisted of various home oral hygiene practices followed by parents/caregivers, and challenges faced by them during home oral hygiene care owing to underlying sensory, behavioral, physical, and/or functional problems experienced by their children with ASD.Conclusion: Challenges experienced by parents/caregivers of children with ASD were numerous, which resulted in deviations from routine oral hygiene practices from recommended guidelines for the prevention of dental caries.