The epoch of Nano-biomaterials and their application in the field of medicine and dentistry has been long-lived. The application of nanotechnology is extensively used in diagnosis and treatment aspects of oral diseases. The nanomaterials and its structures are being widely involved in the production of medicines and drugs used for the treatment of oral diseases like periodontitis, oral carcinoma, etc. and helps in maintaining the longevity of oral health. Chitosan is a naturally occurring biopolymer derived from chitin which is seen commonly in arthropods. Chitosan nanoparticles are the latest in the trend of nanoparticles used in dentistry and are becoming the most wanted biopolymer for use toward therapeutic interventions. Literature search has also shown that chitosan nanoparticles have anti-tumor effects. This review highlights the various aspects of chitosan nanoparticles and their implications in dentistry.

The primary aim of the following study is to estimate the chronological age based on the stages of third molar development following the eight stages (A to H) method of Demirjian et al. (along with two modifications-Orhan) and secondary aim is to compare third molar development with sex and age. The sample consisted of 115 orthopantomograms from South Indian subjects with known chronological age and gender. Multiple regression analysis was performed with chronological age as the dependable variable and third molar root development as independent variable. All the statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 11.0 package (IBM ® Corporation). Statistically no significant differences were found in third molar development between males and females. Depending on the available number of wisdom teeth in an individual, R (2) varied for males from 0.21 to 0.48 and for females from 0.16 to 0.38. New equations were derived for estimating the chronological age. The chronological age of a South Indian individual between 14 and 22 years may be estimated based on the regression formulae. However, additional studies with a larger study population must be conducted to meet the need for population-based information on third molar development.

Introduction: Radiation, commonly employed as neoadjuvant, primary, and adjuvant therapy for head and neck cancer causes numerous epithelial and stromal changes, prominent among which is fibrosis with its early and late consequences. Very little is known about the true nature of the fibrosed tissue and the type of fibers accumulated. Radiotherapy affects the supporting tumor stroma often resulting in a worsening grade of tumor post-radiation. Aim: To study epithelial, neoplastic, stromal, and glandular changes in oral cavity induced by radiation therapy for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) using special stains. Materials and Methods: The study included 27 samples of recurrent OSCC following completion of radiotherapy (recurrence within an average span of 11 months), and 26 non-irradiated cases of OSCC. Patients with a history of combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy were not included in the study. The epithelial changes assessed included epithelial atrophy, apoptosis, necrosis, dysplasia, and neoplasia. The connective tissue was evaluated for amount of fibrosis, quality of fibers (using picrosirius red staining), fibrinous exudate, necrosis, pattern of invasion, vessel wall thickening, and salivary gland changes. The aforementioned changes were assessed using light and polarizing microscopy and tabulated. Statistical Analysis: Epithelial and connective tissue parameters were compared between the irradiated and non-irradiated cases using chi square and t-tests. Results: Epithelial and connective tissue parameters were found to be increased in irradiated patients. Pattern of invasion by tumor cells varied from strands and cords between the two groups studied. The effect of radiation was seen to reflect on the maturity of fibers and the regularity of their distribution.

Background: The practice of young adults smoking e-cigarette may have been adopted as a way of smoking cessation or just to follow a trend. Most people still remain unaware of the detrimental effects of e-cigarette. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of the habit of smoking e-cigarette and the awareness of its harmful effects among adults aged 18–23 years. Methods: A questionnaire adopted from a study conducted in Italy was used in the study following due permission. After taking their consent, participants were requested to fill the survey irrespective of their smoking status. Results: In total the study comprised 710 participants aged 20.7 ± 1.7 years (females = 412 and males = 298) from six countries. Most respondents were from India followed by the USA and then the UK. The most common mode of information for the participants on the existence of e-cigarette was from the family members, friends followed by Internet search engines and TV/newspaper advertisements. Among the participants, e-cigarette had a prevalence of 5.63%. Among these, 26 participants were using e-cigarette for less than 1 year and 2 participants for more than 5 years. E-cigarette smokers also experienced sore throat, cough, headache, dizziness and sleeplessness. Conclusion: Majority of the young population was unaware about the use and harmful effects of e-cigarette.

J Int Soc Prevent Communit Dent, Official publication of International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry (ISPCD)

Purpose: Oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) occurs on exposure of epithelial cells to carcinogens and genetic alteration. Once the reversible cell damage is surpassed, cells either undergo apoptosis or transform into malignancy, chiefly oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Progressive accumulation of genetic errors (including mutations in TP53 and CDKN1A ) is associated with the initiation and progression of potentially malignant oral lesions toward frank malignancy. The present study attempted to correlate the immunohistochemical expression of CDKN1A and TP53 with increasing severity of OED along with increased aggressiveness of OSCC as reflected in the clinicopathologic variables. Materials and Methods: Tissue sections from forty biopsy-proven cases of OED and OSCC were stained with anti- TP53 and anti- CDKN1A mouse monoclonal antibodies. One hundred cells in each case were counted under high power magnification. Results: Poorly differentiated OSCC showed the highest TP53 expression (mean = 70.285), with least expression seen in mild dysplasia (mean = 22.125) ( P < 0.001). Higher TP53 count was seen in cases with margin involvement, without recurrence and lymph node involvement and in cases which died of disease. CDKN1A expression was seen only in five cases and that too focally in the cytoplasm, thereby warranting removal of analysis of CDKN1A positivity from the study. Conclusion: The expression of TP53 in OED highlights its role in initial carcinogenesis. Although the role of CDKN1A in the cell cycle has been documented, its relationship to various clinical and pathological variables of OSCC and its different treatment modalities could not be adequately assessed.