Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health status among general masses: An in-deep analysis of the worst "hitters" of COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: A plethora of studies have reported the adverse psychiatric outcomes among the general masses during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, not much data is available in relation to the Indian population from this perspective. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health status among the general masses in the Indian population.

Materials And Methods: The present study was planned in a cross-sectional study design between July 2020 and October 2021 in which a well-structured questionnaire, consisting of questions assessing the sociodemographic profile, while, also, specific questions related to the stress and anxiety-related variables, was used.

Comparative Evaluation of Clinical Outcome Including Neurosensory Deficit and Pain Score Variables Using Rigid Internal Fixation with Three-Dimensional Miniplate Internal Fixation in Simultaneous Angle and Contralateral Body/Parasymphysis Fractures of the Mandible: A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Study.

 There have been numerous advancements in the strategies used for treating mandibular fractures in the present times, while open reduction and internal fixation is still accepted as the most preferred treatment option for such fractures despite numerous drawbacks. The aim of the present prospective, randomized controlled study was to evaluate the clinical outcome including neurosensory deficit and pain score variables in mandibular fractures that were treated using rigid internal fixation with three-dimensional (3D) miniplate internal fixation.  For the present study, a total of 20 patients of either sex in an age range of 18 to 55 years with simultaneous angle and contralateral body/parasymphysis fractures of the mandible were included, while the clinical outcome was compared in relation to the two groups wherein different treatment options were used including using rigid internal fixation in one as against 3D miniplate internal fixation in the other.

Traumatic Dental Injuries and their Association with Demographics and Other Predisposing Risk Factors in School Children Aged between 8-13 Years: A Descriptive, Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Traumatic dental injuries are most commonly seen in school age children. This not only affects physical, but, also, the psychological and social well-being of a child. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of traumatic dental injuries in school children aged between 8 and 13 years and their association with the demographics and other predisposing risk factors.

Canine retraction and anchorage loss using self-ligating and conventional brackets with sliding mechanics: A split-mouth clinical study.

Objective: Appliance biocompatibility, orthodontic treatment efficiency and patient convenience are the major issues confronting contemporary orthodontic practice. Very few studies have been published till date regarding the efficiency of self-ligating brackets as against conventional brackets. Hence, the present study was planned to compare the rate of canine retraction between self-ligating and conventional brackets and to determine the amount of anchorage loss during canine retraction.

Comparison of shear bond strength of composite resin, compomer, and resin-modified glass-ionomer cements in primary teeth: An study.

Objective: The contemporary esthetic restorative materials such as composite resin and glass-ionomer cements and their modifications have all been developed keeping in mind the requirements of permanent teeth. There have been plenty of studies that have focused on the characteristics of these materials in relation to permanent teeth with a relative dearth of such studies as regard to the primary teeth. The present study was undertaken to compare and evaluate the shear bond strength of composite resin, compomer, and resin-modified glass-ionomer cements in primary teeth.

Comparative evaluation of impact strength of mechanically modified heat polymerized polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin with addition of 0.5, 1, 2 wt% of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs): An in-vitro study.

Objective: Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is one of the most widely used denture base material because of favorable esthetics and desirable characteristics such as easy handling. Acrylic resins, although, have some inherent disadvantages such as relatively poor physical and mechanical properties. The objective of the present study was to evaluate and compare the impact strength of unmodified and modified heat cure PMMA-based denture base material with addition of different concentrations of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) (0.

Comparative evaluation of variations in torque expression in maxillary incisor and canine using different bracket prescriptions placed at different crown levels by finite element (FE) method: An analysis.

Objective: While using preadjusted brackets, the position of the bracket on the crown is one of the deciding factors that determine the tooth's final tip, torque, height, and rotation. The final tooth position is not optimal if the bracket is placed incorrectly or if the varying crown morphology does not correspond with the bracket design. The present study was conducted to evaluate and compare the variations in torque expression in maxillary incisor and canine using different bracket prescriptions placed at different crown levels by finite element method.

Perception of dental students regarding possible career challenges and associated factors towards working in rural areas: A questionnaire based survey.

Objective: The shortage of health care professionals in rural areas contributes toward discriminatory health care delivery. The present study was planned with a similar intent and aimed to evaluate the perception of dental students regarding their future in rural areas.

Materials And Methods: The present study was designed as a cross-sectional study comprising of a 30-item questionnaire survey instrument distributed among a total of 550 dental students while the results obtained were subjected to statistical analysis.

Strategic implants and bone morphogenic changes: Survival and clinical success in long-term.

Dental implants are one of the established treatment protocols to replace/restore lost tooth/teeth structures. Ihde and Ihde redefined concept of strategic implantology based on immediate loading. The aim of present case series was to evaluate efficacy of strategic implants regarding primary stability, quality of bone, survival, and clinical success in long-term.

Osseodensification implant site preparation technique and subsequent implant stability: A pilot study.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to evaluate and compare primary and secondary implant stability of conical endosteal implants placed using osseodensification osteotomy and conventional osteotomy techniques.

Materials And Methods: The present study was designed as a prospective, observational study in which a total of 26 endosteal implants were placed in the posterior edentulous regions of upper and lower jaws in 13 patients divided into two groups, Group A and Group B. In Group A, implants were placed using osseodensification osteotomy technique while in Group B, conventional osteotomy technique was used.

Osteoporosis risk group: Screening for osteoporosis in dental clinics using panoramic radiographs.

Osteoporosis is a specific condition which is characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) and deterioration of bone structure resulting in an increased susceptibility to fractures. It contributes to a great deal of morbidity and mortality, and is a large burden to the healthcare system, especially in the case of the elderly population. In the last four decades, a plethora of studies have reported characteristic oral radiographic findings in the early stages of osteoporosis, suggesting the possible use of oral radiographic signs for the early detection of the condition.

Linear Cephalometric Analysis of Pharynx at the Level of Epiglottis among Snorers and Nonsnorers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

 Snoring, which falls within the spectrum of sleep-related breathing disorders, is considered to be one of the common symptoms of airway obstruction. Lateral cephalometric analysis is an effective way of diagnosing airway obstruction by evaluating skeletal and soft tissue abnormalities in patients with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). The present study was planned to analyze the pharyngeal space among snorers and nonsnorers in the retroglossal region and in the region of hypopharynx at the level of epiglottis.

Accidental Pathological Findings in Asymptomatic Maxillary Sinuses in Patients Referred for Head and Neck Cone-Beam Computed Tomography: A Cross-sectional Study Analysis.

Background: The aim of the present study was to detect the prevalence of accidental pathological findings in asymptomatic maxillary sinuses in patients referred for head and neck cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) examination for varied reasons.

Methods: The present cross-sectional study included a detailed analysis of CBCT scans of 150 patients aged between 18 and 70 years reporting for varied dental complaints for detecting accidental pathological findings in maxillary sinuses while the patients did not have any complaint pertaining to sinuses.

Results: The findings of the present study revealed 58% patients to have pathological findings in maxillary sinuses while they were asymptomatic for sinuses.

Radiomorphometric Indices and their Relation to Alveolar Bone Loss: A Panoramic Radiographic Study.

Aim: To assess the influence of gender and age on different parameters of alveolar bone loss using specific radiomorphometric indices on panoramic radiographs to aid in identifying patients with possible low bone mineral density (BMD).

Materials And Methods: The present cross-sectional study included 80 subjects in whom mandibular cortical index (MCI), mandibular cortical width (MCW), panoramic mandibular index (PMI), alveolar bone loss (ABL), and bone height in 1 premolar (Hp) and 1 molar (Hm) were assessed to evaluate the alveolar bone loss.

Results: The findings of the present study revealed a significant association between MCI and age for females with C2 and C3 categories being more common with advancing age.

Prevalence of Color Vision Anomalies among Dental Professionals.

Purpose: Color blindness is one of the potential disabilities affecting the ability of color perception by the eye. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of color blindness among dental professionals.

Methods: For the present study, a total of 198 dental professionals were randomly selected as subjects who were asked to fill the required questionnaire followed by which their color vision status was evaluated using the Ishihara test.

Linear Cephalometric Analysis of Pharynx at the Level of Epiglottis among Snorers and Nonsnorers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background And Aim: Snoring, which falls within the spectrum of sleep-related breathing disorders, is considered to be one of the common symptoms of airway obstruction. Lateral cephalometric analysis is an effective way of diagnosing airway obstruction by evaluating skeletal and soft-tissue abnormalities in patients with sleep-disordered breathing. The present study was planned to analyze the pharyngeal space among snorers and nonsnorers in retroglossal region and in the region of the hypopharynx at the level of epiglottis.

Efficacy of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Salivary Flow Rates in Normal Healthy Adults According to Gender and Age Groups.

Introduction: Salivary gland hypofunction might be associated with various local and systemic conditions and is managed with a plethora of therapeutic options with associated side effects. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is one such option with no known systemic side effects for dealing with this crippling condition. The present study was planned with a similar intent of assessing impact of TENS on salivary flow rates in normal healthy adults according to gender and age groups.

Variations in Canal Morphology, Shapes, and Positions of Major Foramen in Maxillary and Mandibular Teeth.

Context And Aim: A plethora of studies have revealed that there is a lack of general consensus in the precise anatomic detailing of the canals and the major foramen in both the maxillary and mandibular teeth while emphasizing the significance of the same for a successful endodontic treatment. The aim of the present study was to determine the variations in canal morphology, shapes, and positions of major foramen in maxillary and mandibular teeth.

Materials And Methods: In the present study, 420 extracted human maxillary and mandibular teeth with completely formed apices were included.

Sensitivity and Specificity of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Prediction of Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas.

Background: The inaccuracies in clinical examination have been well-documented while advanced imaging modalities including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been shown to have superior diagnostic accuracy in detecting occult and nodal metastasis. The aim of the present study was to identify as well as evaluate the inaccuracies in clinical examination and of clinical diagnostic criteria in known cases of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) with the help of MRI.

Methodology: A total of 24 patients attending as outpatients were included in the study while clinically diagnosed and histopathologically proven cases of OSCC were examined clinically and then, subjected to advanced imaging with the help of MRI.

Calcifying Epithelial Odontogenic Cyst of Maxilla: A Clinical and Histological Rarity with Literature Review.

A cyst is defined as a pathological cavity which may or may not have an epithelial lining and which has a fluid, semi-fluid, or gaseous contents and is not formed by the accumulation of pus. The calcifying epithelial odontogenic cyst (CEOC) was first reported by Gorlin et al. in 1962.

Serum ceruloplasmin as cancer marker in oral pre-cancers and cancers.

Background And Aim: Oxidative stress leads to a compensatory increase in levels of serum ceruloplasmin in patients with such imbalances. Greater than normal serum ceruloplasmin levels are noticed in numerous cancers including the leukemias and Hodgkin's lymphoma. The purpose of the present study was to estimate and evaluate the efficacy of serum ceruloplasmin levels as a potential biomarker in the early detection of oral potentially malignant epithelial lesions (PMELs) including leukoplakia, oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients.

Pulp Stones: Diagnostic Significance in Early Diagnosis and Radiographic Correlation with Ischemic Heart Diseases.

Sufficient evidence exists in the literature which indicates that patients with ischemic heart diseases (IHDs) show higher degree of pulp calcifications. The present study was, therefore, planned to estimate the prevalence of pulp stones in patients diagnosed with/or undergoing treatment for IHDs. The present study, which consisted of 300 subjects within the age range of 25 to 65 years, was divided into two groups: study group comprising 150 patients (113 males and 37 females) and 150 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Calcifying Epithelial Odontogenic Cyst of Maxilla: Report of A Case and Review and Discussion on the Terminology and Classification.

A cyst is defined as a pathological cavity which may or may not have an epithelial lining and which has a fluid, semi-fluid, or gaseous contents and is not formed by accumulation of pus. The calcifying epithelial odontogenic cyst (CEOC) was first reported by Gorlin . in 1962.

Impairment of olfactory and gustatory sensations in severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 virus) disease.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 virus) disease had first appeared in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and since then, it has emerged as a global threat to humanity. An early diagnosis and isolation are the most significant measures required to prevent its spread. Recent anecdotal evidence has suggested impairment of olfactory and gustatory sensations associated with corona virus disease (COVID-19).