Caries risk profile of 12 year old school children in an Indian city using Cariogram

Objectives: The present study was conducted with an aim to assess the caries profile of 12 year old Indian children using Cariogram. Study design: Hundred children were interviewed to record any illness, oral hygiene practices and fluoride exposure after obtaining a three day diet diary. Examination was done to record plaque and dental caries status. Stimulated saliva was collected and salivary flow rate, salivary buffering capacity, Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus were assessed. The information obtained was scored and Cariogram was created. Differences between mean decayed, missing and filled teeth ( DMFT) and Cariogram risk groups were assessed using ANOVA. Spearman Correlation coefficients were used to explore correlation among Cariogram scores and individual variables. Results: It was found that 21, 45, 21 and 13 children had 0-20%, 21-40%, 41-60% and 61-100% chance of avoiding caries respectively in future. Significant correlation was observed between cariogram score and DMFT, diet content, diet frequency, plaque scores, Streptococcus mutans counts and fluoride programme. Conclusions: Cariogram model can identify the caries-related factors that could be the reasons for the estimated future caries risk, and therefore help the dentist to plan appropriate preventive measures. Key words:Cariogram, caries risk assessment, risk factors, children, India     

Gestational diabetes: The public health relevance and approach

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing globally and the causes attributed are the ageing population, urbanization, obesity epidemic, physical inactivity and stressful modern life. While all these factors contribute to the epidemic of DM, intra-uterine exposures and gestational programming are emerging as potential risk factors. Gestational programming is a process whereby stimuli or stresses that occur at critical or sensitive periods of foetal development, permanently change structure, physiology, and metabolism, which predispose individuals to disease in adult life. If the stimulus happens to be glucose intolerance in pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) manifests. Diagnosis of GDM in a woman predisposes her and her offspring for increased risk of developing glucose intolerance and obesity in the future. GDM may play a crucial role in the increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity and hence has become a public health priority issue. There has to be an excellent coordination and cooperation between all the stake holders of health delivery care system. A great understanding of the importance of GDM and its consequences by the Government and public will go a long way in containing the epidemic of diabetes.     

Gastrointestinal mucormycosis—four cases with different risk factors, involving different anatomical sites

Mucormycosis of the gastrointestinal tract is a rare infection that usually occurs in patients who are immunocompromised and carries a high mortality. We report four cases of gastrointestinal mucormycosis seen over a one year period with different presentations, risk factors and different anatomical sites of involvement. A preoperative diagnosis was made only in one patient. All underwent surgery, three survived and one died postoperatively from multiorgan failure.     

Quality assurance in anatomic pathology

We are in the midst of major changes in our discipline. New technologies and regulations, are poised to fundamentally change the way that pathologists interact with and utilize data. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the realm of anatomic pathology (AP) quality assurance (QA). QA efforts in the AP laboratory today are often limited by the batched assembly line-like nature of the workflow and data trapped within rigid laboratory information systems (LIS). Middleware with progressive business intelligence platforms have helped close this gap by automatically extracting LIS data, and making it easier to manipulate and combine with data from other information systems. Employing informatics tools such as tracking systems in the AP lab minimizes human involvement in repetitive processes which in turn drives down errors, standardizes processes and drives workflow. Scanning barcodes directly inputs data into the LIS which is available for real-time QA monitoring. The use of synoptic reporting, computerized provider order entry (CPOE), and newer technologies such as whole slide imaging also help improve quality in AP. This article reviews current issues and future trends related to AP initiatives in the preanalytic, analytic, and postanalytic phases of laboratory testing. Special emphasis is placed on new technologies that are poised to disrupt the practice of AP in the near future.     

Biofilm Formation within the Interface of Bovine Root Dentin Treated with Conjugated Chitosan and Sealer Containing Chitosan Nanoparticles

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to assess biofilm formation within sealer-dentin interfaces of root segments filled with gutta-percha and sealer incorporated with chitosan (CS) nanoparticles with and without canal surface treatment with different formulations of CS.MethodsStandardized canals of 4-mm bovine root segments (N = 35) were filled with gutta-percha and pulp canal sealer incorporated with CS nanoparticles without surface treatment (group CS) or after surface treatment with phosphorylated CS (group PHCS), CS-conjugated rose bengal and photodynamic irradiation (group CSRB), or a combination of both PHCS and CSRB (group RBPH). The control group was filled with gutta-percha and an unmodified sealer. After 7 days of setting, specimens were aged in buffered solution at 37°C for 1 or 4 weeks. Monospecies biofilms of Enterococcus faecalis were grown on specimens for 7 days in a chemostat-based biofilm fermentor. Biofilm formation within the sealer-dentin interface was assessed with confocal laser scanning microscopy.ResultsIn the 4-week–aged specimens only, the mean biofilm areas were significantly smaller than in the control for the CS (P = .008), PHCS (P = .012), and RBPH (P = .034) groups. The percentage of the biofilm-covered interface also was significantly lower than in the control for the CS (P = .024) and PHCS (P = .003) groups. The CS, PHCS, and RBPH groups did not differ significantly.ConclusionsIncorporating CS nanoparticles into the zinc oxide–eugenol sealer inhibited biofilm formation within the sealer-dentin interface. This effect was maintained when canals were treated with phosphorylated CS, and it was moderated by canal treatment with CS-conjugated rose bengal and irradiation.