Orthodontic treatment aims at providing an acceptable functional and esthetic occlusion. Tooth movements are strongly related to interactions of teeth with their supportive periodontal tissues. In recent years, due to the increased number of adult patients seeking orthodontic treatment, orthodontists frequently face patients with periodontal problems. Esthetic considerations, such as uneven gingival margins or functional problems resulting from inflammatory periodontal diseases, should be considered in the orthodontic treatment planning. The purpose of this article is to provide a dental practitioner with basic understanding of the interrelationship between periodontics and orthodontics and also to highlight the orthodontics and periodontics interface in clinical practice for optimized treatment outcomes.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) related to orthodontic treatment among college students in rural and urban areas of Mysore, India. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire study conducted among college students in rural and urban areas of Mysore, India, over 2 months from August to September 2015. The sample size was estimated using nMaster software. One government and one private college each in rural and urban areas of Mysore were selected based on administrative convenience. All eligible participants from these colleges were recruited. A sixteen-item questionnaire was developed and validated. This predesigned and validated, self-administered, structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS. Results: Four hundred and forty-one college students participated in the present study. 89.3% of the participants were aware about malalignment of teeth. The awareness was significantly higher among females and those in urban areas. 39.2% of the study participants expressed willingness to undergo orthodontic treatment even if treatment duration extends up to 1–2 years with no significant difference in relation to gender and area of residence. 14.1% of the study participants have undergone treatment for malalignment of teeth with no significant difference between males and females. However, a significantly higher percentage of participants from urban areas have undergone treatment. Conclusion: The KAP related to orthodontic treatment was significantly higher among females and those in urban areas. This highlights the need to augment orthodontic awareness programs in rural areas.

Background: Supragingival plaque control is elementary to the prevention and management of periodontal diseases. Conversely, significant proportions of all individuals fail to practice a high standard of plaque removal. The adjunctive use of chemicals would therefore appear a way of overcoming deficiencies in mechanical tooth cleaning habits. This prospective, randomized positively controlled clinical trial was aimed to evaluate the short-term clinical effects of a licorice oral rinse in the reduction of plaque and gingival inflammation in individuals with gingivitis. Materials and Methods: A total of 104 individuals, 12–15 years of age diagnosed with chronic generalized gingivitis, were selected and randomly divided into two groups: Group 1: chlorhexidine mouthwash and Group 2: licorice mouthwash. Clinical evaluation was undertaken using the gingival index, the plaque index, and bleeding on probing at baseline, 1^st, 2^nd, and 4^th week. Results: Both chlorhexidine and licorice mouthwash showed a significant reduction in plaque and gingival index scores from baseline to 1^st, 2^nd, and at 4^th week. However, the improvement in plaque and gingival index scores were better in chlorhexidine group than herbal mouthwash. Both mouthwashes were found to be equally effective in reducing bleeding on probing. Conclusion: Unlike chlorhexidine mouthwash, licorice mouthwash was not associated with any discoloration of teeth or unpleasant taste and was effective in reducing plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation. However, chlorhexidine still remains a gold standard in reducing plaque, gingivitis, and bleeding on probing.

Background: Sucrose and starches are the predominant dietary carbohydrates in modern societies. This study has been conducted to determine whether a relationship exists between dental caries and commonly consumed crispy snacks which are processed starches. One approach to estimate the cariogenic potential of a food involves evaluation of the magnitude of the pH response obtained following ingestion. Aim: The aim of the study is to compare the dental plaque pH changes after consumption of four commercially available crispy snacks in the Indian market. The pH was measured using the plaque sampling method in 40 subjects. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS version 17 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). One-way ANOVA test with Bonferroni post hoc test was used for statistical evaluation. P value was set to 0.05. Results: Intragroup comparison showed a drop in pH which was statistically significant in each group immediately after the consumption of the crispy snacks and the pH returned to baseline values by 30 min. The pH response comparison between the different groups of crispy snacks was not statistically significant from baseline to immediately after consumption of the crispy snacks (P = 0.241) and at 30 min interval (P = 0.580). Conclusion: Frequent consumption of crispy snacks may have a cariogenic potential due to high fermentability in dental plaque of these processed starch products.

Background: In pediatric dentistry, loss of deciduous molars due to carious involvement is a major concern. Hence, endodontic therapy for primary teeth should be considered as a treatment of choice wherever required. Traditionally, used hand instruments were replaced by nickel–titanium alloy instruments to overcome disadvantages. Students' perceptions of these instruments and techniques used for endodontic treatment must be collected for knowledge, quality of endodontic education, and the level of practice among the students in the branch of pediatric dentistry. Aim: To evaluate the view of pediatric dentists on the use of rotary endodontic instruments for cleaning and shaping of canal in primary teeth in India. Materials and Methods: A total of 596 pediatric dentists registered with the Indian Society of Paedodontics and Preventive Dentistry were included in the study using an online questionnaire sent to the student members through the source of e-mail twice. Results: According to this study, from 365 participants, 85% of the participants were in favor of using rotary instruments for cleaning and shaping during endodontic treatment in pediatric practice and 38.1% of the participants were using rotary endodontic instruments in pediatric practice. Nearly 86.6% of the participants were in favor of the absolute need for an exclusive pediatric rotary endodontic system. Conclusion: The response of the study was as much as 60.83%. The results of the study reflect that the postgraduate students are keen on the usage of rotary instruments for cleaning and shaping of canal in endodontic treatment in primary teeth in pediatric practice.

Two cases of esthetically displeasing and recurrent gingival enlargement were reported. A case of 26-year-old female with gingival enlargement in the maxillary anterior region which has been excised twice by General Dental Practitioners and another case of 42-year-old female with gingival enlargement in the maxillary anterior region that caused displacement and mobility of associated tooth. Both cases had radiologic evidence of bone loss. Excisional biopsy was carried out and the histologic diagnosis was peripheral ossifying fibroma (POF). Healing of the surgical site was uneventful. POF should be considered as the diagnosis in cases of esthetically displeasing and recurrent maxillary anterior region gingival enlargement.

Cysticercosis is a parasitic infection caused by “cysticercus.” Cysticercosis is a larval form of certain Taenia species of which cysticercus cellulosae, a larvae form of Taenia solium is the one which infects humans. The larvae form of T. solium, that is, cysticercus cellulosae resides in the muscles and other tissue in pigs that serves as intermediate host. The most frequent sites of cysticercosis are subcutaneous layers, brain, muscles, heart, liver, lungs, and peritoneum. Oral cysticercosis is rare and when it affects the mouth, it commonly occurs in the tongue, labial, or buccal mucosa, and sometimes floor of the mouth. Here, we present a case of 12-year-old female with swelling in the right cheek region as an asymptomatic nodule which clinically looked like a mucocele.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignant tumor arising from salivary glands. ACC of the head and neck has some features such as slow growth, high recurrence percentages, distant metastasis, and a tendency for perineural invasion. It comprises almost 2%–4% of head and neck area tumors. In minor salivary glands, it is generally observed in the palate. We report such a rare case that affected the base of the tongue in a 65-year-old-female patient and also carried out a brief literature review on the subject.

Glandular odontogenic cyst (GOC) is a rare developmental cystic lesion of the jaws accounting for 0.012%–0.3% of all the odontogenic cysts. It occurs most commonly in middle-aged men, especially in the anterior mandible. It clinically presents as a slow-growing intraosseous lesion. Small cysts may be asymptomatic while larger ones may cause expansion with pain or paresthesia. Radiographically, it frequently presents as a multilocular radiolucency. Microscopic features are characterized by nonkeratinized stratified squamous epithelium of variable thickness with many microcystic or pseudoglandular spaces and plaque-like extensions. Although its microscopic features are characteristic, few situations may arise where this entity may be confused with dentigerous, botryoid odontogenic, radicular cyst, and central mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The importance of GOC relates to its high rate of recurrence making its diagnosis important. The purpose of this study is to present the clinicopathological features of five cases of GOC which have been reported in our institution.