Aim : To establish the position of mandibular foramen in our South Indian population and to determine whether the difference in food habit could affect the anatomy of the mandible in terms of position of mandibular foramen. Materials and methods: One hundred digital panoramic radiographs (opgs) were selected out of which 50 belonged to vegetar- ians and 50 to non-vegetarians within the age group of 20-40 years. The following bony landmarks were marked on the radiographs: Mandibular Foramen (MF), Anterior border of the ramus (AB), Posterior border of the ramus (PB), Upper border of the ramus (UB), Lower border of the ramus (LB), Midpoint (MP), Angle of the mandible (A) and measure- ments were made from mandible to each border. Results: The results showed that the mandibular foramen is placed posterior to the midpoint with the ratio between the anterior border (AB) and posterior border (PB) being 1.7:1 in South Indian Vegetarians and 1.5:1 in South Indian Non-vegetarians. The ratio between upper border (UB) and lower border (LB) is 1:2.4 in South Indian Vegetarians and 1:2.2 in Non-vegetarians respectively. Conclusion: In comparison with other studies, the mandibular foramen is placed higher and more posterior in the set of population included in our study, particularly the vegetarians, which emphasizes a modification in the traditional inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) technique to increase the success rate.

Context: The importance of cleaning & shaping, medication and obturation of the root canal to the success of endodontic procedures is unquestionable. However an underemphasized phase is irrigation. Intracanal cleaning and disinfecting procedures are highly dependent on the mechanical and chemical effects of the irrigants. Aims: The aim of present study was to compare the root canal disinfection by 3% Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 2% Chlorhexidine (CHX) and ethanolic extract of Azadirachta indica. Settings and Design: A comparative invitro study was conducted using human mandibular premolar teeth that were extracted for orthodontic reasons. Methods and Material: Crown of each tooth was removed at cemento enamel junction and root canals were prepared using crown down technique. Each canal was completely filled up with the E. faecalis suspension and irrigated with the test solutions. After serial dilutions, samples were plated onto Pfizer selective Enterococcus agar and the colony forming units were counted both before and after irrigation. Statistical analysis: Results were analyzed by student paired 't' test and one-way ANOVA with the level of significance set at P < 0.05. Results: Azadirachta Indica extract exhibited significant resistance to E. Faecalis colonization similar to NaOCl & CHX. Conclusions: Azadirachta indica extract have shown promising results when used as a root canal irrigant. Further studies are required based on tissue-dissolving properties, dentin wall cleaning ability and biocompatibility before specific clinical recommendations can be made. Key Messages: Azadirachta indica, popularly known as neem and considered a cynosure of modern medicine may play a defining role in root canal disinfection.

Traumatic dental injuries (TDI) are highly prevalent from infancy to adolescence and often occur at homes or schools. The prognosis of traumatized teeth depends on prompt and appropriate treatment, which often relies on knowledge of the coaches, teachers or physical education teachers who may be present at the place of accidents. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice in dental trauma management among the teachers and physical education teachers at rural schools at Tiruchirappalli District of Tamil Nadu. The research used a structured questionnaire to collect data, convenience sampling and descriptive design. A sample of 257 teachers from 52 schools was selected. Chi- Square test was applied to test the significance between trained and untrained teachers. Among the population 11.30% were male and 88.70% were female. 40% were teaching physical education without a formal First Aid Training/course and 60% (154) had attended a formal First Aid Training/course. 72% were teaching the physical education and managing the sports activities without any training / course on dental trauma management and 28% were teaching the physical education with training/course on dental trauma management. 94.2% had experience of dental trauma management and 5.8% had no experience of dental trauma management. The present study reveals that the respondents used differed liquids to maintain avulsed teeth, used different storage media to preserve the avulsed teeth, had no adequate knowledge regarding suitable medium for transport of an avulsed tooth and lack the knowledge of Dental Trauma Management Practice. Periodic awareness programs/proper training by dentists/hospitals may also be conducted for the teachers and physical education teachers.

Osteomyelitis of the jaws is still a fairly common disease in maxillofacial clinics and hospitals, despite the introduction of antibiotics and the improvement of dental and medical care. Mainly three different types of osteomyelitis are distinguished: acute and secondary chronic osteomyelitis and primary chronic osteomyelitis. They usually represent a true bacterial infection of the jawbone. Suppuration, fistula formation, and sequestration are characteristic features of this disease entity. Various treatment modalities are available for the different types of osteomyelitis of the jaw. Surgi- cal and nonsurgical approaches were used to treat the patients. Surgical treatments included superficial debridement, curettage, and extensive surgery. Nonsurgical treatments used were antibiotics, topical agents (chlorhexidine, saline), palliative treatments (local anesthetics, analgesics, and narcotics), and hyperbaric oxygen (HBO). This article gives you an overview of various treatment modalities for osteomyelitis of the jaw described by various authors.

Clinical photographs are an essential component of orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. High-quality photographs allow the clinician to evaluate both the skeletal tissues and the soft-tissue drape. A photograph provides important visual reference for monitoring growth and developmental changes, providing the patient with a view of the changes and providing the therapist with credible visual material for teaching and research. Photographs are an essential part of clinical records for a number of reasons. Within a matter of months, patients and parents tend to forget how severe the original malocclusion was. Having slides available at every visit reminds both the orthodontist and the patient of the original situation, against which all improvements can be judged. Other important aspect is for medico legal requirements. This paper highlights each aspect of photography in orthodontics.

Genes are made up of DNA-the code of life. They are made of sequence of chemical with the initials A,C,G,T. Our cells are divided into somatic cells which make up the working parts of the body and the sperm cells which transfer the genetic material to the off-springs. Gene therapy involves the transfer of a therapeutic or working gene copy into specific cells of an individual which will repair a faulty gene copy. In this article we just give an overview of gene therapy and its application in dentistry.

Teeth twinning or conjoined teeth are routinely encountered in the dental practice. A dentist should have the ability to differentiate and diagnose gemination and fusion in the deciduous teeth to predict their consequence in the permanent dentition. The paper discusses the diagnostic uncertainties encountered and highlights the diagnostic criteria that can be employed to resolve the challenging cases of conjoined tooth.

Immature weakened teeth with open apex have wide, flared canal spaces, and thin dentinal walls that are prone to fracture. The management of theses compromised teeth lies in obtaining a good apical seal and reinforcing the remaining root structure. This article describes how to rehabilitate a structurally compromised immature anterior tooth. Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) was used to form an immediate apical seal and the weakened roots are reinforced using fibre post placed inside the canal.

Background : Endodontic mishaps still occur despite technological advancements in the field of dental instrumentation and materials. iatrogenic root perforations occur during access preparation, canal instrumentation or preparation of post space. Many of these mishaps are hard to avoid because of the extreme variability in root canal anatomy, canal calcification, abnormal root shapes and curvatures. Clinicians often have difficulty diagnosing and treating root perforations. Case report : This is a case report of the patient who presented with a chronic and recurrent abscess in the right mandibular first molar with dull aching pain, which on radiographic examination showed presence of radio-opaque foreign body in the furcation area. On elevation of the mucoperiosteal flap it showed the presence of amalgam fragment, was retrieved and regenerative procedures were performed. Conclusion : The case was treated and is under follow up. There is a complete resolution of all the symptoms which were present at first appointment.

Management of crown root fracture involves a multidisciplinary approach. An essential goal of treatment strategy in crown root fracture is long-term stability of the result; for this to be achieved the integrity of the dentogingival junction must be respected. orthodotic extrusion allows a biological restorative management of crown root fractured tooth. this article presents a case report of Prosthetic management of a patient with crown root fracture by orthodontic extrusion and FRC post &core with step by step procedure.

Facial trauma resulting in tooth avulsion causes problems of physical and emotional nature for the patient and a challenge to the dentist. Avulsion accounts for 0.5-16% of traumatic injuries in the permanent dentition that can occur at any age and is most common in the young permanent dentition. As an emergency procedure, it is advisable to replant a traumatically avulsed tooth, but unfortunately long-term success is rather low. It is very difficult to fulfill immediate aesthetic and psychological requirement if avulsed tooth is missing at the site of trauma and also to prevent arch length discrepancy. We presented a method for management of one such case reported 10 days after avulsion of maxillary tooth using the acrylic tooth as pontic in a fixed semi-permanent bridge until a more definitive prosthesis can be fabricated at a later age for better patient compliance.