Harpuneet Kaur

Local anaesthesia makes the patient and the dentist comfortable to do treatment with least amount of discomfort, but dental patient’s most frequent fear is of receiving local anaesthetic injections. The present study attempted to evaluate and compare patient’s perception to pain, pressure and discomfort induced by three types of injections (Infiltration, mental nerve block and inferior alveolar nerve block injection) for mandibular anaesthesia. Patients were asked to grade pain, pressure and discomfort associated with injection insertion on visual analog scale. Inferior alveolar nerve block was graded the most painful nerve block, while Infiltration was graded as the least painful. Patient’s perception to pressure and discomfort was highest for inferior alveolar nerve block and lowest to mental nerve block.   Keywords: Inferior alveolar nerve block, Mental nerve block, Local infiltration, Local anaesthesia, Injection pain.

Geographic tongue often develops throughout childhood and affects between 1 and 2.5 percent of people worldwide. It is a benign, inflammatory condition that most frequently affects the tongue's dorsum and may spread to its lateral edges. The loss of filiform papillae and thinning of the epithelium are represented by the erythematous patches. It can be asymptomatic or patient may complains of pain and burning sensation. We report a case of 5 year old boy with early shedding of primary teeth, geographic tongue which was asymptomatic, had itchy skin lesions in the past and still gets the on and off episode of skin lesion ; with review of literature. Keywords: Geographic tongue, Erythematous patches, Filiform papillae, Tongue, Wandering rash of tongue, Benign migratory glossitis, Children

A healthy 33 years old male was reported to the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Sri Sukhmani Dental College and Hospital, Dera Bassi, Punjab, India whose chief complaint was the presence of irregularly placed tooth in the lower right back region of the mouth. His dental, medical and family history was not relevant. On Intraoral examination, an erupted supernumerary tooth was found lingual to first and second right permanent mandibular premolars. It was irritating the tongue as told by the patient, hence was decided to extract it. After extraction, the root of the supernumerary tooth was found to be dilacerated. This report presents a case of unilaterally erupted Mandibular supernumerary premolar tooth with dilacerated root, which is a rare condition.   Keywords: Dilaceration, Supernumerary tooth

The present study compares the effectiveness of inferior alveolar nerve block and infiltration in the extraction of posterior mandibular teeth. 90 patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 included 45 patients and for each tooth, two injections (0.6 ml out of 1.8 ml of 2% lidocaine from one dental cartridge with 1:80000 adrenaline) were administered, one Local Anesthetic injection was given parallel to the long axis of the tooth in the depth of buccal sulcus with short needle and dental syringe. The second injection was delivered to the lingual vestibule of the mouth's floor to anaesthetize the soft and hard lingual tissue with short needle and dental syringe, whereas Group 2 included 45 patients and were given Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block (1.5 ml of 2% Lidocaine) and Long Buccal nerve Infiltration (0.3ml of 2% Lidocaine). In our study, we found 78% patients was pain free and 22% was feeling pain during tooth extraction in patients who were given infiltration, whereas patients in which Inferior alveolar nerve block was given, 89% patients was pain free and 11% were feeling pain during tooth extraction. 94% of males and 85% of females experienced no pain, whereas 6% of males and 15% of females felt pain during the extraction. The present study suggests that Infiltration can be used as an alternative approach to inferior alveolar nerve block during the extraction of Mandibular posterior teeth.   Keywords: Inferior alveolar nerve block, Infiltration, Oral anesthesia, Lidocaine.

The objective of this study was to evaluate quality of life among adult patients after non surgical extraction of teeth under local anaesthesia. The present study was conducted among 80 patients who were above 18 years and wanted extraction of one or two teeth. Following extraction, 80 patients were given a questionnaire (in English, Hindi, and Punjabi) with questions about post-operative quality of life. Patients were contacted by phone to inquire about their status on days 2, 4, and 7. Out of 80 patients, 95%, of the patients continue to do their social activities on day 2after extraction. 34 patients felt pain and swelling, 10 patients felt change in their physical appearance. 12 patients did not go to work, but out of these 10 females were housewives and were not working already. 14patients said that extraction affected their work performance. Only 6 subjects took the help of somebody to do their work, 19 patients felt difficulty in swallowing, 2 patients reported taste perception changes, 26 patients felt changes in mouth opening, five patients had interrupted meals ,10% of the patients reported changes in ability to speak and 6 patients had problem falling asleep on day 2. 100% of the patients had no issues on day 7. It is concluded that the patient's quality of life is affected by simple extraction, particularly on the first and second post-extraction days. The most affected domains were "Pain and swelling felt" and "Change in mouth opening". After a simple extraction, the patient's quality of life was negatively affected for the first two days before improving throughout the duration of the follow-up period. Therefore, the patient should be informed about how a simple extraction can affect their quality of life immediately following surgery and how it might cause them to change their regular routine. Keywords: Quality of life, Non-surgical tooth extraction, Anaesthesia

Background: Maintaining crucial behaviours, such as brushing teeth twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste and limiting intake of sugary foods and drinks, is crucial to the prevention of dental caries. Purpose: This study aims to inform elementary school students about the value of good oral hygiene and the role that diet plays in preventing dental diseases. It also examines the differences in knowledge levels between students who receive information verbally and those who receive it in the form of comic material. Materilas and Methods: The study was carried out in Elementary Schools. 240 students in all responded to the test. Group A consisted of 120 students (60 students from Class IV Group A and 60 from Class V Group A), who completed the quiz after hearing the content aloud. After reading the comic material, 120 students from Group B (Class IV Group B: 60 students and Class V Group B: 60 students) responded to the quiz. All the students were given 5 minutes to complete the quiz. After that, the responses were collected and graded. Results: Ten percent of class IV students and twenty percent of class V students had good knowledge level about the significance of oral health and hygiene after hearing the information verbally, whereas thirty percent of class IV students and fifty percent of class V students had good knowledge level after reading the comic material. Conclusion: Compared to verbal delivery, the students understood the content more effectively when it was presented through comic material. Keywords: Oral hygiene, Oral health, Educational Comic Book

Background: The location and orientation of the inferior alveolar canal must be considered in any surgical procedures involving the posterior mandible. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the frequent structural changes of the inferior alveolar nerve course before conducting any treatment in this area. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the course of inferior alveolar canal (IAC), visibility of the inferior alveolar canal, and Inferior Alveolar Canal origin in Punjabi population (North India). Materials and Methods: A total of 200 panoramic radiographs were selected and the course, visibility and origin of Inferior Alveolar Canal were evaluated on left and right side of the mandible. The collected data were subsequently processed and analyzed using SPSS software version 20. Results: The most common type of canal on right and left side was curved type, and the less common was Angled type. In the region of the third molar, on Right side, the mandibular canal was partially visible in 1.5% of cases, clearly visible in 96.5%, and invisible in 2%; whereas on left side, it was clearly visible in 97%, partially visible in 5%and invisible in 2.5%. The entrance point of the canal was located in the middle third area of the ramus in 87% of cases on the right side and 90% cases on the left side, and that the entrance point of the canal in the lower third area was 7.5% on the right side and 3.5% on the left side. Conclusion: This study was done to evaluate course, visibility, and entry point of Inferior Alveolar Nerve Canal on the Orthopantomograph. In our present study, the most common type of canal on right and left side was , and the less common was The entrance point of the canal was located in majority in the on left and right side of the mandible. of Inferior Alveolar Canal was more on distal regions of the canal on the both the sides of the mandible. Keywords: Inferior Alveolar Canal Course, Inferior Alveolar Canal Visibilty, Inferior Alveolar Canal Entry Point, Panoramic Radiographs, Digital Imaging

Background: The temporomandibular joint is one of the most intricate human articulations (TMJ). Each joint is made up of a mandibular condyle and its associated temporal cavity (glenoid fossa and articular eminence). Human mandibular condyle morphology can be divided into six types: Type I: Oval; Type II: Flattened; Type III: Diamond; Type IV: Crooked finger; Type V:Bifid and Type VI: Bird beak. The mandibular condyle appears in several different age groups and individuals in many distinct ways. Condyle remodelling to account for developmental variations, malocclusion, trauma, and other developmental illnesses and diseases are all examples of developmental disorders and diseases that can result from simple developmental variability. Panoramic radiography has been recommended as a screening tool for TMJ patients, and it may be useful to spot major bone abnormalities in the condyle. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the current study is to observe and record the variations in condyle forms in Punjab (North India) using an Orthopantomographs (OPGs), which were crucial for patient treatment in several branches of dentistry. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study comprised radiographic evaluation of 400 condylar heads after visualising 200 digitalised OPGs taken for routine investigation. The most common shape of condyle on right observed was oval (43.5%) followed by Bird Beak (20.5%), Diamond (12.5%), Flattened (12%), Crooked finger(6.5%) and Bifid (5%). The most common shape of condyle on left observed was Oval (51%) followed by Bird Beak (15%), Diamond (14%), Flattened (9%), Crooked finger(8%) and Bifid (3%). In Males, the commonest form of left and right condylar morphology was and the least form of right condylar morphology was , whereas the least form of left condylar morphology observed was and In Females, the commonest form of left and right condylar morphology was and the least form of left and right condylar morphology observed was. Conclusion: The aim of this study was to determine the most typical radiographic forms of the mandibular condyle on the OPG. Six various condyle shapes—Oval, Flattened, Bird beak, Diamond, Crooked finger, and bifid—have been identified in the current study, with the oval form being the most prevalent on both sides and in both sexes. Bifid is the least typical shape for the right and left condyles . Keywords: Mandibular Condyle, Panoramic Radiograph, Temporomadibular joint, Orthopantomograph

Eating habits describe the types and quantities of food that an individual or a group of individuals regularly consumes, as well as how often they drink. Healthy dietary practises have an impact on dental health. The future embryo's development, including the growth of the maxilla, the formation of the skull and face, and dental organogenesis, is impacted by a lack of vitamins and minerals during the preconception period. Understanding how nutrition and eating habits affect both children's and adults' caries rates is necessary to improve oral health. Lack of vitamin A, C, E, and folate all has a detrimental effect on periodontal health. Throughout the early phases of embryonic development, folate is crucial. Oral cancer is most common in people who smoke, chew tobacco, or consume alcohol. Changing one's nutrition can have a significant impact on one's health throughout one's life, both positively and negatively. Food consumption must be improved in order to minimise the incidence of oral and pharyngeal cancer. The primary sources of vitamins and fibre are fruits, vegetables, and grains, thus a daily meal should have an appropriate quantity of each. By giving folate during the first trimester of pregnancy and in the months leading up to conception, the likelihood of nervous system abnormalities is reduced. Chewing gum and other xylitol-containing products have significantly decreased dental cavities, and they provide tempting alternatives for people who are most at risk. The aim of this study is to review the evidence suggesting link between diet, nutrition, and oral health and to provide dietary advice for the prevention of oral diseases. Keywords: Diet, Nutrition, Oral Health, Dental caries, Periodontal disease