Oral cancer is the sixth most common malignancy in the world. Oral cancer is of major concern in Southeast Asia primarily because of the deleterious habits such as smoking, betel nut chewing and alcohol consumption. Despite recent advances in cancer diagnoses and therapies, the survival rate of oral cancer patients has remained at a dismal 50% in the last few decades. This paper is an overview of the various etiological agents and risk factors implicated in the development of oral cancer.

Dental caries is the most common microbial disease of oral cavity, affecting 60 – 90% of children worldwide. Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a major health problem in developing countries. These lesions are destructive and can affect the development of permanent successors. Although Streptococcus mutans is the primary cause of ECC, some studies support the view that caries can develop in the absence of mutans streptococci. Scardovia wiggsiae, a gram-positive anaerobe was recently found to be associated with Early Childhood Caries in the presence and absence of Streptococcus mutans. The aims were to investigate the cariogenic potential of S. wiggsiae, in ECC. The study was intended to compare the presence of S. wiggsiae, in the saliva samples of caries-free children and children with severe ECC, thereby determine this new acidogenic species noxiousness as a pathogen in Early Childhood Caries.Saliva samples were collected from 40 children, age ranging between three to six years. The sample thus collected at room temperature was then subjected to DNA extraction and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis to evaluate the presence of S. wiggsiae. Numerical parameters were tested for significance using Fisher’s Exact Test and the statistical analysis using Epi Info software.The tested samples revealed almost equal proportion of Scardovia wiggsiae in caries-free group and severe ECC group. S. wiggsiae was isolated and detected in both the study and the control groups. Statistical significance was not pronounced claiming the falsehood of the association between Early childhood caries and Scardovia wiggsiae.

Dental caries or tooth decay is a multifactorial noncommunicable disease affecting worldwide. All age groups get affected but children and adolescences are at high risk. The main causative agent for the initiation of the process is Streptococcus mutans whereas; Lactobacillus acidophilus helps to form deep cavitations. Immunology of the oral cavity plays a vital role in eliminating the dental caries development. So, targeting the initiation process by caries vaccines will serve the purpose of preventing the process effectively.

IntroductionOral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common cancer with increasing morbidity and mortality due to regional invasion, metastasis, and secondary malignancy along with associated medical complications. The degradation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is essential for the progression of carcinoma, hence MMPs are implicated in cancer invasion and metastasis as a biomarker. ObjectiveThe primary objective of this study was to find the expression of MMP-21 between oral squamous cell carcinoma and healthy tissue. Materials and methodsIn this retrospective study, banked pathology was used to observe the expression of MMP-21 in oral squamous cell carcinoma. MMP-21 protein expression was assessed in 50 cases of OSCC by immunohistochemistry assay. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the relation of MMP-21 expression. ResultsThere was increased expression of MMP-21 in OSCC, and this was statistically significant (p<0.0001). ConclusionThis result suggests the potential role in tumor progression and as a potent marker in diagnosing OSCC. In the future, it might also be a novel tool in therapeutic intervention.