To compare amlodipine with cilnidipine on antihypertensive efficacy and incidence of pedal edema in hypertensive individuals. This was a three months prospective, observational study done at the tertiary care center of Karnataka, India. A total number of 60 (n = 60) newly diagnosed hypertensives (≥140/90) of either gender, attending outpatient department of medicine, were included in the study. Out of 60 patients, 30 patients who have been prescribed tablet amlodipine 5–10 mg/day and the other 30 who have been prescribed tablet cilnidipine 10–20 mg/day orally by the consulting physician, depending upon the severity of hypertension were followed every fortnight, screened for the presence of pedal edema and blood pressure control over a period of 3 months. Antihypertensive efficacy between two groups was compared by unpaired t-test and incidence of pedal edema was compared by Fisher's exact test. Of 30 patients in the amlodipine group, 19 patients presented with pedal edema (63.3%) and 2 patients (6.66%) in cilnidipine group presented with pedal edema during the study period. There was a significant difference in the incidence of pedal edema between amlodipine and cilnidipine group (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was found in the antihypertensive efficacy of amlodipine and cilnidipine (P > 0.05). Both amlodipine and cilnidipine have shown equal efficacy in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive individuals. But cilnidipine being N-type and L-type calcium channel blocker, associated with lower incidence of pedal edema compared to only L-type channel blocked by amlodipine.

The aim of this review is to present an update about the current status of probiotics in the field of dentistry. Oral infections are the most common forms of infections. It is necessary to understand the role of the ecology and microbiology of the oral cavity in better understanding of the pathogenesis of various oral diseases. The concept of bacteriotherapy has been an emerging field in dentistry. The use of health-beneficial micro-organisms to heal diseases or support immune function was first introduced in the beginning of the 20th century. Probiotics are dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeasts and it has been found to be beneficial to the host health. In medicine, probiotics are used mainly in support therapy for gastro-intestinal diseases. In recent years, probiotics have been used as a treatment to promote oral health. This approach has shown promising results in the oral cavity with respect to control of chronic diseases such as dental caries, periodontitis, and recurring problems such as halitosis and candidal infections. Despite the immense potential of probiotics, data are still deficient on the probiotic action in the oral cavity, which further mandates randomized trials before any concrete clinical recommendations can be arrived.

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The Denti-patch® system can significantly reduce the needle injection pain more than the gel.

Aim: This in-vitro study aims to assess the acidity of coffee drinks with different combinations and evaluate their pH level in relation to the critical pH of dental enamel (5.5) and dentin (6.7). Methodology: All beverages (black coffee, black coffee with milk, Arabic coffee, and Turkish coffee) were mixed according to the manufacturer's instructions with deionized water and cooled down to room temperature (25ºC). The pH of the solutions was compared with that of the control groups, i.e., 0.3% citric acid and distilled water as positive and negative controls, respectively, at 10mins, 30mins, 1hr, and 2hrs. (0.1N) NaOH solution was introduced to the tested solutions to reach a pH of 8 to evaluate the titratable acidity. Results: Instant black coffee was found to be the most acidic with a pH value of (5.13 ± 0.02), whereas instant black coffee with milk was the least acidic with a pH of (6.20 ± 0.01). Instant black coffee with milk was found to have the highest concentration of titratability with a value of (16.2 ± 0.1) mL of (0.1 N) NaOH, to reach a pH of 8. Conclusion: This in-vitro study showed that the tested solutions can reach the critical pH that can cause enamel and dentin erosion. Also, the data showed little correlation between the pH and titratable acidity titrated to a pH value of 8. MeSH Keywords: Dental erosion, pH level, titratable acidity, enamel, dentin, teeth, coffee.