Objectives Liquid coconut shell smoke (LC-SS) is used in natural food preservation for a long history. The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of LC-SS in macrophage responses during diabetic oral ulcer healing as medication. Materials and Methods Oral ulcers were induced in the labial lower mucosa of the research subjects using a round steel blade following diabetic induction by means of alloxan. Twenty-four diabetic Wistar rats presenting oral ulcers were divided into two groups, a test group, which was given topical treatment of LC-SS and a control group, which was given benzydamine hydrochloride (BHCl). The role of LC-SS in macrophages was assessed by means of immunohistochemistry for nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression. Result LC-SS increased macrophages compared with BHCl (p = 0.000). The LC-SS affected only TNF-α expression by stimulating NF-κB expression (p = 0.046) but did not macrophage numbers (p = 0.861). Conclusion LC-SS has a stronger effect compared with BHCl on diabetic oral ulcer healing by increasing macrophage response to produce TNF-α while decreasing NF-κB expression.

Objective The aim of this study is to analyze the tongue epithelial response to cigarette smoke exposure on a number of macrophages, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) expression to determine the risk factor of oral cancer development. Materials and Methods Thirty Rattus norvegicus will be exposed to two kinds of cigarette smoke by a smoking pump for 4 and 8 weeks. The tongues were collected to analyze the number of macrophages, lymphocytes, and plasma cells with hematoxylin-eosin. The MMP-9 expression was similarly analyzed with immunohistochemical staining and then compared with the control group. Results The number of macrophages, lymphocytes, and MMP-9 expression was higher in the 8-week cigarette smoke exposure compared to the 4-week cigarette smoke exposure and the control group (p < 0.000). The number of plasma cell did not differ in the 8-week cigarette smoke exposure from that of the control group (p > 0.05). The number of plasma cells in the tongue tissue during the 4-week cigarette smoke exposure was not determined. Conclusion Cigarette smoke exposure induces the risk of oral cancer development as a result of an increase in the number of macrophages, lymphocytes, and MMP-9 expression in the tongue epithelial.

Oral carcinogenesis is also dependent on the balance of the oral microbiota. Candida albicans is a member oral microbiota that acts as an opportunistic pathogen along with changes in the epithelium that can predispose to premalignancy and/or malignancy. This systematic review uses the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines to analyze the role of Candida albicans in the process of oral carcinogenesis. Eleven articles qualified inclusion criteria, matched keywords, and provided adequate information about the carcinogenesis parameters of Candida albicans in oral cancer. Candida albicans in oral carcinogenesis can be seen as significant virulent factors for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) or potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) with normal adjacent mucosa. Candida albicans have a role in the process of oral carcinogenesis concerning morphological phenotype changes in cell structure and genotype and contribute to the formation of carcinogenic substances that can affect cell development towards malignancy.

Background. Population aged 60 years old and above are growing in number; a fact that will have an impact on general and oral health in the future. Oral health is often overlooked in the management of geriatric patients but it is vital to have a knowledged-based practice in order to increase the quality of life of elderly patients. Objective. The purpose of this study is to determine the number and types of oral mucosal lesions in geriatric patients who come to the Universitas Airlangga Dental Hospital. Methods. This is an observational descriptive study with cross-sectional design. Intraoral soft tissue examination was performed on geriatric patients coming to the hospital between March and December 2018. Results. One hundred twenty-four (124) new geriatric patients came to the hospital. A total of 152 oral lesions from 63 geriatric patients (50.81%) were identified. Overall, coated tongue (55.56%) was the most frequently detected lesion, followed by linea alba buccalis (31.74%) and lingual varicosities (26.98%). Conclusion. Coated tongue or white tongue is the most frequently detected oral mucosal lesion, often caused by poor oral hygiene. The dentist should be able to recognize and differentiate them from the worrisome lesions and decide on the appropriate treatment in geriatric patients.

Introduction: Coconut shell liquid smoke (CS-LS) from Cocos nucifera L. has been traditionally used by Indonesians as a natural preservative. Besides that, liquid smoke is also used as a medicine to treat various types of wounds. During the storage, liquid smoke resulting from pyrolysis is still questionable in relation to the oxidation process and changes in its properties and potentials. We observed the physical characteristics, components, toxicity, anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive properties, and effect in oral ulcer healing of CS-LS. Methods: Acidity was analyzed using a digital pH meter, density test was analyzed using a pycnometer, and the components were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Eight concentrations of CS-LS (1%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, 12%, and 14%) were tested on baby hamster kidney (BHK21) for the extract toxicity, carrageenan-induced rat paw edema for its anti-inflammatory properties, hot-plate test for its anti-nociceptive, and traumatized labial fornix incisive inferior for its oral ulcer healing. Results: The acidity of CS-LS was 2.296 and the density was 1.0102 g/mL. The major components analyzed were phenol (32.75%), 2-methoxy-phenol (17.45%), and furfural (13.09%). The CS-LS 100% and CS-LS 8% were the optimum concentrations for maintaining the BHK21 and increasing the number of fibroblasts in oral ulcer healing. The CS-LS 100% showed potent anti-nociceptive ability compared to other concentrations (P = 0.001), but not for the anti-inflammation properties. Conclusion: CS-LS is a promising natural herb for oral medicine, especially oral ulcer medicine.