Background:Recent interest and advances in the field of alternative medicine has promoted the use of various herbal and natural products for multiple uses in the field of medicine. Aloe vera is one such product exhibiting multiple benefits and has gained considerable importance in clinical research. This clinical study focuses on Aloe vera and highlights its property when used as a medicament in the periodontal pocket.Materials and Methods:A total number of 15 subjects were evaluated for clinical parameters like plaque index, gingival index, probing pocket depth at baseline, followed by scaling and root planing (SRP). Test site comprised of SRP followed by intra-pocket placement of Aloe vera gel, which was compared with the control site in which only SRP was done, and clinical parameters were compared between the two sites at one month and three months from baseline.Results:Results exhibited encouraging findings in clinical parameters of the role of Aloe vera gel as a drug for local delivery.Conclusion:We conclude that subgingival administration of Aloe vera gel results in improvement of periodontal condition. Aloe vera gel can be used as a local drug delivery system in periodontal pockets.

There was a progressive reduction in SOD levels from healthy non-smokers to light smokers to heavy smokers. These findings highlight the need to augment the efforts of smoking-cessation programs. The benefits of reduced smoking and improved antioxidant levels may motivate smoking cessation.

Casein phosphopeptide (CPP) has the potential to be added to mouth rinses, gels, toothpastes, chewing gums and confectioneries. Until now CPP has been studied in vitro, in situ and in animals, but clinical trials are lacking. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of CPP-containing toothpaste in preventing dental caries in schoolchildren. The study was conducted among 150 schoolchildren randomly divided into three groups, each using one of three types of toothpastes: (a) containing 2% w/w CPP; (b) containing 1,190 mg/kg fluoride as 0.76% sodium monofluorophosphate (SMFP); (c) placebo toothpaste without CPP or fluoride. Students brushed with the given toothpastes for 24 months. Oral hygiene and caries experience were assessed at baseline, 12 and 24 months. The increments in caries lesions were calculated and analyzed to assess the caries-preventive effect. A significant reduction in caries increment was observed among students using CPP toothpaste or SMFP toothpaste, compared with the group using the placebo toothpaste. The reduction in caries increment was not significantly different between the CPP and SMFP groups. Oral Hygiene Index score increased from the 12-month to the 24-month examination. It is concluded that CPP can be effectively incorporated into calcium carbonate-based toothpaste and that toothpaste containing CPP is effective in preventing caries. Toothpaste containing 2% CPP seemed to have an efficacy similar to paste containing 1,190 mg/kg SMFP in the prevention of caries.

On comparison with fluoride-triclosan dentifrice, green tea showed greater reduction of gingival inflammation and improved periodontal parameters. Green tea dentifrice may serve as a beneficial adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy.

Stress is an equated response to constant adverse stimuli. At one point or another everybody suffers from stress. Stress is compatible with good health, being necessary to cope with the challenges of everyday life. Problems start when the stress response is inappropriate to the intensity of the challenge. Psychological stress can down regulate the cellular immune response. Communication between the central nervous system and the immune system occurs via a complex network of bidirectional signals linking the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Stress disrupts the homeostasis of this network, which in turn, alters immune function. Direct association between periodontal disease and stress remains to be proven, which is partly due to lack of an adequate animal models and difficulty to quantifying the amount and duration of stress and also there are many factors influencing the incidence and severity of periodontal disease. Nevertheless, more recent studies indicate that psychosocial stress represents a risk indicator for periodontal disease and should be addressed before and during treatment. This paper discusses how stress may modulate host response to bacteria and influence the course and progression of periodontal disease.