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Silica based nanoparticles are used in various fields of medical sciences to diagnose, control disease, for genetic disorders, owing to their size, surface area, biocompatibility and low toxicity. In dentistry, silica nanoparticles have been used as dental filler, teeth whitening agent but limited evidence is there regarding antimicrobial activity against oral pathogens. Therefore, the current study was conducted to assess the anti-bacterial activity of mouthwash incorporated with silica nanoparticles against oral pathogens. Tetraethoxysilane, ammonium hydroxide, absolute ethanol were used and centrifuged to obtain the silica nanoparticle pellet. XRD analysis was done to confirm the characterization of the thus obtained silica nanoparticle. The mouthwash was prepared with the synthesized silica nanoparticle as the main constituent. Agar well diffusion method was used to assess the antimicrobial activity against S. mutans, S. aureus and E. faecalis. The XRD analysis confirmed the amorphous nature of the synthesized silica nanoparticles. The zone of inhibition was found to increase as the concentrations increased mainly for S. aureus and E. faecalis. The synthesized nanoparticles incorporated mouthwash showed good potential as antimicrobial agents against strains of gram positive bacteria. Further animal studies/in vivo research should be conducted to validate the above findings.

BACKGROUND With the emergence of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, globally the use of tobacco has decreased notably, although, it still requires efforts at individual, organizational, community level to decrease the rate further. Dental professionals are at an excellent position to provide tobacco cessation counselling and interventions, however, it is not practiced much due to lack of training and lack of knowledge. Therefore, this systematic review was conducted to assess the global status of knowledge, attitude and practice on tobacco cessation interventions among dental professionals. MATERIALS AND METHOD A systematic search of 6 databases with no language restriction since 2000 was undertaken. Studies were included if they assessed knowledge, attitude and practice on tobacco cessation interventions among dental professionals using a validated or prevalidated tool. The data obtained for assessment of knowledge, attitude, practice, curriculum and barriers were represented through heatmaps. Quality assessment of the studies was done using Newcastle Ottawa scale. RESULTS Fifty six studies were included in this systematic review. Majority of the studies were found to be of moderate quality. Knowledge regarding the tobacco cessation interventions was more theoretical than practical. All the studies showed a favorable attitude among dental professionals towards tobacco cessation intervention. CONCLUSION The included studies lack homogeneity in assessing knowledge, attitude and practice on tobacco cessation interventions. The development and validation of a standardized questionnaire to assess knowledge, attitude and practice on tobacco cessation interventions could be a potentially effective way to uniformly gather data on the subject.

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Triphala, a traditional Ayurveda herbal formulation consisting of dried fruits of three medicinal plants, is known to have effective antimicrobial properties. Inorganic elements like zinc oxide have also been known to have antimicrobial properties against strains of gram positive and gram negative bacteria, both. Green synthesis of nanoparticles is being encouraged, because of its positive effects on the environment and its cost-effectiveness. Hence, the study was conducted to synthesize Triphala augmented Zinc oxide nanoparticles and assess its antimicrobial activity against oral pathogens. Aqueous extract of Triphala was formulated and incorporated to zinc oxide solution to formulate the nanoparticle. Agar well diffusion method was used to assess the antimicrobial activity against S. Mutans, C. albicans, S. aureus, E.faecalis. Triphala incorporated zinc oxide nanoparticles produced a zone of inhibition more than that of ampicillin/cycloheximide against S. aureus and at 50 μl was almost as effective as antibiotic against the gram positive bacteria. Triphala incorporated ZnONPs as a cost effective, eco-friendly yet efficient method and they show great potential as oral antimicrobial agents.