As high as 20% of the population is thought to have recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), hence, finding new therapeutic agents may be needed. Pomegranate (Punica granatum), has been extensively used in the folk medicine of many cultures, as it possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. In this study, it is hypothesized that a topical form of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) may shorten the duration, accelerate the healing and reduce the pain of RAS patients. The presented randomized, double-blind study was conducted on 56 patients. Herein, 28 patients were advised to apply PPE gel, and the other 28 patients were given placebo gel, twice daily for one week. Efficacy evaluations were made at days 0 (before using the gel), 3, 5 and 7. The mean values of ulcer size, pain and healing duration of ulcers were compared in both groups. PPE gel was significantly effective in reducing the pain (p<0.001), ulcer size (p<0.001), and healing duration of ulcers (p<0.001) over a period of one week. PPE in the form of oral gel can be used in the management of aphthous ulcers.

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Objective: To evaluate the level of pain experienced during infiltration anesthesia of the anterior maxilla following low-level laser therapy (LLLT) with 810-980 nm wavelengths. Material and Methods: In the current triple-blind clinical trial, 84 patients received a total of 168 infiltration anesthesia injections (1.8 mL of 2% lidocaine plus 1:100,000 epinephrine) in the anterior maxilla. Each patient received two injections into the buccal mucosa of the right and left central incisors with a two-week interval. One injection was performed after LLLT, while the other injection was administered conventionally without laser. The pain level was measured immediately after injection using a visual analog scale (VAS). Results: There was a significant difference in the pain level experienced with and without LLLT, such that the mean pain score following LLLT was significantly lower than that without LLLT (p<0.05). No significant difference was found in the pain level between laser and no laser groups in males, but the difference in this regard was significant in females (p<0.05) and female patients experienced a significantly lower level of pain following LLLT. Conclusion: The low-level laser therapy can be successfully used to decrease the level of pain experienced during infiltration anesthesia of the anterior maxilla.

Background Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory mucosal disease. The pathogenesis of OLP is unknown. The Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) that occurs in the regulatory position + 781 could affect the expression of interleukin-8. This polymorphism is probably associated with increased serum levels of IL-8. The current study aimed to investigate the genotype and allele frequencies of IL-8( + 781 C/T) in OLP patients and whether it is associated with the severity of OLP disease in an Iranian population. Methods Three milliliters of saliva were taken from 100 patients with OLP and 100 healthy individuals who were matched in age and gender. After DNA extraction from saliva samples of patients and healthy individuals, the genotype of IL-8 at position + 781 is detected using the PCR-RFLP method. The results were analyzed using SPSS software. Results Frequency of C/C, T/C, and T/T genotypes at position IL-8 + 781 gene in the patient group were 47%, 41%, and 12%, respectively, and in the control group, were 37%, 42%, and 21%. The difference between the two groups regarding allele frequency distribution was statistically significant (χ2 = 3.86, p = 0.049, 95% CI = 0.44-1, OR = 0.66). Our results indicated the significantly higher frequency of the TT genotype in the erosive OLP compared to the nonerosive group (p = 0.03, OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.49–1.6). Conclusion This study depicted the difference in the frequency of SNP IL-8 + 781 C/T allele in the patient and control groups had a significant association with the risk of OLP. In addition, our data revealed that IL-8 + 781 C/T polymorphisms might be associated with the severity of OLP in the Iranian population.