Anticonvulsants

No abstract

Background: Use of tobacco is often implicated in the development of oral diseases. Questionable accuracy of the traditional questionnaires to assess cigarette exposure necessitates the use of biomarkers like thiocyanate which provide a definitive quantitative measure. Objective: To assess the rise in the level of thiocyanate for measurement of smoking behaviour in adults. Materials and methods: Serum and salivary thiocyanate levels were estimated in 20 non-smokers, 20 ex-smokers and 40 smokers. Smokers were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of oral mucosal lesions. Results: The mean serum and salivary thiocyanate levels were increased significantly in smokers when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers. The levels were not significantly different between ex-smokers and non-smokers and between smokers with tobacco related oral mucosal lesions and those without. Statistically significant correlation was seen between the serum and salivary levels of thiocyanate. Conclusion: This study highlights the high level of thiocyanate in the serum and saliva of smokers when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers. Significant increase in thiocyanate level was also seen in saliva. Hence it can be stated that saliva can be used as a reliable, non-invasive tool to assess smoking behaviour in the population and its changes over time.

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are common in dentistry due to the prolonged static work involved during patient care, making dental health care personnel vulnerable to musculoskeletal complaints. We aimed to pool the prevalence estimates of MSD among various dental healthcare providers, including dentists, dental students, dental hygienists, and auxiliaries. Methods: A systematic search of five databases was performed (Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source). The studies that reported the prevalence of MSD among dental healthcare workers and those written in English were selected. Screening and data extraction were performed by two review authors independently. Discrepencies were resolved by another review author. Risk of bias assessment was done using a nine-item questionnaire developed by Hoy et al. Pooled estimates were calculated using meta-analysis of proportions (random effects model). Results: Among the 3090 publications screened, 234 publications were included for full-text screening. Meta-analysis was performed for 89 estimates from 88 publications. Females showed significantly higher prevalence [OR = 1.42 (95% CI = 1.09–1.84); I2 = 66.02; N = 32]. The analysis yielded a pooled estimate of 78.4% (95% CI = 74.8–82). The meta-regression showed similar prevalence over the years (Coefficient: 0.001; P-value: 0.762). Conclusions: A high prevalence of MSD was noted among dental healthcare providers, with about seven out of ten having experienced MSD in the past. This emphasizes the need for awareness and adoption of appropriate ergonomic postures by dental healthcare providers from early in their careers to minimize work-related MSD.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused a global public health crisis with an unprecedented shutdown of major establishments and non-emergency services. Disruptions across the country in dental hospitals led to challenges in addressing patient’s dental complaints. The present study aimed to analyse the difference in the pattern of the Outpatient dental visits during the pandemic period in comparison to that of the pre-pandemic period in a tertiary care hospital. This retrospective study was carried out by retrieving the patient data from the diagnostic register of the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology for a period of one year. The data that was retrieved from 24 th September 2019 to 23 rd March 2020 was categorized under the pre-pandemic period and the data from 24 th March 2020 to 24 th September 2020 was grouped under the pandemic period. Patient data regarding the age, gender and clinical diagnosis was recorded and categorized under three main categories: “Emergency”, “urgent” and “elective”. 7550 patients during pre-pandemic period and 4035 patients during the pandemic period visited the dental hospital during the study period. Under the “emergency dental care” category, during the pre-pandemic period, majority of the cases reported of acute dental pain (71.0%) followed by cellulitis and space infection (20.1%) and maxillofacial trauma (8.7%). During the pandemic period, acute dental pain consisted of all emergency visits (n=307). The proportion of emergency dental visits during the pandemic were significantly higher than the pre-pandemic period. Elective dental visits were significantly higher during pre-pandemic period in comparison to the pandemic period. (P<0.001). There was a notable change in the outpatient trend of the dental visits during the COVID-19 pandemic in comparison to the pre-pandemic period. Emergency dental services were utilized at a higher rate during the pandemic period in comparison to the pre-pandemic counterpart.