Background and Objectives:Scaling and root planing is one of the most commonly used procedures for the treatment of periodontal diseases. Removal of calculus using conventional hand instruments is incomplete and rather time consuming. In search of more efficient and less difficult instrumentation, investigators have proposed lasers as an alternative or as adjuncts to scaling and root planing. Hence, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of erbium doped: Yttirum aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser scaling and root planing alone or as an adjunct to hand and ultrasonic instrumentation.Subjects and Methods:A total of 75 freshly extracted periodontally involved single rooted teeth were collected. Teeth were randomly divided into five treatment groups having 15 teeth each: Hand scaling only, ultrasonic scaling only, Er:YAG laser scaling only, hand scaling + Er:YAG laser scaling and ultrasonic scaling + Er:YAG laser scaling. Specimens were subjected to scanning electron microscopy and photographs were evaluated by three examiners who were blinded to the study. Parameters included were remaining calculus index, loss of tooth substance index, roughness loss of tooth substance index, presence or absence of smear layer, thermal damage and any other morphological damage.Results:Er:YAG laser treated specimens showed similar effectiveness in calculus removal to the other test groups whereas tooth substance loss and tooth surface roughness was more on comparison with other groups. Ultrasonic treated specimens showed better results as compared to other groups with different parameters. However, smear layer presence was seen more with hand and ultrasonic groups. Very few laser treated specimens showed thermal damage and morphological change.Interpretation and Conclusion:In our study, ultrasonic scaling specimen have shown root surface clean and practically unaltered. On the other hand, hand instrument have produced a plane surface, but removed more tooth structure. The laser treated specimens showed rough surfaces without much residual deposit or any other sign of morphological change.

Anterior crown fractures are a common form of traumatic dental injuries that mainly affect the maxillary incisors, especially in children and adolescents. Complicated crown fractures although less common, pose a challenge to the clinician. The main objective while treating such cases is successful pain management and immediate restoration of function, esthetics and phonetics. Since the development of the adhesive dentistry, the patient's own fragment can be used to restore the fractured tooth. Reattachment of fractured tooth fragments offers a viable restorative alternative. The procedure provides good and long-lasting esthetics, because the original morphology, color, and surface texture are preserved. This article reports management of complicated crown fracture in a young adult and a middle-aged adult that were successfully treated by reattachment technique. The teeth were endodontically treated followed by esthetic reattachment of the fractured fragment using the glass fiber post. To improve the adhesion between fractured and remaining fragment, circumferential beveling and internal groove placement were done.

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The aim of the present study was to assess the clinico-histopathological picture and to examine the recurrence of various localized hyperplastic gingival growths after their surgical treatment. Twenty patients of localized hyperplastic gingival outgrowth were evaluated in the present clinico-histopathological study. The data regarding age, sex, location, size, and duration of lesion were summarized. After 4 weeks of initial therapy, an excision of the growth with conventional flap surgery was performed. The excised tissues were sent for histopathological analysis, and the lesions were reclassified into four groups. All the patients were recalled after 3 and 6 months to study the recurrence of the growth. Twenty lesions were inspected, the pyogenic granuloma was the most common (55%), followed by peripheral fibroma (25%), peripheral giant cell granuloma (15%), and calcifying fibroblastic fibroma (5%). Out of the twenty lesions evaluated, the pyogenic granuloma was the most common with no recurrence in any case.

Peripheral giant cell granuloma (PGCG) is an infrequent exophytic lesion of the oral cavity, also known as giant cell epulis, giant cell reparative granuloma, or giantcell hyperplasia. Commonly known causes are local irritation due to dental plaque or calculus, periodontal disease, poor dental restorations, ill-fitting appliances or dental extractions. The suggested treatment is conservative excision and the lesion has a 10-15% recurrence rate. The aim in publishing this report is to present the clinical, histopathological features and treatment of a PGCG case, which was seen on gingiva and disturbed chewing functions. The lesion was completely excised to the periosteum level and there is no residual or recurrent, swelling or bony defect apparent in the area after a follow-up period of 1 year.