Oral myiasis is more prevalent than commonly believed to be and an astute practitioner should be aware of such maggots in the mouth, in cases of oral and maxillofacial trauma and in vulnerable categories of patients. These patients are not physically or mentally endowed to ward off flies or complain about worms burrowing their way into oral wounds. Occurrences of such cases are rare in developed countries and reflect the lack of special care for the vulnerable group of patients belonging to certain geographic areas.

The microbial etiology of periodontal disease has been the focus of researchers for a long time. The search for the pathogens of periodontal diseases has been underway for more than 100 years, and continues up today. Despite the increasing knowledge about oral microbiota, we are not able to implicate any one particular organism that can be considered as a candidate pathogen. In fact the term “candidate pathogen” has lost its steam with a myriad of microorganisms being incriminated from time to time. Most studies of the bacterial etiology of periodontitis have used either culture-based or targeted deoxyribonucleic acid approaches and so it is likely that pathogens remain undiscovered. The advent of 16S cloning and sequencing has facilitated identification of several uncultivable bacteria in the oral cavity. The concept that not one single organism, but several organisms contained in the biofilm orchestrating in a medley of the show appears to be more plausible. The present review highlights some lesser known bacteria associated with periodontal destruction.

The use of anti-platelet therapy has reduced the mortality and morbidity of cardiovascular disease remarkably. A considerable number of patients presenting before a dentist or periodontist give a history of anti-platelet therapy. A clinical dilemma whether to discontinue the anti-platelet therapy or continue the same always confronts the practitioner. Diverse opinions exist regarding the management of such patients. While one group of researchers advise continuation of anti-platelet therapy rather than invite remote, but possible, thromboembolic events, another group encourages discontinuation for variable periods. This study aims at reviewing the current rationale of anti-platelet therapy and the various options available to a clinician, with regard to the management of a patient under anti-platelet therapy. Current recommendations and consensus favour no discontinuation of anti-platelet therapy. This recommendation, however, comes with a rider to use caution and consider other mitigating factors as well. With a large number of patients giving a history of anti-platelet therapy, the topic is of interest and helps a clinician to arrive at a decision.

OSF showed significant changes in affected gingiva, and the presence of comet cells in all the patients with OSF is a significant indicator of possible pathognomonic developments.

Peripheral ossifying fibroma (POF) is a non-neoplastic enlargement seen more often in females, in the interdental papilla and the anterior part of the maxilla, accounts for about 9% of all gingival growths. Of unknown etiology, unpredictable clinical course and pronicity for recurrence, POF is a clinician's cause for concern. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice, but with a reported recurrence rate of 7-45%, the management is often frustrating. With increasing acceptance of lasers in the repertoire of clinician's armory, laser excision of such lesions has become a possible, feasible, and patient-preferred approach. The purpose of this article is to report successful management and 1 year follow-up of two cases of POF using neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd: YAG) laser. The absence of operative bleeding, relative ease of the procedure and patient acceptance lends the laser excision as an alternate therapeutic modality for excision of gingival enlargements of suspicious and vexatious nature.