Aim and objective To evaluate the possible genotoxic effect of X-rays on buccal mucosa while exposing to dental panoramic radiography using micronucleus test. Materials and methods The study group comprised of 30 healthy subjects, 15 males and 15 females, aged between 24 years and 65 years. Samples were obtained from the exfoliated oral mucosa cells of buccal mucosa before and 12 days after exposing the patients to panoramic radiography. Results The study reported that there was no significant increase in the number of micronuclei cells present before and after panoramic radiography. Positive correlation existed between age with pre- and postexposure micronuclei. Conclusion Diagnostic dental panoramic radiograph does not induce micronuclei in the target buccal epithelium cells. A positive correlation between age and micronuclei frequency was established. Clinical significance Panoramic radiographs does not induce cytotoxicity but increase frequency may be vulnerable to genotoxic effects in buccal mucosal cells. Hence, dental radiographs should be prescribed only when necessary. How to cite this article Santhosh K, Manzoor S, Sushanth A, et al. A Cross-sectional Study to Evaluate Nuclear Changes in Buccal Mucosa Following Panoramic Radiography. J Contemp Dent Pract 2020;21(11):1258–1261.

Aim: Survivin is a multifunctional protein chiefly involved in apoptosis and cell cycle regulation. Increased expression of survivin in tumors and fetal tissue determines its antiapoptotic activity. The aim of the study is to identify the immunoexpression of survivin in metastatic and nonmetastatic oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and also to evaluate and compare the expression of survivin in metastatic and nonmetastatic OSCC of buccal mucosa. Materials and Methods: In total, 40 histopathologically proven cases of OSCC, including 20 metastatic and 20 nonmetastatic cases, are selected. Among the 20 metastatic and nonmetastatic cases, 10 well-differentiated and 10 moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma cases were included and were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for survivin expression. The results were analyzed by SPSS version 11.5 using chi-square test. Results: The expression of survivin in metastatic and nonmetastatic tumors is 15%–70% and 15%–60%, respectively. When comparing the cases of moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma in metastatic and nonmetastatic tumors, 70% cases show moderate staining intensity. Conclusion: The survivin expression was comparatively high in metastatic OSCC. Also based on the aforementioned results, survivin expression was high in increasing grades of OSCC.

Background:The incidence of injury to the inferior alveolar nerve during mandibular molar extraction increased the demand for pre-surgical planning to avoid any complications.Aim: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the dental panoramic image compared to cone-beam computed tomo graphy (CBCT) in predicting the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) exposure during impacted third molar extraction. Materials and methods:This is a prospective study of consecutive patients, consulted for third molar extraction under local anesthesia. Thirty-two patients showed sign of proximity of the roots of the third molars to the mandibular canal from the dental panoramic image, were selected for CBCT.Results: With respect to the interobserver reliability, no significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed for the prediction on nerve exposure and injury from the dental panoramic image, however, showed a significant difference (p = 0.001) for the cone-beam computed tomography. The prevalence of contact between the third molar to the inferior alveolar canal (IAC) was 96.8% with a significant finding p = 0.002. There was a significant difference in the loss of cortex in predicting nerve exposure with p = 0.04. Clinically, three patients had nerve exposure and two patients had neurosensory disturbances. Conclusion:Dental panoramic image is still valuable for predicting the proximity of the third molar to the inferior alveolar canal. Nevertheless, CBCT has the best precision in localizing the close contact between the third molar and the inferior alveolar canal. Clinical significance:There was no significant finding from the CBCT for the incidence of the inferior alveolar nerve exposure and injury. However, it was seen to be accurate in predicting the IAN exposure. All these findings prove that cone-beam computed tomography contributes in the surgical plan, reduced operative time and patient morbidity.