Background: Edentulism affects the chewing ability of a person and can engender nutritional deficiencies which can affect the overall quality of life and depression. Aim: Our aim was to evaluate the association between perceived chewing ability, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and depressive symptoms among completely edentulous patients with and without dentures. Settings and Design: Institutional study and cross-sectional design. Methods: A cross-sectional study among 207 completely edentulous persons was conducted in South India. The subjects completed a self-administered questionnaire on demographics, Beck's depression inventory, oral health impact profile-edentulous (OHIP-EDENT), age when edentate, chewing ability, and denture satisfaction. Further, denture status was clinically evaluated. Statistical Analysis: Data were summarised and analysed using the Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Persons not using complete dentures (odds ratio [OR] =3.5, P < 0.05), who reported impaired chewing ability (OR = 4.6, P < 0.05), those who became edentate before 55 years (OR = 4.6, P < 0.05) and with poor denture status (OR = 6.2, P < 0.05) were more likely to report depressive symptoms. Lesser impact in relation to OHRQoL was found to be protective against depression among completely edentulous (OR = 0.24, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Depressive symptoms were associated with impaired chewing ability, higher impacts on OHIP-EDENT, and edentulous persons not using complete dentures. High priority must be given to enhance awareness towards oral rehabilitation among completely edentulous to reduce the chance of depression occurring due to impaired chewing ability and poor OHRQoL.

Construction workers are mostly migrants from isolated villages and are not vigilant about health care measures besides poor language skills. Majority of the population works in shifts across the globe. As a result of poor sleep architecture, excessive sleepiness or insomnia, the construction labourers working in shifts have approximately twice the risk of OSA when compared with those working in the daytime. Likewise, the performance and the productivity of employees in construction sites are impeded by added stress. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate the sleep disorders, work-related stress and its impact on oral hygiene among the construction workers in Chennai. A cross sectional study was conducted among 518 workers in various construction sites at Chennai, South India. The study incorporated Berlin Questionnaire to evaluate disordered breathing during sleep, the Work Ability Index that contains questions concerning work, working ability and health and the Oral Hygiene Index Simplified (Greene and Vermillion, 1964) that was used for recording the oral hygiene status. Pearson correlation between education and OHI-S was statistically significant (r=-0.108). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that mean WAI score had a positive significant association with work experience (B=0.059, SE=0.030, p=0.05), habits (B=0.032, SE=0.017, p=0.05) and marital status (B=0.135, SE=0.54, p=0.01). In contrast, education (B=-0.0.052, SE=0.023, p=0.02) and work schedule (B=0.022, SE=0.037, p=0.54) were inversely associated with the mean score. Based on the current findings, it is imperative to restore work ability for those with poor work ability thereby enhancing productivity in the migrant workers. As shift work may be extremely detrimental to poor sleep quality, the employers should arrange shift schedules in accordance with sleep physiology. Additionally, dental awareness and interventions are required to improve oral hygiene among migrant workers.

Introduction: Because of the majorly reported undesirable effects of excessive antibiotic usage like drug hypersensitivity and drug virulence, herbal extracts serve as alternatives with potent therapeutic effects and lesser side effects. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of aqueous and alcoholic Rubia cordifolia extracts against S.mutans and L.acidophilus. Materials and Methods:  The antibacterial activity of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of R.cordifolia was tested on S.mutans and L.acidophilus and compared with the gold standard Chlorhexidine. Aqueous extract and alcoholic extracts of R.cordifolia was formulated.The antibacterial activity of  R.cordifolia was determined by agar well diffusion method. Results: The aqueous extract of R.cordifolia showed a higher zone of inhibition for L.acidophilus at 100 μl measuring 21mm. The alcoholic extract of R.cordifolia showed a higher zone of inhibition for S. mutans which  was the maximum at 100 μl  measuring 21mm. The zone of inhibition of Aqueous and Alcoholic extracts of R.cordifolia was much superior to chlorhexidine against L.acidophilus and S.mutans respectively. Conclusion: The aqueous and alcoholic Rubia cordifolia extracts were effective against  S.mutans and L.acidophilus. Aqueous extract of R.cordifolia is superior in inhibiting l.acidophilus than chlorhexidine. Alcoholic extracts of R.cordifolia is superior in inhibiting s.mutans  than chlorhexidine.

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