Aims and Objectives:The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the effects of tobacco on salivary pH between tobacco chewers, smokers and controls.Materials and Methods:A total of 60 subjects (males and females) aged 25–40 years, were divided equally into three groups: Tobacco smokers (Group A), chewers (Group B) and controls (Group C). Saliva of each subject was collected under resting condition. Salivary pH was determined using the specific salivary pH meter.Results:The mean (±standard deviation) pH for Group A was 6.75 (±0.11), Group B was 6.5 (±0.29) and Group C was 7.00 (±0.28) after comparison. The significant results showed lower salivary pH in Groups A and B as compared to controls. Salivary pH was lowest in Group B compared to Group A and Group C.Conclusion:This study indicates that a lower (acidic) salivary pH was observed in tobacco users as compared with control. These alterations in pH due to the long-term effect of tobacco use can render oral mucosa vulnerable to various oral and dental diseases.

Primary intraosseous carcinoma arising as a de novo lesion is a unique and rare carcinoma affecting the jaws, especially at younger ages. Two case reports, a 26-year-old Indian female with primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma and a 16-year-old Indian male with intraosseous carcinoma arising in an odontogenic cyst, both within the body of the mandible, are presented here.

Objectives:The study evaluated pathognomic histopathological features with the help of light microscopy for detecting the integration of human papillomavirus (HPV) (type 16 and 18) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).Materials and Methods:Forty-five histopathologically diagnosed cases of OSCC were evaluated for the presence of E6/E7 protein of HPV (16 + 18) with the help of nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Both HPV-positive and -negative cases were evaluated for four histological features: Koilocytes, dyskeratosis, invasion, and alteration of collagen.Results:Fischer's exact test showed significant difference (P < 0.01%) for the presence of koilocytes and dyskeratosis, whereas no difference was observed for invasion and alteration in collagen between HPV-positive and -negative OSCC.Conclusion:The presence of koilocytes and dyskeratosis at light microscopic level can be used as a marker for the presence of HPV (type 16 and 18) in OSCC.

Aim:The aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness of practicing dentists about the subject of forensic odontology and to assess their willingness to maintain and share patient records.Materials and Methods:A blind questionnaire survey was carried out among 100 randomly selected practicing dentists in district Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.Results:Most of the dentists interviewed were familiar with the subject of forensic odontology and its relation to dentistry, despite forensic dentistry having been newly introduced since 2007 into the undergraduate dental curriculum in India. However, dental records are maintained by only a few dentists, and only a very small percentage of them reported to have shared records, which may have helped in the identification of victims in a mass disaster.Conclusion:The result of our survey concluded that more awareness needs to be developed among practicing dentists regarding maintaining and sharing patient records for forensic odontology to succeed as a victim identification tool.

Oral surgeons, surgeons and dentists carrying out small biopsy procedures on an out-patient basis have been frequently sending poorly stored biopsy tissues to the Departments of Oral Pathology of various dental colleges, wherein the tissues were being stored in normal saline and then transferred to formalin. Such tissues often show abnormal cellular and architectural changes, which pose a challenge to diagnosis, especially when the histopathologist is not aware that the tissue was stored in normal saline for some time. We wanted to know the extent of artefactually induced cellular and architectural changes in tissues that were transported in normal saline and received by us, based on the duration for which they were held in normal saline. Normal oral soft tissue was subjected to storage in normal saline for periods varying from 1 to 36 h, before being fixed in 10 % formalin. Soft tissue specimens were collected during routine surgical extractions and each was cut into six parts. One was transferred immediately to formalin as control and other bits kept in normal saline for intervals of 1, 3, 12, 24, and 36 h before fixing in formalin. A comparative photographic analysis was carried out to analyze the histopathological changes. The tissues kept in normal saline before fixation underwent various changes. In no way should normal saline be used, even for a short time, to store and transport excised tissue; it is imperative that such tissues be placed immediately in a proper fixative like 10 % formalin.