Myofibroblasts (MFs) are modified fibroblasts that express features of smooth muscle differentiation and were first observed in granulation tissue during wound healing. These cells play a key role in physiologic and pathologic processes like wound healing and tumorigenesis. The presence of MFs has been reported in normal oral tissues and pathologic conditions like reactive lesions, benign tumors, locally aggressive tumors and malignancies affecting the oral cavity. This article briefly reviews the important hallmarks related to the discovery, characterization and tissue distribution of MFs in oral health and disease.

Brown tumor is a rare nonneoplastic focal giant cell lesion that occurs in hyperparathyroidism patients with a prevalence rate of 0.1% in jaws. We report an extremely rare case of brown tumor in mandible of a 40-year-old female patient that presented as the first clinical manifestation of hyperparathyroidism. Dentist played a pivotal role in the present case by the early diagnosis of lesion and its intervention.

Objectives:(1) To measure the crestal bone levels around implants immediately, and one month, three months, and six months after immediate implant placement, to evaluate the amount of bone level changes in six months. (2) To measure the initial stability in immediate implant placement.Materials and Methods:Ten patients were selected and a total of ten implants were placed in the immediate extraction sites. The change in the level of crestal bone was measured on standardized digital periapical radiographs taken at baseline, first month, third month, and sixth months for each patient, using the SOPRO imaging software. The initial stability of implants was measured with resonance frequency analysis (RFA) and an engine-driven torque. The measurements were statistically analyzed. The student's t-test was used, to identify the significance of the study parameters.Results:When mesial and distal bone losses were averaged, the radiographic evaluation with the SOPRO imaging software showed an average of 0.80 mm, with a standard deviation of ± 0.18 mm bone loss at the first month, followed by 1.03 mm with a standard deviation of ± 0.19 mm at the third month, and 1.23 mm with standard deviation of ± 0.6 mm at the sixth month. The initial stability with the RFA instrument showed a mean of 55 implant stability quotient (ISQ) values and the torque showed a value of 36.50 Nm.Conclusions:The implant has to be placed 2 mm below the crestal bone level to compensate the crestal bone loss. The initial stability is achieved by apical preparation of the socket wall and use of straight screw implants. When the defect is more than 2 mm, autogenous grafts with membranes are the best choice.

Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate the presence of myofibroblasts quantitatively in oral epithelial dysplasia, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Materials and Methods: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks were retrieved from the institutional archives. The sample size is 35 and included 15 cases of oral epithelial dysplasia ( n = 15), 15 cases of squamous cell carcinoma ( n = 15) and 5 cases of normal oral mucosa which served as the control ( n = 5). Histologic sections were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis using alpha-smooth muscle actin, and the mean number of myofibroblasts was evaluated. Results: There were no myofibroblasts in the stroma of normal oral mucosa and oral epithelial dysplasia. Whereas all cases of OSCC showed myofibroblasts (mean ± standard deviation: 21.49 ± 9.76). This difference of myofibroblasts between OSCC and oral epithelial dysplasia was statistically significant with a P < 0.05. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean number of Myofibroblasts(MF) between 3 histologic grades of OSCC. Conclusion: The presence of myofibroblasts in the stroma of OSCC and their absence in normal oral mucosa and epithelial dysplasia reveals that these cells may play a role in cancer cell invasion and progression so the treatment strategies targeting the myofibroblasts and their by products may be beneficial in OSCC patients.

Eruption of tooth into extraosseous locations is an extremely rare condition. We report a case of a six-year-old girl child with tooth-like structure erupting from the right buccal mucosa. Clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic examination suggested the diagnosis of compound odontoma. Very few cases have been reported so far, where tooth has been located completely in the soft tissue and a variety of names have been used for that condition. A brief review of the literature and the ambiguity in naming the situation is discussed.