No abstract

The relationship between periodontitis (or periodontal disease) with Alzheimer’s disease has been reported by various primary sources in the past decade, but not with a solid secondary research statement. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and registered (Reference number: CRD42020185264) with PROSPERO (International prospective register for systematic reviews). A literature search was conducted on specific databases for suitable articles in English language. Out of 612 studies selected, 41 underwent full-text analysis; five studies were eligible for systematic review, and 3 for meta-analysis. Meta-analysis was performed with tests for sensitivity and statistical heterogeneity followed by calculation of summary effect measures in terms of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The results of this review showed a significant association between periodontitis and Alzheimer’s disease in the meta-analysis [OR 1.67 (1.21–2.32)].

Treponema denticola is a spirochete associated with periodontitis, an infectious disease that destroys tooth attachments. It appears that these organisms reach oral epithelial cells, where they undergo their own unique molecular mechanism before displaying the acquired phenotypes associated with cancer, including inhibition of apoptosis, proliferation, and increased migration of epithelial cells. With this background the objective is to study the presence of Treponema denticola in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Total of 30 oral squamous cell carcinoma and oral mucosal non-cancerous tissue specimens were collected from patients and controls respectively. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) isolation was done from each aseptically deliquesced tissue specimen using Trizol method and converted into complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) followed by specific gene amplification of Treponema denticola by polymerase chain reaction. Treponema denticola was detected in 8 oral squamous cell carcinoma tissue samples. No control tissue specimen was found to be positive for Treponema denticola. Current study findings suggest that Treponema denticola could play a role in the pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Young children are more explorative with all the objects they encounter and they develop the habit of inserting them into their mouth. In some cases, the object can injure the child's oral cavity. And it could be associated with self-injurious behavior of the child. Hence, a proper diagnosis of it is important. There are several reports on various foreign objects embedded in the root canal, which acts as a constant source of pain and infection in the oral cavity. The case report describes a 14-year-old boy with a foreign object in his maxillary left first premolar and the conservative management of the same. The boy was diagnosed to have no such self-injurious/deliberate self-harm behavior from the detailed history taken. The paper reviews the various management strategies for the removal of foreign objects from the root canal.