Objective: The objectives of this study were to examine the level of awareness of the common oral disease amongst the primary care physicians in Chennai, India and to study the proportion of the routine oral examination among them. Method:This study was a cross-sectional, self administered, questionnaire survey which was done among 70 primary care physicians of Chennai, India. The questionnaire assessed the proportion of the routine oral examination and the knowledge and the awareness about the common dental problems among the primary care physicians.Result: This study showed moderate awareness about the signs and symptoms of the common oral diseases. There appeared to be a low awareness about the treatment of limited mouth opening and the causes of white patches. 85.9% of the doctors said that they routinely examined the oral cavity; 4.2% said that they sometimes did so. 4.2% of the sample said that they did not perform a routine oral examination, whilst another 4.2% said that they examined the throat only. Conclusion:The information which was gleaned from this study can help in developing a focused module which is aimed at the practising primary care physicians, and to suggest appropriate additions to the curriculum of the medical graduates, so as to enable an early detection, an appropriate referral, and an ultimately improved oral and general health of our population.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and the severity of dental caries in 3-6 year old children in Chennai and to elucidate the factors which affect the dental caries in 3-6 year old children. Methods:This study was a cross-sectional survey which was done on 527 children who were in the age group of 3 to 6 years, who were from 6 private and 6 corporation schools in Chennai, India. Two instruments were developed, pre-tested and validated for the study. One questionnaire which contained the various risk factors which had to be measured and the dental caries indices were used on children to collect the relevant data. A separate questionnaire was distributed to the parents to measure the socio economic status and to know the parents' educational levels. Results:The prevalence of dental caries was found to be 63.4% in the study samples. The association between dental caries and the associated factors was determined by calculating the Odd`s ratio. Logistic regression was performed to test the magnitude of the association between dental caries and the factors which were associated with it, and linear regression was done for the continuous variables. There was a statistically significant high association between the oral hygiene practice, the eating habits of the children, the economic status and the parents' literacy levels and the caries prevalence in this study. Conclusion:This study showed that preventive efforts should be focused on young children, as the benefits are cumulative. The oral health promotion should particularly be targeted to the areas of need, to redress the inequalities.

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Objectives: To compare standard incision and comma shaped incision and its influence on post operative complications in surgical removal of impacted third molar.Methods: This was a cross-over trial. Twenty subjects with bilateral impacted mandibular third molars were recruited for the study. A standard incision was made on one side of the lower jaw and a comma incision was made on the other side to reflect the mucoperiosteal flap, after which the common steps for removal of impacted third molars were followed. The postoperative parameters were recorded immediately on the post -operative days 1, 3 and 7 respectively. Results:The pain scores which were recorded on days 1, 3 and 7 in the surgical area with comma incisions were found to be significantly lower as compared to the pain scores in the area where standard incisions were made. Similarly, swelling was lesser with comma incisions than with standard incisions. There was a significant difference in mouth opening between the two incisions on day 1, but no significance was seen on days 3 and 7. All these findings showed significant statistical differences. Conclusion:The results of the study showed that the new incision design was preferable over the conventional method, considering the lesser degree of post-operative complications. The cross-over design of the study greatly enhanced its statistical power and validity. InTROduCTIOnThird molars are present in 90% of the population with 33% having at least one impacted third molar. Thus, surgical removal of impacted third molar is the most frequently performed procedure [1]. Impacted lower third molar extraction produces a series of side effects, which include pain, inflammation, and trismus [2].Flap design is one important factor which influences the severity of these complications [3]. Flap design is important, not only for allowing optimal visibility and access to the impacted tooth, but also for subsequent healing of the surgically created defect. With so many objectives, the actual design of a flap sometimes becomes a compromise between peri-and post-operative considerations [4].The aim of this study was to compare two different flap designs in extraction of impacted mandibular third molars, by assessing their post-operative complications. In this study, pain, swelling, mouth opening and pocket depth were selected as parameters for comparing the two flap designs. MATeRIAl And MeThOdSThis study was a hospital based, experimental study with a "cross-over" design, which was done on thirty patients. Patients with bilateral, completely impacted, mandibular third molars or partially erupted third molars, without any symptoms of pain or swelling, who had good oral hygiene, were included in the study. Dentistry SectionPatients who were on any medications, lady patients who were pregnant, patients with severe pericoronitis, patients with soft tissue impaction and patients who were medically compromised were excluded from study.Thirty patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study aft...