Background and Aim:It is inconclusive that periodontitis is an independent risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aims to investigate the association between maternal periodontitis and preterm and/or low birth weight babies.Settings and Design:This was a prospective cross-sectional study. After prior informed consent, 3500 postpartum mothers were selected from various hospitals in Tamil Nadu and categorized into the following groups: group-1 – Normal term normal birth weight (n = 1100); Group-2 – Preterm normal birth weight (n = 400); Group-3 – preterm low birth weight (PTLBW) (n = 1000); and Group-4 – Normal term low birth weight (n = 1000). Periodontal examination was done, and risk factors were ascertained by means of questionnaire and medical records.Statistical Analysis:Comparison between case groups and control groups were done, odds ratio (OR) was calculated, and statistical significance were assessed by Chi-square tests. To control for the possible confounders, all variables with P < 0.05 were selected and entered into multivariate regression model, and OR and 95% confidence limits were again estimated. SPSS-15 software was used.Results:Periodontitis was diagnosed in 54.8%, 52.3%, 53.8%, 59.4%, respectively. On comparison between the groups, none of periodontal parameters showed significant association except for the crude association observed in Group-4 for mild periodontitis (OR - 1.561; P = 0.000) and PTLBW.Conclusion:Periodontitis is not a significant independent risk factor, and obstetric factors contribute a major risk for preterm and/or low birth weight babies

Replacement of missing teeth in the posterior maxilla is always a challenge for the treating implant surgeon as the posterior maxilla has several obstacles in the form of quality, quantity, the anatomy of the maxillary sinus, and inaccessibility. To overcome these deficiencies, several surgical procedures such as sinus lift, bone augmentation, tilted implants, short implants, and zygomatic implants were tried. Since these procedures have their own limitations, pterygomaxillary region provides us an excellent place for placement of implant and rehabilitation of posterior maxilla. This case report describes the usage of the pterygomaxillary region for placement of the implant to restore atrophic posterior maxilla, without any additional surgical procedures.

Background: Other than releasing a bunch of growth factors and molecules, platelet concentrates (PCs), especially platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) has a potential role in antimicrobial activities. Aim: The aim of this present systematic review was to collect, evaluate, and compare the available evidence regarding the antimicrobial efficacy of all types of PRF and to highlight the underlying mechanisms along with their potential benefits based on their actions, investigated by clinical and in vitro studies. Materials and Methods: Systematic approach was followed in the selection of studies. A detailed search was done in electronic databases such as PUBMED/MEDLINE, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, and SCIENCE DIRECT using specific search items with language restricted to English. All in vitro studies and clinical studies which assessed the antimicrobial activity of PRF alone or along with antibiotics or a type of PRF were included in the study. Other studies which included antimicrobial effects of other forms of PCs such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), platelet gel, and animal studies were all excluded from the study. Results: After the initial and final screening of articles, only eight met the required criteria, of which seven were in vitro studies and one was a clinical study. All the studies evaluated the efficacy of one or more forms of PRF either against bacterial pathogens or showed inhibition of growth in culture. Conclusion: Based on the systematic review, PRF possesses antimicrobial efficacy against pathogens and the exact mechanism of the antimicrobial efficacy needs further investigation. The enhanced property of PRF against pathogens might be due to the release of platelets and preparation protocols such as lesser time and centrifugal speed. Further, PRF should be considered to be used as local drug delivery system which will be a potential treatment against periodontopathogens in the future.

Although implant is the treatment of choice for rehabilitation of patients with aggressive periodontitis, it is also challenging for the dentists. There are various views about success of implant therapy for these patients. Few authors have proposed that aggressive periodontitis patients have less success rate of implant survival, while many authors have shown successful management of aggressive periodontitis patients with implants. For implants to be successful in these patient, it is important to control the periodontal disease before placement of implants. Thus a multidisciplinary approach is essential for successful rehabilitation of these patients. This case report aims at discussing the periodontal management and implant rehabilitation in a patient with aggressive periodontitis.

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