Articles

Connection Between Oral Hygiene And COVID-19

The relentlessly advancing COVID-19 pandemic has revolutionised the way we will ever consider hygiene and sanitation.

It has opened doors to newer concepts of looking at community and individual health. The resulting situation has triggered a wave of medical research projects, associating the dreaded -SARSCov-2 virus with various other diseases that might complicate the patients’ situation.

One such breakthrough research has been recently done on the relationship between our oral hygiene and severity of COVID-19 by a team of researchers in London, claiming that the bacteria within the mouth may have a role to play in the increased complications and fatality of the patients. Read more

Oral Cancer And Passive Smoking

Oral cancer is among the 10 most common cancers in the world, even more common in Souh-East Asian region and smoking is accountable as its biggest risk factor. But are you aware that passive smoking or second-hand smoking also exposes you to the risk of oral cancer? Read more

Saliva Biomarkers for Liver
Cancer Diagnostics

The postulation that RNA and DNA govern each and every function of the human body is now becoming apparent owing to the continuously evolving and expanding field of genomics, proteomics molecular biology, bioinformatics and so on.. There is a substantial enhancement in understanding several crucial pathways and mechanisms within the human body. Read more

Salivary Cytokines: Effective And Effortless Diagnosis Of Lichen Planus

LICHEN PLANUS. Most of us are sure to across this interesting term when we look through information regarding auto-immune disorders. The term is itself inspired by the lichen plant that usually covers rocks and trees in a mossy, web-like fashion, similar to the disorder’s clinical appearance.
It is a chronic immune disorder that can affect the skin, oral mucosa, scalp, genital mucosa, and nails. Oral lesions have often been seen in the absence of skin lesions. It is in fact, one of the most common dermatological diseases to affect the oral cavity with a prevalence rate of about 0.5% to 2%.
The fact that distinguishes the Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) from other variants is that lesions inside the oral cavity rarely undergo spontaneous remission, whereas cutaneous lichen planus lesions are more or less self-limiting. Hence, early and accurate diagnosis becomes all the more essential to give symptomatic relief to the patients from the bothersome pain and sensitivity of the ulcerative or erosive lesions while it takes months to years for getting completely resolved. Read more

COVID-19 Flattening The Curve: A Myth Or Reality?

COVID-19, definitely not a coveted word for Homo sapiens! As 2020 unfolded, never did I, a practicing periodontist and a passionate researcher in oral-systemic health, think that all my scientific interest would be redirected to this miniscule living being, the SARS-CoV 2! My donning dual caps as a clinician and a scientist made me look at this COVID-19 multi-dimensionally! As a periodontist, the aerosol generated from possible disease positive patients/asymptomatic carriers is a huge concern as I have to make choices of treating patients who need emergency dental care! With the surge of cases globally and in India, what with “R naught” statistics in a constant state of flux, there is a genuine concern about how long patients can be guarded from their dental problems! All roads however, lead to one common destination namely, FLATTENING THE CURVE!! Could a mountain predictably become a molehill? Read more