Portuguese introduced tobacco to India 400 years ago. Ever since, Indians have used tobacco in various forms. Sixty five per cent of all men and 33% of all women use tobacco in some form. Tobacco causes over 20 categories of fatal and disabling diseases including oral cancer. By 2020 it is predicted that tobacco will account for 13% of all deaths in India. A major step has to be taken to control what the World Health Organization, has labeled a 'smoking epidemic' in developing countries. India's anti-tobacco legislation, first passed in 1975, was largely limited to health warnings and proved to be insufficient. A new piece of national legislation, proposed in 2001, represents an advance including banning smoking in public places, advertising and forbidding sale of tobacco to minors. Preventing the use of tobacco in various forms as well as treating nicotine addiction is the major concern of dentists and physicians. The dental encounter probably constitutes a "teachable moment" when the patient is receptive to counseling about life- style issues. Both policy makers and health professionals must work together for achieving a smoke free society for our coming generations.

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Occurrence of the second mesiobuccal canal (MB2) is a frequent finding. Literary reports have shown it to be found more in the cases of the maxillary first molar. However the maxillary second molars have also been found with this variation in a number of canals. This paper presents a case report on the occurrence of a second mesiobuccal canal or the MB2 in the maxillary second molar.

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Chondroectodermal dysplasia is a rare mesenchymal - ectodermal dysplasia first described in 1940 by Richard W.B. Ellis and Simon van Creveld now known as Ellis van Creveld syndrome. It is also known as Mesvectodermal dysplasia. Majority of cases were characteristically seen in one particular inbred population from the Amish community of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. The syndrome manifests with several skeletal anomalies, oral mucosal and dental anomalies, congenital cardiac defects and nail dysplasia. Ellis van Creveld syndrome may be differentiated from other chondrodystrophies like achondroplasia, chondroplasia punctata, asphyxiating thorasic dystrophy and Morquio's syndrome. The presence of oral mucosal and dental alterations like notching of the lower alveolar process, fusion of the upper lip with gingival mucosal margin, occasional presence of neonatal teeth, oligodontia and conical shape of anterior teeth will confirm the diagnosis of Ellis van Creveld syndrome and hence its importance to dentists.

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Purpose: Periodontal disease is a commonly prevalent problem faced alike by both the developed and third world countries but showing wide variations in prevalence and severity across different geographical areas. The purpose was to identify Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Prevotella intermedia (Pi), Ekinella corrodens (Ec), Campylobacter rectus (Cr), Bacteroides forsythus (Bf), Treponema denticola (Td) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) in Indian adult periodontitis and rapidly progressive periodontitis patients. Materials and Methods: Paper points were used to collect the sample from 28 sites in both adult periodontitis and rapidly progressive periodontitis (8 healthy/20 diseased sites) patients and DNA analysis done. The categorical data was analysed by Fishers exact test and difference in the clinical parameters was tested by Mann-Whitney test. Results: In healthy sites of adult and rapidly progressive periodontitis patients, Aa, Ec, Bf and Aa, Pg, Pi, Td, Fn were detected respectively. However, when diseased and healthy sites were compared in both adult periodontitis and rapidly progressive periodontitis patients respectively, only Pg( P =0.004), Cr( P =0.04), Fn( P =0.014) and Pg( P =0.002), Cr( P =0.02), Fn( P =0.008) were statistically significant. Conclusion: The prevalence of the microorganisms correlate with the clinical parameters like probing depth and bleeding on probing as seen in the Japanese and Western periodontitis patients' population.

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Background: The methods frequently used for surgical removal of impacted third molars are bur technique, lingual split and simplified split bone technique. The morbidity rates following the use of these different surgical techniques are not completely resolved. The use of a surgical method with minimum postoperative complication is needed. Aim: This study was conducted to compare the morbidity rates of the three different surgical techniques and their efficacy with regard to postoperative pain, swelling, labial and lingual sensation. Materials and Methods: Ninety patients with a symptomatic impacted mandibular third molar with the age range of 14-62 years were divided into three groups of 30 patients each for surgical bur technique, lingual split technique and simplified split bone technique. All patients were operated by the same surgeon under local anesthesia (2% lignocaine) in the dental chair. The severity of pain and swelling was recorded on a visual analogue scale and the presence or absence of sensory disturbance at 6, 24, 48 hours and seven days after operation. The pain was scored according to a visual analogue 4-point scale. Patients were asked to indicate which side was more swollen and to record this assessment on the swelling scale. Results: Lingual split technique was more painful than the other two techniques. Surgical bur technique had more swelling than the other two techniques. Labial and lingual sensations were not altered in all the techniques. Conclusion: The simplified split bone technique had the least morbidity than the lingual split and surgical bur technique.

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This article presents a case report of a completely edentulous patient with palatal insufficiency successfully rehabilitated with closed hollow bulb obturator prosthesis and also describes a simple technique for fabricating a two-piece hollow bulb obturator that allows for control of the bulb's wall thickness and weight of the prosthesis.

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Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) is a rare generalized disorder of connective tissue origin. This condition is predominantly a clinical diagnosis, based on the clinical signs and symptoms. Here is a case report of 26-year-old female patient with the classical features of this disease. This case is reported for its rarity and variable expressivity. This article also reviews the literature of this uncommon condition.

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Klestadt's cyst, more commonly known as the nasolabial cyst is an uncommon, non-odontogenic, soft tissue cyst characterized by its extra osseous location in the nasal alar region.[2] Following its description first by Zukuerkandl in 1882,[3] only 267 cases have been found in English literature. A case of nasolabial cyst in a 30-year-old female patient is presented.

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Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (MPNST) also termed as spindle cell malignancy of the peripheral nerve Schwann cells or neurogenic sarcoma, represents approximately 10% of all soft tissue sarcomas. This tumour is usually found in the lower extremities and only 10-12% of all lesions occur in the head and neck region, which makes it a rare entity. The diagnosis of MPNST has been described as one of the most difficult and elusive diagnosis in the soft tissue diseases because of its non-specific presentation both clinically and histopathologically. This was overcome by the use of immunohistochemistry. A case of MPNST of the left maxillary antrum in a 45 -year -old male patient is reported.

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O0 bjective: The main objective of the study was to understand the perceptions of the residents of rural part of Sriperambudur Taluk, regarding areca nut use. This article discusses the findings of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions at rural part of Sriperambudur Taluk. Materials and Methods: A community-based survey was conducted using qualitative methods. Out of 168 villages, 11 were randomly chosen. Fifteen in-depth interviews and five focus group discussions were conducted. Only those above 10 years of age and who used areca nut either in processed or un-processed form were included in the study. Results: Among different forms of areca nut products, the use of Hans, which is a commercial flavored product containing areca nut, tobacco and other ingredients is believed to be the most prevalent habit in all the age groups. Chewing areca nut is the initiating habit, leading to other habits such as smoking and consuming alcoholic beverages. Residents less than 30 years of age chew areca nut products for fun or because of peer pressure whereas the 30 to 50 year olds get habituated due to reasons such as boredom and family problems. Although there is awareness regarding the ill-effects of tobacco use, there is not much awareness regarding areca nut. According to the residents, the community has not given enough thought regarding areca nut products and therefore no action has been taken to mitigate this high-risk behavior. Conclusion: It is the perception of the community that there is an increasing trend in the use of areca nut especially the commercial forms such as Hans , in rural Tamilnadu. Habit gets initiated at a very young age; therefore age specific intervention programs should be implemented. Periodic research should be conducted to better understand the changing trends of chewing areca nut products.

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