Background and aims: Physiologic gingival pigmentation (PGP) is the most common type of gingival pigmentation causing esthetic concerns particularly in gummy smile patients. Laser therapy is an effective and noninvasive treatment modality for such patients. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of diode laser for treatment of PGP. Subjects and methods: This quasi-experimental study (one-group pretest-post-test design) was conducted on 20 patients complaining of gingival melanin pigmentation. The gingiva of the anterior segment of the arch was ablated with 810 nm diode laser until the entire visible pigmentation was removed. Clinical observations for the intensity of pigmentation were made at baseline, one month and three months, postoperatively. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Friedman test. Results: Preoperatively, the mean score of gingival melanin pigmentation in the maxilla and mandible was 2.95. At one month postoperatively, the mean scores of the maxilla and mandible were 1.53 and 1.55, respectively. After three months, the mean rank of scores of the maxilla and mandible was 1.53 and 1.50, respectively. The difference between the pre-and postoperative mean scores was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Diode laser therapy is an effective and minimally invasive modality for gingival depigmentation. But further investigations with long-term follow ups are warranted in this respect.

There is a special focus on using natural materials and herbal plants to prevent dental caries. Previous studies showed that some herbal plants have antimicrobial effects on oral pathogens. Thus we investigated the antimicrobial effects of three herbal extracts (Carum copticum, Phlomis bruguieri, and Marrubium parviflorum) on the growth of Streptococcus mutans, as the most important bacteria causing dental caries. First, plant methanolic extracts were prepared. Then, to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the three herbal extracts, the agar well diffusion method and MIC were performed. The biofilm formation was carried out using a broth dilution method with 2% glucose-supplemented BHIS in sterile 96-well microplates. Serial dilutions (50, 25, 12.5, 6.25, 3.12 mg/ml) of extracts were prepared. Next, a 0.5 McFarland Suspension of S. mutans was added to wells. The inhibitory effect on biofilm formation was measured by the ELISA reader apparatus. The assay was repeated three times, and the average was calculated as 3. The results were compared with those of Chlorhexidine 0.2%. Carum copticum showed a better effect in the agar well diffusion method than others. MIC of the extracts of Carum coptimum, Phlomis bruguieri, and Marrubium parviflorum were 3.12, 6.25, and 12.5 mg/ml, respectively. Overall, the highest activity belonged to Carum copticum extract. For the anti-biofilm effect, the OD values of Carum copticum and Marrubium parviflorum were significantly different from that of Phlomis bruguieri. Although all of the methanolic herbal extracts can inhibit S. mutans growth and remove the biofilm, the effect of Carum copticum was better than Phlomis bruguieri and Marrubium parviflorum. Further studies are recommended to indicate how these extracts perform against the bacteria.

Background Compared to the healthy population, the psychological impact of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) on patients' lives could dramatically lower their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Our goal is to analyze OHRQoL in RA patients and look into the role of disease activity, dental health index, and Temporomandibular disorders score in maintaining their oral health. Methods In a cross-sectional comparative study, we compared a sample of 40 RA patients with 40 age- and gender-matched healthy controls in terms of oral health and OHRQoL. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD), number of decayed, filled, or missing teeth (DMFT), and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) were among the oral health factors studied (OHIP-14). This study also looked at the link between the RA disease activity score (DAS28) and oral health factors. Results RA patients had a significantly higher mean (poorer OHRQol) than healthy controls in total oral function, total psychosocial impact, OHIP-14 sum score, OHIP-14 extent score, TMD score and the number of missed teeth (Mann–Whitney U test, P-value < 0.05). After adjustment for DMFT, only the oral function score of OHIP-14 had a significant correlation with disease activity (Mann–Whitney U test, P-value < 0.05). The TMD sum score significantly correlated with disease activity regardless of adjustment for DMFT (Spearman's Correlation test, P-value < 0.05 for both). The number of decayed teeth and missed teeth showed a positive correlation with increased disease activity (Coefficient = 0.239 and 0.245, P-value < 0.05 for both). Conclusions Patients with RA are less satisfied with their oral health than healthy controls. In RA patients, the number of missing teeth and temporomandibular disorders was substantially greater, and the number of missing teeth and temporomandibular diseases increased significantly with increased disease activity. Although OHRQoL was inversely connected with RA activity, after correcting for decaying, missing, and filled teeth, only the oral function score of OHIP-14 exhibited a slight connection to DAS28.

Aim Xerostomia is an important complication following radiotherapy for head and neck regions producing serious discomfort for patients. Symptomatic treatments for the disease include strict oral hygiene and use of artificial saliva substitutes. The present study compared the efficacy of BioXtra spray and mouthwash in the relief of radiotherapy-induced xerostomia in patients referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Materials and methods In a cross-over randomized clinical trial, BioXtra spray and mouth wash were used by 20 patients for 2 weeks with a 1 week wash-out period. The ease of application and the patients’ acceptance of the products were obtained using 100 mm visual analog scale (VAS) and dichotomous scales. We used SPSS version. 18.0 to analyze our data considering level of significance less than 0.05. Results Both forms of BioXtra showed similar effect in reducing oral dryness and its complications. The mean VAS was 33.2 for spray and 34.5 for mouthwash. Majority of our patients reported improvements in xerostomia after using spray (85%) and mouthwash (70%), respectively. The patients’ acceptance of both modalities was similar and they showed equal tendency to continue the treatments. No significant differences in symptoms relief as well as judgment of the regimens were found between groups. Conclusion BioXtra spray and mouthwash are similarly effective in reducing the symptoms of postradiotherapy xerostomia. How to cite this article Bakhshi M, Manifar S, Azizi N, Shabestari SB, Mardi AH, Shirinbak I, Mehdipour A. Efficacy of BioXtra Spray and Mouthwash in Patients with Radiationinduced Xerostomia: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Int J Experiment Dent Sci 2014;3(1):19-23.

Introductionrofessional behavior is defined as the ability of meeting the ethical expectations of patients. These expectations are based on patients' welfare, independence, and social justice. This type of behavior is determined by commitment to professional duties, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity toward patient community (1).One of the main duties of medical universities is to prepare students to comply with professional standards (2). Similar to any other profession, dentistry requires a moral responsibility that is the duty of each dentist and in accordance with his/her obligations under the law (3). Professional behavior emerges during the college years and internship program (4).