Information technology has stimulated efforts to reform teaching methods in dental education. Most of these efforts involve a shift from conventional mode to the more technology‐savvy and student‐centered approach. The aim of this study was to compare postgraduate dental students' academic performance using two teaching methodologies (video‐based learning and blended module‐based learning) in a biostatistics and research methodology course in a master's program at a dental college in India. This retrospective study involved two groups of students enrolled in the master's program with different years of admission: Group I in 2013‐14 (n=80) and Group II in 2015‐16 (n=80). Group I students learned the subjects with video‐based learning, whereas Group II students were taught using a blended module program using a small‐group learning system called Process‐Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL). The students' final course evaluation (summative assessment) and formative assessment (during course assessments) were compared for the two groups. The students' final course evaluation was derived from an end‐of‐year written examination, whereas the formative assessment was recorded with written tests and projects during the course. In the results, the summative assessment did not show a significant difference between Group I (68.2±13.4) and Group II (66.4±11.9) (p=0.39). The formative assessment showed a significant difference (p<0.001) in favor of the Group II students. In this study, the blended module‐based teaching produced similar scores on the final exam to the video‐based lectures, but it produced significantly better results on the in‐course assessments. The latter finding could be attributed to the incorporation of small‐group learning and POGIL.

The present study was a novel attempt to estimate the levels of sulfiredoxin which was significantly elevated in the diseased sites of patients with chronic periodontitis. Future studies are required to probe the role of sulfiredoxin in the etiopathogenesis of periodontal disease.

Herbal medicines have long been used as a traditional mode of therapy for various ailments in India. They are being used increasingly as dietary supplements to ward off common diseases. Periodontal diseases are highly prevalent and can affect up to 90% of the world population. Gingivitis is the mild form whereas periodontitis results in an irreversible loss of supporting structures of the teeth. Even though periodontal pathogens form a crucial component in the etiopathogenesis of periodontitis, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting oxidative stress playing a pivotal role in the disease initiation and progression. Studies have shown a direct correlation between increased levels of biomarkers for tissue damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) to the severity of periodontal disease. Thus, the focus of attention has revolved back to herbal medicines due to their wide spectrum of biological and medicinal activities, lower costs, and higher safety margin. Internet databases Pubmed and Google Scholar were searched, and the most relevant articles were considered for review. This review briefly describes the various herbs with antioxidant capacity and their potency in the treating periodontal disease.

Background: Dental anxiety and anxiety-related avoidance of dental care creates significant problems for the patients and dental practitioners. Administration of local anesthesia is one of the procedures which results in increased anxiety level among patients. Aim: The aim of this study was to study the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) as a distraction tool during the administration of local anesthesia in patients undergoing a dental procedure. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients were randomized into two groups, namely, control group ( n = 25) and study group ( n = 25). Preoperative, intra-operative, and postoperative pulse rate and oxygen saturation were measured using pulse oximeter for all the patients. Local anesthesia was administered without the use of VR for the control group and with the VR for the study group. Statistical Analysis: The data were evaluated using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 20. Student's t -test was used to compare the variables. Results: Statistically significant results were obtained for preoperative and postoperative oxygen saturation, intraoperative pulse rate, and postoperative visual analog scale pain scale. Conclusion: The findings of the current study indicate that immersive VR is an effective distraction tool to alleviate the anxiety of the patient.

Gummy smile has been a prevalent esthetic disorder commonly affecting younger individuals due to various causes such as skeletal, dento-alveolar, or soft-tissue origin. It can be due to jaw deformities, altered passive eruption, or tooth malpositioning. Usually, the corrective measures incorporate orthognathic surgery and orthodontic treatment. Orthognathic surgery results in significant morbidity and hospitalization. Lip repositioning can be employed as an alternative cosmetic treatment modality for the correction of an excessive gingival display with minimal risk or side effects. Although there are many articles existing in the literature on this topic, a series of three cases is unique in demonstrating the esthetic smile enhancement in an orthodontic patient and also a combination of lip–repositioning technique and laser-assisted crown lengthening in vertical maxillary excess cases. This case series also showed the predictability of lip-repositioning technique with a follow-up of 2 years.