Background: There are 1,200 oral species out of which 400 are potentially important and 20 organisms are periopathic. Periodontal flora plays the important role in initiation and progression of periodontal diseases. There are various conservative and surgical procedures to treat and prevent periodontal diseases. Local drug delivery agents reduce microbial burden, blocks collagenase activity and inhibits bone loss; out of which tetracycline is common in use. Unwanted side effects and resistance of microorganisms towards antibiotics due to their widespread use have modified the general prescription about their efficacy. Various researches elucidate that herbal extracts exhibit wide range of antibacterial activity. In recent years, Lemongrass essential oil gains scientific interest as it targets even the periodontal pathogens. The purpose of this study is to comparatively evaluate the antibacterial activity of lemongrass essential oil with that of tetracycline. Aim and objective: To comparatively evaluate the antibacterial activity of lemongrass essential oil with tetracycline against Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Lactobacillus and to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration of lemongrass essential oil. Study design: In vitro. Materials and methods: It is an in vitro study done to demonstrate the antimicrobial activity of lemongrass against the oral microbes. Based on their involvement in various clinical conditions Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Lactobacillus were selected for the study. These organisms were inoculated to a solid media and incubated overnight aerobically at 37°C to obtain a pure culture. The culture was made as a suspension in sterile saline with the turbidity matching 0.5 Macfarland standard. This is used to make a lawn culture on the Mueller Hinton Agar. Antimicrobial effect of tetracycline was tested using standard disc of doxycycline 30 mcg (Himedia, SD012) and sterile disc was used to prepare lemongrass essential oil which contained 10 µl, 15 µl and 20µl. In each category 5 discs were tested to get a mean zone of inhibition. After 24 hours of incubation the zone of inhibition was measure in mm using a scale. The measured zone size was tabulated and compared among the groups. Results: The minimal inhibitory concentration of lemon grass essential oil was estimated to be 10µl. Statistically significant zone of inhibition and antibacterial zone was greater in lemongrass essential oil than tetracycline for Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus epidermis. Conclusion: Lemongrass essential oil showed higher antibacterial activity than tetracycline. Hence, it can be used as a good alternative to tetracycline or adjunctive in the treatment of periodontitis.

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Aim: The aim of the study was to analyze the awareness of LASER in periodontal treatment modalities and their advantages and disadvantages among periodontists in Chennai, India. Materials and Methods: Seventy periodontists, including postgraduate students, were evaluated on their awareness on LASER using a validated questionnaire. The answers were recorded, and scoring was given based on their choices. The scores were statistically evaluated. Results: The results suggested a profound awareness of LASER (55.7% had more than 3 years of experience and 44.3% had <3 years of experience) toward application for periodontal therapy. Nearly 18.6% of periodontists felt that LASER is a replacement for scalpel, whereas 34.3% felt LASER cannot completely replace scalpel and 47.1% of them felt it debatable. About 34.3% reported LASER as an adjunct, 18.7% reported it to be a standalone surgical tool, and 47.1% of them felt it debatable. Conclusion: This study implies that most of the periodontists have profound knowledge on the basic concepts of LASER and its application in periodontal treatment. The study also infers the use of LASER has become more predominant among periodontists in their day-to-day practice.

Background Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease initiated by bacterial pathogens and modified by various risk factors. Various studies have elucidated the converse side of the relationship between systemic health and oral health proving the adverse effect of systemic health on periodontal disease and vice-versa. Amongst all, a strong correlation has been shown between periodontal disease and diabetes, revealing that periodontitis is a proven sixth complication for diabetes. There is emerging evidence to support the existence of a two-way relationship between diabetes and periodontitis, with diabetes increases the risk for periodontitis and its inflammation affecting the glycemic control. Method The aim of this case-control study was to evaluate the periodontal and hematological manifestations in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. The sample size was estimated as n=264 with n=132 in each group. 2.5 ml of blood was withdrawn from each of the patient for hematological evaluation: HbA1c values, Hb%, RBC count, the differential count, and total leukocyte count. Periodontal evaluations were assessed by probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, and Russell's periodontal score. Results There was statistically significant (p=0.000) difference in the diabetic group than the control group with respect to smoking, alcohol consumption, Hb%, HbA1c levels, differential counts, total leukocyte count, probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, and Russell's periodontal score. RBC count and gender revealed no significance. Conclusion There were a higher periodontal manifestation corresponding to the altered hematological findings in diabetic patients than non-diabetic patients with higher prevalence in smokers and alcohol consumers.