The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to determine the level and type of bacterial contamination of the mobile phones of dental personnel involved in direct patient care and to determine the usefulness of cleaning with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol for decontamination. Dental faculty and trainees in an Indian dental school were asked to participate in a study in which a questionnaire concerning patterns of mobile phone use and disinfection was administered. Swabs from mobile phones of the participants were taken using moist sterile swabs and plated on blood agar plates. The bacteria isolated were identiied by biochemical tests. Eighteen percent of the participants (n=9) reported using their phones while attending patients. Nearly 64 percent (n=32) used their mobiles for checking time, and 64 percent (n=42) reported never cleaning their phones. In total, ifty mobile phones were cultured for microorganisms: 98 percent (n=49) were culture-positive, and 34 percent (n=17) grew potentially pathogenic bacteria. There was signiicant reduction in the mean number of colony-forming units after decontamination with alcohol (p<0.001). The bacterial load was reduced by around 87 percent. The results of this study show that mobile phones may act as an important source of nosocomial pathogens in the dental setting. Therefore, it is important for dental school administrators to encourage higher compliance with hand-washing practices and routine surface disinfection through framing of strict protocols to reduce the chances of occurrence of nosocomial infections.Dr.

The effectiveness of triphala in the reduction of plaque and gingivitis was comparable to chlorhexidine, and can be used for short-term purposes without potential side-effects. It is a cost-effective alternative in reducing plaque and gingivitis.

Objective:To compare the salivary MMP -9 concentration among subjects with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD), tobacco users, and control groups. Materials and methods: A total of 88 subjects were enrolled and divided into four study groups viz., OSCC (n=24), OPMD (n=20), tobacco habits (n=22), and healthy controls (n=22). All subjects gave unstimulated saliva samples for the evaluation MMP -9 by ELISA kit. Demographic information like age, gender, type of tobacco, and duration of the habit were recorded. Results: Subjects with OSCC and OPMD had significantly higher mean MMP-9 levels than subjects with tobacco habits and control groups (P<0.001). Also, poorly differentiated OSCC group had significantly higher mean saliva MMP-9 than moderate and well-differentiated OSCC. The optimal cut-off point was 214.37 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 59% for OSCC versus the control group. The optimal cut-off point was as 205.87 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 54% for OPMD versus the control group. Conclusion: The data obtained from this study indicated that OSCC and OPMD had an increased level of salivary MMP-9. Salivary MMP-9 could be a useful, non-invasive adjunct technique in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of OSCC and OPMD.

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution, etiology and type of mandibular fractures in subjects referred to our institution.MethodsA retrospective study of 689 subjects, during the period from May 2010 to September 2013 with mandibular fractures was conducted. Information on age, gender, mechanism of injury and sites of trauma was obtained from the trauma registry. Data were tabulated and analyzed statistically.ResultsA total of 653 subjects had mandibular fractures, out of which 574 were males. The mean age of the participants was 31.54 ± 13.07. The majority of the subjects were between 21-40 years of age, in both males (61.7%) and females (54.4%). The major cause of fractures was road traffic accidents (87.4%) followed by fall (6.9%) and assault (4%), with the least frequent being gunshot injuries (0.3%). Almost half of the patients had parasymphysis fractures (50.2%), followed by angle (24.3%), condyle (20.4%), ramus (2.3%) and coronoid (2%). A total of 115 patients had bilateral fractures out of which 29 had parasymphysis, 12 had body fractures and 74 had bilateral condylar fractures. Double mandibular fractures were reported in 193 subjects; out of which 151 subjects had double contralateral and 42 had double unilateral fractures. Triple unilateral fracture was reported in only one subject. A total of 338 subjects had multiple fractures among the study population.ConclusionsMandibular fractures can be complicated and demanding, and have a compelling impact on patients’ quality of life. Our study reported that parasymphysis was the most common region involved in mandible fractures.

Background Candida auris is an emerging multidrug‐resistant pathogen in intensive care settings (ICU). During the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID‐19) pandemic, ICU admissions were overwhelmed, possibly contributing to the C. auris outbreak in COVID‐19 patients. Objectives The present systematic review addresses the prevalence, underlying diseases, iatrogenic risk factors, treatment and outcome of C . auris infections in COVID‐19 patients. Methods MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science and LitCovid databases were systematically searched with appropriate keywords from 1 st January 2020 to 31 st December 2021. Results A total of 97 cases of C. auris were identified in COVID‐19 patients. The prevalence of C. auris infections in COVID‐19 patients was 14%. The major underlying diseases were diabetes mellitus (42.7%), hypertension (32.9%), and obesity (14.6%), followed by the iatrogenic risk factors such as a central venous catheter (76.8%%) intensive care unit (ICU) stay (75.6%), and broad‐spectrum antibiotic usage (74.3%). There were no significant differences in underlying disease and iatrogenic risk factors among C. auris non‐candidemia/colonisation and C. auris candidemia cases. The mortality rate of the total cohort is 44.4%, whereas, in C. auris candidemia patients, the mortality was 64.7%. Conclusion This study shows that the prevalence of C. auris infections remains unchanged in the COVID‐19 pandemic. Hospital‐acquired risk factors may contribute to the clinical illness. Proper infection control practices and hospital surveillance may stop future hospital outbreaks during the pandemic.