Dental caries and periodontal diseases have historically been considered the most important global oral health burdens. Many chemicals and synthetic drugs have marked the side effects. Hence, there has been a paradigm shift from the use of modern drugs to the age-old herbs. Achyranthes aspera is one such important plant with various established pharmaceutical properties. The aim of this study was to assess the antibacterial activity of the A. aspera extract against Streptococcus mutans. Aqueous extract of A. aspera was prepared. Different concentrations of the root and stem extracts of A. aspera were transferred to the agar plates, which had been streaked with the bacterium S. mutans. The plates were incubated aerobically at 37°C for 24 h, and the zones of inhibition were measured using cup plate method. A. aspera extract showed statistically significant zones of inhibition. A. aspera showed marked antibacterial activity against S. mutans.

Introduction. Odontogenic cysts are distinct entities and quite a common occurrence in the jaw bones. These are individual lesions which arise from the same odontogenic apparatus but with varying pathogenesis. Cytokeratins are integral components in tooth development and are expressed across the odontogenic tissues in physiological and pathological states. Aim. To elucidate the role of cytokeratin-7 in the pathogenesis of odontogenic cysts by immunohistochemistry Method. Cytokeratin-7 (CK-7) was assessed in 39 cases of odontogenic lesions retrieved from the archival files which included 15 cases of Dentigerous cysts (DC), 12 cases of Odontogenic keratocysts (OKC) and 12 cases of Radicular cysts (RC) and also 8 cases of control specimens. Statistical analysis. Results obtained were statistically analyzed using chi-square test to assess the association between different odontogenic cysts used in this study and Cytokeration-7 staining. The difference was considered to be of statistical significance if the p value was ≤ 0.05. Results. CK7 expression was maximum in dentigerous cycts (66.66%) followed by radicular cysts (41.66%) and odontogenic keratocysts (16.6%). On evaluation of staining and expression pattern, highest positivity is shown in Dentigerous cysts and the positivity is seen in suprabasal (60%) and superficial layers (40%) whereas radicular cysts and odontogenic keratocysts showed positivity in superficial and spinous layers. Conclusion. Cytokeratin-7 expression correlates with the degree of differentiation of the epithelium. So the cysts with a well-differentiated epithelium (RC and DC) express CK-7, while the cysts with a less well-differentiated epithelium (OKC) show slight positivity. Thus it can be useful to differentiate OKC from DC and RC.

BACKGROUND COVID 19 has been labelled as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The sudden rise in death toll and devastation associated with it has put the entire infrastructure, economy and health sector to test. The only way for the prevention and control of this infectious disease is rapid and accurate screening of masses. Public Health Authorities mainly use antibody testing in hot spots using a mix of RT-PCR and antibody testing nasopharyngeal and orpharyngeal swabs. Considering the potential risk factors, constraints of time, cost and manpower, mass screening for COVID is not possible through nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs alone. Hence, to search an alternate method to diagnose for the initial screening of patients is the need of the hour globally. Saliva can also be used as one of the diagnostic modalities for coronavirus, helping in the rapid testing of individuals at home or at hospital. The article intends to explain the evidence regarding the reliability of saliva as a diagnostic specimen in COVID-19 patients and demonstrates the association and potential of detecting novel coronavirus in saliva of patients and how its implication in future can aid in diagnosis as a non - invasive diagnostic modality. KEY WORDS COVID 19, Throat Swab, Nasopharyngeal Swab, Saliva, Diagnostic Fluid

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This study is done to analyse the cytomorphological features of different head and neck lesions, classify them and to evaluate diagnostic accuracy and limitation of FNA of head and neck lesions with cyto-histological correlation. Material and Methods: The material consists of 250 cases of palpable lesions of head and neck region. Fine needle aspiration smears were taken and stained with Giemsa, PAP and H&E stains. FNAC results were analysed according to anatomical location and all the lesions were classified into inflammatory and neoplastic pathology. The FNA diagnosis was correlated with available subsequent histopathological diagnosis. Results: Among 250 cases, most of the lesions were from lymph nodes (40.8%) and thyroid (36%). Out of 250 FNAs of head and neck lesions, histopathological evaluation was done in 64 cases (25.6%). The sensitivity of FNAC in this study was found 88% and specificity was 94.8%. The overall diagnostic accuracy found to be 92.1% with positive and negative predictive values of 91.6%, 92.5% respectively. Conclusion: Our study found that FNAC is a simple, quick, inexpensive, and minimally invasive technique to diagnose different types of head and neck swellings. It could differentiate the infective process from neoplastic one and avoids unnecessary surgeries.

Cutaneous metastases from carcinoma breast presenting as vesiculo-bullous lesionShruti Semwal MD, DNB (Pathology) 1 | Radhika Rai DCP, DNB (Pathology) 1 | Deepti Joshi MD (Pathology) 1 | Dinesh Asati MD (Dermatology) 2 |

BACKGROUND Oral and maxillofacial pathology, is the very foundation of dentistry. It is a branch of dentistry where research meets clinical practice with the use of histopathology, cytopathology, haematology, immunohistochemistry, clinical biochemistry, microbiology, molecular science, forensic odontology, and a lot more, making it a unique and rare branch in its own way. It acts as a backbone of dental science, by investigating the causes, processes, and effects of the disease affecting the oral and maxillofacial region. Therefore, this branch requires timely up-gradation to analyse health data, research findings and treatment techniques to offer a diagnostic and therapeutic recommendation for individual patients. The application of digital technology in oral pathology is on the verge of becoming a standard of care, thereby eliminating the need for practising pathology on a conventional microscope. Globally, pathological laboratories need to be more efficient than before. Therefore, automation and digitalization are required to not only increase the efficiency, growth, quality, and capacity but also to standardise the processes. The purpose of this article is to introduce the readers, the incorporation of new ideas and technologies in the lab for a better and faster diagnosis, and would also like to explain the concept of standardizing the method of recording and maintaining the dental or medical records of the patients, and also standardizing the lab reports. KEY WORDS Innovation, Robotics, Digitalization, Artificial Intelligence, Upgradation, Maxillofacial Region