Introduction:Periodontitis is a chronic bacterial infection characterized by persistent inflammation, connective tissue breakdown and alveolar bone destruction mediated by pro-inflammatory mediators. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is an important pro-inflammatory mediator that produced causes destruction of periodontal tissues.Objective:The aim of the study is to estimate the salivary TNF-α in chronic and aggressive periodontitis and control participants and further correlate the levels with clinical parameter such as gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment loss.Materials and Methods:The study population consisted of 75 subjects age ranging from 25 to 55 years attending the outpatient section of Department of Periodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital. The study groups included Groups 1, 2, and 3 with participants with healthy periodontium (n = 25), generalized chronic periodontitis (n = 25) and generalized aggressive periodontitis (n = 25), respectively. Salivary samples from the participants were used to assess the TNF-α levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results:GI and PI were found to be significantly higher in chronic and aggressive periodontitis compared to the controls. The mean TNF-α value in chronic periodontitis patients (12.92 ± 17.21 pg/ml) was significantly higher than in control subjects (2.15 ± 3.60 pg/ml). Whereas, in aggressive periodontitis patients the mean TNF-α (7.23 ± 7.67) were not significantly different from chronic periodontitis or healthy subjects. Among periodontitis participants, aggressive periodontitis subjects exhibited a significant positive correlation between the salivary TNF-α and PPD.Conclusion:Salivary TNF-α levels are significantly higher in chronic periodontitis than in healthy subjects, but there was no significant correlation with the clinical parameters.

Background and Aims:Dental anxiety has been found to be a significant problem faced by patients undergoing extractions. Anxious patients tend to avoid dental care ultimately leading to complications. Treatment of anxious patients can be very challenging to the dentists, prolonging the treatment duration. There has been various methods to reduce anxiety of which non pharmacological ways include music and aroma therapy. Music has been known to reduce fear, stress and is a form of meditation and relaxation. Hence effect of music on the reduction of anxiety levels for patients undergoing extractions were assessed. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of music therapy on dental anxiety levels of patients undergoing extractions.Methods:50 patients visiting the outpatient department of Saveetha Dental College for dental extractions were randomly selected and allocated to Test group and Control group. The test group (N = 25) were subjected to music during extractions and Control (N = 25) were not exposed. Dental anxiety levels and hemodynamic changes namely systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and heart rate were assessed before and after extraction. The data was collected and analyzed using SPSS software with Paired t Test.Results:The study showed that the control population had elevated hemodynamic changes with regard to systolic, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, of which the diastolic pressure rise was significant. In the test population, there was fall in the hemodynamic changes with respect to systolic diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, all of which were statistically significant. This was evident in the modified dental anxiety scale as well.Conclusion:Music seems to be a psychological and spiritual way to calm oneself down. Hence music therapy can be used as an anxiolytic agent for stressful dental procedures.

ET-1 was found to have a role in periodontal disease, but further research will be required to substantiate its use as a biomarker.

PTX3 concentration in gingival tissues of patients with GAgP was higher than in tissues from patients with CP, and the levels correlated positively with clinical parameters. Hence, tissue PTX3 level can be considered a marker of inflammation in periodontal disease.

Aim: To assess the extent of self-awareness and knowledge of diabetes and its association with periodontal disease among patients seeking dental care. Materials and Methods: Data were collected in the form of a questionnaire from 150 consecutive adult patients from the outpatient department of Saveetha Dental College in Chennai, India. Complying patients were tested for diabetes mellitus by checking their random blood sugar and the results were correlated with the questionnaire and their periodontal findings. The findings were interpreted to examine the relationship between self-awareness and clinically diagnosed periodontitis. Results: One hundred fifty patients participated in the questionnaire and 70% were unaware of diabetes causing periodontal disease. A total of 47.3% of patients were also unwilling to get themselves tested for diabetes by their dentists as nearly 73.3% believed that they did not have diabetes. As a result, out of 150 patients, 41 consented to random blood sugar but only 23 patients followed up. Among these 23, 14 believed they were diabetic but only 12 of those 14 were proven to be so. Additionally, 20 patients were diagnosed with either localized or generalized chronic periodontitis while the remaining 3 patients had gingivitis. All 12 patients diagnosed with diabetes were affected by periodontitis as well. Conclusions: Patients are generally apprehensive and misinformed regarding the influence of periodontitis and diabetes between both diseases and must be educated by both the medical and dental practitioners regarding the implications of these chronic inflammatory diseases.