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Background: Oral submucosal fibrosis (OSMF) is one of the most prevalent premalignant conditions in India which is easy to diagnose but difficult to manage. At present it is considered as irreversible and incurable. It has also been referred to as an epidemic in India. Aims and Objectives: To correlate the frequency and duration of habits with clinical staging, functional staging and histopathological grading and to correlate the clinical and functional staging with histopathological grading. Materials and Methods: The study included a total of 90 subjects, 80 with OSMF in the experimental group and 10 patients in the control group. Patient personal history was recorded with chewing habits, including frequency and duration of chewing. The site of keeping the quid, time duration and whether he/she swallows it or spits it were also noted. Clinical staging was done on the presence of palpable fibrous bands. Functional staging was accomplished by measuring mouth opening. Incisional biopsy was done for all the patients for histopathological examination. Histopathological grading was according to Pindborg and Sirsat. Results: The experimental group comprised 71 males and 9 females, the majority of which were in the age group of 21-30 years. Correlation of habits with clinical staging, functional staging and histopathological grading were significant (p<0.05). Clinical and functional staging did not correlate with histopathological grading, but the correlation of clinical and functional staging was highly significant (p<0.01). Conclusions: The widespread habit of chewing gutkha is a major risk factor for OSMF, especially in the younger age group. In this study, it was found that with increase in the duration and frequency of the habit the severity of the disease increased.

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Man has always been ignorant of the plethora of natural products that are available around him. In his search for newer treatment modalities in medicine, he has reached back to the source of several vital materials that are available in nature. These natural products are not only highly bioactive, they also have several interactions that are synergistic in preventing infections, promoting healing and preserving health in total. Bees have been around much longer than humans and the pinnacle of their evolution has been the development of honey. This multifaceted material is vital to the survival of the species and plays a major role in the physiologic development and maturity of bees. Man has been harvesting this natural resource of infinite applications and has been using it in traditional medicine since time immemorial. Developments in science have led to us having a better understanding of the ingredients present in bee products and it has generated great interest in its use for medical treatment. This is the field of apitherapy. Its applications in oral diseases are not widely known. It has certainly shown great promise as being the next gold mine of therapeutic medicines that are useful in managing many oral diseases. How to cite this article Ara SA, Ashraf S, Arora V, Rampure P. Use of Apitherapy as a Novel Practice in the Management of Oral Diseases: A Review of Literature. J Contemp Dent 2013; 3(1):25-31.

Aims:The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between stages of calcification of teeth and the cervical vertebral maturity stages in North Karnataka population. Materials and methods:Digital panaromic radiographs and lateral skull cephalograms of 50 patients (26 girls and 24 boys from 7 to 16 years of age) were examined.Dental maturity was assessed by calcification stages of the mandibular canines, first and second premolars, and second molars, whereas skeletal maturity was estimated by the cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) stages. Statistical analysis used:The Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient was used to measure the association between CVM stage and dental calcification stage of individual teeth. Results:The mean chronologic age of girls was significantly lower than that of boys in each CVM stage. The Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients between dental maturity and cervical vertebral maturity ranged from 0.403 to 0.531 for girls and from 0.461 to 0.512 for boys. In girls, the mandibular second molar had the highest and the canine the lowest correlation. In boys, the mandibular second premolar had the highest and canine the lowest correlation. Conclusion:Tooth calcification stage was significantly correlated with CVM stage. The development of the mandibular second molar in females and that of the mandibular second premolar in males had the strongest correlations with CVM.Clinical significance: It is practical to consider the relationship between dental and skeletal maturity when planning orthodontic treatment.