Objectives Serum level of vitamin D has been used as a predictor for cancer development. We intend to measure the baseline vitamin D level in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to compare same with non‐cancer controls to determine any association. Materials and methods Patients with OSCC presenting to our clinics were included in this study. Their baseline serum vitamin D levels were measured prior to cancer treatment after obtaining their consents. These patients were then matched with at least 2 cancer‐free subjects to serve as controls and whose serum vitamin D levels were also measured. The serum vitamin D levels obtained for the two groups were then categorized into normal (>35 ng/ml), mild deficiency (25–35 ng/ml), moderate deficiency (12.5–25 ng/ml), and severe deficiency (<12.5 ng/ml). The data were analyzed statistically and the two groups compared. Results A total of 51 patients with OSCC (Male 22 [43%] and female 29 [57%]) and 113 cancer‐free controls (Male 36 [31.86%] and female 77 [68.14%]) were included in the study. The commonest site for OSCC was the tongue, accounting for 45% of the cancer cases. Mean age for cancer patients was 59.33 years ±12.54 and 49.24 years ±15.79 for the control. Among the OSCC patients, 74.51% had moderate to severe vitamin D deficiencies, whereas only 20.35% had a moderate deficiency in the control group with no severe deficiency. Conclusion Logistic regression analysis shows a positive association between vitamin D deficiency and OSCC risk especially in levels below 25 ng/ml. This further corroborates the assertion that vitamin D deficiency may be a useful indicator of OSCC. It may, therefore, be necessary to routinely prescribe vitamin D supplements to subjects with moderate to severe deficiencies in order to decrease the chances of OSCC development.

Background: Surgical removal of the impacted third molar is associated with inflammatory morbidities which include swelling, trismus, and pain. Pain is the most common postsurgical morbidity associated with third molar surgery. It remains an important factor in patients' perception of recovery after third molar surgery with dental anxiety reported to exert influence on its threshold. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine if preoperative dental anxiety has any significant role on postoperative pain perception after third molar surgery. Materials and Methods: This was a cohort study involving sixty consecutive adult patients requiring extraction of impacted mandibular third molars under local anesthesia. Modified Dental Anxiety Scale Questionnaire was administered to each participant in the waiting area before the surgery. The visual analog scale was also given to each participant to be completed once daily at approximately the same time as the surgery time until day 7 after the surgery. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: Sixty participants who consented to third molar surgery took part in this study. Five participants were lost to follow-up. There were slightly more males (50.9%) than females (49.1%). Nineteen participants in this study had moderate dental anxiety (34.5%) and 6 participants (11%) had severe dental anxiety with more females having moderate-to-severe dental anxiety. The correlation between pain perception at different days and dental anxiety was not significant ( P > 0.05). Conclusion: Preoperative dental anxiety may not significantly influence pain perception after third molar surgery.

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