Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is a unique material with several exciting clinical applications. MTA has potential and one of the most versatile materials of this century in the field of dentistry. During endodontic treatment of primary and permanent tooth MTA can be used in many ways. MTA materials have been shown to have a biocompatible nature and have excellent potential in endodontic use. MTA materials provide better microleakage protection than traditional endodontic repair materials using dye, fluid filtration, and bacterial penetration leakage models. In both animal and human studies, MTA materials have been shown to have excellent potential as pulp-capping and pulpotomy medicaments. MTA material can be used as apical and furcation restorative materials as well as medicaments for apexogenesis and apexification treatments. In present article, we review the current dental literature on MTA, discussing composition, physical, chemical and biological properties and clinical characteristics of MTA.

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The concept of conventional tooth-retained overdentures is a simple and cost effective treatment than the implant overdentures. When few firm teeth are present in an otherwise compromised dentition, they can be retained and used as abutments for overdenture fabrication. This helps improve the retention and stability of the final prosthesis significantly. Bone is a dynamic tissue. The extraction of teeth results in the initiation of the bone resorption pattern. However, when tensile stress is received by bone, additional bone formation takes place. Such stresses occur when occlusal forces are transmitted to the alveolar bone by the periodontal ligament. This principle helps preserve bone. The concept of overdentures may not be the elixir, but it is a positive means for delaying the process of complete endentulism and helps in the preservation of bone. To top it all, it gives the patient the satisfaction of having prosthesis with his natural teeth still present. In this article, case reports with three different types of Overdentures are discussed: Overdenture with cast copings with short dowels, O-ring attachments, and a customized bar supported overdenture with copings.

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Bone resorption is a natural phenomenon and can occur due to old age, loss of teeth, prolonged denture wear, or as a result of systemic conditions. For the replacement of teeth by fabrication of prosthesis or the use of implants, a minimum amount of bone density is required. Bone grafting is a method by which bone-deficient areas are built up, with the use of different materials, such as autografts, allografts, alloplasts, and xenografts. Over recent times, the use of frozen bone matrix formulations and synthetic ceramics has been used in greater frequency. This article discusses the use of human bone material (allografts), synthetic materials (alloplasts) and blood components as successful grafting materials. Their use has shown an effective amount of bone formation and proliferation in the defective sites and proves to be a beneficial choice in bringing back lost bone.

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Background: Search for a root-end filling material fulfilling all the ideal characteristics is an ongoing process. The present study aimed to evaluate the marginal seal of the following materials when used as root-end filling materials, MTA Angelus, White ProRoot MTA, Biodentine and Glass ionomer cement (GIC). Materials and Methods: Sixty single-rooted maxillary central incisors were included in the study. The crowns were resected followed by cleaning and shaping with hand files and protaper rotary files followed by obturation of the roots. The root ends were resected at 3 mm level. Then, root-end cavity preparation of 3 mm depth was done using ultrasonic tips. The samples were randomly divided into four groups of 15 each and cavities restored with, such as (1) Group 1: MTA Angelus, (2) Group 2: ProRoot MTA, (3) Group 3: Biodentine, and (4) Group 4: GIC. The root samples were coated with two coats of nail varnish and immersed in methylene blue dye 2% for 48 h. Longitudinal root resection was done. The depth of dye penetration was evaluated under the stereomicroscope to examine the extent of microleakage. The amount of dye penetration was measured in millimeters. The results were then statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and post-hoc Tukey's test. Conclusion: Microleakage was present in all the samples. Least amount of apical dye microleakage was seen in biodentine with mean value of 0.16 mm followed by ProRoot MTA 0.68 mm, MTA Angelus 0.74 mm, and GIC 1.53 mm. The best sealing ability was seen in biodentine, and this difference was statistically significant.

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Aim: The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of oral cancer and its association with habits, age, gender, and site in Western population of Maharashtra. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from the previous records of patients from June 2011 to June 2016 for 5 years. A total of 81,325 patients' data were obtained. Details regarding patient's habits, age, gender, and site with OC were recorded. The data recorded were tabulated in the MS Excel and subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS software 16. Data were analyzed using Student's t-test and Chi-square test. Results: The prevalence of OC was 0.1%. The majority of patients were tobacco chewers (41.5%), followed by the group of those who were smokers, tobacco chewers, and alcoholic (28.1%). Majority of patients were in the age group of 60 years and above, followed by 40–59 with a male predominance, and buccal mucosa was the most common site followed by alveolus. Smokeless tobacco consumed in India is one of the most common forms of tobacco, leading to cause OC. Conclusion: There is need to spread awareness about this tobacco-related cancer and immediate consultation on suspicion of cancer. There should be regular oral checkup for male and female patients above 40 years for the early detection of cancer and its prevention.

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The main goal of an endodontic treatment is complete removal of bacteria, their byproducts, and pulpal remnants from infected root canals and the complete sealing of disinfected root canals. Intracanal medicaments have been thought as an important step in killing the bacteria in root canals; however, in modern endodontics, shaping and cleaning has been emphasized greater importance than intracanal medicaments as a means of disinfecting root canals. Furthermore, biocompatibility and stability are essential properties for intracanal medicaments. The more modern meaning of intracanal dressing is for a blockade against coronal leakage from the gap between filling materials and cavity wall. Calcium hydroxide has been determined as suitable for use as an intracanal medicament as it is stable for long periods, harmless to the body, and bactericidal in a limited area. Single-visit endodontics, where intracanal medicaments are not used, is nowadays indicated, and various reports have shown that the clinical outcomes between single- and multiple-visit endodontics are almost similar. There is no reason to counsel against single-visit endodontics. however, if multiple-visit endodontics is chosen, an intracanal medicament is strongly recommended. Therefore, the aim of this review is to critically appraise the need for an ideal intracanal medicament and to select cases requiring intracanal medicament instead of using it for each and every case.

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Nonsurgical therapy aims to eliminate both living bacteria in the microbial biofilm and calcified biofilm microorganisms from the tooth surface and adjacent soft tissues. Complete elimination of such pathogenic microorganisms is perhaps over-ambitious. However, a reduction in inflammation of the periodontium due to a lesser bacterial load leads to beneficial clinical changes. In addition, nonsurgical therapy aims to create an environment in which the host can more effectively prevent pathogenic microbial recolonization using personal oral hygiene methods. The concept of critical probing depth was consistently found to be greater for the surgical approach than for the nonsurgical treatment. The various methods used in nonsurgical therapy, such as hand instrumentation, ultrasonic and sonic scalers, and ablative laser therapy.

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Objective: The objective of the study was to assess and compare the oral health knowledge, attitude, and behavior of medical, pharmacy, and nursing students at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: A total of 189 students including 94 males and 95 females involved in the cross-sectional surveyed. Data were collected using pretested, self-administered, structured questionnaire. The mean percentage scores, standard deviation, and frequency distribution were calculated. The Student's t-test and ANOVA test were used to test the association between variables. The linear regression analysis was used to establish any association of behavior with knowledge and attitude. Results: The total mean percentage scores for knowledge, attitude, and behavior were more than 50% among the students. The mean percentage scores for knowledge, attitude, and behavior were significantly higher for the medical students compared to pharmacy and nursing students. All the scores were significantly higher in females than in males except for the mean score of knowledge. There was no significant association between knowledge, attitude, and behavior with age. Linear regression analysis showed a significant linear relationship between behavior and attitude, but there was no significant linear relation between behavior and knowledge. Conclusion: The present study indicates that although the mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and behavior were more than 50% among the participants, the students' oral health knowledge, attitude, and behavior was inadequate and needs to be improved upon. The study also revealed that attitude is a determinant of oral health behavior among the students.

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Oral cancer is one of the usual causes of mortality all over the world, with a five-year survival rate of only 50%. Oral cancers are treated primarily by surgery with / without adjuvant radiotherapy and / or chemotherapy. However, there is significant post-treatment morbidity and mortality secondary to recurrences. Dietary supplements like fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals and provide a variety of antioxidants like vitamin A, C, E. Spirulina, Selenium, Green tea (EGCG), Neem, Tomatoes (lycopene), Turmeric (curcumin), and some medicinal mushrooms are also used as chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents. This overview emphasizes on natural therapies to fight against oral cancer. Thus, there are several natural compounds that can enhance the prevention of oral cancer.

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Neopterin is a catabolic product of guanosine triphosphate, a purine nucleotide and belongs to the group pteridines. When the cytokine interferon gamma stimulates the human macrophages, they synthesize the neopterin. It is an indicative of a pro-inflammatory immune status and hence serves as a cellular immune system marker. In most of the diseases, in which the cellular immune system is involved, we find that the neopterin concentrations are usually high. In the periodontal diseases, the levels of neopterin usually fluctuate which is proved by its increase in disease progression and a decrease after treatment. Periodontal diseases are characterized by enhanced macrophage infiltration to the periodontal lesion, so neopterin being a macrophage activation marker may be seen in higher levels. This review deals with neopterin and its mechanism and its use as a marker in the diagnosis of the periodontal diseases.

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Emergence of advanced digital technology has opened up new perspectives for design and production in the field of dentistry. Rapid prototyping (RP) is a technique to quickly and automatically construct a three-dimensional (3D) model of a part or product using 3D printers or stereolithography machines. RP has various dental applications, such as fabrication of implant surgical guides, zirconia prosthesis and molds for metal castings, maxillofacial prosthesis and frameworks for fixed and removable partial dentures, wax patterns for the dental prosthesis and complete denture. Rapid prototyping presents fascinating opportunities, but the process is difficult as it demands a high level of artistic skill, which means that the dental technicians should be able to work with the models obtained after impression to form a mirror image and achieve good esthetics. This review aims to focus on various RP methods and its application in dentistry.

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The Egyptians called Aloe the "plant of immortality" because it can live and even bloom without soil. Aloe vera is well-known for its marvelous medicinal properties. These plants are one of the richest sources of health for human beings coming from nature. It has been grown as an ornamental plant widely. Products of the plant are used in the treatment of various ailments. A. vera is gaining popularity in dentistry as it is completely natural and there are no side effects being reported with its use. This paper gives an overview of the uses of this miracle plant and its uses in dentistry. A. vera has been used in dentistry for its wound-healing effects, gingivitis, plaque control, and curing oral mucosal lesions. A. vera may also reduce the pain and duration of oral ulcers while speeding healing. The dentists should use A. vera at a level high enough to maximize its therapeutic benefit.

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Ozone is an allotropic form of oxygen, which is effectively used in the treatment of different diseases for more than 100 years. In the present era of increasing antibiotic resistance, ozone therapy is an alternative medical treatment that rationales to increase the amount of oxygen to the body through institution of ozone into the body. Owing to its beneficial biological properties including antimicrobial and immune-stimulating effects, ozone therapy has opened new vistas in treatment modalities of dental pathologies for patients of all ages. The objective of this article is to review the literature available on applications of ozone in dentistry.

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Aim: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is characterized by recurrent painful, single, multiple ulcers appearing in oral mucosa. Various studies have been conducted to find the prevalence of RAS worldwide. Till now, no studies have been conducted to report the prevalence of RAS in Maharashtra. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of RAS in western population of Maharashtra. Materials and Methods: A total of 71,851 patients within the age group between 10 and 70 years were screened for a period of 5 years from March 2011 to March 2016 in western population of Maharashtra. Collected data were recorded and entered, verified, processed, and analyzed using software package SPSS program version 19. The frequency and distribution of RAS in gender, age, and site were calculated. Results: Out of 71,851 patients, only 72 patients were clinically diagnosed to be suffering from RAS. The prevalence of RAS was 0.1%. There was a higher prevalence in females as compared to males and it was most common in the second and third decades of life, with buccal mucosa as the predominant site followed by labial mucosa and tongue. Conclusion: Based on the results of our study, the prevalence of RAS in western population of Maharashtra was 0.1%, which was very low as compared to other Indian population. Females were more commonly affected. The most common age affected in our study group was second and third decades. The most common site was buccal mucosa followed by labial mucosa and tongue.

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Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) have unique properties which help in molecular diagnostics, in therapies, as well as in devices that are used in several medical procedures. AgNP are nanoparticles of silver which are in the range of 1 and 100 nm in size. The major methods used for AgNP synthesis are the physical and chemical methods. The major applications of AgNP in the medical field include diagnostic applications and therapeutic applications. In most of the therapeutic applications, it is the antimicrobial property that is being majorly explored though the anti-viral property has its fair share of applications. This review provides a comprehensive view on the synthesis and applications of nanoparticles in the medical field. The focus is on exploring their various prospective applications besides trying to understand the current scenario.

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“Biomimetics” is the field of science that uses the natural system of synthesizing materials through biomimicry. This method can be widely used in dentistry for regeneration of dental structures and replacement of lost dental tissues. This is a review paper that states its scope, history, different fields of biomimetic dentistry, and its future conditions in India.

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Introduction: Dental caries and periodontal diseases are multifactorial oral health problems that have dental bacterial plaque as their main etiological agent. Dental plaque removal plays an important role in oral health maintenance, which could be achieved by either mechanical or chemical plaque control. Disclosing agents in dentistry are being used to identify bacterial plaque for instruction, evaluation and research purposes. Hence, the current study is aimed at evaluating the effect of at home use of disclosing agent in improving the quality of daily oral hygiene. Materials and Methods: The present randomized, prospective case-control study was conducted among 100 subjects who were selected from the outpatient department of periodontology and divided into two groups. Group A (n = 50) is the case group who were instructed to use a disclosing agent and Group B (n = 50) is the control group who were not instructed to use a disclosing agent. Plaque status of the subjects was assessed using "Turesky-Gilmore-Glickman Modification of the Quigley Hein Plaque Index" at baseline. Both the groups were trained to perform the similar brushing technique along with same oral hygiene instructions. After 21 days, both groups were recalled, and their plaque status was re-assessed by the same method. The pre and postplaque scores of both the groups were evaluated by unpaired t-test and value of P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Preevaluation plaque score of Group A was 2.02 ± 0.24 and postevaluation score was 1.08 ± 0.26. Similarly in Group B, the preevaluation plaque score was 1.80 ± 0.92 and postevaluation score was 1.62 ± 0.48. The difference in the plaque scores was statistically significant with a P = 0.00001. Conclusion: The result shows that usage of plaque disclosing agent improves the quality of daily oral hygiene measures performed at home.

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Aim: The aim of the study attitudes and perceptions toward dental appearance differ among populations and individuals. There is a paucity of data regarding awareness of orthodontic treatment among village population in the Indian context. Materials and Methods: After due ethical clearance, a prestructured questionnaire consisting of twenty questions was given to random 500 patients visiting the School of Dental Sciences, Karad, Maharashtra, India, in the age group of 18–25 years, who may or may not have taken orthodontic treatment. Exclusion criteria used were systemically compromised patients. The responses of the patients to the questions were recorded on a 3-point Likert scale. Simple descriptive statistics were applied to describe the study variables. The Chi-square test procedure was used to compare means for two groups. Results: Chi square tests done on the data obtained from random village population suggests that there is significant difference between the awareness of orthodotnic treatment in males and females. Conclusion: Within limits of this study, it may be concluded that people in rural areas comparatively lack awareness regarding advances and various techniques in orthodontic treatment. Although people are concerned regarding their facial appearance, lack of awareness regarding this field makes them unapproachable to an orthodontist.

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Aim: The aim of this epidemiological study was to assess the prevalence of signs and symptoms of TMDs in Vidarbha population by Fonseca's questionnaire. Materials and Methods: A group of 200 patients were randomly selected from the outpatients attending Swargiya Dadasaheb Kalmegh Smruti Dental College and Hospital. Each patient was provided with a questionnaire and points were given accordingly for each question. The sum of points was used to classify participants into TMD free, mild TMD, moderate TMD, and severe TMD. Results: Among all the participants examined sixty participants had no TMD (30%), 110 participants had mild TMD (55%); 28 patients had moderate TMD (14%) and two participants had severe TMD (1%). The reliability of Fonseca's questionnaire was found to be 0.603. Conclusion: The Fonseca questionnaire can be used as effective tool in the prevalence of signs and symptoms of TMDs. Public health services should adopt the questionnaire for screening as it will be obtained in a relatively short period and at low cost covering a wide population.

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Aim: The distribution and severity of oral diseases are significantly influenced by oral hygiene practices. The aim of this study was to assess the oral health practices among secondary school students in Lagos State, Nigeria and investigate the influence of oral hygiene practices on caries experience. Materials and Methods: Questionnaires were administered and dental examinations conducted on 598 schoolchildren aged 11–20 years. The students were recruited from two Local Government Areas of Lagos State. Statistical significance was determined at P < 0.05 using Chi-square tests. Results: Majority of the participants (57.6%) had never visited the dentist. “Lack of pain” (31.1%) and “no reason” (42.5%) were recorded as the reason for not visiting the dentist. While toothbrush alone was used as a cleaning item by 73.9% of the students, 70.4% used fluoride-containing toothpaste, and 76.9% brush their teeth twice daily. The prevalence of dental caries was 9.7%. Caries prevalence was significantly associated with the use of fluoride-containing toothpaste (P = 0.015) and frequency of cleaning (P = 0.04). Respondents who used fluoride-containing toothpaste were about 2 times less likely to develop dental caries (odd ratio [OR] = 0.425 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45–1.32) and those who brush twice or more daily were 2.4 times less likely to develop caries (OR = 0.44 95% CI: 0.20–0.94). Conclusion: The oral health practices of the participants were not satisfactory. Although the prevalence of dental caries was low, it was significantly influenced by frequency of toothbrushing and the use of toothpaste containing fluoride.

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It was only toward the close of the last century that women emancipated themselves from their former small territory of usefulness in a strictly domestic life, and pushing forward, proved themselves often the business equal to men and sometimes their superior. If was long before this progression, when a women in business or professional ranks was almost a curiosity. When women first entered the profession, they faced many obstacles. Mentors or faculty in the dental organizations majority were male restraining women by all means. In the beginning, men were resentful because they feel women are inferior. It took a long time for women to become a consistent presence in dental schools. In the beginning, dental schools used to admit one or two women each year, later the number increased slowly. Olden day's women used to relieve not even the tooth ache but also used to relieve others fret also. But histories of dentistry were not acknowledged the talent of women whatsoever. The efforts and achievements of women punch the clock in the future dentistry. The current scenario has totally changed now. Nearly, half of all dental students' are women and 25% of them are practicing dentists. Only 3% women dentists were there before the 1970s. ^[1] Women struggled to obtain a degree, to establish practices, and are respected as professionals. Some women choose this rewarding occupation as career followed by their family members. The population tally of chosen work upbringing has changed over time. This paper reports in a delineative way of the amelioration, staggering presence, and intendment of dentistry practicing by worldwide women.

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Background: Class ll sandwich restorations are routinely performed where conventional Glass ionomer cement (GIC) or Resin-modified GIC (RMGIC) is used as a base or dentin substitute and a light curing composite resin restorative material is used as an enamel substitute. Various authors have evaluated the microleakage of composite resin restorations where glass ionomer cement has been used as a base in class II sandwich restorations, but a literature survey reveals limited studies on the microleakage analysis of similar restorations with biodentine as a dentin substitute, as an alternative to glass ionomer cement. The aim of this study is:

1. To evaluate the marginal sealing efficacy of a new calcium-silicate-based material (Biodentine) as a dentin substitute, at the cervical margins, in posterior class II sandwich restorations.
2. To compare and evaluate the microleakage at the biodentine/composite interface with the microleakage at the resin-modified GIC/composite interface, in posterior class II open sandwich restorations.
3. To compare the efficacy between a water-based etch and rinse adhesive (Scotch bond multipurpose) and an acetone-based etch and rinse adhesive (Prime and bond NT), when bonding biodentine to the composite.
4. To evaluate the enamel, dentin, and interfacial microleakage at the composite and biodentine/RMGIC interfaces.

Materials and Methods: Fifty class II cavities were prepared on the mesial and distal surfaces of 25 extracted human maxillary third molars, which were randomly divided into five groups of ten cavities each: (G1) Biodentine group, (G2) Fuji II LC GIC group, (G3) Biodentine as a base + prime and bond NT + Tetric N-Ceram composite, (G4) Biodentine + scotchbond multi-purpose + Tetric N-Ceram composite, (G5) Fuji II LC as a base + prime and bond NT+ Tetric-N Ceram composite. The samples were then subjected to thermocycling, 2500× (5°C to 55°C), followed by the dye penetration test. Scores are given from 0 to 3 based on the depth of penetration of the dye at the cervical, dentin, and interfacial surfaces. The data was analyzed with the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis and Mann Whitney U test. Results: No statistically significant differences were found between the five groups in the enamel, dentin, and interfacial regions. Conclusion: Within the limits of this in vitro study, biodentine is a new calcium-silicate-based material, which can be used as a dentin substitute in class II open-sandwich restorations, where its scores better than resin-modified GIC.

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Objectives: To evaluate the knowledge and practices of general medical practitioners (GMPs) in Lagos on screening for oral cancer (OC). Materials and Methods: A 43-item self-administered questionnaires was filled by each GMPs recruited into the study. Analysis was done using the SPSS version 17.5. Descriptive analyses were used and results were presented in percentages, graphs, and tables. Results: One-hundred and twenty GMPs participated in the study, 58.7% were males and 41.3% females; their ages ranged 22-61 years (36.1 ΁ 7.97). While most participants answered correctly that smoked tobacco (96.1%), increasing age >45 years (97%), oral sex (99%), and patient with a previous OC (93.7%) were risk factors for OC; there was misinformation on the nonrisk factors as only 5.5%, 7.9%, and 18.9%, respectively, answered correctly that family history of cancer, dental infections, and poor oral hygiene were not identifiable risk factors associated with OC. Furthermore, although majority of subjects (81.1%) identified the floor and the tongue as the most common sites of OC and leukoplakia (75.6%) as a common precursor of OC; only 29.1% identified correctly that OC had one of the worst morbidity and mortality rates of the most common cancers due to late presentation. Only 0.8% of GMPs had a consistent high score in the indexes. Conclusion: The knowledge and practices of GMPs in the Lagos environment on OC needs a lot of improvement for them to become significant in the screening for the disease entity.

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Emblica officinalis (Amla) is widely used in the Indian system of medicine and believed to increase defense against diseases. Amla is called amalaki in Sanskrit. It is one of the oldest oriental medicines mentioned in Ayurveda as potential remedy for assorted ailments. A wide range of phytochemical components present in amla including alkaloids, tannins, and flavonoids have been shown to procure useful biological activities. It is an ingredient of many Ayurvedic medicines and tonics as it removes excessive salivation and internal body heat. Research has been done with amla evaluating its role as an antioxidant. Amla is useful in ulcer prevention, for diabetic patients, and for memory effects. Amla Tonic has a hematinic and lipalytic function useful in scurvy, prevents indigestion, and controls acidity as well as it is a natural source of anti-aging.

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The periodontal epithelium neighboring the tooth is precise to form a seal and attachment around the tooth. This exclusive function imparts unique challenges to the tissue and leads to certain vulnerabilities allied with periodontal disease, particularly in view of the continual exposure to the bacterial biofilm (dental plaque) that form that is formed on the tooth surface at the junction of the soft tissue. It is obvious that oral epithelial cells can counter unbroken microbial challenges from dental plaque by the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), chemokines and cytokines that boost inflammation and immune response in periodontal tissues. AMPs are early responders of the innate immune system that search and destroy invading pathogens. The large variety of AMPs presumably allows for an effective response to the large variety of microorganisms that invade the mouth and airways. The present paper portrays the association between altered expression of AMPs and some types of periodontitis along with AMPs and their clinical significance in other oral diseases.

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