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Background Oral erosive lichen planus is an autoimmune-mediated mucocutaneous disorder that manifests as painful ulcerative lesions present bilaterally on the buccal mucosa, tongue, and lips. To date, there is no single definitive treatment for oral lichen planus (OLP). Corticosteroids have been the mainstay of treatment; however, their usage is associated with potential side effects. Curcumin, a plant-based herbal medicament, can be a safer alternative to these synthetic drugs. Hence, the aim of the present study was to compare and evaluate the effect of curcumin lozenges and topical corticosteroids for the treatment of erosive lichen planus lesions. Material and methods Twenty patients were included in the study and were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in Group 1 were given triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% for topical application along with multivitamin capsules, and patients in Group 2 were given turmeric lozenges (Turmnova, Gelnova Laboratories (India) Pvt. Ltd., Navi Mumbai, India) along with multivitamin capsules. Improvement in pain intensity was recorded on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at baseline and on subsequent visits after one week and two weeks, and clinical healing was evaluated after two weeks. All the data collected were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics software, version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) using the Mann-Whitney test, where p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results In our study, curcumin lozenges have shown similar improvement in the severity of pain after one week and two weeks when compared with triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% paste. Curcumin has shown promising results by decreasing the lesion size, pain, and burning sensation. Hence, it can be a new ray of hope in minimizing the signs and symptoms of OLP with minimal side effects.

Dental implants have revolutionized the scope of oral rehabilitation in patients requiring tooth replacement. Immediate loading procedures for edentulous patients have become increasingly popular among both clinicians and patients. This report aimed to describe the installation of four flapless-placed implants through prototyped guided surgery and the immediate loading of a printed and prototyped temporary prosthesis. The report presents the digital planning and execution of a full-arch implant rehabilitation in a 49-year-old edentulous male patient with congenital tooth absence. Through the integration of cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging, intraoral scanning, and specific software, a virtual treatment plan was developed to guide implant placement. A custom three-part stackable surgical guide and a stereolithographically printed provisional prosthesis were fabricated to ensure precision. Guided implant surgery was performed under local anesthesia, with all implants achieving primary stability (>32 N·cm), allowing for immediate loading. The provisional prosthesis was relined and secured on titanium abutments. The procedure was completed efficiently within two hours and 10 minutes, demonstrating the effectiveness of a fully digital workflow in complex oral rehabilitation cases. The use of provisional prototypes and guided surgery can yield satisfactory and immediate results for these patients, bringing comfort and practicality to this dental procedure.

 Gingival hyperpigmentation, often caused by excessive melanin deposition, can compromise smile aesthetics and affect an individual's self-esteem. As aesthetic demands in dentistry continue to rise, gingival depigmentation has emerged as a patient-driven solution to enhance oral appearance. This study investigates the effect of laser-assisted gingival depigmentation on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in young adults, using a validated metric questionnaire. Young patients with varying degrees of gingival pigmentation underwent laser depigmentation with a laser device, and OHRQoL scores were assessed pre- and post-treatment using a detailed questionnaire designed for young adults. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine the significance of improvements across psychosocial and functional domains.  Laser-assisted gingival depigmentation significantly improved oral health-related quality of life across all domains. The total OHRQoL score decreased from a median of 28.8 ± 8.72 before treatment to 13.77 ± 1.88 after treatment (Z = -5.162, p < 0.001). Improvements were observed in social function (paired difference = 3.80 ± 2.79), physical function (paired difference = 3.17 ± 1.97), and self-perception/anxiety (paired difference = 8.06 ± 3.02). Participants with a Dummett-Gupta score of 3 showed a greater reduction (paired difference = 17.41 ± 7.75) compared to those with a score of 2 (paired difference = 11.00 ± 5.81), indicating enhanced aesthetic and psychosocial benefits in individuals with higher baseline pigmentation. Laser gingival depigmentation significantly improves OHRQoL by enhancing patient confidence, social interactions, and functional well-being. These results underscore its role as a minimally invasive and effective approach in periodontal aesthetic treatments. Future research should explore long-term outcomes and standardized psychological assessment methods for a more comprehensive understanding of patient-reported benefits.

Dental amalgam phase down (DAPD) has ushered in a paradigm shift towards the use of adhesive alternative restorative dental materials and dental caries prevention. The emergence of a new restorative practice model has created a gap among some dentists, highlighting the need to reorient their knowledge and skills. The objectives of this study were to assess dentists' level of satisfaction with a DAPD training programme and identify associations between sociodemographic characteristics and satisfaction levels, in Kenya, a low- and middle-income country.  Materials and methods: A three-hour online training programme was developed, and a sample of n=260 dentists was targeted. Data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics and from thirteen 5-Likert scale questions that evaluated participants' satisfaction with the aims, usefulness, methodology, content and duration of the course. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, with frequencies and proportions for categorical sociodemographic information and level of satisfaction scores, while chi-square and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyse the influence of sociodemographic information on the level of satisfaction with the statistical significance level set at p=0.05. A total of 216 (83.1%) dentists participated and completed the online questionnaire at the end of training, which represents 28.8% of the dentists whose contact information was retrievable as of 2022. Of these, 141 (65.3%) were men, while 130 (60.2%) were aged between 20 and 40 years. The majority obtained their primary degree in Kenya (190; 88.0%) and practised restorative dentistry (187; 86.6%). The dentists rated the training highly. The scores ranged from 3.74 to 4.63 with an average score of 4.43 on the 5-point Likert scale, indicating that they were highly satisfied with the DAPD training programme. Multivariate logistic regression showed that age, gender, year of qualification, county of workstation and practising restorative dentistry were positively associated with satisfaction. Dentists who practised in the cities were more than six times likely to be satisfied (aOR 6.1; CI: [1.3-8.554], p=0.012). Gender was statistically significant, such that male dentists were more satisfied (aOR 3.1; CI: [1.6-3.65], p=0.019). The majority of the dentists were satisfied with the content of the training modules, mode of delivery and its usefulness in phasing down the use of dental amalgam. The strongest association was observed between practising restorative dentistry and satisfaction. Longitudinal training approaches to evaluate how satisfaction with training translates into changes in clinical practice would provide insight.