The risk involved with dental radiography is certainly small in comparison with many other risks that are a common part of everyday life. However, there is no basis to assume that it is zero. Though the radiation dose levels in dental practice are relatively low, one should consider the cumulative effect of repeated exposures. There should be a striving for implementation of radiation protection measures and selection criteria for radiography in private dental offices. This article presents the results of the survey conducted in the private dental offices in the Union territory of Puducherry to gain insight into the knowledge and attitude of the Puducherry dentists towards radiation protection.

Objectives: To correlate the prevalence of nutrient canals in healthy dentulous with healthy edentulous, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and periodontally compromised patients. Methods: Study was conducted on 500 subjects in the age group of 21-70 years. They were clinically and radiographically examined using intraoral periapical radiographs, and were statistically analyzed. Results: On Comparing with control group, prevalence of nutrient canals was observed to be highly significant in diabetes (27%, P<0.001), significant in edentulous (22%, P<0.01), hypertensive (21%, P<0.01) and periodontitis (17%, P<0.05) groups. Highly significant age wise prevalence was observed in edentulous and periodontitis groups and a significant increase in diabetes and hypertensive groups. Interpretation and Conclusion: Significant correlation was observed in diabetes, edentulous, hypertensive and periodontitis groups, when compared with healthy subjects. Increase in prevalence of nutrient canals on mandibular anterior IOPAR can be used as an adjunct diagnostic aid in systemic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and periodontitis.

Here we report an unusual case of peripheral ossifying fibroma in a 57-year-old woman, who reported to the KLES Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum. Clinically, the lesion appeared as a nodular swelling on the gingiva. Though the possibility exists that the lesion is reactive, it appears to be true neoplastic growth and a purely soft tissue process arising from the gingiva. Thus, we proposed the term peripheral ossifying fibroma for this distinct lesion.

Facial hemihypertrophy and facial hemiatrophy are rare developmental anomalies. These conditions are characterized by an asymmetric growth of one or more parts of the tissues on one side of the face. The facial asymmetry may be total or partial. The unilateral overgrowth of the mandible seen as the facial asymmetry occurs in case of the congenital mandibular hemihypertrophy, whereas, the facial or mandibular hemiatrophy results in the hallowing or depression on one side of face. The hormonal imbalance, chromosomal abnormalities, trauma, trophic malfunctions of cervical sympathetic nervous system are the factors which are considered to be attributed to the mandibular or facial asymmetry.

Pachyonychia congenita represents a group of rare, autosomal dominant keratin disorders with characteristic nail findings, abnormalities of the palmoplantar skin, pilosebaceous apparatus, oral and laryngeal mucosa and teeth. The main clinical characteristic that gives the condition its name is the abnormally thickened nails. A case with typical clinical features is discussed.

The term unicystic ameloblastoma (UA) refers to those cystic lesions that show clinical, radiographic, or gross features of a jaw cyst, but on histologic examination show a typical ameloblastomatous epithelium lining part of the cyst cavity, with or without luminal and/or mural tumor growth. Even though the lesion is not as aggressive as the solid ameloblastoma, an accurate histopathologic diagnosis is essential for the treatment and prognosis. Here we present 3 cases of UA showing different histologic features and coming under histologic variants of UA. These cases re-establish the fact that thorough microscopic examination of the surgical specimen is necessary for the final diagnosis of UA. Also the complexity of the diagnostic process of bone pathologies increases when the lesions are present at uncommon locations. The most important aspect governing treatment modalities in these three cases are individual considerations rather than theoretical factors.

Central odontogenic fibroma is an extremely rare benign tumor accounting for less than 0.1% of all odontogenic tumors. This case report describes a case of central odontogenic fibroma arising in relation to the left lower second premolar and first molar in a 21 year old male. The tumor was a well-circumscribed intraosseous lesion occurring inter-radicularly, which gave a radiographic picture of the lateral periodontal cyst. Histopathologically, the lesion was reported to have characteristic features of central odontogenic fibroma.

Many systemic diseases do manifest in the oral cavity. Leukemia is one such hematological disorder presenting with varied clinical and oral manifestations. Presented here is a case of gingival hyperplasia heralding the presence of acute myeloid leukemia and brief overview of the condition.