Mental nerve neuropathy is an important presenting complaint that may be encountered by dental surgeons in their daily practise. There are various pathological processes that could bring about this symptom, ranging. from simple dental cause to vague, life threatening diseases. We present three cases of mental paraesthesia of different aetiologies. A literature review on mental nerve neuropathy related to malignancies and infection is discussed. The importance of a thorough chair side history taking, clinical examination and relevant investigations are emphasised in a suggested clinical approach to obtaining the diagnosis of a numb chin.
The information of biomechanical properties is crucial in the study of biological tissue and its clinical relevance. 3mm x 3mm free gingival human tissues was taken using disposable punch biopsy (Accu sharp blade, India) and stored in 0°C Freezer. The sample was sectioned to a thickness of 10μm using high profile microtome blade (Leica 818, Germany) and cryostat (Leica CM1850UV, United Kingdom). The sample was analysed using Atomic Force Microscope (Nanowizard® 3, JPK Instruments, Germany) at room atmosphere. The collagen fibrils of the free gingival tissues appeared to be stacked in basket weave like structure. The mean value of free gingival collagen fibrils width and the length of D-band were 106.71±11.18nm and 65.82 ± 3.04nm respectively. The Young’s modulus of collagen fibrils for human free gingival tissue at overlap region was 212.88 ± 242.58 MPa, whereas at the gap region was 207.00 ± 230.71 MPa. Within the limitation of the study, the collagen fibrils appeared to be stacked in basket weavelike structure. The length and width of the collagen fibril were similar to the values investigated using other techniques. There was significant linear relationship between Young’s modulus of overlap and gap regions.
Osteosarcoma is a primary malignant neoplasm of the bone. Osteosarcoma of the jaws especially those of maxilla is rare. The diagnosis of osteosarcomas is difficult and challenging. In this case report we highlight a rare case of osteosarcoma of the maxilla in a 29 year old male patient which was highly aggressive and was initially diagnosed as rhabdomyosarcoma. This case highlights the difficulty in diagnosing osteosarcoma merely from incisional biopsy specimens which may not be representative of the whole tumour. Limited clinical information at incisional biopsy also adds to the difficulty in arriving at the definitive diagnosis. We further discuss the treatment modalities followed in this case.