Dr Ambili R

Brief Introduction

Dr. Ambili R completed BDS, MDS and PhD from Government Dental College, Trivandrum. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians, Glasgow, UK. She works as Research Director, Professor, and Head of the Department of Periodontics at PMS College of Dental Science and Research, Trivandrum. She has more than 19 years of teaching experience and is currently guiding 6 Ph D students at the Kerala University of Health Sciences. She is the recipient of the Best Teacher award by KUHS in the year 2022 and currently serving as a member of the UG board of studies at KUHS. She has published 24 articles and 3 book chapters in Scopus/web of Science indexed journals, received one Indian patent and 2 funded projects, and guided 6 funded projects.

Research Area

Periodontics specifically molecular mechanisms, local drug delivery, periodontal microbiome.

Research Experience

• Professor and PG Guide, Department of Periodontics, PMS College of Dental Sciences and Research (16.04.2014 till date)

• PhD Guide- KUHS From 2017

• Research director- PMS College of Dental Sciences and Research (From 15TH October 2020)

• Member of the scientific review committee, PMS Dental College from 2010 till date

• Member of focus group discussion for the development of novel biomaterials at SCTIMST (Sree Chithira Thirunal Institute of Medical Science and Technology)

• Expert reviewer for internal funding of projects for the faculty of SCTIMST

• Member secretary, institutional review board, PMS College of Dental Science and Research from 2020 October

• Editor in chief, institutional journal, PMS College of Dental Science and Research from 2021 March

• Member of institutional ethics committee, PMS College of Dental Science and Research from 2020 October

• Guided 12 MDS students and 2 BDS students for their research work

• Currently guiding 6 PhD students, 6 MDS students and 1 BDS student
  for their research

Completed Research Projects

• Completed research on the topic “The expression of transcription factors NF κB and STAT3 in periodontal disease and evaluation of efficacy of a herbal drug andrographolide for periodontal therapy” as part of PhD under University of Kerala

• Done thesis on “Expression of activated NF-ĸB in human periodontal tissues – comparison of healthy and periodontitis patients – An Immunohistochemical study as part of partial fulfillment for the course of Master of Dental Surgery in Periodontics.

• Completed a clinical trial as principal investigator on the topic “Efficacy of a herbal mouthwash in the management of periodontitis” which was supported by Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology and Kottaykkal aryavaidya shala

• Completed a clinical trial as principal investigator on the topic “Efficacy of a herbal mouthwash in the management of periodontitis” which was supported by Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology and Ceego Pvt Ltd, Chennai

• “Development of a novel oral bandage for apthous ulcer” received a funding of Rs 10,00,000 under Department of Science and Technology (DST), NIDHI PRAYAS Scheme of Government of IndiaMentored 2 undergraduate students who received ICMR STS fellowship 2022 and 2023 for Rs 50,000/

Guided the following studies for MDS (Master of Dental Surgery at KUHS)

1. “Academic stress & Periodontal health among dental undergraduates- a longitudinal study using salivary biomarkers”

2. “Estimation of lipid peroxidation by products and non-enzymatic antioxidants in saliva of chronic periodontitis patients before and after phase I periodontal therapy”

3. Evaluation of efficacy of green tea catechin gel-local drug delivery in management of chronic periodontitis”- a randomized controlled trial

4. Expression of NF-kB in periodontal tissues of diabetic and non-diabetic periodontitis patients

5. Expression of IL-33mRNA in diseased and healthy periodontal tissues

6. “Estimation of procalcitonin levels before and after scaling and root planing in chronic periodontitis patients – a comparative study”

7. “Estimation of IL-33 in saliva of chronic generalized periodontitis patients and periodontally healthy individuals – A comparative study”

8. “Estimation of salivary glycated albumin in chronic periodontitis patients with and without type II diabetes mellitus before and after nonsurgical periodontal therapy”

9. Evaluation of the efficacy of a probiotic as an adjunct to scaling and root planning in the treatment of periodontitis: A randomised controlled trial

10. Comparative evaluation of treatment of infrabony defect with PRF alone or in combination with biphasic calcium phosphate bone graft: A randomised controlled clinical trial

11. Effect of irrigation with ozonized water during ultrasonic scaling in management of periodontitis-a randomized controlled clinical trial

12. Estimation of serum vitamin D3 in periodontally healthy and diseases individuals

13. “The Role of injectable platelet rich fibrin (iPRF) in increasing the gingival thickness and modifying the thin gingival phenotype”-A split mouth study

14. Salivary fructosamine in periodontal health and disease – A case control study

15. Serum fructosamine in periodontal health and disease- A case control study

16. Estimation of salivary lipoxin A4 (LXA4) before and after nonsurgical periodontal therpay in advanced periodontitis patients: a quasi-experimental study

17. Estimation of salivary lipoxin A4 levels in periodontally healthy individuals and patients with gingivitis: a comparative study

Current Research Projects

Funded Projects

1. Principal investigator of DST FIST Project (Rs 1.04 crore)

2. “Comprehensive Evaluation of Programmed Cell Death in Periodontal Health and Disease” PhD project of Dr Reejamol MK funded by CSIR ASPIRE (Rs 13,71,400)

3. Principal investigator of the project titled “Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Edible-grade Ayurvedic Toothpaste, known as Edinora” (Funded by JP& GP Marketers and Consultants Private Limited, Rs 60,000/-

4. Impact of chlorhexidine compared to a herbal mouthwash on antimicrobial resistance genes: A Randomized Control Trial in patients with generalized gingivitis which received funding of Rs 50,000 research funding from ICMR

5. Guiding MDS dissertation titled “Microbial Profiling of Dental Plaque Around Natural Teeth Compared to That of Dental Implants: A Cross-sectional Study” that received funding of Rs 40,000 research funding from the Indian Society of Periodontology

6. Guiding BDS student who received KUHS STS Fellowship of Rs 10,000/-

Patents Granted/Published

• Patent granted for “controlled drug delivery system for treating periodontitis and methods thereof” from patent office, Government of India (patent no: 552050)

• Patent published, Indian Patent Application No.: 202441002488
  Date of Filing: 12 January 2024, Applicant: AMBILI. R
  Title of the invention: “A mucoadhesive patch for the dressing of oral wounds.”

List of Publications (Indexed in WOS, SCOPUS & MEDLINE) – Total No: 24

1. Ambili, R., Aathira, V., Ashni, A. R., & Baiju, K. V. (2024). Salivary fructosamine in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals with healthy and diseased periodontium and its changes after non-surgical periodontal therapy. Acta Diabetologica, 1-8.

2. Ambili R, Gopakumar D, Badarudhin BB. Free gingival graft embossed over laterally flipped periosteum for root coverage: A novel case report. Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology. 2024 Jan 1;28(1):143-6.

3. Dain CP, Ganapathi S, Ranjithkumar A, Geevar Z, Harikrishnan S, Ammu JV. Prevalence and risk factors of periodontal disease among rural and urban residents of a south Indian city: A cross-sectional study. Journal of International
   Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry. 2023 Nov 1;13(6):458-68.

4. Ambili R, Ramadas K, Nair LM, Raj D, Nazeer F, George PS, Rejnish Kumar R, Radhakrishna Pillai M. Efficacy of a herbal mouthwash for management of periodontitis and radiation-induced mucositis – A consolidated report of two randomized controlled clinical trials. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2023 Oct 26;14(6):100791. doi: 10.1016/j.jaim.2023.100791. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37897968; PMCID: PMC10641263. (Impact Factor – 2.4)

5. Seniya, KM; Baiju, KV1; Ambili, R. Evaluation of Salivary Glycated Albumin in Periodontitis Patients with and without Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and its Changes with Non-surgical Periodontal Therapy. Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice 26(9):p 1257-1263, September 2023. | DOI: 10.4103/njcp.njcp_503_22 (Impact Factor – 1.12)

6. Ambili R, Nazimudeen NB. Adjunctive benefit of probiotic supplementation along with nonsurgical therapy for peri-implant diseases–A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology. 2023 Jul 1;27(4):352-61. 

7. Manasa B, Baiju KV, Ambili R. Efficacy of injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) for gingival phenotype modification: a split-mouth randomized controlled clinical trial. Clin Oral Investig. 2023;27(6):3275-3283. doi:10.1007/s00784-023-04943-1 (Impact Factor – 3.606) 

8. Renjith A, Rajan NS, Shaila SN. Protein and mRNA expression of interleukin-33 in periodontally diseased and healthy individuals and impact of nonsurgical periodontal therapy in salivary IL-33 levels. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2023;27(1):45-50. doi:10.4103/jisp.jisp_390_21 

9. Ranjith A, Nazimudeen NB, Baiju KV. Probiotic mouthwash as an adjunct to mechanical therapy in the treatment of stage II periodontitis: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Int J Dent Hyg. 2022 May;20(2):415-421. doi: 10.1111/idh.12589. Epub 2022 Mar 21. PMID: 35133701. (Impact Factor – 2.477)

10. RESMI P, AMBILI R, PRASAD MN, DEEPU L. Preorthodontic Management of Gingival Recession using Epithelial Embossed Connective Tissue Graft: A Case Report with Two years Follow-up. Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research. 2021 Oct 1;15(10). 

11. Ranjith A, Niranjana JM, Baiju KV. Adjunctive benefit of ozonized water irrigation with mechanical debridement in the management of Stage III periodontitis: A randomized controlled clinical and biochemical study. Int J Dent Hyg. 2022 May;20(2):364-370. doi: 10.1111/idh.12547. Epub 2021 Sep 14. PMID: 34420261. (Impact Factor – 2.477)

12. Ambili R, Laljyothi S. Estimation and correlation of procalcitonin in saliva and serum of chronic periodontitis patients before and after nonsurgical periodontal therapy: An analytical comparative study. J Indian Soc Periodontol 2021 Jan ; 25(1):29-33.

13. Sruthi Madhu, Ambili.R. “Comparative Evaluation of cytotoxicity of 0.12% Chlorhexidine, 2% Povidone Iodine, 3% Hydrogen peroxide and 0.9% Normal Saline solutions on fibroblasts – An Invitro Study. J Clin Diag Res 2020 Sep;

14. Ambili R, Janam P, Babu PS, Prasad M, Vinod D, Kumar PA, Kumary TV, Nair SA. Differential expression of transcription factors NF-κB and STAT3 in periodontal ligament fibroblasts and gingiva of healthy and diseased individuals. Archives of oral biology. 2017; 82:19-26. (Impact Factor – 2.05)

15. Ambili R, Janam P, Babu PS, Prasad M, Vinod D, Kumar PA, Kumary TV, Nair SA, Pillai MR. An ex vivo evaluation of the efficacy of andrographolide in modulating differential expression of transcription factors and target genes in periodontal cells and its potential role in treating periodontal diseases. Journal of ethnopharmacology. 2017; 196:160-7. (Impact Factor – 3.115)

16. Ambili R, Santhi WS, Janam P, Nandakumar K, Pillai MR. Expression of Activated Transcription Factor Nuclear Factor‐κB in Periodontally Diseased Tissues. Journal of periodontology. 2005 Jul;76(7):1148-53. (Impact factor: 3.392)

17. Ambili R, Nandakumar K. Glanzmann thrombasthenia: a rare hematological disorder with oral manifestations: a case report. The journal of contemporary dental practice. 2008;9(5):107-13.

18. Krishnan V., Ambili R., Murphy NC., Davidovitch Z. Gingiva and Orthodontic treatment: Semin Orthod: 2007:13(4):257-271. (Impact Factor – 0.5)

19. Krishnan V, Nair S V, Ambili R, Davidovitch Z: Research in tooth movement – the current status:Semin Orthod: 2012;18:308-316. (Impact Factor – 0.5)

20.  Ambili.R, Preeja C, Archana V, Nisha K.J, Abraham Seba, Reejamol MK. “Viruses-are they really culprits for periodontal disease- a comprehensive review” Journal of clinical and Investigative Dentistry, 2014,5 :179-187

21. C.Preeja, R.Ambili, K.J.Nisha, Abraham Seba, Vilasan Archana. “Unveiling the role of stress in periodontal disease-an evidencebased review” Journal of Clinical and Investigative Dentistry 2013, 4, 78-83

22. Archana V, Ambili.R, Preeja C, Nisha K.J, Abraham Seba, “Acute phase reactants in periodontal disease: Current concepts and controversies”- Journal of Clinical and Investigative Dentistry 2015 May, 6(2), 108-17.

23. Seba Abraham, K.T. Deepak, R.Ambili, C. Preeja, V. Archana “Gingival biotype and its clinical significance- A review” The Saudi Journal for Dental Research (2014) 5, 3–7.

24. Ambili R, Janam P. A critique on nuclear factor-kappa B and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3: The key transcription factors in periodontal pathogenesis. Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology. 2017 Sep 1;21(5):350.

Indexed Book Chapters

• Krishnan V, Dahlén G, Renjithkumar A, Davidovitch ZE. Acute and Chronic Infections Affecting the Oral Cavity: Orthodontic Implications. Integrated Clinical Orthodontics. 2023 Nov 30:195-224. 

• Ambili R, Nisha KJ, Biji Brigit K, Rema J. Applications of Andrographis paniculata and Its Constituents for Management of Oral Diseases. Pharmacological Studies in Natural Oral Care. 2023 Oct 3:607-27.

• Contributed a chapter on mechanical and biological determinants of iatrogenic injuries in orthodontics in a book titled “Biological mechanisms of tooth movement-3rd edition” published by Wiley Blackwell Oxford UK, 2021, ISBN: 978-1-119-60893-6.

Awards & Other Achievements

• Best teacher award from KUHS for the year 2022

• Award of appreciation for guiding student to receive “royal sasthrapuraskaram” at a national level dental conference on 28.5.2023 hosted by Royal Dental college,Palakkad

• Second Position in the Scientific Presentation (Delegate Oral Paper) at the 33rd Annual Conference of Indian Society for dental Research held on Feb 18-19,2023

• Best faculty paper presentation award at the 3rd international saliva summit of India (SALSI 2021) held on Jan 29-31,2021