oral health

The optimal state of the mouth and normal functioning of the organs of the mouth without evidence of disease.

Our oral health Blogs

Does motivational Interviewing improve oral health?

This review of motivational interviewing (MI) for the oral morbidities in adults included 7 randomised controlled trials. The findings focused on periodontal outcomes suggesting that MI has the potential to improve plaque and bleeding indicies.

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Most popular Dental Elf Blogs July – Sep 2023

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Blogs on oil pulling for oral health, stress in patients and dentists during root canal treatment and incremental v bulk fill composite resin restorations were the most popular between July and September.

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Low level laser therapy for burning mouth syndrome

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This review to evaluate the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on burning pain, quality of life, and negative emotions in patients with burning mouth syndrome included 14 RCTs only two of which were at low risk of bias.While the findinds suggest that LLLT has a positive effect the quality of evidence means the findings should be interpreted cautiously.

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Prenatal vitamin D and enamel defects

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This review of the the potential impact of prenatal Vitamin D levels on enamel defects and tooth erosion included 7 studies. While the findings suggest an association between Vitamin D and emamel defects the studies varied in relation to the study designs, Vitamin D assessment methods, enamel defect assessment, and demographic characteristics of the populations studied so the findings should be interpreted very cautiously.

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Mouthguard wearing and athletic performance

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This review assessing the impact of wearing a mouthguard on athletic performance included 41 studies involving 852 athletes. While the findings suggest some potential benefits for athletic performance the included studies are small, very hetrogeneous with only 7 studies being at low risk of bias. Consequently the findings should be interpreted very cautiously.

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Music, audio-visuals or virtual reality for dental anxiety?

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This review of the effectiveness of relaxing music, audio-visuals (AV), and virtual reality (VR) in reducing dental anxiety associated with tooth extraction included 11 RCTs. The findings suggest that music performed better than VR and AV . However the limited number of studies and variation in anxiety scales, musical and visual interventions used means that the findings should be interpreted cautiously.

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Manual v powered toothbrushing in adolescent orthodontic patients – trial

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The aim of this randomised trial was to compare the efficacy of a powered versus manual toothbrush in controlling plaque and gingival health in participants undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment in respect of both the short term and long term. The findings showed no differences between the brush types at any time points ( 1, 6 or 12 months).

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How clean is your toothbrush?

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This review of the level of toothbrush contamination and the factors affecting contamination in the general population included 15 studies. The findings show that toothbrush contamination occurs after first use and rises with continuing use. However, there is little evidence of significant adverse events from current practices.

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Oil pulling for oral health

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This review of oil pulling compared to chlorhexidine and other mouthwashes in improving the plaque, gingival and bacteria count parameters included 25 RCTs. However, the studies are modest in size of short duration and all except one study were considered to be at high risk of bias. Consequently the available evidence is of very low certainty and should be interpreted cautiously.

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Dental water jet and oral health maintenance in orthodontic patients

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This review assessing the effect of incorporating the dental water jet (DWJ) into the oral hygiene routines of orthodontic patients included 6 RCTs. While the findings suggest a benefit from the use of the DWJ the limited number of small studies none of which were at low risk of bias means the findings should be interpreted cautiously.

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