Aloe vera for treatment of oral submucous fibrosis?

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This review effectiveness of aloe vera on alleviating the symptoms of oral submucous fibrosis included 6 RCTs . The findings suggest a possible benefit but 5 of the trials were at high risk of bias so the findings should be viewed cautiously.

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Third molar surgery: Steroids had a beneficial effect on pain, swelling and trismus

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This review of effectiveness of corticosteroids in the post-operative control of pain, swelling and trismus after third molar surgery included 17 RCTs suggesting that corticosteroid use had beneficial effects on pain swelling and trismus.

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Dexamethasone for post endodontic pain

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This review of dexamethasone for controlling pain following endodontic treatment included 5 relatively small RCTs . The findings suggest statistically significant reduction of pain in patients receiving dexamethasone at 8,12, and 24 hours.

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Corticosteroids for post-endodontic pain

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This review of the efficacy of corticosteroids on postoperative endodontic pain. found that patients receiving corticosteroids reported significantly lower pain scores at 6, 12 and 24hrs postoperatively.

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Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block: improving anaesthetic success in patients with irreversible pulpitis

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This network meta-analysis of oral premedication to improve anaesthetic success of inferior alveolar nerve block in patients with irreversible pulpitis suggest that that oral premedication with dexamethasone, NSAIDs and Tramadol increases the success rate.

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Laser therapy for oral lichen planus

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This review comparing low level laser therapy (LLLT) with steroids for the treatment of oral lichen planus only identified 5 studies none of which were at low risk of bias. Further high quality trials are needed to assess the efficacy of LLLT.

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Oral lichen planus: is topical tacrolimus better than clobetasol?

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Ten small RCTs were included in this review. They suggest that topical tacrolimus is more efficacious than clobetasol for oral lichen planus.

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Perioperative corticosteroid use reduces the degree of trismus and inflammation after third molar removal

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The surgical removal of third molars is a common procedure that results in varying degrees of inflammation, pain and limited mouth opening.  Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, steroids and opiates are often prescribed to alleviate these problems.  This review aims to assess the impact of steroids on outcomes following third molars removal. Searches of the PubMed, Scopus, Med- [read the full story…]

Little evidence for drug treatments for oral submucous fibrosis

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Oral Submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic disease caused by the use of areca nut. It  is associated with significant morbidity (including pain and reduced oral opening) and an increased risk for malignancy. The aim of this review identify the published literature on the role of various drugs in the treatment of oral submucous fibrosis. [read the full story…]