Derek Richards

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Derek Richards is a specialist in dental public health, Director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Dentistry and Specialist Advisor to the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP) Development Team. A former editor of the Evidence-Based Dentistry Journal and chief blogger for the Dental Elf website until December 2023. Derek has been involved with a wide range of evidence-based initiatives both nationally and internationally since 1994. Derek retired from the NHS in 2019 remaining as a part-time senior lecturer at Dundee Dental School until the end of 2023.

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Enamel matrix derivative may provide some benefit in periodontal therapy

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The aim of this review is to give an updated answer to the question whether the additional use of Enamel matrix derivative (EMD) in periodontal therapy is more effective in comparison to control or other regenerative procedures. The authors searched MEDLINE (PubMed) for randomized controlled trials where EMD was used for treatment of intrabony defects, [read the full story…]

MI Paste Plus helped prevent the development of new white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment

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The aim of this trial was to determine the effectiveness of a new product, MI Paste Plus (GC America, Alsip, Ill), in the prevention or reduction of white spot lesions in orthodontic patients. 60 patients aged 12 and over who were undergoing routine orthodontic treatment were randomized to receive either M1 paste (n=26) or placebo [read the full story…]

Hospitalization is associated with a deterioration in oral health

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Maintaining oral health is important for hospitalised patients as it can affect quality of life and personal dignity.  The aim of this systematic review was to assess the impact of hospitalization on oral health. The authors searched Cochrane library, Medline, OldMedline, Embase and CINAHL without language restrictions for longitudinal prospective observational studies in individuals of [read the full story…]

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Some evidence to support adjunctive amoxicillin and metronidazole for treating patients with aggressive periodontitis

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Most people suffer with inflamed gums for time to time. However, approximately 10% of the population suffer from more severe gum problems (periodontitis) leading to loss of bone supporting the teeth and potentially loss of teeth.  The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of combined amoxicillin and metronidazole (AMX/MET) as an adjunctive [read the full story…]

Insufficient evidence to determine if orthodontic treatment is more or less efficient with self-ligating brackets than conventional brackets

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This critical summary of a systematic review published in 2010 was prepared under the auspices of the American Dental Association Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry. The aim of this review was  see whether  the use of using self-ligating brackets (SLBs)  improved clinical outcomes in orthodontic treatment compared with conventional brackets (CBs). The commentator  noted that despite [read the full story…]

Limited evidence that hard stabilisation appliances provide improvement in pain related to temporomandibular disorders

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This critical summary of a systematic review published in 2010 was prepared under the auspices of the American Dental Association Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry. The original review was addressing the question of whether intraoral orthopaedic appliances reduce pain in patients with temporomandibular disorders affecting muscle and joint (TMJD) compared to subjects receiving placebo control, no [read the full story…]

Hawley and clear overlay retainers have similar survival times

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Having to wear a retainer following orthodontic treatment is almost universal.  The aim of this study was to compare the survival time of the Hawley retainer (HR) and the clear overlay retainer (COR) over one-year follow-up and to analyze risk factors contributing to their breakage. 120 adolescent  patients were randomised to receive either a HR  [read the full story…]

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Some evidence that early neck surgery reduces recurrence of the cancer

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There were more than 404,000 new cases of oral cancers worldwide in 2002.  Oral cancer is  the are the sixth most common cancer worldwide, accounting for an estimated 4% of all cancers. Incidence and mortality varies geographically.  Surgery plays an important part of the management of oral cavity cancer with regard to both the removal [read the full story…]

Short implant-supported prostheses may be a valid option in the treatment of the atrophic jaw

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Short dental implants have been proposed as an alternative to other methods of  bone augmentation for the prosthetic treatment of atrophic alveolar ridges. The aim of this review was to systematically evaluate clinical studies of implants < 10 mm in length, to determine short implant-supported prosthesis success in the atrophic jaw. Searches were conducted in [read the full story…]

Evidence to suggest alcohol consumption is a risk indicator for periodontitis.

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The aim of this cross sectional study was to investigate the association between the frequency of alcohol consumption and periodontitis. A sample of 542 adults  aged 35-55 underwent a complete periodontal examinations with alcohol consumption being measured using AUDIT (alcohol use disorders identification test)  and CAGE (Cut-down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener) instruments. Patients were classified into [read the full story…]

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