Derek Richards

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Derek Richards is the Director of the Centre for Evidence-based Dentistry, Editor of the Evidence-based Dentistry Journal, Consultant in Dental Public Health with Forth Valley Health Board and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Dundee & Glasgow Dental Schools. He helped to establish both the Centre for Evidence-based Dentistry and the Evidence-based Dentistry Journal. He has been involved with teaching EBD and a wide range of evidence-based initiatives both nationally and internationally since 1994.

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Easter Break

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  The Dental Elf is taking a short Easter Break and with be back on the 29th April.                

Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS): Does SLS-free toothpaste use benefit patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis

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This review of the effects of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) free and SLS-containing toothpastes in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) included 4 small RCTs with the findings suggesting that patients with RAS may benefit from using SLS-free toothpaste. However the quality of teh availabel studies is very low.

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Interdental cleaning devices for prevention and control of caries and periodontal disease

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Thi Cochrane review evaluateingthe effectiveness of interdental cleaning devices used at home, in addition to toothbrushing, compared with toothbrushing alone, for preventing and controlling periodontal diseases, caries, and plaque includes 35 RCTs providing low to very low certainty evidence that floss or interdental brushes in addition to toothbrushing may reduce gingivitis or plaque, or both.

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Aloe vera mouthwash: how does it compare with chlorhexidine?

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This review of the efficacy of aloe vera mouthrinse on plaque and gingival inflammation includes 6 RCTS providing very low quality evidence that aloe vera mouthwash is comparable to chlorhexidine in reducing gingival inflammation.

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Orthodontic treatment: Do vibrating devices accelerate tooth movement?

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This review of the efficiency of the vibrating devices in accelerating orthodontic tooth movement identified 6 RCTs the majority being short term and at high risk of bias. The RCTs suggested no difference with the use of vibrational devices.

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Fixed orthodontic appliances: What is the most effective debonding technique?

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This review of different methods for reducing pain and discomfort during removal of fixed orthodontic appliances included 6 RCTs providing weak evidence for pre-debonding analgesia and other approaches.

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Dental Implants: long or short?

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This review compares survival rates between extra-short implants (≤6 mm) and ≥10 mm long implants. 18 studies were included suggesting little diference up to 3 years following prosthetic loading.

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Oral mucosal disorders during pregnancy – How common are they?

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Pregnant women taking antidepressants should be made of the benefits and risks of this treatment

This review of the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions during pregnancy included 15 observational studies from 9 countries. Gingival hyperplasia was most commonly report however the quality of the available evidence was assessed as very low.

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Dental visits and head and neck cancer

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This review of a link between past dental visits/check-ups and the incidence cancers of head and neck includes 38 studies the majority of which are case-controlled studies. The findings suggest that those are irregular of never attenders are more likely to have head and neck cancer.

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Mobile apps- can then improve dental health?

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This RCT looked at whether Mentalization Based Treatment for Adolescents reduced self-harming beahviour

This review of the effectiveness of mobile applications and text messages on oral health included 15 RCTs providing very low quality evidence of reduction is plaque and gingival bleeding.

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