This review of the oral signs and symptoms in patients with COVID-19 includes 40 studies (33 cross-sectional and 7 case reports). The findings show a significant association with taste disorders but little in relation to other oral disorders. As this is planned to be a living review it will be interesting to see if further evidence emerges.
This review evaluating the effect of vibration devices on paediatric dental injection pain reduction identified 6 RCTs. The findings suggest that the use of the DentalVibe was not effective but the evidence ws of low quality.
This review of the risk of hyperaesthesia with articaine compared with other local anaesthetics in lower alveolar nerve block for lower third molar removal included 13 studies.The findings suggest that the use of articaine does not increase the risk of hyperaesthesia.
This review of the links between the habit of betel quid and areca nut (BQ-AN) chewing and the prognosis of oral cancer included 11 observational studies. The findings suggest that lower 5-year survival is seen in those with a BQ-AN chewing habit.
In this blog Rajpal Tattar looks at a review and meta-analysis investigating the correlation between oral lichen planus and peri-implant disease. Only two small observational studies were included so the availabel evidence is very limited.
In this blog Manàs Dave looks at a systematic review of treatment options for patients with Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS). Study heterogeneity means that only a narrative summary was possible so there is a need for high quality research in this area.
Blogs on Hyposalivation in the elderly, powered toothbrushes for patients undergoing orthodontic treatment and the impact of smoking on the outcomes of non-surgical periodontal treatment were our most popular blogs.
Erosive tooth wear and gastro-oesophageal reflux, oral lichen planus and oro-facial manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus were popular blogs in April, May and June of 2020.
This review looked at the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment or oral lichen lplanus (OLP) and compares PDT with steroid therapy. 16 studies were included with the findings suggesting that photodynamic therapy may offer patients with OLP improved pain relief and better efficacy compared to topical corticosteroids.
In his first blog for the Dental Elf Alex Orchard looks at a review of studies assessing the impact of non-steroidal antiflamatory drugs (NDAIDs) on dental implant osseointegration. Only a very small number of studies were identified providing insufficient information to draw any conclusions.