Non-surgical periodontal treatment – is there a role for systemic antibiotics?

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This review update includes 23 new studies comparing the effects of antibiotic therapy adjunctive to scaling and root planning for periodontal disease. While some additional benefit was shown the authors could not establish definitive conclusions and guidelines regarding their use.

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Tooth extraction: no need to stop long-term aspirin before suggests review

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This review considers whether patients on long-term aspirin therapy should stop aspirin before tooth extraction. The review found 10 studies (3 RCTs). No significant increase in bleeding time was found and although there was an increased risk of haemorrhage, the authors recommended not stopping aspirin therapy.

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Ultrasonography for diagnosing temporomandibular disorders

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This diagnostic test review included 11 studies the majority from 2 research groups. The findings suggest that ultrasonography could be useful for diagnosing anterior disk displacement in patients with temporomandibular disorders.

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Periodontal dressings: should they be used in non-surgical cases?

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Periodontal dressings have been used following periodontal surgery this review looks at their use following non-surgical periodontal treatment and suggest that there may be some benefit . However, only 3 small studies were included so more high quality studies are needed to confirm these findings.

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Caries: micro- and minimally invasive treatments for pit-and-fissure lesions

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This network meta-analysis included 14 studies (10 RCTs) and suggests that minimally invasive strategies would rank first followed by micro invasive approaches to pit and fissure caries. However, for some comparisons only a few studies are available and then are generally small and with short follow up periods.

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Untreated caries: a significant global problem

gross caries, anterior teeth

This review is part of the 2010 Global Burden of Disease study. It included a large number of observational studies and estimates that 2.4 Billion have untreated decay in permanent teeth and 621 million children have untreated caries in primary teeth.

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Mouthwashes and plaque control in orthodontic patients

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This review of mouthwash use in patients having fixed banded orthodontic treatment included 15 small studies and suggests that they reduce plaque levels. However the clinical relevance of the findings are uncertain and larger well conducted studies are needed.

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Periodontitis: evidence lacking for different cytokine/chemokine profiles in aggressive and chronic disease

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This review included 17 studies and 843 patients. A wide range of cytokines/chemokines were assessed but the available evidence is not sufficient to prove that there are distinct differences between patients with aggressive periodontitis and those with chronic periodontitis.

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Temporomandibular disorders: open or arthroscopic surgery?

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This review looked at surgical approaches for the management of internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint. Seven studies were identified of which 3 were randomised trials. Benefits for some outcomes were found with both open and arthroscopic surgery. However the available evidence is limited.

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