Insufficient evidence for the efficacy of primary school-based behavioural interventions for reducing caries

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This new Cochrane review looked at school-based interventions aimed at changing behaviour related to toothbrushing habits and the frequency of consumption of cariogenic food and drink in children between the ages of 4 and 12 years. The Cochrane Oral Health Group’s Trials Register, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) ,Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, [read the full story…]

Review suggests that open reduction of mandibular condyle fractures may have better outcomes

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Around a third of mandibular fractures involve the mandibular condyle. Treatment approaches involve either an open or closed approach and there is no general agreement of which method should be used.    The aim of this review was to compare open and closed treatment of moderately displaced condylar fractures. The authors searched 3 databases PubMed, Cochrane [read the full story…]

Review found little difference in orthodontic bonding failure rates with different types of curing lights

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Light systems to cure orthodontic bonding materials to attach orthodontic brackets have been in use for many years. In recent years, alternatives to halogen lights, including light emitting diodes (LEDs) and plasma lights, have been developed. The aims of this review was to compare bracket failure risks and times taken to place attachments with 3 [read the full story…]

Use of infant nutrition guidance did not lead to a significant reduction in early childhood caries

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Early childhood caries remains a significant problem in many parts of the world and has been defined by the American Dental Association as:- the presence of one or more decayed (non-cavitated or cavitated lesions), missing (due to caries) or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a preschool-age child between birth and 71 months [read the full story…]

Smokers may have poorer results after periodontal treatment

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This latest critical summary from the ADA-EBD Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry looks at a review by Patel et al 2011 which addresses the question  of whether smokers have poorer bone regeneration than non-smokers after periodontal treatment. The appraiser considered this to be a well-conducted systematic review and meta-analysis that included 10 articles with 458 participants [read the full story…]

Study suggests that a computer program may have some success in managing patients with dental needle fear

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Significant fear of dental injections has been reported in as many as one in four adults.   The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of  Computer Assisted Relaxation
 Learning (CARL) with an informational pamphlet for reducing dental injection fear. CARL is a self-paced, computerized program based on systematic desensitization aimed at reducing fear [read the full story…]

Practice-based trial find better outcomes with MTA for direct pulp-capping in permanent teeth

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Exposure of the dental pulp is an occasional hazard associated with dental treatment. Direct pulp capping is a procedure in which a medicament is placed directly over the exposed dental pulp, with the specific aim of maintaining pulp vitality and health. Calcium hydroxide (CaOH) has for many years been considered the material of choice for [read the full story…]

Little good quality evidence on whether to leave or remove impacted third molars involved in fractures of the angle of the mandible

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Fracture of the mandible often occurs through the angle where it may be closely related to, or involve an impacted third molar. There is a debate about whether they should always be extracted or retained.  The aim of this review was to measure the occurrence of postoperative infection following mandibular fixation performed in the presence [read the full story…]

Review finds that toothbrushing has only a small effect on ventilator-associated pneumonia

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Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a life-threatening condition in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Incidence rates vary between 9% and 45% and it carries a significant mortality risk. The oropharynx and upper gastrointestinal tract are the main reservoirs for the associated pathogens.  The aim of this review was to evaluate the effects of oral care [read the full story…]

Weak evidence for success rates of dental restorations placed on root-treated teeth

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Root canal treatment (RoCT) is a common dental procedure and an understanding of the survival of RoCT teeth and their restorations is an important consideration. The aim of this review was to assess the success rates for single crowns, fixed and removable dental prostheses, as well as for the different kinds of posts placed on [read the full story…]