Dentine hypersensitivity is a troublesome condition that results in sharp sudden burst of pain in response to thermal stimuli such as hot or cold foods, but may also arise from tactile stimuli such as use of a toothbrush. Prevalence of the condition has been reported as high as 74% in some studies. This 2011 review [read the full story…]
Dental implants are now widely used to replace missing teeth and periodontal disease is an important cause of tooth loss. As implants themselves can suffer from peri-implantitis it is therefore of interest to as to whether patients with a history of periodontitis are of higher risk of implant failure. This critical appraisal of a 2010 [read the full story…]
Unfortunately for patients with irreversible pulpitis inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) is not always successful in achieving satisfactory levels of anaesthesia. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of supplementary repeat inferior alveolar nerve block with 2% lidocaine and epinephrine, buccal infiltration with 4% articaine with epinephrine, intraligamentary injection, or intraosseous injection [read the full story…]
In 2010 Berchier et al reviewed the efficacy of two different concentrations of chlorhexidine mouthrinse ( 0.2 & 0.12% ). A critical appraisal of this review is now available on the American Dental Associations Evidence-based Dentistry website. The commentator notes that a comprehensive search strategy was used although restricted to the English language. Eight studies [read the full story…]
The removal of lower third molars is one of the commonest surgical procedures. The effective management of post operative pain is an important consideration and it has been suggested that preoperative administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be more effective than post operative administration. The aim of this study was therefore to compare the [read the full story…]
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of sugar-free chewing gum on the oral health and quality of life of dentate older people living in the community and attending for routine dental care. What did they do Participants aged 60 years and over with a minimum of 6 natural teeth living independently [read the full story…]
The Dental Elf is taking a week’s break to deliver some lectures – we will be back on the 4th June
Systemic and locally delivered antibiotics have been used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) for the treatment of periodontal disease for many years. The aim of this review was to systematically evaluate the data concerning the effect of the concomitant administration of amoxicillin and metronidazole adjunctive to SRP in otherwise healthy adults. [read the full story…]
A certain amount of bone is required for the placement of dental implants and a range of techniques applied to reconstruct alveolar bone in order to place dental implants. The aim of this review was to assess the success rate of implants placed in horizontal and vertical guided bone regenerated (GBR) areas. What did they [read the full story…]
Endosseous root form dental implants have been available since the 1960s while dental Small-Diameter Implants were first introduced commercially in the dental field in 1990. The aim of this study was to determine, the survival of narrow diameter implants, whether survival is dependent on whether these implants are placed using a flap or flapless approach, [read the full story…]
