Music, audio-visuals or virtual reality for dental anxiety?

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This review of the effectiveness of relaxing music, audio-visuals (AV), and virtual reality (VR) in reducing dental anxiety associated with tooth extraction included 11 RCTs. The findings suggest that music performed better than VR and AV . However the limited number of studies and variation in anxiety scales, musical and visual interventions used means that the findings should be interpreted cautiously.

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Acupuncture for temporomandibular joint disorder?

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This review of the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in treating temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) included 32 RCTs. The findings suggest potential benefits for acupuncture compared with both active and inactive controls. However none of the studies were at low risk of bias and the certainty of the evidence was rated as very low to low. Consequently the findings should be interpreted cautiously.

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High-fluoride toothpaste or high fluoride mouthrinse to prevent white spot lesions in adolescent orthodontic patients – trial

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270 pateints were randomised in this trial to compare high-fluoride toothpaste and high-fluoride mouth rinse for preventing white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment. The findings suggest a benefit for high fluoride toothpaste and fluoride mouth rinse in preventing white spot lesions.

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Manual v powered toothbrushing in adolescent orthodontic patients – trial

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The aim of this randomised trial was to compare the efficacy of a powered versus manual toothbrush in controlling plaque and gingival health in participants undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment in respect of both the short term and long term. The findings showed no differences between the brush types at any time points ( 1, 6 or 12 months).

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CAD/CAM versus conventional fixed retainers in orthodontic patients

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This review comparing the effect of CAD/CAM-based and conventional fixed retainers on the stability of treatment outcomes and periodontal health in patients undergoing orthodontic retention using fixed retainers includeds 7 RCTs. The studies are of moderate size and relatively short duration (6 to 12months) and there are quality concerns so the findings should be viewed cautiously.

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Supportive care to prevent recurrence or progression of peri-implantitis

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This review of whether supportive care is effective in preventing recurrence or progression of peri-implantitis included 15 studies. However none of the included studies was specifically designed to test supportive care regimens so there is a need for new well conducted and reported randomised trials of appropraite size and duration to provide better quality evidence.

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How clean is your toothbrush?

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This review of the level of toothbrush contamination and the factors affecting contamination in the general population included 15 studies. The findings show that toothbrush contamination occurs after first use and rises with continuing use. However, there is little evidence of significant adverse events from current practices.

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Oil pulling for oral health

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This review of oil pulling compared to chlorhexidine and other mouthwashes in improving the plaque, gingival and bacteria count parameters included 25 RCTs. However, the studies are modest in size of short duration and all except one study were considered to be at high risk of bias. Consequently the available evidence is of very low certainty and should be interpreted cautiously.

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Oral submucous fibrosis and malignant transformation

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This umbrella review of the proportion of oral cancer development in oral submucous fibrosis patients included 4 systematic reviews published between 2019 and 2022. Mean values for malignant transformation across the reviews range from 4.2% to 6%.

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Dental water jet and oral health maintenance in orthodontic patients

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This review assessing the effect of incorporating the dental water jet (DWJ) into the oral hygiene routines of orthodontic patients included 6 RCTs. While the findings suggest a benefit from the use of the DWJ the limited number of small studies none of which were at low risk of bias means the findings should be interpreted cautiously.

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