White spot lesions: Topical fluoride for prevention during fixed orthodontic treatment

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This Cochrane review update evaluates whether topical fluoride reduces the proportion of orthodontic patients with new demineralised lesions (white spot lesions). In included 10 studies finding some low certainty evidence that some topical fluorides reduced white spot lesions.

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Early childhood caries: Preventive interventions for pregnant and nursing mothers and other primary caregivers

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This Cochrane review asessing interventions with pregnant women, new mothers or other primary caregivers of infants in the first year of life for preventing early childhood caries included 17 RCTs .

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Orthodontic retainers: Bond lower retainers to all anterior teeth or only canines?

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This review evaluating the difference in stability between lower fixed retainers bonded on all six anterior teeth and those bonded only to the canines included 5 studies. Only 2 of the studies were RCTs with finding suggesting better outcomes with bonding to all anterior teeth but the quality of the evidence is low.

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Gag reflex management during dental treatment

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This update of a Cochrane review of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for the management of gagging in people undergoing dental treatment found very low-certainty evidence from four trials that was insufficient to conclude if there is any benefit of acupuncture, acupressure or laser at P6 point in reducing gagging and allowing successful completion of dental procedures.

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Smoking cessation and tooth loss

This review provides strong evidence for quitting smoking and reducing your risk of dementia.

This review assessing whether smoking cessation reduced the risk of tooth loss included 14 cross-sectional and 7 longitudinal studies suggestign that the risk of tooth loss in former smokers is comparable to that of never smokers

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Dental Implant ‘drop out’ rates at 10 years – do they matter?

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Colin Levey takes a look at a systematic review assessing the 10-year survival of titanium roughened surface, solid screw dental implants in adults. 4 RCTs and 14 prospective studies) were included traditional analysis and sensitivity analysis taking into account missing data was conducted providing a more conservative estimate of survival and a broader prediction interval.

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Mesenchymal stem cells in periodontal regeneration?

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This review evaluating the potential efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells in periodontal regeneration included 15 small studies of very low quality. Additional high quality RCTs are neeeded to assess effectiveness before clinicial use.

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Articaine: Is it the best local anaesthetic for teeth with irreversible pulpitis undergoing root canal treatment?

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5 systematic reviews were included in this umbrella review of whether articaine or lidocaine is the most appropriate local anaesthetic solution for teeth with irreversible pulpitis undergoing root canal treatment.

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Post and core restorations: does the ferrule effect influence success?

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This review evaluating the presence or absence of a ferrule influences the failure rate in fibre-reinforced composite (FRC) post-and-core restorations included 4 studies. While the findings indicate no differences in failure rates between restoration with and with out a ferrule the quality of the evidence is low.

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Guideline: Antibiotics for Dental Pain and Swelling

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This new guideline from the American Dental Association is about the the appropriate use of systemic antibiotics for the urgent management of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis with or without symptomatic apical pulpitis, pulp necrosis and symptomatic apical periodontitis and pulp necrosis and localized acute apical abscess.

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