Worldwide dental caries remains one of the most prevalent chronic diseases of childhood. Sadly, in many countries a significant proportion of this decay remains untreated leading to pain, sepsis and occasionally more severe complications. Studies have shown associations between caries and poor growth, low weight gain, missed school and poorer performance. The aim of this [read the full story…]
Surgical removal of lower third molars is one of the most commonly performed operations. It is associated with inflammation, pain and limited mouth opening. The aim of this study was evaluate the effectiveness of submucosal injection of dexamethasone on swelling, pain, trismus, neurological complaints and patient satisfaction after third molar surgery. Adult Patients with Pell [read the full story…]
Stigma can be described as a sign of disgrace setting a person apart from others. Erving Goffman, defined stigma as “the process by which the actions of others spoils normal identity.” For those with mental illness the stigma experienced can result in a lack of funding for services, difficulty gaining employment, a mortgage or holiday [read the full story…]
Earlier this month (Dental Elf 18th Feb) we looked at a systematic review of the use of arginine toothpastes to reduce dentine hypersensitivity. A new study is now available which compares arginine toothpaste, potassium nitrate toothpaste against a standard fluoride toothpaste. Adult patients with at least two hypersensitive teeth were randomised to one of three [read the full story…]
Earlier this month (Dental Elf 13th Feb 2013) we reported on a study looking at whether systemic antibiotics were necessary for the placement of dental implants. That study suggested that antibiotics were not necessary for the placement of single implants. Today we look at another study that looked at the influence of pre-operative antibiotics on [read the full story…]
While oral health has improved complete edentulism is remains an important problem. While it is increasingly common for treatment approaches to use implant-retained prosthesis conventional complete dentures are still in widespread use. Traditional denture construction protocols involve several clinical and laboratory stages and simplified approaches have been suggested. The aim of this trial was to [read the full story…]
Stability problems and lack of retention are problems that edentulous patients often report. The implant-supported denture is one approach to address these problems. The aim of this trial was to compare the outcomes of maxillary overdentures supported by four or six dental implants in patients in the anterior part of the maxilla. Adult edentulous patients [read the full story…]
Recent reports on the response of the NHS in England to the health needs of people with learning disabilites have uncovered poor practice and a lack of knowledge and skills (see for example Mencap Getting it Right campaign) We posted earlier in the week about the impact of liaison nursing, one response of the health [read the full story…]
Approximately 15% of adults in Europe drink alcohol to excess, at levels that are likely to affect their health. Most of these people are not alcohol dependent and do not require intensive treatment such as detox and aftercare, but many of them would benefit from a ‘nudge’ to reduce their drinking to safer levels. Screening [read the full story…]
Recent work by Suzanne Fitzpatrick and colleagues from Heriot Watt University has investigated the experiences of people who are affected by what they call multiple exclusion homelessness; a combination of homelessness, substance misuse, ‘street’ activities such as begging and street drinking, and institutional care (e.g. prison). Their quantitative survey shows that there is considerable overlap [read the full story…]
