The period after giving birth to a child can be difficult for women and in the first twelve weeks after childbirth 13-19% of women will experience post-partum depression (O’Hara 1996, Gaynes 2005). Post-partum depression is bad news – not only does it increase the chance of the mother going onto develop a severe clinical depression [read the full story…]
The aim of this review was to evaluate the clinical adjunctive effect of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) to scaling and root planing (SRP) when compared with SRP alone or in combination with placebo in the treatment of chronic periodontitis (CP) patients. A search in the Medline, Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trial Register, Cochrane Database of Systematic [read the full story…]
In my blog on 25th June 2011 we looked at a systematic review which aimed to assess whether laser therapy was more effective than desensitising agents for dentine hypersensitivity. This latest systematic review on the topic by Sgolastra et al aimed to assess the efficacy of lasers, stratified according to laser type, on changes in [read the full story…]
NICE Guidelines state that around three quarters of people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia experience a chronic illness: with recurrent episodes of remission and relapse. One way that chronic physical health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, are managed is by using early warning signs (EWS) training and this prevention strategy is now often [read the full story…]
Dementia and affective disorders (such as depression and bipolar disorder) are usually considered to be completely unrelated afflictions. Yet a number of recent studies have suggested that the risk of developing dementia in later life may be increased for those who have had an affective disorder. A number of systematic reviews have been undertaken to [read the full story…]
Dental diseases are very common and the cost of treating them places significant economic costs on society and yet the economic impact of dental interventions has received limited analysis. The aim of this review was to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the economics of dentistry published between 1997 and 2011; judge the quality of [read the full story…]
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), somewhere between 25 and 50% of people may have been physically abused at some point during their childhood, an experience defined as the use of physical force that harms the child’s health, survival, development, or dignity. Childhood maltreatment does not stop at physical abuse, however – children may [read the full story…]
This blog entry is the second in a series which is examining the mental health benefits of yoga. Last month I blogged about yoga for psychiatric disorders, and today I shall be looking specifically at the benefits for schizophrenia. The benefits of exercise and physical activity for schizophrenia are increasingly being recognised. Regular exercise can [read the full story…]
The traditional management of caries by the removal of all softened demineralised dentine before a filling is placed is being increasingly challenged. This updated Cochrane review aims to assess the effects of stepwise, partial or no dentinal caries removal compared with complete caries removal for the management of dentinal caries in previously unrestored primary and [read the full story…]
Dental implants are increasingly being used to replace missing teeth in contrast to the more traditional use of bridges or dentures. Implants have been used since the 1970s with the recommendation that they were kept load –free during the healing period (3-4months for the mandible, 6-8 months for the maxilla) . Since the 1990s studies [read the full story…]
