Mood, memory and behaviour are all affected by dementia and it is not unusual for behaviour to become ‘challenging’. People with dementia may become agitated or aggressive and this can be extremely difficult and stressful for family members and carers. Challenging behaviour has traditionally been managed with antipsychotic drugs, despite the fact that they do [read the full story…]
Tooth coloured adhesive filling materials are in common use in dentistry providing good results. However, their success relies on the adhesive systems that provide this bond which has allowed a more conservative approach to cavity preparation. The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of these systems in non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs). The [read the full story…]
Dental implants are usually placed after raising a flap to visualise the bone where they are to be placed. Several flap designs have been proposed but in some instances, they can also be placed flapless reducing patient discomfort. The aim of this Cochrane review was to evaluate whether:- flapless procedures are beneficial for [read the full story…]
Drooling is a common problem for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Drooling varies in severity and can be distressing for the children, families and caregivers. It can cause chapped or sore skin around the mouth and chin, skin and mouth infections, dehydration, difficulties chewing and a range of other social issues. The main aim of [read the full story…]
The February issue of the Cochrane Library sees the publication of two new oral health protocols. It will be a little while before the reviews are published. However people for are working in these areas may be interested to know that these reviews are underway. The full text of each protocol is available from the [read the full story…]
Alzheimer’s disease affects 1-2% of people aged 65-70 and approximately 20% of those over 80 years. As our population ages, the condition is on the increase and it’s estimated that 2030, an estimated 7.7 million Americans aged 65 and older will have Alzheimer’s disease. We do not yet know exactly how and why Alzheimer’s disease [read the full story…]
Lichen planus (LP) is an inflammatory condition that affects the skin and the squamous epithelium of mucosal surfaces lining the mouth, ears, eyes, and nose as well as the gastrointestinal and anogenital tracts. Two main patterns of inflammation are described: the plaque (raised) type and the erosive (raw) type, although bullous, blistering, or hypertrophic (thickened)types [read the full story…]
The management of patents who present with the partial loss of teeth is a common task for dentists and has been so for many years. The aim of this Cochrane review is to assess the effects of different prostheses for the treatment of partially absent dentition in terms of the following outcomes: long-term success, function, [read the full story…]
Late-onset schizophrenia is relatively common. Onset after the age of 40 years is reported in 23% of patients hospitalised with schizophrenia. The condition is different from early-onset schizophrenia on a number of counts, including the response to antipsychotic drugs. This Cochrane review set out to assess the effects of antipsychotic drugs for elderly people with [read the full story…]
Accurate diagnosis of the condition of the dental pulp has an important bearing on treatment planning. The aim of this review was to appraise the diagnostic accuracy of signs/symptoms and tests used to determine the condition of the pulp in teeth affected by deep caries, trauma or other types of injury. The authors searched PubMed, [read the full story…]
