Dementia and oral health

we need to ensure even more so that care staff feel capable and happy in doing what can be a stressful and demanding, as well as rewarding job, so that the residents with dementia are also well looked after and happy

This review of the oral health status of dementia patients included 36 observational studies and highlights the high levels of plaque and many soft tissue related oral health problems suffered by this group of patients.

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Periodontitis- supportive periodontal treatment

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This Cochrane review of the effects of supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) in the maintenance of the dentition of adults treated for periodontitis included 4 RCTs providing is insufficient evidence to determine the superiority of different protocols or adjunctive strategies to improve tooth maintenance during SPT.

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Powered toothbrushes for orthodontic patients

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This review of powered toothbrushes for periodontal health in orthodontic patients included 9 small RCTs. A small statistically significant benefit was noted in short term use.

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Toothbrushes: are tapered or end-rounded filaments best?

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This review of the effect of tapered or end-rounded filament toothbrushes on clinical parameters included just 5 RCTs providing inconclusive evidence to recommend one type over another.

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Tranexamic acid for minor oral surgery in anticoagulated patients

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5 good but small RCTs were identified for this review of topical tranexamic acid (TXA) for minor oral surgery in patients on anticoagulants. The findings suggest that TXA irrigation and mouthwash may reduce the risk of bleeding.

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Prolonged bleeding after tooth extraction – no evidence on treatment from trials

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This Cochrane review did not identify any randomised controlled trials that evaluated the effects of different interventions for the treatment of post-extraction bleeding. Clinicians must use their clinical experience to determine the most appropriate means of treating this condition, depending on patient-related factors.

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