This small trial of probiotics as an adjunct to toothbrushing with a fluoride toothpaste to reduce caries in pre-school children suggests some additional benefit. Further studies are needed to clarify the findings, assess dose response, acceptability and cost effectiveness.
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This Cochrane review update included 8 trials involving 1746 participants. Some low-quality evidence suggesting the superiority of resin-based fissure sealants over fluoride varnish applications was identified
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Five RCTs were included in this Cochrane review comparing crowns with fillings for the management of caries in primary molars. Moderate evidence found crowns reduced the risk of major failure or pain in the long term compared to fillings
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Derek Richards presents the top Dental Elf Blogs of 2015. Highlights include eating disorders and oral health, the long awaited Cochrane Review of water fluoridation and the update of the NICE guidance on infective endocarditis.
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Ten trials were included in this review of arginine in toothpaste. It found that arginine in combination with calcium bases (either Dical or calcium carbonate) and fluoride provided a superior effect compared with fluoride alone. However, 9 out of 10 of the trials were sponsored by a single company and the overall quality of the evidence was considered to be low.
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This review looked at whether self-etch adhesive sealants were as effective as traditional acid etching. 5 split-mouth studies were included and they found significantly lower failure rates in the acid etch group. Odds ratio 4.46 (95% CI 1.31, 15.20).
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63 studies were included in the review of the association between breastfeeding and caries. The majority (73%) were cross-sectional. The findings suggest that breastfeeding up to 12 months of age is not associated with an increased risk of dental caries and in fact may offer some protection compared with formula.
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8 trials involving a total of 365 patients were included in this Cochrane review of micro-invasive treatments for proximal caries. Micro-invasive treatment significantly reduced the odds of lesion progression compared with non-invasive treatment (e.g fluoride varnish) or oral hygiene advice (e.g to floss) OR=0.24, (95% CI; 0.14 to 0.41).
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187 UK professional footballers were examined in this cross-sectional survey. Their oral health was poorer than the average for a group of UK adults sampled for the most recent Adult Dental Health Survey.
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This Japanese cohort study analysed data for 76,920 children born between 2004 and 2010 attending routine health checkups finding that exposure to tobacco smoke at 4 months of age was associated with an approximately twofold increased risk of caries.
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