Good oral hygiene to ensure the effective removal of dental plaque is key to maintaining good oral health. While toothbrushing is the most commonly used method, dental floss and interdental brushes are both widely available and recommended adjuncts to toothbrushing. A 2011 Cochrane review by Sambunjak et al assessed the evidence for dental floss (Dental [read the full story…]
Over the years a large number of reports have been conducted into the links between sugar and dental caries. In 2002 the Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation on ‘Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases’ (WHO/FAO 2003), recommendation that free sugars should provide no more than 10% of Energy (E), was largely based on data [read the full story…]
The latest ADA-EBD critical summary looks at a 2012 systematic review by Van Strydonck et al which looked at the effectiveness of Chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthrinse against plaque growth, gingival inflammation as well as the degree of staining. We have blogged about this review earlier (Dental Elf – 21st Sept 2012) As this new appraisal highlights, [read the full story…]
Triclosan is a polychloro phenoxy phenol that has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. It has been used since the 1970 in a range of products including soaps, deodorants, mouthwashes and toothpastes. The aim of this Cochrane review was to assess the effects of triclosan/copolymer containing fluoride toothpastes (TCT), compared with fluoride toothpastes, for the long-term control [read the full story…]
For those of you who like to listen to your information instead of reading it the American Dental Association have released a podcast to go with their update of the clinical recommendations for topical fluoride agents to prevent dental caries, which I covered in a blog on the 4th November. In the podcast Dr. Robert [read the full story…]
The use of probiotics for a wide range of conditions has been promoted and a potential caries protective effect has also been postulated. The aim of this review was to assess the caries preventive effect of probiotics in humans. The Medline and Embase databases were searched for randomised controlled trials assessing the in vivo role [read the full story…]
In 2006 the American Dental Association (ADA) published recommendations regarding professionally applied topical fluorides. An update of these guidelines has just been published. An executive summary is available from the Journal of the American Dental Association and the full report can be downloaded from the ADA – Centre for Evidence-based Dentistry (ADA-EBD) website (see links). [read the full story…]
Cleft lip and palate is a relatively common birth defect that occurs in around 1 in 700 births and there have been contradictory reports of caries prevalence in CLP populations with some studies finding no difference and others an increase in prevalence. The aim of this review was to evaluate caries prevalence in non-syndromic patient [read the full story…]
Earlier this week (Dental Elf 15th Oct 2013) we looked at a systematic review that looked at a range of the newer aids for detecting caries. The aim of this review was to synthesize the findings about the accuracy of fluorescence-based methods in detecting caries lesions on occlusal, approximal and smooth surfaces of both permanent [read the full story…]
Predicting an individuals risk of caries is considered to be an important element in managing the condition and recommending appropriate care and treatment. A range of methods are currently used, included for example socio-demographic, socio economic, dietary factors, and oral hygiene practices. The aim of this review was to assess the accuracy and the quality [read the full story…]
