Air polishing or hand and/or power-driven instruments in supportive periodontal therapy

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This review of air polishing devices (APDs) in comparison with hand instruments and/or power-driven instruments in supportive periodontal treatment and implant maintenance included 6 RCTs. 4 of the 6 included studies were considered to be at high risk of bias so the findings should be interpreted cautiously.

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The efficacy of periodontal regenerative therapies, more challenges with network meta-analysis

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Mark-Steven Howe takes a detailed look at this review update and network meta-analyses of periodontal regenerative therapies. He highlights the inclusion of non-resorbable membrane studies that are no longer used.

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Tricalcium phosphates for infra-bony periodontal defects

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This review of the clinical efficacy of tricalcium phosphates (-containing) biomaterials in the treatment of periodontal infra-bony defects includes 16 RCTs. While the findings suggest improvements in pocket depth and clinical attachment level only 6 of the studies contributed to the meta-analyses and the number of events and studies are small so the findings should be viewed cautiously.

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Periodontitis: Adjunctive amoxicillin and metronidazole with full-mouth scaling and root planing

This review of whether amoxicillin and metronidazole used as an adjunct to full-mouth scaling and root planing improved clinical outcomes included 11 RCTs. While the findings indicate significant improvements in clinical attachment level and pocket probing depth they may not be clinically important.

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Periodontitis: Locally delivered anti-microbials as an adjunct to surgical periodontal treatment

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This review of the effectiveness of locally delivered adjunctive antibiotic treatment during periodontal surgery on clinical outcomes included 9 RCTs. While the findings suggested that adjunctive locally delivered antibiotics could improve some clinical sutcomes they evidence was limited and of very low certainty.

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Clarithromycin as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal treatment

plaque,calculus,periodontal disease

This review of systemic or locally delivered clarithromycin as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy included 7 small RCTs, 4 RCTS related to systemic use and 3RCTS for local application. The findings provide moderate certainty evidence suggesting locally delivered clarithromycin significantly improves treatment outcome

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Chronic periodontitis: Efficacy of adjunctive antimicrobials

Many drugs are licensed for use in Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), but it is unclear what works best.

This review of the efficacy of antimicrobials adjunctive to scaling and root planing (SRP) in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. 21 RCTs were included with the findings showing that amoxicillin and metronidazole had the largest statistical benefit. Whether this benefit is a clinically important benefit is a wider question.

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Boric acid as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy?

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Non-surgical periodontal treatment is the mainstay of treatment for the management of periodontitis. A number of adjunctive treatments have been used to improve outcomes including, local and systematic antibiotics and photodynamic therapy.  It has been suggested that boric acid may be beneficial as boron compounds have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory effects and beneficial effects [read the full story…]

Top Dental Elf Blogs: Oct – Dec 2020

The Dental Elf

Blogs on Hyposalivation in the elderly, powered toothbrushes for patients undergoing orthodontic treatment and the impact of smoking on the outcomes of non-surgical periodontal treatment were our most popular blogs.

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Access flap procedures or subgingival debridement for periodontitis?

Periodontal disease
Periodontitis

This review comparing access flaps (AF) and subgingival debridement in achieving probing depth (PD) reduction in patients with periodontitis included 18 studies reported in 36 publications. While the results demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in PD reduction between AF and subgingival debridement this may not be clinically important.

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