Regular toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste has strong evidence for its effectiveness. Brushing at least twice a day is more effective that once a day or less and ‘Twice a day” is has been a long-standing oral health message. The aim of this qualitative study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the issues parents facing [read the full story…]
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a life-threatening condition in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Incidence rates vary between 9% and 45% and it carries a significant mortality risk. The oropharynx and upper gastrointestinal tract are the main reservoirs for the associated pathogens. The aim of this review was to evaluate the effects of oral care [read the full story…]
There is good evidence that toothbrushing reduces gingivitis and that tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste reduces tooth decay. The aim of this study was to compare the antimicrobial effects of three commercially available toothpastes. Thirty-five adults (15 men and 20 women; average age 33 years and pockets <5 mm with a minimum of 20 natural [read the full story…]
An increasingly elderly population have benefited from improvements in oral health care resulting in the retention of an increasing number of natural teeth. This brings the challenge of maintaining these teeth and their replacements in good disease free condition. However, studies indicate that oral health in this group is often poor. The aim of this [read the full story…]
With an increasing proportion of the population living longer and retaining their teeth into old age ensuring that they are maintained in good oral health is important. However,the literature indicates that the oral health of older people in care homes is poor. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an Oral [read the full story…]
People with learning disabilities are more likely to have tooth decay, loose teeth, have gum disease, show higher levels of untreated disease and also have a larger number of extractions than those without disabilities, although evidence does exist to suggest that well-performed preventive procedures can prevent progression of dental disease and reduce tooth loss. The [read the full story…]
In Europe the first mass produced bristle toothbrushes came into use in the 18th Century. Although hog bristle brushes were reported in China during the Tang Dynasty (619-907). Today nylon toothbrushes are in widespread use and manual brushes come in a wide range of brush head sizes with multiple tufts often angled in different directions. [read the full story…]
The antiseptic agent Chlorhexidine (CHX) has been widely use to control plaque and gingivitis. The aim of this review was to evaluate, the efficacy of a CHX mouthrinse against plaque growth, gingival inflammation and stain formation in gingivitis patients. What did they do The Medline-PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases [read the full story…]
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) can be life threatening and its link with good mouth care is a topic we have covered before on Dental Elf (18th April 2012 and 28th Nov 2011). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether oral swabbing with 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) decreases the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in [read the full story…]
We originally highlighted this review by Terezakis E et al at the end of last year, but the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) at the University of York has just completed a more in-depth appraisal of the review. The CRD summary says:- The authors found that oral health appeared to deteriorate during hospitalisation, especially [read the full story…]
