Does motivational Interviewing improve oral health?

This review of motivational interviewing (MI) for the oral morbidities in adults included 7 randomised controlled trials. The findings focused on periodontal outcomes suggesting that MI has the potential to improve plaque and bleeding indicies.

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Plaque accumulation with clear aligners and fixed orthodontic appliances

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This review comparing plaque accumulation in orthodontic patients undergoing clear aligner (CA) and conventional fixed appliance treatment included 14 studies. The findings suggested less plaque accumulation with CA but all the included studies were at moderate to high risk of bias.

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Manual v powered toothbrushing in adolescent orthodontic patients – trial

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The aim of this randomised trial was to compare the efficacy of a powered versus manual toothbrush in controlling plaque and gingival health in participants undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment in respect of both the short term and long term. The findings showed no differences between the brush types at any time points ( 1, 6 or 12 months).

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CAD/CAM versus conventional fixed retainers in orthodontic patients

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This review comparing the effect of CAD/CAM-based and conventional fixed retainers on the stability of treatment outcomes and periodontal health in patients undergoing orthodontic retention using fixed retainers includeds 7 RCTs. The studies are of moderate size and relatively short duration (6 to 12months) and there are quality concerns so the findings should be viewed cautiously.

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Oil pulling for oral health

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This review of oil pulling compared to chlorhexidine and other mouthwashes in improving the plaque, gingival and bacteria count parameters included 25 RCTs. However, the studies are modest in size of short duration and all except one study were considered to be at high risk of bias. Consequently the available evidence is of very low certainty and should be interpreted cautiously.

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Dental water jet and oral health maintenance in orthodontic patients

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This review assessing the effect of incorporating the dental water jet (DWJ) into the oral hygiene routines of orthodontic patients included 6 RCTs. While the findings suggest a benefit from the use of the DWJ the limited number of small studies none of which were at low risk of bias means the findings should be interpreted cautiously.

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Adjunctive chlorhexidine for gingival health in orthodontic patients

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This review of the efficacy of chlorhexidine (CHX) products in maintaining gingival health in orthodontic patients with fixed appliances included 20 RCTs only 1 of which was at low risk of bias. The findings showed a benefcial effect on gingival parameters with CHX mouthwash at 1-3 months but the findings should be interpreted cautiously.

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Mouthwashes, microorganisms and gingivitis in orthodontic patients

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This review of the efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in orthodontic patients included 32 RCTs. While the findings suggest short-term benefits with adjunctive mouthwash use the findings should be intertpreted cautiously as only one RCT was at low risk of bias and for almost all outccomes the certainty of evidence was rated as very low to low.

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Is a chewable toothbrush effective in children?

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This review comparing the effectiveness of a chewable toothbrush (CTB) with a manual toothbrush (MTB) in terms of plaque reduction included 7 RCTs. While no significant differences were found between CTB and MTB the availabel studies were small of short duration and of very low certainty.

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Clear aligners v fixed appliances for periodontal health

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This review of periodontal health maintenance and gingival recessions development in patients undergoing an orthodontic treatment with clear aligners (CA) or fixed appliances (FA) included 12 studies. The limited amount and quality of evidence was insufficient to assess whether CA were bettern than FA at maintaining periodontal health.

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