Baking soda toothpaste for control of plaque and gingivitis?

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This review of the effect of baking soda toothpastes on plaque and gingivitis included 21 studies providing 43 comparisons that suggest some benefit with respect to plaque removal.

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Chlorhexidine-fluoride mouthwash efficacy

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This review of the efficacy of a chlorhexidine mouthwash containing sodium fluoride compared to a chlorhexidine mouthwash alone includes 10 small short term studies that suggests the findings are similar for both preparations.

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Antiseptic oral sprays: Do they improve oral health?

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20 RCTs involving a total of 720 patients were included in this review of antiseptic oral sprays in the control of dental plaque and gingivitis. The findings suggest then can reduce plaque levels in the short term.

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Phytotherapy as an adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal treatment?

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7 small RCTs that majority of cross-over design were included in this review of phytotherapy as an adjunct to scaling and root planing for chronic periodontitis. While the findings suggest a benefit these should be viewed with caution until results from larger high quality studies are available.

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Silver diamine fluoride: 38% more effective than 12% in arresting caries

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This randomised controlled trial compared 12 and 38 % silver diamine fluoride applied annually and bi-annually to kindergarten children. . 38% applied bi-annually was most effective providing a 9% additional benefit over an annual application.

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Motivational interviewing for periodontal disease

Motivational interviewing works on facilitating and engaging intrinsic motivation within the client in order to bring about behaviour change.

This review of motivational interviewing (MI) as an adjunct to periodontal treatment only included 5 papers reporting 4 studies. The review provides limited evidence to suggest that MI might have a positive effect but more higher quality research is needed.

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Oral care in nursing homes

This study is the first of its kind from an RCT perspective which clearly shows that treating major depression in older adults using interventions in primary care settings can extend life

Mark-Steven Howe takes a look at a review evaluating the effectiveness of strategies that nursing home care providers can apply to impove the uptake and delivery of oral care in nursing homes

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Toothbrushes: are tapered or end-rounded filaments best?

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This review of the effect of tapered or end-rounded filament toothbrushes on clinical parameters included just 5 RCTs providing inconclusive evidence to recommend one type over another.

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Anti-plaque agents: do they help reduce plaque levels?

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63 RCTs contributed to this network meta-analysis of the effectiveness of anti-plaque agents. Results suggested that toothpastes containing triclosan-copolymer or chlorhexidine and mouthrinses containing essential oils or chlorhexidine had the most effect on plaque indicies at 6 months.

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Toothpaste and plaque removal

Plaque off, Fluoride on. Brushing your teeth really is that simple.
Image: Adam Drewes (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

This review of the efficacy of brushing with and without a toothpaste for plaque removal identified 10 trials involving a total of 444 patients. While the results suggest no differences other reviews have demonstrated clear oral health benefits from brushing with toothpaste.

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