Insufficient evidence to support or refute the effectiveness of conventional fillings over crowns for the restoration of root filled teeth

Root canal filling is a regular dental procedure. However root filled teeth can be weaker than healthy ones so restoration of these teeth can prove challenging. The aim of this Cochrane review was to assess whether restoring endodontically treated teeth (with or without post and core) using crowns or conventional [read the full story...]

Limited benefit of slow release doxycycline gel as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal maintenance treatment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a slow release doxycycline gel (SRD) administered as an adjunct to non-surgical therapy in subjects with recurrent or persistent periodontitis but acceptable oral hygiene during supportive periodontal care. What did they do Patients suffering from persistent or recurrent moderate [read the full story...]

Periodontal treatment can moderately improve quality of life

Traditionally the response of periodontal disease to treatment has most commonly been measured using the surrogate markers of; bleeding on probing (BOP); pocket probing depth (PPD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL).  This review aims to review whether a patient orientation measure (POEM) such as quality of life can measure the [read the full story...]

No diagnostic benefit from routine screening with panoramic radiographs

More than 50% of dental practitioners are thought to use panoramic radiographs  to screen their new adult patients. While the UK Faculty of General Dental Practitioners recommend  the use of intra-oral radiographs  for the assessment of the adult dentate patient for the presence of caries, periodontal bone loss and apical [read the full story...]

Using liquid resin reduced lingual orthodontic retainer failure rate

Long -term retention is necessary to avoid relapse following the completion of orthodontic treatment. The lingual retainer can be a useful method of retention. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of liquid resin on the survival of fixed lingual retainers and to evaluate the incidence of [read the full story...]

Analgesics for pain experienced by patients having orthodontic treatment

One of the potential side effects of orthodontic treatment is pain and discomfort. This can lead to  reduced compliance  or discourage patients from treatment.   The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacological interventions on pain experienced by patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.  What did they do The [read the full story...]

Providing mothers with information on managing teething symptoms reduced medication use

The appearance of primary teeth ( teething) is a natural process  yet for many years it has been associated with a range of health problems in infants and young children. It also causes worry an anxiety for parents.   The authors aimed to assess the impact of providing  information on teething [read the full story...]

Study shows dexamethasone ointment had positive effect on recurrent aphthous ulceration

Yesterday we looked at a study that looked at multivitamins for the treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). Today we have another study whose aim was to explore the efficacy and safety of dexamethasone ointment in the treatment of RAS.  What did they do This was a multi-centre trail conducted [read the full story...]

Daily multivitamins did not reduce risk of mouth ulcers

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), is one of the most common oral mucosal diseases. Minor RAS is the most common form of the disease.  The exact cause of RAS is still unknown and genetics, vitamin deficiencies, trauma, and immune dysfunction have been cited as possible causes.  The aim of this study [read the full story...]

No association between periodontal disease and pre-eclampsia found

Periodontal disease has been linked with a number of general health conditions and we recently covered the review which noted that the evidence does not support an association between periodontal disease and atherosclerotic vascular disease.  This multicentre case control study is the latest published study to look at the link [read the full story...]

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