Social media and care of orthodontic appliances

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This randomised trial examined the use of social media (YouTube ) for the provision of patient information to those undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment. A larger improvement in knowledge was seen in the YouTube group at 6-8 weeks.

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Oral health promotion during pregnancy: little evidence available

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This review of oral health promotion in pregnancy included 7 studies with the majority (5) focused on improving knowledge. The description of the interventions was generally vague and just one was based on a recognised health behaviour theory.

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Health surveillance, prevention and protection activities for people with learning disabilities could be increased

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Health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities are well documented in the literature.

Here, in her debut blog, Sarah Richardson looks at the results of a survey of community learning disability nurses regarding their role in implementing public health policies, focusing on health prevention and protection.

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Preventative healthcare – understanding uptake and barriers for people with learning disabilities

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We know that people with learning disabilities experience poor health and unequal access to healthcare but what about access to preventative healthcare measures?

Here, in her debut blog, Angela Henderson looks at a Canadian study, which looked at matched groups of people with and without learning disabilities to look at rates of uptake of regular health checks and participation in cancer screening as indicators of preventative healthcare.

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Peer-led self-management for mental health: impressive programme, not so sure about the research

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Lucy Simons and Chris Sampson appraise a recent evaluation of peer-led self-management training for people with severe mental illness.

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Health behaviour change counselling in a dental setting

This meta-analysis claims to be the first evaluating mindfulness-based interventions in primary care.

Oral health professionals can play an important role in helping patients adopt good health behaviours. This review summarises 7 systematic reviews, finding that the strongest evidence is for smoking cessation and dietary interventions delivered by dental professionals.

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Promoting safer sex in people with severe mental illness

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Caroline Tomes summarises a recent systematic review which finds that behavioural interventions can result in short-term increases in safer sex in people with severe mental illness.

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Commissioning for health improvement can help tackle health inequalities, says report

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This new guide from the Royal Society for Public Health is most relevant to commissioners, providers, local authorities, people working in health improvement and public health practitioners. Take a look and see which areas will be most useful to you in terms of reducing health inequalities and improving health and wellbeing in your area.

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Insufficient evidence for sexual health promotion interventions in people with severe mental illness

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People with serious mental illness (SMI) such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have higher morbidity and mortality rates due to physical illness. It’s estimated that people with SMI die 10-15 years earlier than the general population (DeHert et al, 2011). Increasingly attention is being paid to ways to improve the physical health of people with [read the full story…]

Latest Cochrane Protocol

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A new Cochrane protocol has just been published by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care group. With increasing emphasis on the links between general an oral health the adoption of a common risk factor approach is being encouraged.  The underlying principle being that general health promotion in dental health-care favours the control of [read the full story…]