Derek Richards

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Derek Richards is a specialist in dental public health, Director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Dentistry and Specialist Advisor to the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP) Development Team. A former editor of the Evidence-Based Dentistry Journal and chief blogger for the Dental Elf website until December 2023. Derek has been involved with a wide range of evidence-based initiatives both nationally and internationally since 1994. Derek retired from the NHS in 2019 remaining as a part-time senior lecturer at Dundee Dental School until the end of 2023.

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Platelet-rich fibrin to reduce post-operative complications of lower third molar removal

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This review of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) to reducedpostoperative complications following lower third molar surgery included 6 RCTs.
The findings are consistent to other reviews finding that PRF derivative may lead to improvements in postoperative outcomes from third molar surgery but the amount of evidence is limited.

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Microwave disinfection of acrylic dentures

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This review of effect of microwave disinfection on the dimensional stability of denture base acrylic resins included 7 in-vitro studies. A wide range of microwave disinfection protocols were used with the reviewers specifying two protocols that may be safe. However because of the heterogeneity and the small number of studies included these finding should be considered cautiously.

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Atraumatic restorative treatment (ART)

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This review of the survival of atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) in both permanent and primary teeth, when performed in conventional dental clinics and field settings included 34 studies. The findings suggest similar survival rates in both clinica and field settings but the quality of the evidence is low.

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Early enamel caries: Detection and diagnosis

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This comparative analysis of 5 Cochrane caries diagnostic test accuracy studies provides summary estimates for most currently available technologies. However the certainty of the evidence is considered low and it is difficult to predict real world performance.

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Osteonecrosis in bisphosphonate users having dental procedures

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This review of the the frequency of osteonecrosis of the jaw in bisphosphonate users undergoing dental interventions included 27 studies. having dental procedures of 2.7% (95%CI: 0.9 to 5.2%) being higher in those having dental extractions 4.1% (95%CI: 1.5 to 7.7%).

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Dental implants – post-operative pain management

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This review evaluating clinical efficacy of analgesics in mitigating orofacial pain following dental implant surgery included 9 RCTs. While the findings suggest analgesics may be beneficial the number of studies is small an additional infromation is required on which medication,, dosage, dosing schedule, administration route and adverse effects.

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Caries prevalence and experience in older adults

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The authors managed to develop and implement a strategy to reach older adults in rural areas, despite various barriers to access mental health treatment for this population.

This review of the caries prevalence and experience of older adults globally included 39 studies published between 2016 and 2020. The prevalence of caries in older adults was still high in most countries around the globe with a median of mean prevalence for caries of 49%.

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Oral cryotherapy for preventing oral mucositis during chemotherapy

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This review of the efficacy of oral cryotherapy in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis included 14 studies and a total of 1577 patients. The findings indicate that oral cryotherapy is effective in preventing oral mucositis in patients undergoing chemotherapy for the management of solid malignancies.

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White spot lesions and masking with resin infiltration

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This review of the long-term efficacy of resin infiltration therapy for white sport lesions with regard to aesthetic appearance and long-term stability included 11 studies 9 of which were RCTs. The findings suggest a benefit but the amount of evidence is limited.

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