Derek Richards

Profile photo of Derek Richards
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.

Website

Follow me here –

Actinic cheilitis: What is the best treatment?

No Responses »
Profile photo of Derek Richards
Posted by
3771dc29417675.55f1c6216be00

This review of treatments for actinic cheilitis included 29 mainly observational studies providing little evidence to identify the best treatment approaches.

[read the full story...]

Photobiomodulation therapy and dental implant stability and success

No Responses »
Profile photo of Derek Richards
Posted by
shutterstock_67927216

8 small short term RCTs were included in this review of the effect of photobiomodulation (low-level laser therapy) on dental implant stability and success suggesting no differences

[read the full story...]

Geographic tongue and psoriasis

No Responses »
Profile photo of Derek Richards
Posted by
oral_lichen

This review assessing the prevalence of geographic tongue in psoriatic and non-psoriatic patients includded 11 cas-controlled studies. Meta-analysis showed that the odds of having geographic tongue in patients with psoriasis was higher OR = 3.53 (95%CI; 2.56-4.86).

[read the full story...]

Dental implant placement: which antibiotic protocol?

1 Response »
Profile photo of Derek Richards
Posted by
shutterstock_70384249

This review of the the effectiveness of different antibiotic protocols to prevent early dental implant failure includes 9 RCTs showing that antibiotics were protective against early implant failures.

[read the full story...]

Maxillary sinus lifts: with or without grafts?

1 Response »
Profile photo of Derek Richards
Posted by
shutterstock_119979133 - PA Skull x-ray

This reivew of the efficacy of sinus lift without grafts in atrophic maxilla included 5 small RCTs with the findings suggesting no significant difference in the two approaches

[read the full story...]

Panoramic radiography and calcified carotid artery atheroma detection

No Responses »
Profile photo of Derek Richards
Posted by
thumb_Missing teeeth _1024

This review of the diagnostic accuracy of panoramic radiography (PR) in the detection of calcified carotid artery atheroma (CCAA) suggests that PR has good dianostic accuracy compared with Doppler ultrasonograph.

[read the full story...]

Maxillary expansion: Bone-borne or tooth-borne approaches?

No Responses »
Profile photo of Derek Richards
Posted by
shutterstock_161863670

This review of bone-borne/hybrid tooth-bone-borne rapid maxillary expansion (RME) with conventional tooth-borne RME in the treatment of maxillary deficiency included 6 small RCTs suggesting some advantage for bone-borne/hybrid tooth-bone-borne appliances.

[read the full story...]

Antibiotic prophylaxis for dental implants in healthy patients, is it necessary?

No Responses »
Profile photo of Derek Richards
Posted by
shutterstock_112057412

This review of the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in dental implant placement for prevention of post-operative infection included 10 RCTs analysis indicatingthat antibiotic prophylaxis may not be necessary in health patients.

[read the full story...]

Orthodontic anchorage: mini-screws or conventional appliances?

No Responses »
Profile photo of Derek Richards
Posted by
shutterstock_147687233

This review of mini-screws for orthodontic anchorage included 7 small RCTs of variable quality with the findings suggesting that mini-screws are more effective than conventional approaches

[read the full story...]

Salvadora persica (Miswak) mouthrinse is it as effective as chlorhexidine mouthwash?

1 Response »
Profile photo of Derek Richards
Posted by
Miswak003

This review comparing the effectiveness of Salvadora persica-containing mouthrinses against chlorhexidine or placebo included 19 studies providing low to very low quality evidence of its effectiveness.

[read the full story...]