Study finds that high-fluoride toothpaste can reduce white lesions around orthodontic brackets

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Failure to maintain good oral hygiene during fixed appliance orthodontic treatment can lead to the development of demineralised white lesions (DWLs) around the orthodontic brackets.  The incidence of this adverse effect of treatment has bee reported as being between 15-85.  A recent Cochrane review by Benson et al (see Dental Elf 27th Jan 2014) found [read the full story…]

Limited evidence for surgical treatments for peri-implantitis

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It has been reported that implantitis affects between 2-47% of implants and with the number of implants being placed rising years on year more patients are likely to be affected.  The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of different interventions for the treatment of peri-implantitis. Searches were conducted in Medline, PubMed, Embase [read the full story…]

Is this toothache or am I having a heart attack?

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Pain from cardiac ischaemia can have a range of presentations. This can include chest, arm, shoulder pain, face or jaw pain.  While sudden chest pain that may travel down the arm is a typical presentation classic teaching is that cardiac ischemia can present with tooth, jaw, or facial pain as its sole symptom.  The aim [read the full story…]

Trial found similar success rates for partial pulpotomies in permanent molars using mineral trioxide aggregate and calcium hydroxide

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The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of partial pulpotomies in cariously exposed pulps of young permanent molars using mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and calcium hydroxide in a randomized controlled trial. Eighty-four teeth in 80 patients (aged 7-10yrs) having one or two first permanent molars with deep occlusal carious lesions that resulted [read the full story…]

Currently no evidence to support repairing or replacing resin composite fillings for adults

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Over the past 30 years there has been an increase in the use of tooth-coloured composite resin filing materials as an alternative to amalgam for restoring posterior teeth.  Recent technical and material developments have improved the limitations of the early materials which were more likely to fail because of shrinkage, loss of form poor wear [read the full story…]

Currently no evidence to support repairing or replacing amalgam fillings for adults

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Dental amalgam has been the dental material of choice for many decades. Although, in recent years a greater focus on aesthetics and concerns related to the potential environmental impact of mercury coupled with a more conservative approach to cavity preparation and improvements in aesthetic restorative materials is leading to a decline it its use.  In [read the full story…]

Possible association between second hand smoke and caries ADA-EBD critical summary

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There has been much discussion in the UK about the possibility of banning smoking in cars when children are present.  This latest summary from the ADA-EBD looks at a 2011 systematic review by Hanioka et al that considered the possibility of a link between second hand smoke (SHS) and dental caries that we first highlighted [read the full story…]

Study suggests that dentifrices containing 1.5% arginine, an insoluble calcium compound provides additional benefit to fluoridated toothpastes

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Cochrane reviews have clearly documented the anti-caries benefits of fluoridated toothpastes (Marhino et al 2003, Walsh et al 2010). New agents to improve caries prevention would assist efforts to reduce the impact of caries, particularly on children. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of two dentifrices containing 1.5% arginine, an insoluble [read the full story…]

Fluoride varnish in pre-school children

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The effectiveness of fluoride varnishes for caries prevention for children and adolescents is well established with the recent update of the Cochrane review (Marinho et al 2013) estimating the pooled preventive fraction of 43% (95% CI 30-75%) for permanent teeth  and 37% (95% CI 24-51%) for primary teeth.  However although 22 trails were included there [read the full story…]

Limited evidence suggests no difference in soft tissues aesthetics between immediate and conventional implant placement

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The aesthetic appearance of the soft tissues following dental implant placement is an important consideration  and potential more of an issue with immediate placement. The aim of this review was to compare the aesthetic  (soft tissue) outcomes of immediate (type 1) verses conventional (type 3) implant placement. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, and the [read the full story…]