oral health

The optimal state of the mouth and normal functioning of the organs of the mouth without evidence of disease.

Our oral health Blogs

Periodontal disease in pregnancy – How common is it?

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This review of the prevalence of periodontal disease among pregnant women included 20 studies. The findings suggest an overal prevalence of 40% (95%CI; 15 to 100%) based on 3 studies using the same assessment criteria.

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Pre-treatment mouthwash to reduce patient to dentist infections

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This Cochrane review of the effects of preprocedural mouth rinses used in dental clinics to minimise incidence of infection in dental healthcare providers included 17 RCTs. The studies measured only reduction in level of bacterial contamination in aerosols with no studies evaluating viral or fungal contamination.The evidence was of low or very low certainty.

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Miswak use for periodontal health in adults

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This review of the effectiveness of the miswak in reducing plaque and gingivitis in adults included 9 RCTs. The included studies were small with the findings indicating that the miswak reduced plaque and gingivitis scores to a level comparable to toothbrush in the short term.

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Adult dental anxiety – management strategies

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This review of current management strategies for adult patients with dental anxiety in the dental clinic included 54 studies. Most of the psychotherapeutic behavioural strategies provided some benefits but there was limited supporting evidence for some approaches. Pharmocological approaches were not included.

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mHealth promotion for parents to improve children’s oral health

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This review of the effectiveness of the mHealth-delivered oral health education to parents parents regarding the improvement of parents’ knowledge, behaviours and children’s oral health status included 12 studies. The studies findings were variable with some demonstrating benefit and some no benefit with all 8 of the included RCTs being at high risk of bias.

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School dental screening for oral health

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This Cochrane review update assessing the effectiveness of school dental screening programmes on overall oral health status and use of dental services included 8 RCTs. There was not enough evidence to draw conclusions about whether traditional school dental screening can improve childrens dental attendance or lead to better oral health.

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Prevalence of different orthodontic malocclusions

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This review the prevalence of malocclusions and different orthodontic features in children and adolescents included 123 studies. However the broad range of approaches used in the studies to determine malocclusion and orthodontic features means that the findings need to be interpreted cautiously.

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Nicotine replacement therapy – oral side effects

For inpatients with psychiatric symptoms of moderate severity, the study suggests those using nicotine inhalers were most successful overall in their quit attempts. There were no severe adverse reactions to the NRTs.

This review of the evidence on possible association between locally delivered nicotine replacement therapy(NRT) and oral side effects included 28 RCTs. Most of the RCTs were at high risk of bias mainly because of allocation concealment concerns. Reported oral side effects including oral soreness, gastric reflux or vomiting, and mouth or throat irritation.

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Oral piercing and oral complications

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This review examining the association between oral manifestations and the use of oral piercings included 54 studies. Damage to periodontal health and tooth structure were the most commonly reported complications however the quality of the evidence is of very low certainty.

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