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

Mobile applications and behaviour change in orthodontic patients

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This RCT looked at whether Mentalization Based Treatment for Adolescents reduced self-harming beahviour

This review of the effectiveness of mobile applications and social media-based interventions in inducing behaviour change among orthodontic patients included 16 RCTs. While the findings suggest some limited beneficial changes in orthodontic patients the interventions are very hetrogeneous and not based on clear behavioural change theory.

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Bioactive toothpastes for dentine hypersensitivity

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This review of the effectiveness of toothpastes containing bioactive glass,applied either at-home or in-office for the treatment of dentine hypersensitivity included 15 studies. The included studies showed marked variation in the length of follow up, and the concentration of the bioactive material so meta-analyses was not possible.

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Ventilator-associated pneumonia: Does toothbrushing with chlorhexidine reduce risk?

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This review of the effect of toothbrushing and chlorhexidine on the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in patients on mechanical ventilation included 7 RCTs. The findings showed that toothbrushing and chlorhexidine reduced VAP,length of stay and duration of ventilation. However the findings should be interpreted cautiously because of study quality.

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Hypomineralised second primary molars

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HSPM Molar-Incisor hypomineralisation

This review of the the worldwide prevalence of hypomineralised second primary molars (HPSM) includes 37 studies conducted between 1979 and 2020. The findings indicate a HSPM prevalence worldwide of 6.8% (4.98% to 8.86%).

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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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Dentine hypersensitivity: Is low-level light therapy effective?

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This review assessing the efficacy of low-level light therapy (LLLT) on dentine hypersensitivity included 35 studies 27 of which were RCTs. The findings showed an immediate, interim and persistant benifical effect compared to placebo. However the certainty of the evidence was only low to very low.

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Prevention toolkit from Public Health England

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An updated version of ‘Delivering Better Oral Health, ’ the oral health prevention toolkit published iby Public Health England to provide practical evidence-based guidance for promoting oral health and preventing oral disease is now available.

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Tooth loss in diabetic patients

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This review assessing the risk of losing teeth among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) compared to those without DM included 10 studies the majority of which were cross-sectional (80%). While the findings suggest higher risk of tooth loss in patients with diabetes the findings should be viewed cautiously.

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Flossing: Before or after brushing?

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This review comparing the clinical performance of flossing before or after toothbrushing included two small RCTs involving a total of 60 patients. The findings suggest no difference with the use of floss before or after toothbrushing however the quality of the evidence is limited.

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