Can we screen-and-treat victims of terror attacks?

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Nia Oxbourgh summarises a recent study of the outcomes of mental health screening (the screen and treat programme) for UK nationals affected by the 2015-2016 terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Paris and Brussels.

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Platelet Rich Fibrin as a biomaterial in oral surgery

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This blog on a review of the efficacy of platelet rich fibrin (PRF) in oral surgery procedures was prepared by MSc Students from @UClanDentistry during a workshop with the @TheDentalElf. The review includes 30 small studies of limited quality more high quality studies are needed to assess effectiveness.

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Periodontitis and preterm birth

Antenatal mental health is a growing UK clinical and research priority, which affects all pregnant women

This review assessing the association between periodontitis and preterm birth included 31 studies with 20 contributing to a meta-analysis suggesting a significant positive association 2.01 (95%CI; 1.71 – 2.36).

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Open Dialogue: what’s the evidence?

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Sameer Jauhar and colleagues critically assess the evidence for Open Dialogue, presented in a recent narrative review of quantitative and qualitative studies, which finds that most current studies are highly biased and of low quality, and there is an absence of clear data on effectiveness.

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Can smoking cessation improve cognitive functioning in people with psychosis?

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Dafni Katsampa explores a recent prospective cohort study that investigates the association between smoking behaviour and cognitive functioning in patients with psychosis, their siblings and healthy control subjects.

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Cavity liners for resin-based composite restorations

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No new trials were available for this Cochrane review update. Only 8 RCTs were available providing inconsistent, low-quality evidence for a difference in postoperative hypersensitivity after placing a liner for posterior resin-based composite restorations in adult permanent teeth.

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Psychotherapy for adult depression: is it as good as it’s cracked up to be?

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Ellie Gant summarises a meta-analysis that asks: Was Eysenck right after all? A reassessment of the effects of psychotherapy for adult depression. The paper suggests that we seriously overestimate the benefits of psychotherapy by including biased trials in meta-analyses, and that there’s insufficient reliable research to be certain about the effectiveness of problem-solving therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy and behavioural activation.

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A ‘temperature check’ survey of local authority staff about implementing Making Safeguarding Personal

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Caroline Norrie’s blog considers findings from a telephone survey of local authority staff in England about progress implementing the ‘Making Safeguarding Personal’ approach.

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Can interventions help to improve social functioning in youth at risk of psychosis?

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Carla McEnery summarises a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions and social functioning in youth at risk of psychosis.

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Fluoride toothpaste: Effects of different fluoride concentrations on caries

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This Cochrane review of effectiveness of different fluoride concentrations of toothpaste in reducing dental caries updates the 2010 review and includes 96 RCTs. It provideds good evidence to support the benefits of using fluoride toothpaste in preventing caries and demonstrates a does response effect.

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