Dental restorations: repair or replace?

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10 studies were included in this review of the effectiveness of minimally invasive repair or replacement of dental restorations. The reviewers suggest that seal and refurbishment techniques did not present a significant difference in clinical longevity in comparison to the replacement technique in permanent teeth. However, both the amount and the quality of the available evidence is limited.

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What are mental health staff doing to address the sexual health needs of service users? It’s complicated.

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Sarah Watts explores a small qualitative study that asked NHS staff about the sexual health and sexuality needs of people with serious mental illness.

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Physical health inequalities in primary care

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Andy Bell from Centre for Mental Health and the Equally Well UK collaborative, calls for action in response to the Public Health England briefing on severe mental illness and physical health inequalities.

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Sjögren’s syndrome: treatments for dry mouth and hyposalivation

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36 studies were included in this review of treatment options for xerostomia, hyposalivation and quality of life in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome provinding evidence to support pilocarpine use. However the number of studies were limited and adverse effects were common.

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Victims of crime with mental illness: differences between Denmark and the US

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Chris Millar writes his debut blog on a recent paper that explores the link between mental illness and being subjected to crime in Denmark and the United States. This blog asks: how much do poverty and the safety net matter? There are some important implications for policy makers.

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From charity to social enterprise: a case study highlights challenges in adopting self-directed support policy

What are the impacts when a third-sector organisation providing social care services moves toward an open and competitive market?

Jenny Fisher considers the perspectives of staff, managers and service users of a Scottish social care charitable organisation for children with complex needs, which faces funding and organisational change, brought about by self-directed support legislation.

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Musculoskeletal disorders in dental care providers: limited evidence for preventive interventions

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Just two RCTs were identified for this Cochrane review of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in dental care providers providing very-low quality evidence for physical ergonomic interventions.

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Orthodontic management and orofacial muscle training protocols in the developing dentition

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15 studies were included in this review of early orthodontic management and orofacial muscle training protocols in the developing dentition. All the included studies were at high risk of bias so high-quality evidence for early orthodontic management and myofunctional treatment in the developing dentition is lacking.

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Predicting suicide attempts in adolescents: machine learning is powerful, but don’t forget Bayes’ rule

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Derek de Beurs explores a recent study that uses longitudinal clinical data and machine learning to predict suicide attempts in adolescents.

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The benefits and challenges of involving older people in health and social care research: a systematic review

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Caroline Struthers considers a systematic review about the impacts of older people’s patient and public involvement in health and social care research.

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