Laser preparation of tooth surfaces before fissure sealant placement

Fissure sealant

This review of laser preparation compared to other types of tooth surface preparation before fissure sealant placement included 5 RCTs. While the review suggested that retention rates with laser preparation were similar to acid etching the included studies were small and at high risk of bias. Thefore the findings should be considered very cautiously.

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Screen time: Is it linked to intake of cariogenic food in children?

Polls regularly highlight 'growing fears' about children being bullied on the internet.

This review of the association between screen-time behaviour and diet, including a potentially cariogenic diet, in children younger than 12 years old includes 19 cross-sectional studies. All of the included studies suggest a relationship.

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School dental screening for improving dental health

The review found that adding family-based interventions to school-based interventions may reduce the onset of smoking by 4-25%.

This Cochrane review update of the effectiveness of school dental screening programmes on overall oral health status and use of dental services included 7 RCTs providing very low-certainty evidence that is insufficient to allow us to draw conclusions about whether there is a role for traditional school dental screening in improving dental attendance.

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Caries progression rates in Western populations

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This review of progression rates in the primary and permanent dentition included 43 studies the majority in permanent teeth(32) providing an estimate of caries incidence rate of 0.11 (95%CI; 0.09–0.13) per person- year at risk.

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Caries experience and dental care in children with and without learning disabilities

People with autism, learning disabilities or other neurodevelopment conditions may be finding the outbreak even more stressful as it can mean a great deal of change and disruption to daily routines.

This review of caries experience and dental care provision in children with and without learning disabilities included 25 cross sectional studies with findings suggesting no overall difference in caries levels between the two groups.

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High fluoride toothpaste for arresting and preventing root caries

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This randomised trial comparing 5000ppm fluoride tootpaste v 1450ppm paste in adults aged 60 and above demonstrated fewer new root canal lesions in the 5000ppm group at 2 years.

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Third molars: Distal caries development in adjacent second molars

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This review of the prevalence of distal surface caries in second permanent molars associated with retained third molars included 11 mainly retrospective observational studies findins a pooled prevalence of 23% (95% CI; 2% to 44%).

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Pulpotomy for permanent teeth with irreversible pulpitis?

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This review of success rates of coronal pulpotomy in carious teeth with signs and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis included 8 studies only one of which was a RCT. The data suggest this this procedure may be an alternative to root canal treatment.

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Silver diamine fluoride for caries management?

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This umbrella review of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) for the management of carious lesions in children and adults included 11 systematic reviews reporting on 30 unique primary studies. A consistent and growing body of research supports supports SDF’s effectiveness for arresting coronal carious lesions in the primary dentition and arresting and preventing root carious lesions in older adults.

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Early childhood caries: modifiable risk factors

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This review of evidence pertaining to the effect of modifiable risk factors on early childhood caries(ECC) includes 133 mainly observational data providing moderate certainty evidence that breastfeeding up to 2 y of age does not increase ECC risk , and that providing access to fluoridated water and educating caregivers are justified approaches to ECC

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