Manas Dave looks at a review of elective neck dissection (END) versus observation for the management of T1-2 oral squamous cell carcinoma. The review included 41 studies only 5 were RCTs the remainder being retrospective studies.
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This Cochrane review of the effects of removal compared with retention (conservative management) of asymptomatic disease-free impacted wisdom teeth updates the 2016 version. No new studies were identified so the conclusions are unchanged.
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This review comparing the effects of envelope and triangular flaps for mandibular third molar surgery included 20 RCTs involving 770 patients. A majority of the studies were of cross-over design with the findings suggesting no differences in teh outcomes between the two flap designs.
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This review of variables associated with surgical difficulty in the extraction of third molars included 16 prospective cohort studies suggesting a number of variable that may be associated with surgical difficulty.
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This UK multi-centre RCT of elective neck dissection(END) for early stage oral cancer found higher rates for overall and disease free survival in those patients having END.
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Pulpotomy of permanent teeth with irreversible pulpitis, the management of direct anticoagulant agents for invasive dental treatments and laser preparation of tooth surfaces for fissure sealant placement were out most popular blogs in July, August and September.
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This review of whether the presence of the lower third molar in the mandibular angle fracture line is associated with postoperative complications included 34 studies. The quality of teh included studies was low to very low so the findings should be viewed cautiously.
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This review to assess the influence of two suture methods on the postoperative complications of lower third molar extraction included 5 RCTs . Findings suggest the use of secondary closure has a favourable effect on pain, facial swelling, and trismus but the quality of the evidence is limited.
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This review of bleeding complications in patients on dual antiplatelet therapy compared to patients on single antiplatelet or no antiplatelet therapy for patients undergoing oral surgery included 16 studies but no randomised trials. Findings suggest that dual antiplatelet therapy should not be discontinued but the evidence is of low quality.
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This review of the effectiveness of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) in reducing postoperative complications of third molar surgery included 10 small RCTs suggesting that PRF may reduce but not prevent some complications.
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