Mobile apps- can then improve dental health?

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

This review of the effectiveness of mobile applications and text messages on oral health included 15 RCTs providing very low quality evidence of reduction is plaque and gingival bleeding.

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Oral hygiene advice: insufficient evidence for best way of providing one to one advice

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This Cochrane review of the effects of one-to-one oral hygiene advice, provided by a member of the dental team in a dental setting included 19 RCTs providing insufficient evidence to recommend any specific 1:1 method.

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Resin infiltration of proximal caries lesions

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9 RCTs were included in this review of resin infiltration for the clinical management of early non-cavitated proximal caries lesions. The findings indicate that resin infiltration when combined with oral hygiene measures was promising and more effective than oral hygiene measures alone.

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Orthodontic patients: Reminders improved oral hygiene and compliance

Recent research has shown how behavioural activation can be delivered via smartphones.

14 RCTs were included in this review of the effect of different reminders on oral hygiene and compliance in orthodontic patients. For most outcomes measured beneficial effects were seen in the patients receiving reminders.

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Dementia and oral health status

Caring for a loved one with dementia can be stressful at times.

28 observational studies were included in this review of the oral health status of people with dementia. The findings suggest that compared with people without dementia those with dementia have poorer oral health.

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Periodontitis: risk increased by poor oral hygiene

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50 observational studies were included in this review of the effect of oral hygiene on periodontitis. The data suggests that poor oral hygiene increases the risk of periodontitis by around two- to five-fold compared with good OH. However the quality of the data is considered to be of low quality.

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Oral care in nursing homes

This study is the first of its kind from an RCT perspective which clearly shows that treating major depression in older adults using interventions in primary care settings can extend life

Mark-Steven Howe takes a look at a review evaluating the effectiveness of strategies that nursing home care providers can apply to impove the uptake and delivery of oral care in nursing homes

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Toothbrushes: are tapered or end-rounded filaments best?

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This review of the effect of tapered or end-rounded filament toothbrushes on clinical parameters included just 5 RCTs providing inconclusive evidence to recommend one type over another.

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Gingival recession: long term outcomes of no treatment

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Six studies were included in this review of gingival recession. The findings suggest that in patients with good oral hygiene recession is likely to progress.

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Oral care for critically ill ventilated patients

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38 RCTs were included in this Cochrane review update of oral health care in ventilated patients. High quality evidence was found to show that chlorhexidine mouthwash or gel reduces the risk of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients from 25% to about 19%.

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