This review of the efficacy of chewing gum in reducing pain intensity in patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment included 16 RCTs. The findings suggest , chewing gum was significantly more effective than both pharmacologic agents and placebo in reducing orthodontic pain 24 hours. However the evidence is of very low certainty.
[read the full story...]Acute pain management following dental extraction
This review and network meta-analysis (NMA) of pharmacological treatments for the management of pain subsequent to simple and surgical tooth extraction included 85 RCTs. There was moderate- and high-certainty evidence that for surgical dental extractions that ibuprofen 200 to 400 mg plus acetaminophen 500 to 1,000 mg was the most effective for pain relief.
[read the full story...]Opioid Agonist Treatment associated with 50% lower risk of mortality, but political epiphany still needed to reduce drug-related deaths
Ian Hamilton appraises a systematic review and meta-analysis on the association of opioid agonist treatment with all-cause mortality and specific causes of death among people with opioid dependence.
[read the full story...]Non-medical use of prescription drugs #NonMedicalDrugs
Ian Hamilton and Julia Buxton from the University of York preview the #NonMedicalDrugs event that will take place in York on Friday 16th March 2018.
The meeting will bring together people who can offer personal and professional insights of the extent of the issue and how we can support people who develop problems.
[read the full story...]Pain during orthodontic treatment –pharmacological treatments
This Cochrane review of drug interventions for pain during orthodontic treatment including 32 RCTs find that analgesics were effective in reducing pain. However, low quality evidence did not show a difference in effectiveness between systemic NSAIDs compared with paracetamol, or topical NSAIDs compared with local anaesthetic.
[read the full story...]Endodontic pain can be managed with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
This review of the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for the management of post endodontic pain demonstrates that they do help to manage the pain.
[read the full story...]Self-harm on the rise, but many denied mental health assessments
Katrina Witt explores a recently published paper that draws on the Multicentre Study of Self-Harm in England. The cohort study found that around one-half of self-harm patients do not receive psychosocial assessment, despite 2004 NICE guidance that recommends everyone who has self-harmed should have a comprehensive assessment of needs and risk.
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