Parenting is a tough gig. As a mum of three, I can honestly say that nothing in my everyday professional life comes close to the trials and tribulations of guiding small people through toddlerhood and beyond. Parenting advice comes thick and fast from all corners, most of it unsolicited, some of it anecdotal, much of [read the full story…]
Listening to a World Health Organisation podcast recently I learnt that someone dies as a result of suicide every 40 seconds; this equates to a million suicides each year. The podcast contains a myriad of such stark statistics and the contributors’ highlight how it is well established that young people are often at risk, and [read the full story…]
Good oral hygiene to ensure the effective removal of dental plaque is key to maintaining good oral health. While toothbrushing is the most commonly used method, dental floss and interdental brushes are both widely available and recommended adjuncts to toothbrushing. A 2011 Cochrane review by Sambunjak et al assessed the evidence for dental floss (Dental [read the full story…]
Depression in late adolescence is a major public health concern, not least because it is strongly predictive of persistent, adult depression, which can have a severe effect on socioemotional functioning, education and employment. Increasingly, depression research is turning its attention to the matter of prevention of depression rather than exclusively focusing on treatment options and [read the full story…]
The use of probiotics for a wide range of conditions has been promoted and a potential caries protective effect has also been postulated. The aim of this review was to assess the caries preventive effect of probiotics in humans. The Medline and Embase databases were searched for randomised controlled trials assessing the in vivo role [read the full story…]
In 2006 the American Dental Association (ADA) published recommendations regarding professionally applied topical fluorides. An update of these guidelines has just been published. An executive summary is available from the Journal of the American Dental Association and the full report can be downloaded from the ADA – Centre for Evidence-based Dentistry (ADA-EBD) website (see links). [read the full story…]
Toothbrushing at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste is an effective way of reducing caries. This is confirmed by good systematic review evidence, so teaching patient effective toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste is a key preventive strategy. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore oral health professionals (OHPs) perspectives regarding their strategies, considerations [read the full story…]
The harmful impact of depression extends far beyond the individual sufferer to caregivers, friends and family members. Children of people with depression are more likely to suffer from depression themselves. This may be due to both inherited and environmental factors. This new randomised controlled trial (RCT), published earlier this week in JAMA Psychiatry, set out [read the full story…]
Varnishes have been is use as a delivery system for topical fluoride since the 1960s. Their effectiveness was highlighted to a greater extent following the publication of the first version of this Cochrane review in 2002. Since then use of fluoride varnish has been recommended in evidence-based guidance from SIGN, the SDCEP and the American [read the full story…]
A highlight for elves in a hurry Preventive interventions for postnatal psychosis1 is a systematic review published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2013. It aimed to investigate the best available evidence on interventions for preventing Postnatal Psychosis derived from all relevant randomized controlled trials. Unfortunately, no studies were found. Thus, this review [read the full story…]
