A randomized control trial to determine the effectiveness and physiological effects of spinal manipulation and spinal mobilization compared to each other and a sham condition in patients with chronic low back pain: Study protocol for The RELIEF Study.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical care. Manipulative therapies are a common treatment for LBP. Few studies have compared the effectiveness of different types of manipulative therapies.

Case Series Report of 66 Refractory Maintenance Patients Evaluating the Effectiveness of Topical Oxidizing Agents.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effects of a prescription tray application of hydrogen peroxide gel as an adjunct to frequent maintenance appointments for refractory periodontal patients.

Methods: Case series data were analyzed from 66 failing periodontal maintenance patients who had exhausted treatment options before using prescription trays with a 1.7% hydrogen peroxide gel once or twice daily for two-and-a-half to five years.

Subgingival delivery of oral debriding agents: a proof of concept.

Objective: This study is a proof of concept to determine the efficacy of a custom-fabricated tray in placing antimicrobial and debriding agents in the periodontal pockets of persons with active gingival infections. Localized subgingival delivery of antimicrobial and antibiotic agents is routinely employed as adjunctive therapy for the treatment and management ofperiopathogens associated with periodontal disease. Because these delivery techniques often face time constraints and impose temporary restrictions on patient brushing and flossing, a custom-formed prescription dental tray can be used to deliver and maintain medications in periodontal pockets between office visits and without brushing or flossing restrictions.

Soft tissue mechanics of the temporomandibular joint.

Direct measurement of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) tissue deformation requires animal experimentation. Most of the available data pertain to the mechanical strain on the bone surfaces around the joint. However, bone is rarely the first joint tissue to show injury, being affected after damage to collagenous tissues such as the disc or capsule.

Morphologic changes in the TMJ following splint wear.

Intraoral splints are a commonly used dental treatment for a variety of conditions. Because such splints alter the condyle-disc-fossa relationship, they probably change the loading status of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), including the TMJ disc. Collagen, a major constituent of the disc, acts to resist tensile loading, and it is presumed that the fiber orientations of the individual disc bands reflect their functional loading.