Factors affecting the compliance of patients with preventive dental regimens.

The common dental problems of caries and periodontal disease can be controlled by patients who are prepared to adopt the appropriate dietary and oral hygiene behaviours. However compliance with dental surgery based health education programmes is often disappointing. The failure of these interventions is due to the fact that the majority of the dental profession are naive and have a rather insular approach to patient education.

The response of 1578 school leavers to a campaign combining commercial, Health Boards' and GDPs' sponsorship in an effort to improve dental attendance.

A dental health promotion campaign was developed by Forth Valley Health Board in conjunction with the Scottish Health Education Group and the Department of Marketing at Strathclyde University. The aim was to encourage dental attendance among early school leavers. The emphasis was on the contribution of dental care to appearance and attractiveness.

The transfer of patients from the Community Dental Service in Greater Glasgow Health Board area to the General Dental Service.

Between January and June 1990, 688 patients of Greater Glasgow Health Board Community Dental Service were asked to attend a General Dental Practitioner in future. At the end of June 1991, only 255 patients, 37% of the sample, were found to be registered on the General Dental Service Capitation Scheme. Registration was associated with the 'Neighbourhood Type' which is a reflection of the socioeconomic characteristics of the locality.

An evaluation of the behaviour of children undergoing dental extraction under general anaesthesia.

The cooperation of a random sample of 190 children with an average age of 5 years (range 1-17 years), presenting with a dental emergency requiring tooth extraction under general anaesthesia, was evaluated using the Frankl Behaviour Scale. The results showed that 60% of the children cooperated in the operating theatre. Furthermore, removal of only one or two teeth per patient accounted for 40% of the cases.

Stress and the dental team: a qualitative investigation of the causes of stress in general dental practice.

Working closely together in a general dental practice can cause many stresses and inter-personal problems. Results are presented of discussions with groups of dental practitioners, their hygienists and dental surgery assistants, indicating stressors and complaints most common in each group.

The use of general anaesthesia and sedation in general dental practice: a survey in Glasgow, United Kingdom.

One hundred and sixty four of the 240 general dental practitioners on the Greater Glasgow Health Board family practitioner list returned a postal questionnaire on the current use of General Anaesthesia and sedation in their practices. Thirty three per cent offered GA sessions but nearly a half were in the process of withdrawing the service. The majority of the respondents (74.

A review of referral patterns to paediatric dental consultant clinics.

A retrospective survey of 317 child patients referred to consultant paediatric dental clinics at Glasgow Dental Hospital over a 12-month period is reported. It was found that although there was a wide range of reasons for referral the most frequent problem was the management of the patient. As a result of this finding, the dental hospital is currently establishing a clinic specifically for patients with a fear of dental treatment.

A report on the feasibility of establishing a paediatric emergency dental service at Glasgow Dental Hospital.

A six-month pilot emergency service for children was established at Glasgow Dental Hospital to provide care for patients in pain, offer preventive advice and ensure ongoing dental care. The service was staffed by experienced community dental officers. In the main study period 2965 patients were seen.

General practitioners' perceptions of the effects of a distance learning programme.

A postal/telephone survey of 400 general dental practitioners working in the Greater Glasgow and Lanarkshire Health Board areas was carried out between May and September 1990. The aims were to monitor any changes in the use of sealant restoration techniques in the last year, to investigate the practitioners' perception of the effects of a distance learning programme on their techniques and to provide data on the use of the techniques in the final months of the 'old contract'. A response rate of 66.

The prevention of dental disease: changing your patients' behaviour.

This article aims to give practitioners a framework to help their patients establish lasting and healthy dental habits and eliminate harmful ones. The advice given is practical rather than theoretical in nature, and is intended to assist dentists in the development of the appropriate skills, so as to be able to persuade their patients to change their behaviour and thereby control dental disease.

Fluoride and caries prevention: 2. Clinical rationale.

In order to achieve the greatest clinical benefit from the use of fluoride, we must understand its mechanism of action, so that fluoride can be given at the right time, by the best route, at the optimum dosage and in the most suitable form. The first article in this two-part series reviewed the scientific rationale behind the use of fluoride. Part 2 now illustrates fluoride therapy in practical terms, by examining nine clinical cases.

Amelogenesis imperfecta: early interception to prevent attrition.

Early recognition and action are essential elements in the management of amelogenesis imperfecta. The authors describe how a combination of prompt clinical action and preventive care were used to minimize the chances of decay and wear to the permanent dentition of a young patient suffering from this condition.

Stress in dental practice.

The life of a GDP is stressful, and the reasons why dentists may experience stress in their chosen profession are many and varied. This article discusses the causes of stress, and outlines some strategies for coping with it.

Dental health in schoolchildren 5 years after water fluoridation ceased in south-west Scotland.

A follow-up study of the dental health of children resident in two towns in south-west Scotland, one of which had fluoridated water until 1983, was carried out at the end of 1988. Comparison with an identical 1980 study allowed trends in the prevalence of caries to be examined. In 1988, the mean, decayed, missing and filled deciduous teeth (dmft) score for 5-year-old children in Stranraer, the formerly fluoridated town, was 3.

A comparison of the dental health of 5-year-old children from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1984 and 1987.

In 1984, Greater Glasgow Health Board commissioned a study of 5-year-old children to provide information for the planning of dental services. The study revealed high levels of caries prevalence in these children. As a preventive dental care programme has been introduced for pre-school children, a new investigation was undertaken in 1987 to assess whether there had been any improvement in caries prevalence in 5-year-olds.

Hydrogen peroxide, the effect on plaque and gingivitis when used in an oral irrigator.

The identification of plaque as the etiological agent in chronic gingivitis and the progression of chronic periodontitis, has intensified the search for effective chemical antiplaque agents to aid in the prevention and treatment of these diseases. To date, no ideal compound has been identified. Using the experimental gingivitis model, the effectiveness of a 1.

Trauma of treatment failure: a case report.

A large overjet is a well-recognised predisposing factor to traumatic injuries of upper incisor teeth. In order to reduce this risk factor, early reduction of an increased overjet has been recommended. This was attempted, but unfortunately was unsuccessful and further trauma resulted in loss of the upper central incisor teeth.

Advice for the dental team on coping with the nervous child.

It is increasingly recognized that the provision of dental care should not be seen in isolation from the psychological make-up and social background of the patient. The General Dental Council has recently approved the report of its Working Party giving guidance on the teaching of the behavioural sciences (psychology and sociology) in the dental curriculum. One of the members of the Working Party was Professor Keith Millar.

The dental health of children with congenital cardiac disease.

One hundred and thirty four children with congenital cardiac disease aged between four years and 12 years underwent a dental examination in order to establish their level of dental health. The results showed a mean DEFT (decayed, extracted and filled teeth) score of 3.34 for four to six year old children, a mean DEFT of 3.

Combining commercial, Health Boards' and GDPs' sponsorship in an effort to improve dental attendance for young school leavers. GPDs' involvement and opinion.

Using a telephone survey technique, general dental practitioners' opinions and involvement in a dental health campaign were examined. The campaign was planned and organised by the Forth Valley Health Board Community Dental Service. The objectives of the campaign were to promote regular dental visits and oral health awareness among 15-18-year-old schoolchildren.

Rampant caries revisited.

This report describes a conservative and preventive approach to the treatment of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl who presented with a severely compromised dentition. Clinical management was complicated by the fact that the patient had a ventricular septal defect that would require prophylactic antibiotic cover for any extractions.