Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the management of acute dental pain.

Objective: In the United States, on average, every 15 s, someone visits a hospital emergency department (ED) for a dental condition. This commentary summarizes the recommendations from a 2024 clinical practice guideline for the pharmacological management of acute dental pain associated with tooth extractions and toothache applicable to ED settings, hospitals, and urgent care clinics where definitive dental treatment is not immediately available.

Methods: A guideline panel convened by the American Dental Association, the ADA Science & Research Institute, the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and Penn Dental Medicine examined the effect of opioid and non-opioid analgesics; local anesthetics, including blocks; corticosteroids; and topical anesthetics on acute dental pain.

Executive Summary of a Regional Meeting to Accelerate Oral Health Policies in the WHO African Region.

This executive summary can be used by all key stakeholders involved in creating, disseminating, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating oral health policies in the African region to leverage research and accelerate the implementation of the WHO Global and African Regional Strategies on Oral Health.

Survival and Complications of Partial Coverage Restorations on Posterior Teeth-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To determine the clinical performance of partial coverage restorations (PCR) (onlays, occlusal veneers, and partial crowns) composed of different ceramic and ceramic-based materials to treat extended posterior defects.

Materials And Methods: MEDLINE, Scopus, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched (inception-February 2024) for randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing posterior PCRs composed of different ceramic and ceramic-based materials with a minimum follow-up of 1 year.

How to Conduct and Publish Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses in Dentistry.

Objective: To provide a guide for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses in dentistry, with emphasis on translating research findings into clinical practice.

Overview: Systematic reviews are essential tools for synthesizing research findings and translating evidence into clinical practice. These reviews help to identify the most effective treatment options and to determine areas requiring further research.

Oral Health Research in the WHO African Region between 2011 and 2022: A Scoping Review.

The status of oral health research in the World Health Organization (WHO) African region is unclear, yet the need for such information is central to moving an oral health agenda forward. Such an agenda is essential for effectively translating research into actionable practices and supporting regional strategies. The aim of this scoping review was to provide data on the scope and output of oral health research in the WHO African region to be used as a starting point for establishing a research agenda that can affect oral health in the region.

Evidence-informed guidelines in oral health: insights from a systematic survey.

Background: Oral diseases are a major global public health problem, impacting the quality of life of those affected. While consensus exists on the importance of high-quality, evidence-informed guidelines to inform practice and public health decisions in medicine, appropriate methodologies and standards are not commonly adhered to among producers of oral health guidelines. This study aimed to systematically identify organizations that develop evidence-informed guidelines in oral health globally and survey the methodological process followed to formulate recommendations.

Barriers to and facilitators for creating, disseminating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating oral health policies in the WHO African region: A scoping review.

Objective: To advance oral health policies (OHPs) in the World Health Organization (WHO) African region, barriers to and facilitators for creating, disseminating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating OHPs in the region were examined.

Methods: Global Health, Embase, PubMed, Public Affairs Information Service Index, ABI/Inform, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, Scopus, Dissertations Global, Google Scholar, WHO's Institutional Repository for Information Sharing (IRIS), the WHO Noncommunicable Diseases Document Repository and the Regional African Index Medicus and African Journals Online were searched. Technical officers at the WHO Regional Office for Africa were contacted.

Oral Health Policy and Research Capacity: Perspectives From Dental Schools in Africa.

Introduction And Aims: The prioritisation of oral health in all health policies in the WHO African region is gaining momentum. Dental schools in this region are key stakeholders in informing the development and subsequent downstream implementation and monitoring of these policies. The objectives of our study are to determine how dental schools contribute to oral health policies (OHPs) in this region, to identify the barriers to and facilitators for engaging with other local stakeholders, and to understand their capacity to respond to population and public health needs.

Barriers to and facilitators for the creation, dissemination, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of oral health policies in the WHO Africa region: A scoping review protocol.

Background: Evidence-informed oral health policies (OHP) can be instrumental in ending the neglect of oral health globally. When appropriately developed and implemented, OHP can improve the efficiency of healthcare systems and the quality of health outcomes. However, more than half of the countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) African region do not have an oral health policy or even the existence of a policy in need of additional and more national-specific OHP as part of non-communicable diseases and universal health coverage agendas.

Systemic Corticosteroid Uses in Endodontics-Part 1: Managing Postoperative Pain.

Introduction: This study aimed to systematically search and review all available literature regarding systemic (oral or locally injected) corticosteroids in endodontics to assess their effect on postoperative pain.

Methods: A search was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, Dentistry & Oral Science, and ProQuest. Randomized controlled trials enrolling participants undergoing endodontic treatment and assessing the presence of pain and pain scores at 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively were included.

Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic management of acute dental pain in adolescents, adults, and older adults: A report from the American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Background: A panel convened by the American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pennsylvania conducted systematic reviews and meta-analyses and formulated evidence-based recommendations for the pharmacologic management of acute dental pain after simple and surgical tooth extraction(s) and for the temporary management (ie, definitive dental treatment not immediately available) of toothache associated with pulp and periapical diseases in adolescents, adults, and older adults.

Types Of Studies Reviewed: The panel conducted 4 systematic reviews to determine the effect of opioid and nonopioid analgesics, local anesthetics, corticosteroids, and topical anesthetics on acute dental pain. The panel used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach to assess the certainty of the evidence and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation Evidence-to-Decision Framework to formulate recommendations.

How oral health care organizations formulate actionable statements to inform practice and policy: A protocol for a systematic survey.

Oral diseases are a major global public health problem that impacts the quality of life of those affected. While widespread consensus exists on the importance of high-quality, evidence-informed guidelines to inform practice and public health decisions in medicine, appropriate methodologies and standards are not commonly adhered to among producers of oral health guidelines. This systematic survey aims to identify organizations developing evidence-informed guidelines and policy documents in oral health globally, and describe the methods and processes used.

A unified voice to drive global improvements in oral health.

Approximately, 3.47 billion individuals worldwide are affected by oral disorders, with untreated dental caries being the most prevalent issue, impacting 2.30 billion people.

Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic management of acute dental pain in children: A report from the American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health at the University of Pennsylvania.

Background: A guideline panel convened by the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs, American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and Center for Integrative Global Oral Health at the University of Pennsylvania conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses and formulated evidence-based recommendations for the pharmacologic management of acute dental pain after 1 or more simple and surgical tooth extractions and the temporary management of toothache (that is, when definitive dental treatment not immediately available) associated with pulp and furcation or periapical diseases in children (< 12 years).

Types Of Studies Reviewed: The authors conducted a systematic review to determine the effect of analgesics and corticosteroids in managing acute dental pain. They used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach to assess the certainty of the evidence and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Evidence to Decision framework to formulate recommendations.

Evidence-Informed Oral Health Policy Making: Opportunities and Challenges.

Despite a clear need for improvement in oral health systems, progress in oral health systems transformation has been slow. Substantial gaps persist in leveraging evidence and stakeholder values for collective problem solving. To truly enable evidence-informed oral health policy making, substantial "know-how" and "know-do" gaps still need to be overcome.

Patient Values and Preferences for Managing Acute Dental Pain Elicited through Online Deliberation.

Introduction: Patient values and preferences (PVP) are among multiple sources of information panelists synthesize when developing clinical practice guidelines (CPG). Patient and public involvement (PPI) can be critical for learning PVP; however, the methodology for engaging patients in CPG development is lacking. Deliberative engagement is effective for obtaining public views on complex topics that require people to consider ethics, values, and competing perspectives.

Corticosteroids for managing acute pain subsequent to surgical extraction of mandibular third molars: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Corticosteroids are used to manage pain after surgical tooth extractions. The authors assessed the effect of corticosteroids on acute postoperative pain in patients undergoing surgical tooth extractions of mandibular third molars.

Types Of Studies Reviewed: The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A practitioner's guide to developing critical appraisal skills: How to interpret the magnitude of clinical study results.

Background: In the oral health literature, researchers sometimes report measures of association that are inappropriate for their study design. Clinicians using evidence to inform their practice should be able to interpret clinical study results on the basis of the types of measures of association, independent of what the researchers of a study reported.

Types Of Studies Reviewed: The authors summarized which measures of association can be derived from experimental and observational studies and how to interpret them in the context of different study designs.

Evidence-based clinical practice guideline on restorative treatments for caries lesions: A report from the American Dental Association.

Background: An expert panel convened by the American Dental Association (ADA) Council on Scientific Affairs together with the ADA Science and Research Institute's program for Clinical and Translational Research conducted a systematic review and developed recommendations for the treatment of moderate and advanced cavitated caries lesions in patients with vital, nonendodontically treated primary and permanent teeth.

Types Of Studies Reviewed: The authors searched for systematic reviews comparing carious tissue removal (CTR) approaches in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Trip Medical Database. The authors also conducted a systematic search for randomized controlled trials comparing direct restorative materials in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.