Behaviour change intervention (education and text) to prevent dental caries in secondary school pupils: BRIGHT RCT, process and economic evaluation.

Background: The presence of dental caries impacts on children's daily lives, particularly among those living in deprived areas. There are successful interventions across the United Kingdom for young children based on toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste. However, evidence is lacking for oral health improvement programmes in secondary-school pupils to reduce dental caries and its sequelae.

A retrospective analysis of NHS patient dental charges in England, Scotland and Wales.

Objectives This analysis aimed to: i) review how patient dental charges (PDCs) changed over time in England, Scotland and Wales; ii) determine how these changes relate to a) inflation and b) minimum wages; and iii) how the charges have varied in the devolved administrations.Methods Data were obtained from NHS and Office for National Statistics (ONS) records and historical valuations of the national living wage (NLW). General inflation was calculated using the ONS Consumer Price Index.

Systemic antibiotics for symptomatic apical periodontitis and acute apical abscess in adults.

Background: Dental pain can have a detrimental effect on quality of life. Symptomatic apical periodontitis and acute apical abscess are common causes of dental pain and arise from an inflamed or necrotic dental pulp, or infection of the pulpless root canal system. Clinical guidelines recommend that the first-line treatment for these conditions should be removal of the source of inflammation or infection by local operative measures, and that systemic antibiotics are currently only recommended for situations where there is evidence of spreading infection (cellulitis, lymph node involvement, diffuse swelling) or systemic involvement (fever, malaise).

A systematic review of the association between food insecurity and behaviours related to caries development in adults and children in high-income countries.

Objectives: To synthesize and appraise the evidence regarding the relationship between food insecurity and behaviours associated with dental caries development in adults and children in high-income countries.

Methods: A systematic review including observational studies assessing the association between food insecurity and selected dietary (free sugar consumption) and non-dietary factors (tooth brushing frequency; use of fluoridated toothpaste; dental visiting; oral hygiene aids; type of toothbrush used; interdental cleaning frequency and mouthwash use) related to dental caries development in adults and children in high-income countries. Studies specifically looking at food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic were excluded.