Arthritis and dentistry.

Arthritis is a common condition affecting millions of people in the UK and worldwide. All members of the dental team will be seeing and treating patients with this condition, and it is important to understand the disease, its management and medications used. This article outlines the five most common types of arthritis: osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), axial spondyloarthritis (sPA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and gout.

Queries to the British Orthodontic Society.

Objective: As the representative body for orthodontic specialists, the British Orthodontic Society (BOS) provides advice and guidance to professionals and patients on a variety of topics. The BOS receive frequent queries from professionals and patients and, where appropriate, provide advice and guidance. By reflecting on the types of queries received, it is hoped that general guidance can be developed and 'frequently asked questions' information established to improve knowledge in these particular areas.

The availability and characteristics of patient-focused oral hygiene apps.

Introduction The use of apps has increased in recent years, especially in healthcare. Due to apps being largely unregulated, the quality and accuracy of the information provided can be variable.Aim To assess the availability of patient-focused oral hygiene apps and profile the characteristics of the most popular apps on Apple's 'App Store' and, on Android, 'Google Play'.

Development and assessment of reliable patient-based hypodontia website.

Background: The aim of the study was to develop a high-quality valid patient information website with regard to hypodontia and its management, and to test its effectiveness in delivering this information.

Methods: A patient-based hypodontia website was created and placed on the Trust's website. It was then validated using five website assessment tools: Flesch reading ease score, LIDA, DISCERN, Journal of American Medical Association and Health on the Net seal.