A review of mouthguards: effectiveness, types, characteristics and indications for use.

Participation in sport carries an increased risk of sustaining dental trauma which can be reduced by the use of a mouthguard. Mouthguards work by dissipating the force of impact, thus reducing the force which is transferred to the dentition. There are different types of mouthguard available which vary in design, costs and the level of protection provided.

Evidence summary: the relationship between oral health and pulmonary disease.

Introduction This paper is the second of four reviews exploring the relationships between oral health and general medical conditions, in order to support teams within Public Health England, health practitioners and policymakers.Aim This review aimed to explore the most contemporary evidence on whether poor oral health and pulmonary disease occurs in the same individuals or populations, to outline the nature of the relationship between these two health outcomes, and discuss the implication of any findings for health services and future research.Methods The work was undertaken by a group comprising consultant clinicians from medicine and dentistry, trainees, public health, and academics.

Radiographic prognostic factors determining spontaneous space closure after loss of the permanent first molar.

Introduction: Permanent first molars (PFM) with a poor prognosis are routinely extracted in children throughout the United Kingdom. National guidelines suggest that to achieve spontaneous closure for the mandibular arch, the PFM should be extracted at 8 to 10 years of age, during bifurcation formation of the second molar. The literature is of limited quality and has suggested alternative variables that may be associated with successful space closure.

Safety and efficacy of a Nav1.7 selective sodium channel blocker in patients with trigeminal neuralgia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised withdrawal phase 2a trial.

Background: Current standard of care for trigeminal neuralgia is treatment with the sodium channel blockers carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine, which although effective are associated with poor tolerability and the need for titration. BIIB074, a Nav1.7-selective, state-dependent sodium-channel blocker, can be administered at therapeutic doses without titration, and has shown good tolerability in healthy individuals in phase 1 studies.

The association between periodontitis and sleep duration.

Aim: Due to its potential to influence systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, and to predispose to bacterial infections, sleep duration could potentially be a risk factor for periodontitis. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate if there was in 2012 an association between periodontitis and sleep duration in a representative sample of the South Korean population.

Materials And Methods: A total of 5812 subjects representative of 39.

A composite photographic image - could it replace a lateral cephalogram?

Introduction: Computer software allows a photograph of patient's face and a photograph of their dental casts to be combined into one image, similar to that seen in a lateral cephalogram. The aim of this study was to assess the agreement between the measurements carried out on this novel composite photographic image and those taken from a lateral cephalogram of the same patient.

Methods: The method involved the superimposition of a photograph of a patient's dental casts onto a photograph of their profile thus creating a composite image.

Awareness of medication related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ) amongst general dental practitioners.

Background Recent evidence suggests that medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) can be caused by a number of anti-resorptive and anti-angiongenic agents not limited to bisphosphonates. A working knowledge of these medications is important for dental practitioners.Methods A total of 129 general dental practitioners (GDPs) were surveyed regarding their awareness of MRONJ and its causes.

Evaluating the impact of trigeminal neuralgia.

Patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (TN) were categorised into 3 subtypes (n = 225). Group 1 (n = 155, 68.9%) had TN without concomitant pain, group 2 (n = 32, 14.

Risk-based management of dental procedures in patients with inherited bleeding disorders: Development of a Dental Bleeding Risk Assessment and Treatment Tool (DeBRATT).

Introduction: Successful outcomes in dental management for patients with inherited bleeding disorders require close collaboration between haematology teams and dentists.

Aim: To review outcomes of an interdisciplinary pathway for dental procedures by assessing adequacy and appropriateness of haemostatic management.

Methods: Two hundred dental procedures in 30 patients with inherited bleeding disorders were included.

Case report: long term lingual arch - preventable iatrogenic damage.

Lingual arches are fixed space maintainers utilised for the preservation of leeway space in cases of mild mandibular crowding. They are normally bonded using glass-ionomer cement applied to the internal surface of molar bands. As with any fixed appliance/retainer, if molar bands are not sufficiently monitored they have the potential to pose a significant threat to an individual's dental health.

The interdisciplinary management of hypodontia patients in the UK: a national service evaluation.

Objective To examine the distribution of interdisciplinary clinics for hypodontia patients in the UK and to assess the provision of orthodontic-restorative care for hypodontia patients in units where this service is and is not available.Design Prospective, online-questionnaire.Setting Hospital orthodontic departments in the UK.

Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome.

Background: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a term used for oral mucosal pain (burning pain or discomfort in the tongue, lips or entire oral cavity) without identifiable cause. General population prevalence varies from 0.1% to 3.

A qualitative study of work-life balance amongst specialist orthodontists in the United Kingdom.

Objective: To identify factors affecting work-life balance amongst male and female orthodontists in the UK.

Design: A qualitative interview-based study with a cross-sectional design.

Subjects: Specialist orthodontists working in specialist practice and the hospital service in the UK were selected by purposive sampling.

Occlusal outcomes in combined orthodontic and orthognathic treatment.

Objective: To investigate the treatment outcome in terms of the malocclusion features and the changes in the occlusion of patients undergoing orthodontic/orthognathic treatment using the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) and the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON) and to test the application of the Index of Orthognathic Functional Treatment Need (IOFTN) on this sample as a measure of orthognathic pre-treatment need.

Design: Retrospective longitudinal cohort study.

Setting: The orthodontic department at the Eastman Dental Hospital.

Information regarding restorative dentistry for new graduates.

A recent national survey has shown the need for clarification regarding the various disciplines encompassed by restorative dentistry and their respective training pathways. This document aims to address this by outlining the remit of restorative dentistry, in addition to the various job roles involved. This information is being disseminated by the British Society for Restorative Dentistry, and given the relevance to referrers and those looking for insight into the speciality, it has been reproduced here.

Differential expression of parental alleles of BRCA1 in human preimplantation embryos.

Gene expression from both parental genomes is required for completion of embryogenesis. Differential methylation of each parental genome has been observed in mouse and human preimplantation embryos. It is possible that these differences in methylation affect the level of gene transcripts from each parental genome in early developing embryos.

Future Directions for Surgical Trial Designs in Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Should patients undergo surgical intervention as soon as they receive a diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia (TN), or should they wait until pharmacologic treatment fails? This article describes some of the challenges encountered in surgical trials for TN, and provides some guidance for future trials in this area. One future direction for TN research is to use the innovative "cohort multiple RCT design," This article describes some of the challenges encountered in surgical trials for TN, and provides some guidance for future trials in this area. One future direction for TN research is to use the innovative "cohort multiple RCT design," which enables multiple trials to be embedded within a single cohort of patients with TN diagnosis, providing an efficient and effective approach to the testing of multiple interventions for TN with each other and with usual care.

Chronic/Persistent Idiopathic Facial Pain.

Persistent or chronic idiopathic facial pain, often called atypical facial pain, is often used as a diagnosis of exclusion. It is chronic pain in a nonanatomically distributed area of the face and mouth that can be episodic or continuous and described as a nagging dull pain that at times is severe. It is associated with other chronic pain conditions, psychological abnormalities, and significant life events.

An incidental finding of a long-standing button battery in the floor of the nose during a routine orthodontic examination.

Foreign body insertion into the ears and nose is common in children and is often witnessed by the carer or reported by the child and therefore appropriate management can be sought promptly. However, these incidents can go unreported and may be accompanied by non-specific symptoms making diagnosis difficult. Button batteries are common in everyday life and their small size and shiny appearance make them appealing to children and their ingestion or insertion is not uncommon.

Has the quality of reporting in periodontology changed in 14 years? A systematic review.

Background: Quality of reporting randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in periodontology has been poor. Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines and an extension for non-pharmacologic trials (CONSORT-NPE), were introduced to aid in improving this.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of reporting in periodontology, changes over the last 14 years, and adherence to CONSORT-NPE.