Effect of rituximab on a salivary gland ultrasound score in primary Sjögren's syndrome: results of the TRACTISS randomised double-blind multicentre substudy.

Objectives: To compare the effects of rituximab versus placebo on salivary gland ultrasound (SGUS) in primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS) in a multicentre, multiobserver phase III trial substudy.

Methods: Subjects consenting to SGUS were randomised to rituximab or placebo given at weeks 0, 2, 24 and 26, and scanned at baseline and weeks 16 and 48. Sonographers completed a 0-11 total ultrasound score (TUS) comprising domains of echogenicity, homogeneity, glandular definition, glands involved and hypoechoic foci size.

Oral health promotion in the community pharmacy: an evaluation of a pilot oral health promotion intervention.

Introduction Poor oral health is a significant public health concern, costing the NHS in England £3.4 billion annually. Community pharmacies are easily accessible, frequently visited by patients and the community pharmacy contractual framework requires pharmacies to provide healthy living advice to patients - therefore offering a little explored avenue for the delivery of oral health interventions.

Preparing a personal development plan for all members of the dental team.

Personal development plans (PDPs) have been a requirement for NHS hospital staff, Foundation Training and Dental Core Training for some years; however, the General Dental Council (GDC) are changing continuing professional development (CPD) requirements in 2018 (enhanced CPD) making a PDP a requirement for all members of the dental team. A PDP consists of objectives for targeting CPD most relevant to your practice or intended practice to undertake over a defined period to maximise the improvement of your professional development. The aim of this article is to explain how to prepare a PDP ahead of the requirement to utilise its benefits in training and performance for the dental team.

Tobacco education in UK dental schools: A survey of current practice.

Objective: To investigate the current provision of tobacco education (tobacco use and cessation), assessment and e-cigarette education in UK dental and dental hygiene and therapy (DHT) undergraduate programmes.

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire sent to all UK institutions training dental and DHT students during the academic year 2015/2016.

Results: Twenty-five programmes returned completed questionnaires (response rate 68%).

Adhesives for bonded molar tubes during fixed brace treatment.

Background: Orthodontic treatment involves using fixed or removable appliances (dental braces) to correct the positions of teeth. The success of a fixed appliance depends partly on the metal attachments (brackets and bands) being glued to the teeth so that they do not become detached during treatment. Brackets (metal squares) are usually attached to teeth other than molars, where bands (metal rings that go round each tooth) are more commonly used.

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.

One clinician's journey - a retreat from 'the front line'.

Whether the clinician has recently qualified or graduation day is a distant memory, it is important for him/her to be aware of the alternative options available outside of the general practice setting as these are not always fully explained. It is essential that one enjoys their career choice when even a brief consideration is given to the length of time that one will spend at work and thinking about work, including the additional hours spent in the workplace for countless other reasons. The author worked as a general dental practitioner for several years at different practices.

A feasibility study incorporating a pilot randomised controlled trial of oral feeding plus pre-treatment gastrostomy tube versus oral feeding plus as-needed nasogastric tube feeding in patients undergoing chemoradiation for head and neck cancer (TUBE trial): study protocol.

Background: There are 7000 new cases of head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC) treated by the NHS each year. Stage III and IV HNSCC can be treated non-surgically by radio therapy (RT) or chemoradiation therapy (CRT). CRT can affect eating and drinking through a range of side effects with 90 % of patients undergoing this treatment requiring nutritional support via gastrostomy (G) or nasogastric (NG) tube feeding.

Early class III protraction facemask treatment reduces the need for orthognathic surgery: a multi-centre, two-arm parallel randomized, controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate whether patients who had received early class III protraction facemask treatment were less likely to need orthognathic surgery compared with untreated controls. This paper is a 6-year follow-up of a previous clinical trial.

Design: Multi-centre 2-arm parallel randomized controlled trial.

OHIP-TMDs: a patient-reported outcome measure for temporomandibular disorders.

Objectives: This research aims to assess the test-retest reliability, the face, content and known groups validity, and responsiveness to change, of OHIP-TMDs, a 22-item TMDs-specific version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP).

Methods: Test-retest reliability - A group of patients with TMDs (n = 20) was administered OHIP-TMDs twice before initial consultation with a 2-week interval. Face and content validity - Content validity index assessments were undertaken with professionals and patients.

Balancing the risks and benefits associated with cosmetic dentistry - a joint statement by UK specialist dental societies.

Cosmetic dentistry has become increasingly popular, largely as a result of social trends and increased media coverage. This understandable desire for the alleged 'perfect smile' needs to be tempered with an appropriate awareness of the significant risks associated with invasive cosmetic procedures such as veneers and crowns. Patients need to be properly informed that elective removal of healthy enamel and dentine can result in pulpal injury and poorer periodontal health in the longer term, particularly if they are young.

A study of dental students' clinical knowledge acquisition and experiences in conscious sedation.

Aim: To evaluate final year dental students' knowledge acquisition and experiences during their intravenous sedation (IVS) clinical attachment within the sedation department at Newcastle School of Dental Sciences (NSDS).

Methods: Students attending IVS clinical attachments in the period September 2012 - April 2013 completed a novel clinical knowledge test at the beginning and end of their one week attachment; a feedback questionnaire was also completed.

Results: A total of 70 students attended the attachment.

Operator's ability at assessing a high-speed (air turbine) handpiece before use: an audit.

Background: The 'high-speed' (air turbine) handpiece is used extensively across many dental disciplines and the ability of clinicians to detect faulty handpieces is essential.

Aim: The primary aim of this audit was to determine the proportion of participants who could correctly identify unsafe handpieces. Secondary aims were to determine the proportion that had previous training on the topic and determine whether an educational video could improve scores.

A national survey of restorative consultants' treatment provision for head and neck oncology patients.

Aim: To investigate current UK practices in the treatment of head and neck oncology patients by consultants in restorative dentistry.

Method: A postal questionnaire requesting details of surgical and restorative head and neck oncology care from diagnosis to oral rehabilitation was circulated to all 315 consultants in restorative dentistry in the UK. If a reply was not received within 12 weeks a follow up was sent.

Adult orthodontic patients' views regarding dentofacial normality: a qualitative study.

Introduction: The concept of normality in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment is defined from the clinicians' point of view or derived from concepts developed from observation of "ideal" persons. In-depth appreciation of what a patient views as normal is paramount for effective shared decision making. In this study, we aimed to examine the concept of dentofacial normality in orthodontics from the patient's perspective.

Decision-making in the provision of extra-coronal restorations.

Unlabelled: Decision-making when choosing an extra-coronal restoration for a molar tooth is often multifactorial, requiring consideration for material properties, the underlying tooth tissue, aesthetics and functional requirements. This article reviews the various factors associated with the decision-making when considering an extra-coronal restoration for a molar tooth. The current literature is disseminated and compared to results obtained from clinicians at the Dental Pan Society meeting in 2007.

Bilateral mandibular premolar dens invaginations: a case report.

Dens invaginations are a rare developmental defect most commonly affecting maxillary lateral incisors, with very few reported cases in mandibular teeth. We describe a rare case of bilateral first mandibular premolar dens invaginations type I, where apparently health teeth presented with periapical pathology.

Sjögren's syndrome - an update for dental practitioners.

Sjögren's syndrome (SS), an autoimmune, multi-factorial disorder, affects around 5% of females and 0.5% of males in the general population. The dental practitioner has a key role in recognising the clinical features of this condition, organising referral for specialist care and managing the oral health of these patients.

Contemporary issues in the provision of restorative dentistry.

This review highlights current issues in the provision of restorative dentistry both in primary and secondary care settings. Current challenges in the provision of restorative procedures are reviewed and methods in improving care and efficiency are proposed. Possible changes to the infrastructure and delivery of care are suggested in order to improve effectiveness and the patient pathway.

Interdisciplinary management in the paediatric patient: restoration of a complicated crown-root fracture.

Complicated crown-root fractures in permanent teeth present both patient-centred and restorative problems when treating the adolescent. This case highlights an alternative and conservative technique for the management of a traumatically involved maxillary left central incisor in a 12-year-old boy. The injury was successfully managed through an interdisciplinary approach using a combination of endodontics, minor oral surgery and orthodontics.

Three cases of oral syphilis - an overview.

Syphilis is an infectious disease caused by the organism Treponema pallidum. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of new cases of syphilis in the UK over the past decade. Intra-oral ulceration is often the only presenting feature of the disease, which then enters a latent period.

Two audits of the diagnosis of oral cancer and the two-week rule following referrals from primary care practitioners in Newcastle.

Aim: The aim of the two audits was to evaluate the success of the two-week rule in the oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) department at the Newcastle General Hospital (NGH) and then subsequently in the oral surgery and oral medicine departments at Newcastle Dental Hospital (NDH).

Methods: All two-week referrals seen at the NGH over a one-year period were examined retrospectively. An identical subsequent audit was carried out at the NDH over a second one-year period, also retrospectively.