Informed consent discussions
Dentists must protect themselves from charges that a patient did not know about the possibility of complications from a treatment. The best process for doing this is to ensure that patients have all the facts so they can make informed decisions. To accomplish this will require a personal conversation between dentist and patient outlining all that the patient needs to make an informed decision about his or her care. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Legal Considerations Source Type: research
Effects of marijuana on oral health
Cannabis (marijuana) has various components that can have psychoactive effects and possible medical uses. Among the areas where cannabis has been helpful are the relief of pain, treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, and treatment of anorexia-associated weight loss in AIDS patients. The legal status of marijuana and its relevance to oral health were investigated. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Update on concussion diagnosis and management
Concussion during sports activities affects about 1.6 to 3.8 million athletes each year, but the diagnosis and management of this entity are currently incompletely understood. Findings indicate that concussion can occur even without direct trauma to the head. Various governing bodies have issued position statements and reviews on the topic, but no standardized objective way to diagnose concussion has yet been found. Management remains a fluid process, and the ultimate relationship to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is just being uncovered. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Clinical factors affecting choice of direct restorative materials
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Health Organization (WHO) support the phase-down of amalgam use in dentistry but recognize that research into the implications of this change is still needed. One factor to explore is the training and knowledge of dentists who achieved their primary dental qualifications before the expressed concern over mercury pollution in the environment as a result of amalgam waste versus the training and knowledge of those who have graduated more recently from dental school. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Antibiotic use in endodontics
The indications and use of antibiotics are important in light of the global problem of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains being created because of overuse of antibiotics in the past. Dentists prescribe about 10% of all antibiotics dispensed in primary care, so they contribute to the problem along with other health care providers. In addition, dental antibiotic prescriptions are empirically determined, since few samples from root canals or periapical areas are taken or analyzed. Finally, the overuse of antibiotics can increase the risk of potentially fatal anaphylactic reactions and certainly exposes patients to the unn...
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Geriatric patients and periodontitis
The effects of periodontal conditions and interventions on individuals age 75 years or older have not been studied. Yet the world is facing an enormous increase in these older individuals compared to past years, and their oral health care will be an important part of healthy aging. The current state of knowledge regarding geriatric patients and periodontitis was reviewed. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Articaine and paresthesia
Local anesthetics allow dentists to suppress pain, which allows them to work without worrying about the patient's pain experience, which should be minimal to none. Normal sensation returns when the anesthetic wears off. Amide anesthetics used for dental procedures have a lipophilic part connected to a hydrophilic part through an amide chain. Articaine differs in that it has a thiophene ring rather than a benzene ring (as in other amide agents) in the lipophilic part. The thiophene ring is believed to increase the agent's lipid solubility and contains an additional ester group. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Adjunctive diagnostic tools
Clinicians are still at a disadvantage when it comes to diagnosing oral cancer at an early stage. The signs and symptoms in early stages are nonspecific and often do not lead to referrals for further screening. Adjunctive aids have been developed to allow chairside detection of lesions that might be oral cancer or malignant disorders. Several are now available for these purposes and were reviewed for their effectiveness. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Dental care and oral cancer therapy
Patients diagnosed with oral cancer and scheduled for oral cancer therapy require a thorough workup and dental care plan to be completed before oncologic therapy begins. In addition, the treatment plan should cover the period before treatment begins; the time when the patient will be receiving radiation, chemotherapy, or both; and the period after such therapy is completed. This comprehensive plan will help to avoid or minimize the development of complications and enable the treatment team and the patient to be prepared to handle the conditions that can accompany treatment for head and neck cancer. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Bulimia
nervosa or bulimia is an eating disorder that results from a poor relationship between individuals, their food and drink intake, and their body (Box 1). The average estimate for lifetime prevalence of bulimia is 1%, and women who are affected far outnumber men (1.1% to 0.1%, respectively). The average onset of this disorder is about age 21 years. Bulimia often is manifest by binging on foods, then vomiting to eliminate them, but can also involve excessive exercise, compulsive use of laxatives, or fasting. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Drugs used for multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes loss of the myelin-oligodendrocyte complex in the central nervous system, leading to a complex of symptoms that may relapse. Patients commonly experience remissions but with progression, remissions become fewer. The cause of this autoimmune disease is unknown, but four types have been recognized: benign, relapsing-remitting, primary progressive, and secondary progressive. Common MS symptoms include extreme fatigue, sensory and visual disturbances, difficulties with mobility and balance, muscle weakness, spasticity, ataxia, dysfunction of the bladder and bowel, sexual problems, pain and trigem...
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Topical corticosteroids for oral lesions
Topical corticosteroids (TCs) are generally synthetic variants of the naturally occurring glucocorticoid hydrocortisone. They are the most commonly prescribed drugs in oral medicine and are used to reduce inflammation and alleviate symptoms such as pain and swelling related to oral lesions. This is, however, an off-label application poorly supported by evidence. Systemic uses should be reserved for patients who are refractory to treatment and should be directed by a specialist. TC treatment is designed to address the symptoms and is not curative. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Oral dryness and Sj ögren's syndrome
Dental practitioners often see patients who complain of oral dryness. Most cases are medication-related complaints but some of these patients have Sj ögren’s syndrome, which is an autoimmune condition. The signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of dry mouth and Sjögren’s syndrome were reviewed. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Foreign body aspiration
is uncommon but can occur during routine dental procedures. Among the commonly swallowed and aspirated items are teeth or pieces of teeth, crowns, tips of dental instruments, hemostatic dressings, maxillomandibular fixation wires, impression materials, and implant instruments. A case of dental crown aspiration was reported. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
Risk management strategies for interdisciplinary care
When delivering orthodontic care, collaboration with other health care practitioners is often part of the treatment plan. However, because of the difficulties inherent with any group effort, there can be an increased risk for liability and injury, as well as increased complexity and cost for the patient. To improve patient care while minimizing liability concerns, risk management strategies can be implemented in these situations. (Source: Dental Abstracts)
Source: Dental Abstracts - May 1, 2018 Category: Dentistry Tags: Hands On Source Type: research
