Attention Pediatric Dental Professionals

Cochrane Collaboration Publishes Two Sytematic Reviews for Pediatric Dentistry

Two new systematic reviews pertaining to pediatric dentistry are available in the Cochrane Library.

The first, Dental fillings for the treatment of caries in the primary dentition, compared the outcomes  for restorative materials used to treat caries in the primary dentition in children.  There was insufficient evidence from the included trials to make any recommendations about which filling material to use.

The second review, Extraction of primary teeth for unerupted palatally displaced permanent canine teeth in children, evaluated the effect of extracting the primary maxillary canine on the eruption of the palatally ectopic maxillary permanent canine.  Reviewers concluded that there was  no evidence to support the extraction of the deciduous maxillary canine to facilitate the eruption of the palatally ectopic maxillary permanent canine.

Full text acess to both reviews is available for URMC affiliates.  Select Cochrane Library from the Bibby Library website.

Pit and Fissure Sealants: Recent Clinical Recommendations

The National Guidelines Clearinghouse issued the current release of Evidence-based clinical recommendations for the use of pit-and-fissure sealants.

The guideline includes recommendations on caries prevention, noncavitated carious lesions and resin-based versus glass ionomer cement.  Supporting evidence and methodology are also included.

The complete summary may be found here.

Chocolate: It’s Role in Oral Health

Chocolate season has arrived! This treat helps us celebrate from Halloween through Christmas.  Nonetheless, concerns about overindulging include weight gain, lower bone density,a rise in serum triglyceride levels, migraine headaches, and increased esophageal acid. On the other hand, research shows that eating chocolate may improve vascular health, blood pressure, cognitive health, blood flow, and skin health.

Chocolate may also be beneficial to the teeth!

For example, a study out of the College of Dental Sciences in Davangere, India aimed to evaluate the effect of cocoa bean husk extract on plaque accumulation and mutans streptococcus count when used as a mouth rinse by children.  Results indicated a 20.9% decrease in mutans streptococci and a 49.6% decrease in plaque scores and concluded that cocoa bean husk extract is highly effective in reducing mutans streptococci and plaque when used as a mouth rinse by children.

Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry (2008):26, 2 : 67-70RK Srikanth, ND Shashikiran, VV Subba Reddy. Chocolate mouth rinse: Effect on plaque accumulation and mutans streptococci counts when used by children.

Similarly, a study out of the University of Osaka Graduate School of Dentistry in Osaka, Japan found that after four days of rinsing with a cocoa flavanol extract without other oral hygiene methods, participants had decreased bacteria and plaque on their teeth.

Matsumoto M, Tsuji M, Okuda J, Sasaki H, Nakano K, Osawa K, Shimura S, Ooshima T. European journal of oral sciences. 2004 Jun;112(3):249-52. Inhibitory effects of cacao bean husk extract on plaque formation in vitro and in vivo.

We at the library beleive in the power of chocolate, in moderation, and will do our best to keep our candy dish full – - so please stop in during the holiday season and have some chocolate for your health!

For a listing of more articles on this topic, indexed in PubMed, click here.

Millions of Children Estimated to Have Untreated Tooth Decay: New Report

On September 22, the Government Accountability Office released a report stating that more than 6.5 million children who are currently enrolled in Medicaid have problems with tooth decay.  Furthermore, children in Medicaid remain at higher risk of dental disease compared to children with private health insurance.  In fact, children in Medicaid were almost twice as likely to have untreated tooth decay.

A summary, with links to the full report, may be found here.

A list of recent articles on Medicaid and Oral Health may be found in PubMed.

Children’s Dental Health: New Pew Center Initiative

The Pew Center on the States is launching a major effort to improve access to dental care for disadvantaged children.  They are mounting a national campaign to raise awareness of the problem, recruit influential leaders to call for change, and showcase states that have made progress and can serve as models for reform.

For additional information see the fact sheet or visit the Pew site.

Dental Amalgam and Health Issues

Update:  The FDA has set a deadline for its reclassification of dental amalgam.  See the ADA News Press Release. 

Ongoing concern over the use of mercury amalgam as a dental filling centers around possible long-term health effects which may be associated with constant mercury exposure.

In 2002, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called for a reclassification of dental amalgam and its components. A final ruling will be issued in July 2008 on the basis of empirical data and scientific evidence.

In a recent press release, the American Dental Association (ADA) stated that “dental amalgam remains a safe, affordable and durable cavity filling choice for dental patients“.

The following is a list of links to resources and research pertaining to this issue:

• Clinical trials indexed in PubMed.
• Recent articles indexed in PubMed.
• Consumer information from the FDA.
• FDA dental products panel meeting documents.
• FDA amalgam classifications.
• Overview from the ADA
• From the National Library of Medicine Environmental Health and Toxicology.

Clinical Recommendations for Sealants

Q&A on evidence-based clinical recommendations for sealants

To assist dentists in using the new Evidence-Based Clinical Recommendations for the Use of Pit-and-Fissure Sealants, the ADA has developed a set of questions and answers to aid dentists in interpreting the new guidelines and discussing them with patients.

Read about the recommendations here.

For more information on Evidence Based Dentistry visit this posting.

Facts on Dental Fillings

The ADA has produced a fact sheet about the benefits and drawbacks of dental restorative materials, to assist patients in reviewing their best options.

Click here to download the flyer.

New at the Movies

 From Medline Plus Oral Cancer Removal and Palate Reconstruction.

 From About.com, click on each title to see:

What Happens During a Root Canal? 

Causes and Effects of Gingivitis

What are Cavities