British dental journal
-
British dental journal · Sep 2008
An infective endocarditis audit illustrates why dental guidelines in general need to be kept clear, simple and unambiguous.
To test the effect complex, multiple dental guidelines have on establishing compliance with ideal clinical practice. ⋯ The results of this audit confirm that compliance with preferred clinical practice is noticeably compromised when complex conflicting guidelines from either different national or international authoritative bodies exist for the same condition. With particular regard to the dental guidance for infective endocarditis prophylaxis, this has now been largely circumvented in the United Kingdom by the publication of a single, unambiguous guideline from the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in March 2008.
-
British dental journal · Aug 2008
ReviewPre-operative fasting for intravenous conscious sedation used in dental treatment: are conclusions based on relative risk management or evidence?
Intravenous sedation is a widely used pharmacological method of patient management commonly used in dental surgery for the treatment of anxious patients. Variety exists in fasting regimes between different centres offering dental sedation, with some advocating starvation in line with general anaesthesia protocols and others not enforcing starvation at all. The currently available guidelines on fasting protocols are ambiguous and open to interpretation partly because they are based on expert opinion rather than evidence-based research. This article reviews the available evidence on the subject of pre-operative fasting and discusses current guidelines.
-
British dental journal · Aug 2008
Comparative StudyUnexplained orofacial pain - is an early diagnosis possible?
Aim To identify distinct characteristics of unexplained orofacial pain that could be used by dental practitioners in making an early diagnosis. Methods Subjects reporting orofacial pain in a postal questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey were invited for clinical examination. The interviewer was blinded to the questionnaire responses of the subjects. ⋯ Results Subjects who had consulted for their pain and were assigned to the unexplained orofacial pain group were significantly (p <0.05) more likely to report the following characteristics: pain descriptors (nagging, aching, tingling), pain pattern (worse with stress), site (poorly localised), duration (persistent/chronic), high disability, multiple consultations and co-morbidities (teeth grinding, reporting of other unexplained syndromes). Conclusion This study has shown that unexplained orofacial pain has distinct characteristics that differentiate it from other common dental conditions. This provides a good evidence base which can reduce uncertainty among dental practitioners, allowing them to make an early diagnosis.
-
As an organisation whose function is to protect the public, the General Dental Council's role in investigating complaints about dentists and dental care professionals dealing suitably with those who have been shown to practise in an unprofessional or dangerous manner is obviously of paramount importance. This article looks at the GDC's fitness to practise procedures - the system that looks into complaints and allegations of malpractice about dental practitioners. It outlines the different stages in the process and introduces some of the many people involved with the efficient running of this vital service.