Int Dent J
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The present study evaluated the records of 27 patients (20 men, 7 women) who were treated under nitrous-oxide (N2O) and oxygen sedation due to extremely high dental anxiety. Corah's DAS and Kleinknecht's dental fear survey were completed by the patients. Patients who responded positively to the gas were categorised as N2O+ patients, whereas those who responded negatively were categorised as N2O- patients. ⋯ No differences were found between patients who reported pain as the source for their dental anxiety and those who did not; between patients with gag reflex and those without, between patients who had never had any dental treatment and those who had, and between patients who required two or three appointments before administration of the gas with respect to successful treatment under N2O and oxygen sedation. Among the N2O- group, significantly more patients did not attend for two appointments or more. The results suggest that lack of keeping previous dental appointments may indicate patients' possible negative response to nitrous-oxide and oxygen sedation.
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Hidden caries is a term used to describe occlusal dentine caries that is missed on a visual examination, but is large enough and demineralised enough to be detected radiographically. The detection rate of such lesions will depend upon the prevalence of caries in the population and the frequency with which bitewing radiographic examinations are performed. ⋯ However, this possibility has yet to be tested clinically and until it is, practising dentists would be wise to examine bitewing radiographs carefully for occlusal demineralisation. The authors would treat such hidden lesions by removing soft caries and placing sealant restorations.
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In 1991, the pattern of sugar consumption in samples of 172 12-year-old children and 231 15-19-year-old adolescents was studied. Twenty-four hour dietary records of five consecutive days were obtained from each subject. ⋯ Students mostly consumed sweetened drinks at meals, especially at breakfast and ate sugary foods between meal times, particularly between lunch and dinner. Sweetened tea and juice were the most popular drinks and confectionery was the most popular snack food.
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Having gained knowledge of the advantages of inhalational and intravenous sedation many dental practitioners use these techniques to supplement local anaesthesia for dental procedures. Inhalational sedation is commonly carried out with nitrous oxide and oxygen while isoflurane in oxygen has also been tried out. Intravenous sedation is commonly carried out with midazolam or diazepam given as a single titrated dose to an end point which does not result in anaesthesia. ⋯ Patient controlled sedation with midazolam, the modern technique of intravenous sedation, is comparable to anaesthetist controlled sedation and patients may be administered increments of one milligram at one minute intervals. Computer controlled sedation has been carried out with propofol. Mortality following sedation is low in the United Kingdom, partly due to the strict guidelines of the General Dental Council in the United Kingdom.
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Dental education is dynamic. Many factors--economic, pedagogical, managerial, logistic, trends in disease patterns and delivery systems--are influencing its future directions and relationships with medical and other health professions' education. This article attempts to highlight those trends and relationships, at least in part of the world.