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An editorial is provided which discusses dentists' and dental practitioners' roles on preventing the transmission of COVID-19 through following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), including in treating a dental patient with COVID-19 and wearing personal protection equipment. Topics, including the mortality rate of COVID-19, disease symptoms, dental health care hygiene and the prevalence of the disease throughout the world, are discussed.

High expectations may contribute to stress in the patient and dentist during dental treatment. Esthetic and restorative results can be predicted for laminate veneers by using a powder blower and a liquid dispenser preoperatively to form self-cured resin veneers. Trial veneers are formed in a precision "salt and pepper" technique that conserves materials and time. The trial veneers are placed, without tooth preparation, on the treatment site so that the patient can preview the planned treatment and so that the dentist can explain proposed treatment in a reversible procedure. This may circumvent misunderstandings between dentist and patient and allow the consideration of alternate treatment plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Minamata Convention embodies a worldwide reduction in the production and use of mercury and mercury-containing products and processes, including a phase-down of dental amalgam. This will change the approach to the use of direct restorative materials in the near future. There is little research as to the influence of clinical factors on dentists' decision-making which may be of use when determining the impact of any change.Methods: An online survey relating to aspects of and attitudes to the use of direct restorative materials was distributed to all dentists who were members of the Australian Dental Association and/or members or fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons. Data were statistically analysed.Results: There were 408 respondents to the survey. Eighty-seven per cent of respondents (strongly) disagreed that amalgam was a technically more difficult material to place compared with resin composite, 82% (strongly) disagreed that placement time for amalgam was longer than that for resin composite and 69% (strongly) disagreed that amalgam was more difficult to finish than resin composite. Eighty-three per cent of respondents stated they were confident in their ability to place amalgam restorations. Where physical properties were of importance, indirect restorations were preferred (e.g. parafunction) 54%. The factors considered most important when choosing a direct restorative material included moisture control and aesthetics; least important factors were cost and time to place.Conclusions: There is consensus that amalgam is not more technically difficult to use, place or finish than resin composite and vice versa. There is recognition that both amalgam and resin composite have limitations in terms of physical properties. When choosing a direct restorative material, clinical factors considered to be of greatest importance are moisture control, aesthetics and the need to apply minimally invasive approaches. There is little difference in the opinions of users and non-users of amalgam with respect to these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the collaboration of dental professionals in Europe to treat esthetically challenged dental patients. Topics discussed includes treatment of injured , non injured and missing teeth; creation of appropriate space during dental implants and a case on appropriate and functional position of maxillary central incisors.

Commissioned by NHS Education South Central (NESC) Postgraduate Dental Deanery, this work provided an external, independent formative evaluation of the Dental Therapists Vocational Training (TVT) scheme in its first year of operation. Undertaken between March-September 2009, the evaluation engaged with all those involved in the TVT scheme: the newly qualified dental therapists (n = 9; group discussion and questionnaire; portfolio extracts) and interviews with their trainers (n = 9), Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean and TVT Scheme Adviser. Most of those on the scheme did not feel well prepared for work at the point of initial qualification and benefitted from enhancement of confidence and skills. Although the number of treatments undertaken by each of the trainees varied considerably, there was commonality in terms of treatment types. Benefits for trainers included the opportunity to work with a dental therapist and develop a better understanding of their role. They praised the trainees' skills with nervous patients and children and their preventative work. A therapist on the team released the dentist for more complex treatments. Challenges related to the recruitment of trainees and trainers, the relative lack of knowledge about the work of dental therapists, concerns about maintaining the range of therapy skills and issues about UDA (unit of dental activity) distribution. There was widespread support for a mandatory TVT scheme. This scheme could be improved by providing further guidance on the amount and type of clinical experience required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Dental disease is more common among people with intellectual disabilities than in the general population. Improvements in oral health require individuals to engage in daily oral hygiene and regular visits to a dental practitioner; both may be challenging for the individual with intellectual impairment. Materials and Methods A review of policies relating to behaviour management and physical restraint for individuals with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviours was undertaken. Published studies of behaviour management in individuals with intellectual disabilities attending for dental treatment were reviewed. Reference to studies of children with average IQ and other populations were made where appropriate. Results There is little published evidence regarding behaviour management for people with intellectual disabilities who require dental treatment. Current policies place great emphasis on pharmacological management and restrictive behaviour management techniques. There is a paucity of studies which have employed a functional analysis framework. There are few incentives for dentists to implement positive approaches to behaviour management as current systems of payment reward the completion of numbers of treatments and thus there is an incentive to complete treatments quickly rather than to spend time with patients. Conclusions There is a need for research addressing the behaviour management of individuals with intellectual disabilities who require dental treatment, particularly the efficacy of non-restrictive techniques and the provision of incentives that reward the use of positive behaviour management among dentists. The use of restrictive techniques should be carefully monitored for compliance with best practice guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study of behaviorisms of feeble-minded patients with a focus on the problems involved in the dental care of these people in the U.S. The subjects were observed in their waiting room, operating room, rapport, and nonrapport behaviorisms. Nonrapport behaviorisms were more common in individuals with lower intelligence ratings and rapport behaviors were fewer. Trends were noted which should be of assistance in predicting certain behavior patterns in the average patient, eventually aiding the dentist to a broader understanding of the factors involved in patient management.

Patient anxiety during three phases of a dental appointment indicated that subjectively experienced anxiety increased as treatment approached and dramatically decreased after treatment. The amount of anxiety change was different for men and women. Implications for anxiety reduction in the dentist's office are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To determine the attitude of Spanish general dentists in relation to dental extraction in patients with heart valve prostheses subjected to acenocoumarol anticoagulation. Material and methods A telephone survey was made of Spanish general dentists, asking about the indicated approach in the case of performing dental extractions in patients with heart valve prostheses subjected to acenocoumarol (Sintrom®) anticoagulation. Results Of the 271 dentists answered, 175 were male (64.6%) and 96 were female (35.4%), with a mean professional experience of 20.17 ± 9.3 years. A total of 228 dentists (84.1%) indicated the need to refer the patient to a specialist for establishing the required approach, while 43 dentists (15.9%) did not consider such a measure to be necessary. Among this latter group of 43 dentists, 26 (60.5%) considered that acenocoumarol should be withdrawn or replaced by low-molecular weight heparin, while 17 (39.5%) were of the opinion that the anticoagulation regimen should not be modified. In relation to the international normalized ratio, 36 (83.7%) did not consider it necessary to request this parameter. As regards the prevention of endocarditis, 11 (25.6%) specified the need for prophylaxis, although only eight (72.7%) did so correctly. There were no statistically significant differences in behaviour in relation to either gender or years of professional experience. Conclusions This study identifies a lack of knowledge on the part of the dentists regarding the approach to dental extraction in patients with heart valve prostheses subjected to anticoagulation. Due educational measures therefore should be reinforced among these professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the heavy emphasis on consent in the ethical code of the General Dental Council (GDC), it is often overlooked that communication difficulties between patient and dentist can cause problems in maintaining genuine consent during interventions. Inconsistencies in the GDC's Standards for dental professionals and Principles of patient consent guidelines are examined in this article, and it is concluded that more emphasis must be placed on continuous consent as an ongoing process essential to maintaining patients' dignity in dentistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers some insights into strategies for dealing with domestic violence among dental patients citing the role of dental teams and dental care professionals. The dental environment can provide an opportunity for the patient to reveal domestic violence and ask for help. Dental professionals thus can take advantage of appointments and interactions with patients to identify patients' complaints about home, their personal lives and other indications of domestic violence.

The article offers aims of Physical signs for the General Dental Practitioner. The aims include increasing awareness of the value of identifying general clinical signs, to enable the interpretation of selected clinical signs and to indicate the potential relevance of these clinical signs to the dental management patient. Further, questions along with its answers are presented on a case where a lady has complained of shortness of breath.

Introduction Patient reported outcomes of care are increasingly used as a measure of the quality of care. There has been a recent expansion in the number of dental therapists trained in the UK, and with legislation now permitting therapists to take on a wider role in dental practice, patients' perceptions about quality of care provided by therapists is an important issue.Objectives To investigate whether there were any differences in patient satisfaction after a visit to a therapist, compared to a visit to a dentist.Method A ten-item scale of patient satisfaction (Dental Visit Satisfaction Scale), which provides an outcome measure of overall patient satisfaction as well as three sub-scale outcomes (information-communication; understanding-acceptance; and technical competence) was used. A total of 240 questionnaires were given to consecutive patients attending an appointment with a therapist and 400 questionnaires were given to patients attending dentists, in eight different dental practices.Results Four hundred and thirty-one (67.3%) questionnaires were returned. Patients attending therapists were found to have a significantly higher level of overall satisfaction (p <0.001) and also in all three sub-scales (p <0.001), than those attending appointments with dentists.Conclusion Although a clear distinction in patient satisfaction according to the type of provider was found, the reasons behind this finding are unclear, and so care needs to be taken in interpreting the results, with further work undertaken to explore this phenomenon more fully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article says that dentists should watch out for abusive patients and should not be afraid to take action against them. The article quotes Dawn Adams, the clinical director of community dental services in Fife, Scotland. She says that abuse by patients has increased, and dentists should protect their staff by refusing to operate on such patients.

The article provides information about the new guidance for dentists implemented by the General Dental Council in Great Britain. The guidance, aimed at practice owners and directors of dental corporates, is to put patient's interests first and make sure to not compromise patient safety by allowing financial or other considerations to have a negative influence on the quality of care.

Focuses on the General Dental Council's move to reinforce the need for adequate training in sedation techniques. Dentists' duty to provide and patients' right to expect adequate pain and anxiety control; Pharmacological methods involving local anaesthesia and conscious sedation techniques.