Outcomes to evaluate care for adults with acute dental pain and infection: a systematic narrative review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify outcomes reported in peer-reviewed literature for evaluating the care of adults with acute dental pain or infection.DesignSystematic narrative review. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Primary research studies published in peer-reviewed literature and reporting care for adults with acute dental pain or infection across healthcare settings. Reports not in English language were excluded. STUDY SELECTION: Seven databases (CINAHL Plus, Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science) were searched from inception to December 2020. Risk of bias assessment used the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist for randomised controlled trials and Quality Assessment Tool for Studies of Diverse Design for other study types. OUTCOMES: Narrative synthesis included all outcomes of care for adults with acute dental pain or infection. Excluded were outcomes about pain management to facilitate treatment, prophylaxis of postsurgical pain/infection or traumatic injuries. RESULTS: Searches identified 19 438 records, and 27 studies (dating from 1993 to 2020) were selected for inclusion. Across dental, pharmacy, hospital emergency and rural clinic settings, the studies were undertaken in high-income (n=20) and low/middle-income (n=7) countries. Two clinical outcome categories were identified: signs and symptoms of pain/infection and complications following treatment (including adverse drug reactions and reattendance for the same problem). Patient-reported outcomes included satisfaction with the care. Data collection methods included patient diaries, interviews and in-person reviews. DISCUSSION: A heterogeneous range of study types and qualities were included: one study, published in 1947, was excluded only due to lacking outcome details. Studies from dentistry reported just clinical outcomes; across wider healthcare more outcomes were included. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of clinical and patient-reported outcomes are recommended to evaluate care for adults with acute dental pain or infection. Further research is recommended to develop core outcomes aligned with the international consensus on oral health outcomes. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020210183.

Trends in Dental Medication Prescribing in Australia during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and subsequent restrictions on dental services have had a significant impact on the provision of dental care in Australia and around the world. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of COVID-19 on medications prescribed by dentists under the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). METHODS: Data on the number of dental prescriptions dispensed for all medications listed on the PBS Dental Schedule, from January 2019 to June 2020, were extracted from publicly available data sets. Analysis of prescription trends was performed for 1) total medications, 2) each major medication class, and 3) individual medications. The number of prescriptions dispensed in each month from January 2020 to June 2020 was compared to the same month in 2019 to determine the relative (percentage) change, and z statistics were used to determine whether changes were statistically significant. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in dental prescriptions in April 2020 compared to April 2019 (14,785, 18%; P < 0.05). Decreases in prescriptions for antibiotics (10,512, 16%; P < 0.05) and opioid analgesics (3,129, 18%; P < 0.05) were smaller compared to other major medication classes. There was a significant increase in June 2020, compared with June 2019, for prescriptions of amoxicillin with clavulanic acid (4,903, 20%; P < 0.05), tramadol (89, 46%; P < 0.05), and oxycodone (381, 73%; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Dental service restrictions during COVID-19 likely drove an unmet need for routine dental treatment, which had significant implications for public oral health following easing of restrictions. During the initial surge and subsequent lockdown, antibiotics and opioid analgesics may have been used an as alternative to routine operative treatment. Continued professional guidance is required to ensure dental prescribing remains evidence based during the pandemic period. KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT: The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions on dental practice have had a profound impact on the provision of dental care in Australia and elsewhere in the world. In this context, population-level medication surveillance is important to identify and respond to changes in prescribing patterns that have arisen due to COVID-19 and restrictions on the provision of dental care. This research is particularly important for governments, regulators, and professional associations to ensure therapeutic guidelines and recommendations during the pandemic period remain relevant and evidence based.