A bridge too far? The relationship between interventive operative dentistry and future dental morbidity.

Background and aim Unscheduled dental attendances (UDA) and the associated morbidity can cause individual distress, disrupt military effectiveness and have broader societal impacts. Preventing future dental morbidity is an essential component of dentistry. This, the largest study of its type, aimed to examine the relationship between clinical and demographic variables and UDA, and to quantify how well military dental risk categorisation predicts subsequent UDA events. Methods This is a retrospective cohort analysis of a clinical dataset containing 175,558 service personnel over an 11-month period. Statistical methods examined: sensitivity and specificity of the existing NATO 'Dental fitness classification system' (NATO Cat) in predicting UDA, relative risk (RR) of UDA by selected variables, Kaplan-Meier failure analysis and multivariate analysis. Results A total of 16,722 UDA events were recorded, the majority (66.7%) were due to caries, periapical pathology and fractured teeth or restorations, or a combination thereof. NATO Cat yielded poor predictive sensitivity (sensitivity 10%, specificity 93%). NATO Cat 3 (RR 1.47), age group (RR 1.06-2.05), gender (RR 1.46) and DMFT category (RR 1.09-3.05), were all significantly associated with increased UDA. The RR of UDA increased by 5% (RR 1.05) for each additional DMFT increment in a logistic regression model. Conclusions After adjusting for confounding variables, DMFT was significantly associated with UDA events. This study indicates that, even when treatment need has been met, a residual risk remains that is directly related to exposure to dental disease and operative dentistry. Strategies which prevent downstream operative treatment need and increases in DMFT may also reduce future UDA. UDA may be a useful quality outcome indicator for the success of NHS dental services in securing oral health.

The effect of maropitant on intraoperative isoflurane requirements and postoperative nausea and vomiting in dogs: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To establish if preoperative maropitant significantly reduced intraoperative isoflurane requirements and reduced clinical signs associated with postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. ANIMALS: Twenty-four healthy, client-owned dogs undergoing routine ovariohysterectomy. METHODS: Premedication involved acepromazine (0.03 mg kg-1) combined with methadone (0.3 mg kg-1) intramuscularly 45 minutes before anaesthetic induction with intravenous (IV) propofol, dosed to effect. Meloxicam (0.2 mg kg-1) was administered intravenously. Dogs were randomly assigned to administration of saline (group S; 0.1 mL kg-1, n=12) or maropitant (group M; 1 mg kg-1, n=12) subcutaneously at time of premedication. Methadone (0.1 mg kg-1 IV) was repeated 4 hours later. Anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in oxygen, dosed to effect by an observer unaware of group allocation. The dogs were assessed hourly, starting 1 hour postoperatively, using the short form of the Glasgow Composite Pain Score (GCPS), and for ptyalism and signs attributable to PONV [score from 0 (none) to 3 (severe)] by blinded observers. Owners completed a questionnaire at the postoperative recheck. RESULTS: Overall mean±standard deviation end-tidal isoflurane percentage was lower in group M (1.19±0.26%) than group S (1.44±0.23%) (p=0.022), but was not significantly different between groups at specific noxious events (skin incision, ovarian pedicle clamp application, cervical clamp application, wound closure). Cardiorespiratory variables and postoperative GCPS were not significantly different between groups. Overall, 50% of dogs displayed signs attributable to PONV, with no difference in PONV scores between groups (p=0.198). No difference in anaesthetic recovery was noted by owners between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Maropitant reduced overall intraoperative isoflurane requirements but did not affect the incidence of PONV. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Maropitant provided no significant benefits to dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy with this anaesthetic and analgesic protocol, although clinically significant reductions in isoflurane requirements were noted.

Tim Elmer: 'in the armed forces we lose thousands of man hours each year to people leaving to have dental care delivered.'.

Tim Elmer talks to the BDJ about life in the Defence Dental Services, providing care on the frontline and the impact of dental disease on the Armed Forces.