Routine follow-up after periradicular operations: current practice in UK hospitals.

Questionnaires were circulated to all Fellows of the British Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in 1999, 75% of whom replied (n = 194). There was a wide range of responses for both the timing of review appointments and the taking of radiographs. Most patients were first followed up 1 week after operation (46%), but 38% were reviewed in the second week. Five surgeons did not review patients at all and two did not review until 6 or 9 months, respectively. Nearly two-thirds routinely offered a second follow-up appointment but only 14% offered more than two, the maximum being seven. Most arranged postoperative radio-graphs but the timing ranged from immediately postoperatively to 1 year after the procedure. Less than one-third requested a second postoperative radiograph between 1 month and 1 year. The largest disparity was in the time of discharge to the general dental practitioner, which ranged from immediately to 5 years, the most popular time of discharge being at 3 months. The wide variations may reflect unnecessary recall of patients and misuse of valuable clinical time.

Efficacy of benfotiamine versus thiamine on function and glycation products of peripheral nerves in diabetic rats.

In rats with streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetes the effect of (watersoluble) thiamine nitrate and of (lipidsoluble) benfotiamine on peripheral nerve function (motor nerve conduction velocity) as well as on the formation of advanced glycation end-products in peripheral nerve tissue was studied. In one group of animals drug administration was started immediately after diabetes induction (prevention study) and in another group two months after diabetes induction (treatment study). Motor nerve conduction velocity (NCV) dropped by 10.5% in diabetic animals, carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) rose to a 3.5fold concentration, deoxyglucosone (3DG)-type AGE formation was increased 5.1fold compared with controls. After three months preventive administration of both vitamin B(1) preparations NCV had increased substantially compared with results in diabetic controls. It was nearly normal after six months with benfotiamine, while the administration of thiamine nitrate resulted in no further amelioration. NCV was nearly normalized after six months of benfotiamine application but not with thiamine. Furthermore, benfotiamine induced a major inhibition of neural imidazole-type AGE formation and completely prevented diabetes induced glycoxidation products (CML). Treatment with thiamine did not significantly affect AGE or cmL levels. Unlike treatment with water-soluble thiamine nitrate timely administration of liposoluble prodrug benfotiamine was effective in the prevention of functional damage and of AGE and cmL formation in nerves of diabetic rats.