Bulk-fill resin-based composite restorative materials: a review.

Resin-based composite (RBC) materials are increasingly being used for the restoration of posterior teeth. The increasing demand for aesthetic, tooth-coloured restorations coupled with the patient's concerns regarding the use of mercury containing restorations, has driven a surge in the use of RBC materials. With the Minamata Convention in 2013 calling for the phase-out of dental amalgam and dental schools increasingly teaching techniques for RBC restorations in posterior teeth, it is likely that the dental profession's reliance upon RBC for the restoration of posterior teeth will only increase. In order to simplify and speed-up the placement of large posterior RBCs, manufacturers have produced a range of materials which can be placed in single or deeper increments, known as bulk-fill RBCs. Over a relatively short period of time many bulk-fill RBCs have been marketed quoting increment depths between 4-10 mm. The placement of these larger increments of RBC may reduce the time needed when placing posterior restorations and thereby reduce technique sensitivity. This article aims to review the properties and handling characteristics of the bulk-fill RBC materials currently available, while advising the optimal techniques of placement.

Gingival overgrowth: Part 2: management strategies.

The effective and predictable management of gingival overgrowth requires correct diagnosis and consideration of aetiological factors, as discussed in Part 1 (BDJ 2017; 222: 85-91). Initial management should involve cause-related therapy, which may resolve or reduce the lesion. If functional, aesthetic and maintenance complications persist following this phase; further treatment may be required in the form of surgery. This paper discusses management strategies, including management of aetiological factors and surgical techniques.

Gingival overgrowth: Part 1: aetiology and clinical diagnosis.

Most commonly, gingival overgrowth is a plaque-induced inflammatory process, which can be modified by systemic disease or medications. However, rare genetic conditions can result in gingival overgrowth with non-plaque-induced aetiology. It is also important to appreciate the potential differential diagnoses of other presentations of enlarged gingival tissues; some may be secondary to localised trauma or non-plaque-induced inflammation and, albeit rarely, others may be manifestations of more sinister diseases or lesions. A definitive diagnosis will then enable an appropriate management strategy. This paper aims to discuss clinical features and diagnoses for conditions presenting with gingival overgrowth and other enlargements of gingival tissues.

The management of traumatic tooth loss with dental implants: Part 1.

Traumatic dental injuries are relatively common causes of emergency presentation to general dental practitioners. There are well established guidelines for the management of traumatised teeth, which practitioners should be familiar with and able to deliver. Some teeth, however, are either lost at the time of injury or are found to have a hopeless long-term prognosis despite appropriate treatment. The first article in this two-part series covers the important aspects of maintaining teeth where possible, to preserve the supporting hard and soft tissues. It then describes the replacement of a single tooth lost due to trauma and the relative challenges faced. The second article covers more extensive trauma, involving multiple teeth and where significant supporting tissues are lost. It describes the replacement of teeth, including the hard and soft tissues with implant supported restorations, whilst highlighting the need for a multidisciplinary team in severe cases.

Impact of UK National Health Service smoking cessation services: variations in outcomes in England.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the extent to which UK National Health Service (NHS) smoking cessation services in England reach smokers and support them to quit at four weeks, and to identify which service and area characteristics contribute to observed outcomes. DESIGN: Ordinary least squares regression was used to investigate local smoking outcomes in relation to characteristics of health authorities and their smoking cessation services. SETTING: 76 health authorities (from a total of 99) in England from April 2000 to March 2001. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: REACH--number of smokers attending cessation services and setting a quit date as a percentage of the adult smoking population in each health authority. ABSOLUTE SUCCESS--number of smokers setting a quit date who subsequently reported quitting at four weeks (not having smoked between two and four weeks after quit date). CESSATION RATE--number of smokers who reported quitting at four weeks as a percentage of those setting a quit date. LOSS--percentage lost to follow up. RESULTS: A range of service and area characteristics was associated with each outcome. For example, group support proved more effective than one to one interventions in helping a greater proportion of smokers to quit at four weeks. Services based in health action zones were reaching larger numbers of smokers. However, services operating in deprived communities achieved lower cessation rates than those in more prosperous areas. CONCLUSIONS: Well developed, evidence based NHS smoking cessation services, reflecting good practice, are yielding positive outcomes in England. However, most of the data are based on self reported smoking status at four weeks. It will be important to obtain validated data about continuous cessation over one year or more in order to assess longer term impact.

Satisfaction with the care-managed support of older people: an empirical analysis.

Modernising Social Services requires the use of satisfaction surveys in monitoring some key aspects of quality of provision, including user/carer perceptions and experiences of services and involvement of users/carers in assessment and review. Using data from the study Evaluating Community Care for Elderly People (ECCEP), of physically and/or mentally frail community-based older people in England and Wales receiving community care services, this investigation examines three crucial aspects of user satisfaction. The measures were: initial satisfaction with the assessment process and help provided by social services; also two measures obtained from a six month follow-up, namely satisfaction with service levels and with the experience of social services. Examination of overall satisfaction levels provided only a partial picture, due to their association with both user characteristics and the effect of life satisfaction. This association was therefore examined firstly by considering each characteristic separately and secondly by modelling the presence of each satisfaction measure in terms of those characteristics having a significant effect, using logistic regression. Arthritis, loneliness, problems keeping warm and an inner city location were all characteristics associated with reduced satisfaction, while most resource inputs, including social work involvement, were positively related to satisfaction. General life satisfaction was also associated with increased satisfaction levels. The role of life satisfaction as a predictor was further investigated through examining its dependence on case characteristics. While older users were more frequently satisfied with life, those with greater functional impairment and below average self-perceived health reported lower life satisfaction. Findings from this study highlight the complexity of interpreting satisfaction data and suggest that those responsible for designing and conducting surveys need to be aware of both the potential and pitfalls associated with using them as a means of assessing the quality of social services for older people.