Complete dentures revisited.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the article is to assist practitioners in the diagnosis and management of complete denture problems by addressing the problems from a theoretical viewpoint and in a clinically diagnostic way. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: To assist practitioners and undergraduates to understand the clinical basis of complete denture prosthodontics.

The role of the dentist in sleep disorders.

UNLABELLED: Snoring and sleep apnoea are common. The demand for sleep medicine services has increased exponentially since the recognition of sleep apnoea as a disease in the 1960s. The involvement of dentists in the treatment of sleep apnoea has increased. This article provides an overview of the disorders and options for management. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: It is important that dentists are aware of the problem of sleep disorders and the potential they have to help in their management.

Gingival veneers.

UNLABELLED: Gingival veneers have been in clinical use for over 50 years and are a predictable, inexpensive, non-invasive, effective and aesthetically pleasing way of replacing lost tissue. They can also be used as delivery vehicles for topical medicaments. This article describes their indications, contra-indications and construction. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dentists in primary and secondary care should be aware of the use and fabrication techniques of gingival veneers.

Ten-year follow-up of mandibular advancement devices for the management of snoring and sleep apnea.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Intraoral mandibular advancement devices have become widely used in recent years for the management of snoring and sleep apnea, and short-term effectiveness has been demonstrated. However, there is a shortage of data regarding long-term compliance. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term compliance of patients who were provided with a mandibular advancement device. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Records of 180 patients who were provided with a mandibular advancement device in 1996 were available for review. A questionnaire was sent to all of these patients inquiring about continued device usage, comfort, and effectiveness. Questions were also asked about smoking, alcohol consumption, height, and weight. Data were analyzed with chi-square tests for any association between these factors and success of the device (alpha=.05). RESULTS: The response rate was 40%, with 72 replies. Of this number, 34 patients were currently wearing the device every night, with a further 13 wearing the device for up to 6 nights per week. Thirty-one of the respondents who were wearing the device felt more refreshed on waking. The median body mass index (BMI) was 30, 8 were smokers, and 12 subjects drank more than 20 units of alcohol per week. Few adverse effects of the device were reported. CONCLUSIONS: The mandibular advancement device appears to be an effective long-term solution for a significant number of patients with problem snoring and also those with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.

An audit of the quality of root canal treatments performed by undergraduate dental students on single-rooted teeth in Glasgow dental hospital and school.

The aim of this investigation was to assess the technical quality of root canal treatments performed by undergraduate dental students on single rooted teeth at the Glasgow Dental Hospital and School. One hundred radiographs of single rooted teeth that had root canal treatment were randomly selected and examined under even illumination in a darkened room using x2 magnification. Of 100 teeth, 20 had voids, and one was perforated. The remaining 79 teeth were assessed using predetermined criteria, and 80% (n=63) were judged to be 'acceptable' 5% (n=4) were 'under-filled, and 15% (n=12) were 'over-filled'. The quality of root canal fillings performed in single rooted teeth by undergraduate dental students at the Glasgow Dental Hospital and School was found to comparable to, or better than, that reported from other international institutions.

Dermographism and delayed pressure urticaria.

There are few papers in the literature that describe pressure urticaria in the maxillofacial region. We present 2 cases and discuss the significance and principles of management. One case describes the diagnosis of pressure urticaria and the second describes the dental management of a patient with severe pressure urticaria.