Is regenerative medicine the next frontier in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery?

Matthew Q. Miller, MD, of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and coauthors explored that question in a new review article published online by JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.

While regenerative medicine isn't rebuilding missing tissue like they do in "Star Trek" movies, it is about unlocking the regenerative potential of allografts and flaps, which are the foundation of surgical reconstruction, the authors write.

In the article, the authors review regenerative medicine techniques in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, including stem cells, growth factors and synthetic scaffolds; examine platelet-rich plasma; and suggest directions for future studies.

"Regenerative medicine is an exciting field with the potential to change standards of care in FPRS [facial plastic and reconstructive surgery]. This review discusses soft-tissue, cartilaginous and bony regeneration in facial plastic surgery using stem cells, growth factors, PRP [platelet-rich plasma] and/or synthetic scaffolds. Our subspecialty has to continue to clinically investigate these techniques to show whether the new frontiers of regenerative medicine improve outcomes and cost-effectiveness in FPRS while not adding to the risks of treatment," the article concludes.

Alexandria, Va. – The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) is pleased to announce that the AADR Legacy Society has been established, thanks to a generous legacy gift from longstanding members Sharon K. Grayden and Stephen C. Bayne, who is also an AADR Past President. The AADR Legacy Society consists of individuals who have committed future assets, through estate and planned giving, to AADR, thereby ensuring support for future initiatives and growth of the Association.

"It is our intention to move forward with a legacy gift to the American Association for Dental Research," said AADR donors Sharon Grayden and Stephen Bayne (wife and husband). "The Association has been an important part of our personal history and successes. We want the best possible future for everyone involved and we have complete confidence that the legacy gift will be used wisely."

The generous gift from the Sharon Grayden and Stephen Bayne trust is to be used by AADR for unrestricted use.

"AADR is the professional organization best positioned to support and represent the oral health research community, and the Association places particular emphasis in developing the next generation of a diverse biomedical research workforce," said AADR President Jack L. Ferracane. "We are honored and extend our gratitude to Sharon Grayden and Past President Stephen Bayne for their substantial commitment to the Association, which will enable AADR to work toward its mission of advancing research and increasing knowledge for the improvement of oral health."

If you would like more information about giving to the AADR Legacy Society, please see the AADR website or contact AADR Strategic Programs Manager Sheri S. Herren at sherren@aadr.org.

Recording smart phone video “selfies” of tooth-brushing can help people learn to improve their oral health care techniques, according to a new study.

Using smartphones propped on stands, study participants filmed their brushing at home. Researchers saw an increase in the accuracy of brush strokes, an increase in number of strokes and an overall 8% improvement in toothbrushing skill—but the length of time a person brushed did not change. 

While most people have the ability, motivation and desire to brush their teeth properly, they often do not because of improper techniques—and opportunities to improve such skills can be few.

“Often, toothbrushing is learned and practiced without proper supervision,” said Lance T. Vernon, a senior instructor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and co-author of the study. “Changing tooth brushing behaviors—which are ingrained habits tied to muscle memory—can take a lot of time and guidance.” 

“Our study suggests that, in the future, recording these selfies can help shift some of this time investment in improving brushing to technology,” added Vernon. “Patients can then receive feedback from dental professionals.”

The very act of recording a selfie may disrupt ingrained habits, making participants conscious of their brushing and reinforced staples of behavior change, including the process of memory formation, association and creating new muscle memory.

While the results of this small pilot study, published in the Indian Journal of Dental Research, are promising, researchers suggest that these findings are of more importance in proving the selfie concept is useful in a dental setting.

Video and picture selfies are increasingly used in medical fields to assess, monitor and determine the progression of diseases and effectiveness of treatment—a new area of gathering data known as mobile health, or “mHealth”—said Vernon. 

“To our knowledge, this is the first report using selfies to study tooth-brushing behavior,” he said. “It’s a start at an mHealth strategy to create new habits, helping dentists and patients focus more on prevention, rather than on fixing problems once they occur—which can too often be the focus in dentistry.”

The study

Before the study, participants’ brushing habits were assessed and corrected until each were able to demonstrate proper technique. During the study, they were scored on time spent brushing and skill mastery, including brushing in a circular motion, obtaining a 45-degree angle while brushing facial surfaces of teeth and correct positioning of the arm.

Looking ahead, researchers envision a video-based monitoring app, which could record videos of patients brushing at home that are later reviewed by oral health professionals.

“The cost of an app could be minor, while potentially there could be major long-term benefits to a user’s oral health and quality of life,” Vernon said. “Dental care can be inaccessible because of cost and access. It’s possible dental selfies and other ‘mHealth’ strategies on phones can become an important part of oral health prevention and diagnosis in the future.”

Toothbrushing helps avert preventable oral diseases, such as tooth decay and periodontal disease, although its effectiveness depends on brushing technique; currently, there is no standard brushing technique consistently recommended by dental organizations or even by oral health experts, Vernon said.

The study was coauthored by Rooban Thavarajah, professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology/microbiology at Ragas Dental College & Hospital in Chennai, India; Arunachalam Mohandoss Anusa, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute in Nellikuppam, India; and Theodore Walls, an associate professor at and co-director of Center for Health Monitoring and Intervention Behavioral Science in Kingston, RI. 

In other research, Vernon explores the link between cardiovascular disease and periodontal disease in HIV-positive adults. His future research involves a prevention-focused coaching approach to promote oral health. 

As the global market, leader Dentsply Sirona invests its innovative power in integrated processes that advance patient care in all areas of dentistry – from preventive health promotion and diagnosis to treatment planning and dental care. Based on long-term experience in combining high-end technology and award-winning design INTEGO and TENEO treatment centers provide comprehensive and excellent treatment solutions. The latest features are now presented at SIROWORLD.

Charlotte, 11 August 2016 – Best practices for dental practices: Dentsply Sirona launched the TENEO and INTEGO treatment centers in the US last year, offering an ergonomic workstation, comfortable patient positioning and extremely efficient workflows. “These digitally networked treatment centers enable the dentist to access imaging data, implant treatment plans and images from the intraoral camera”, says Stephane Leduc, Product Marketing Manager Treatment Centers, Dentsply Sirona USA. “So the new generation of treatment centers expresses best what the Dentsply Sirona brand means: seamless integration, contemporary and timeless design as well as extraordinary experience for staff and patients.”

But networking does not end when the information has been compiled; it also extends to the digital integration of functions that would otherwise necessitate the use of additional devices, such as implantology and endodontics. So the CEREC AI can be integrated into the treatment center for intraoral digital impressions as a variation of the CEREC Omnicam. For practices with several treatment rooms, CEREC AF is a convenient solution, integrated within our cabinetry solutions.

In order to continue to provide highest quality, world-class brands, products and solutions Dentsply Sirona iscontinually investigating ways of redefining the limits of what is possible in efficient and effective dentistry. This and more will be shown by two extraordinary new products which are presented in Orlando at SIROWORLD for the very first time.

Right or left-handed: Intego pro Ambidextrous

The family of treatment centers has now a new member: Intego pro Ambidextrous offers an ergonomic workflow, also for left-handed dentists. They profit, as do their right-handed colleagues, from the flexibly positionable components. The intelligent conversion mechanism allows a switch from right to left and vice versa in less than 15 seconds. The mechanism not only works intuitively, but also effortlessly in a single flow. As a result, Intego pro Ambidextrous saves treatment time. The new Treatment Center also offers ergomotion and the possibility of a complete sanitation unit to optimize the workflows and experience not only for the practitioner but also for the staff and the patients.

Fast, easy, smooth Intego pro Ambidextrous provides much more flexibility in dental practices.

Ergonomics and hygiene with the new operating light

With the new LEDview Plus operating light, Dentsply Sirona offers not only optimal illumination of the treatment site but, thanks to its well thought out details, ensures an ergonomic workflow and hygienic safety. The new LEDview Plus is equipped with polychrome LEDs which enable true-to-life colour rendering. As a result, the evaluation of the gingiva and the hard dental tissue is easier and, consequently, the treatment is safer. One special feature  is the composite mode: If a composite filling is placed, the white LEDs can be deactivated in order to reduce the blue light component. This prevents premature hardening of the filling material. The intuitive ease of use of the operation light is indispensable for an ergonomic workflow. The LEDview Plus can be controlled both non-contact via a sensor and from the EasyTouch control panel on the dentist’s element. Positioning grips are mounted on both sides, which can be removed, cleaned and thermodesinfected.

August 10, 205 -- Bacteria commonly found in the mouth have been recently shown to worsen colorectal cancer in animals, but it has not been clear how these microbes make their way to the gut in the first place. A study published August 10 in Cell Host & Microbe sheds light on this question, revealing that oral microbes called fusobacteria may use the bloodstream to reach colorectal tumors. The findings also show exactly how these bacteria home in on colorectal tumors, where they proliferate and subsequently accelerate colorectal cancer.

"As fusobacteria contribute to colon tumor development, revealing the mechanism that guides them to the tumor and why fusobacteria become abundant there might inform ways of blocking this," says co-senior study author Wendy Garrett of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Dana-Farber Cancer Center. "Alternatively, and perhaps more importantly, if we know how fusobacteria localize and become enriched in colon tumors, hopefully we can utilize the same or similar mechanisms to guide and deliver cancer therapeutics to colon tumors."

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and microbes have emerged as key factors that influence the development and progression of the disease. Recent studies have shown that fusobacteria promote the formation of colon tumors in animals and are enriched in human colorectal tumors compared to adjacent normal tissue. But these studies left it unclear how bacteria from the mouth localize to, and become abundant in, colorectal tumors.

Garrett and co-senior study author Gilad Bachrach of the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine suspected that oral microbes might reach colorectal tumors through the bloodstream. To test this idea, they injected fusobacteria into the tail veins of two mouse models with either precancerous or malignant colorectal tumors. In both types of mice, the fusobacteria became enriched in colorectal tumors compared to adjacent normal tissue. The researchers also detected fusobacteria in the majority of human colorectal cancer metastases tested, but not in most samples taken from tumor-free liver biopsies.

Using human samples and mouse models, the researchers went on to discover that the Fap2 protein located on the surface of fusobacteria recognizes a sugar called Gal-GalNac, which is abundant on the surface of colorectal tumor cells. Additional experiments showed that Fap2 mediates fusobacterial colonization of colorectal cancer tumors and metastases. Recent studies have shown that this protein also impairs the ability of the host immune system to kill tumor cells. Taken together, the findings suggest that fusobacteria travel through the bloodstream to reach colorectal tumors, and then use their Fap2 protein to bind to host cells and proliferate in tumors, thereby accelerating colorectal cancer.

"The strengths are that the study involved both human samples and mouse models. The weakness is that the available mouse models for colorectal adenocarcinoma do not completely reflect the slowly developing disease in humans," Bachrach says. "Based on our findings, it's too early to say whether we can prevent mouth bacteria from traveling through blood to the colon and promoting tumor formation or if some people are more at risk than others."

In future studies, the researchers will further examine how fusobacteria contribute to the development, growth, and spread of colorectal cancer. "Although it may not be possible to prevent oral microbes from entering the bloodstream and reaching colorectal tumors, our findings suggest that drugs targeting either Fap2 or Gal-GalNac could potentially prevent these bacteria from exacerbating colorectal cancer," Garrett says.

--------- 

This work was supported by the Israel Cancer Research Fund Project, the Israel Science Foundation, and a Hoffman-LaRoche research grant. Dr. Garrett is a SAB member of Evelo Therapeutics and Synlogic and consults for Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

Cell Host & Microbe, Abed and Emgard et al.: "Fap2 Mediates Fusobacterium nucleatum Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Enrichment by Binding to Tumor-Expressed Gal-GalNAc" https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(16)30305-5

Cell Host & Microbe (@cellhostmicrobe), published by Cell Press, is a monthly journal that publishes novel findings and translational studies related to microbes (which include bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses). The unifying theme is the integrated study of microbes in conjunction and communication with each other, their host, and the cellular environment they inhabit. Visit: https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) has awarded a $100,000 grant to the American Dental Education Association Minority Dental Faculty Development and Inclusion (ADEA MDFDI) program to continue diversity leadership training for allied dental professionals, such as dental hygienists, in an effort to address oral health disparities experienced by vulnerable children and their communities. The funding completes a two-year grant.

The ADEA MDFDI program seeks to develop new, more diverse generations of allied dental health professionals as a unique strategy to meet the significant unmet need for dental care across the United States, especially among children and adolescents.

“We know that patients from diverse ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to seek health care from a minority provider,” said Richard W. Valachovic, D.M.D, M.P.H., ADEA President and CEO. “That’s what this whole approach is about—ensuring these patients have somewhere to go for dental care that meets their needs.”

In addition, trends show that health professionals from underserved areas often return to those areas to practice. “This new funding from the Kellogg Foundation simultaneously allows teams of dental professionals to provide care to communities in need today and helps create a dental workforce better prepared for tomorrow’s growing and more diverse nation,” says Jeanne C. Sinkford, D.D.S., Ph.D., ADEA Senior Scholar in Residence.

Over 108 million Americans lack dental insurance and thus access to dental care—and children in underserved communities are disproportionately affected by this epidemic. Untreated dental caries (cavities) was more than twice as high for Hispanic children (26%) and for non-Hispanic black adolescents ages 13–15 (25%) compared with non-Hispanic white children and adolescents, respectively.

ADEA MDFDI partner schools, via more than 130 academic/community collaborations, will work under the program to extend its efforts to geographic areas with new or no existing dental schools. These new partners will work hand-in-hand with dental and allied dental faculty to provide dental and preventive care to children and adolescents in underserved areas.

More information on the ADEA MDFDI program, including a free, downloadable toolkit with academic leadership mentoring strategies, is available here.

About ADEA: The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is The Voice of Dental Education. Its members include all 76 U.S. and Canadian dental schools, over 800 allied and advanced dental education programs, 66 corporations and more than 20,000 individuals. The mission of ADEA is to lead institutions and individuals in the dental education community to address contemporary issues influencing education, research and the delivery of oral health care for the overall health and safety of the public. ADEA’s activities encompass a wide range of research, advocacy, faculty development, meetings and communications, including the esteemed Journal of Dental Education, as well as the dental school admissions services ADEA AADSAS, ADEA PASS, ADEA DHCAS and ADEA CAAPID. For more information about ADEA, visit adea.org.

About WKKF: The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Mich., and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - August 09, 2016) - According to the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), flossing is an integral part of a comprehensive oral health routine. The AAP is a leading dental group representing more than 8,000 periodontists, the recognized experts in diagnosing, treating, and preventing periodontal disease, commonly referred to as gum disease. Although a recent report from the Associated Press found much of the research behind flossing's effectiveness on oral health to be weak or unreliable, periodontists agree that keeping the spaces between your teeth clean is paramount in ensuring healthy teeth and gums.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services removed flossing from the federal 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, citing the gap in quality research. However, the AAP continues to recommend daily flossing as part of a complete oral health regime. Along with brushing twice a day and receiving an annual comprehensive periodontal evaluation, flossing is crucial to preventing periodontal disease.

According to Dr. Wayne Aldredge, President of the American Academy of Periodontology, "Gum disease is typically caused when prolonged exposure to bacteria in dental plaque causes an inflammatory reaction. Flossing is an effective and useful way to remove the plaque, especially in between the teeth or under the gum line-places where a toothbrush cannot reach."

Gingivitis, the mildest form of periodontal disease, is often reversible with periodontal therapy and diligent home care. If left untreated, gingivitis can progress into more severe periodontal disease, a leading cause of tooth loss that may also increase the risk of developing other systemic disease, such as heart disease and diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 50 percent of American adults age 30 and older have some form of periodontal disease.

"If you have bleeding gums, loose teeth, or bad breath, you may have gum disease," says Dr. Aldredge. "However, some people are more susceptible to periodontal disease than others, like those who smoke, people with diabetes, or those with a family history of gum disease. Therefore, it's essential that in addition to diligent oral hygiene-which includes flossing-patients receive an annual comprehensive periodontal evaluation each year. Those diagnosed with or at risk for periodontal disease should seek the care of a periodontist, a dental expert specially trained to treat the gums."

To learn more about periodontal disease or to find a periodontist in your area, visit perio.org.

About the American Academy of Periodontology

The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) is an 8,200-member professional organization for periodontists-specialists in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases affecting the gums and supporting structures of the teeth. Periodontists are also dentistry's experts in the treatment of oral inflammation as well as the placement of dental implants, receiving three additional years of specialized training following dental school. Periodontics is one of the nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association. For more information, visit perio.org.

ORLANDO, F.L. (Aug. 10, 2016)-Thousands of doctors, hygienists, lab technicians, front office managers, office assistants and countless other dental professionals will converge within the next few days in Orlando at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort to experience the ultimate dental meeting.

Launching tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 11, SIROWORLD is expected to provide invaluable, necessary and applied practices and education to all attendees during this three-day event.

“We’re ecstatic to be here in Orlando to kick off SIROWORLD and offer superlative education to newcomers of Dentsply Sirona events as well as dedicated attendees who have joined us at various prolific events, like the CEREC anniversary celebrations,” said Group Senior Vice President of the Commercial Organization Michael Augins.

Dentsply Sirona will provide all dental professionals the opportunity to gain new ideas and innovative means to better build and manage their practice through SIROWORLD.

The meeting comprises 11 specialized educational tracks with approximately 200 breakout sessions led by more than 150 clinical, business and marketing experts. The comprehensive educational content along with the fitness activities and entertainment events planned make for a vigorous and unforgettable meeting.

The groundbreaking general sessions and track-specific breakout sessions offer up to 18 CE credits for attendees. Similar to previous events, attendees will choose and participate in breakouts that best suit their professional needs by attending specific sessions within one track or mixing and matching sessions within multiple tracks.

“The clinical and educational offerings at SIROWORLD represent a culmination of our vision to empower all dental professionals through various platforms and our dedication to the ongoing betterment and enhancement of dentistry,” said Director of Clinical CAD/CAM and co-chair of SIROWORLD Ingo Zimmer.

The 95,000 square-foot trade show floor exhibiting the leading products, services and technologies in dentistry is an impressive addition to this already-robust event. The trade show will be open on each day of the event. (Hours vary, check the SIROWORLD Mobile App to stay up-to-date on trade show hours.)

As per tradition, inspirational and captivating celebrity guests are slated to engage attendees during the ultimate dental meeting, including Sir Richard Branson, Jerry Seinfeld, Connie Podesta and OneRepublic. (Reference the SIROWORLD Mobile App for dates, times and locations.)

For more details on the SIROWORLD agenda, speakers, locations, dates and times, please refer to the SIROWORLD Mobile App available for Apple and Android mobile devices.

Follow what’s happening throughout SIROWORLD on Facebook at CERECbySirona and on twitter at @CERECbySirona. 

CHICAGO, July 7, 2016 – The edentulous maxilla often presents with a range of challenges and solutions that can be difficult for individual clinicians to navigate. To help them make choices that best utilize current research—and improve the quality and efficiency of patient care—the Academy of Osseointegration (AO)has expanded its current Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) to include management of patients with no teeth in the upper jaw.

“Advanced technology has provided dentistry with enhanced diagnostic tools, improved materials and better prosthetic options for managing the edentulous maxilla, making a growing number of patients eligible for implant therapy as opposed to the traditional denture,” said AO Board Member Clark Stanford DDS, PhD, UIC Distinguished Professor and Dean, College of Dentistry University of Illinois at Chicago. “Responsibilities for clinicians managing the edentulous maxilla have also multiplied, which is why AO sought to define the issues, develop a process and create a model that can quickly be applied to practice.”   

To arrive at these Guidelines, in August 2014 AO hosted a Consensus Summit that brought together 120 global scientists and clinicians—including representatives from the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons(AAOMS), the American Academy of Periodontology(AAP) and the American College of Prosthodontists(ACP)—to conduct a systematic review of the current literature, clinical information and accepted treatment approaches for management of the edentulous maxilla. Summit co-chairs were Dr. Stanford and Ole T. Jensen, DDS, MS. Committee members included Gustavo Avila-Ortiz, DDS, MS, PhD; Lyndon F. Cooper, DDS, PhD; Jeffrey Ganeles, DMD; Sree Koka, DDS, MS, PhD; and Jay P. Malmquist, DMD.

Results of this Summit, including supporting systematic reviews and detailed CPGs are now available in a special edition of the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants (JOMI)—the official journal of the AO—Volume 31, Supplement 2016. AO members can now access this Supplement by signing into the member section of the Academy’s website: osseo.org.  

“The next step is to gain approval by the National Guidelines Clearing House, which provides a formal policy-based stamp of approval to help drive adoption across the profession,” said Dr. Stanford.

The Guidelines coverfive domain areas defined as: (1) role of grafting for ridge development for implant placement; (2) role of implant design and systems in management of the edentulous maxilla; (3) role of imaging to guide implant placement; (4) role of biologics to assist in ridge development; and (5) role of prosthetic management.

These domains address key questions clinicians should consider for each specific patient, including: What is the maxillary/mandibular ridge relationship? What is the quality and quantity of available hard and soft tissue? Can the patient maintain adequate oral hygiene? Do habits or disease put this patient in an at-risk category?

“Management of the edentulous maxilla cannot be one size fits all,” said AO Board Member Tara L. Aghaloo, DDS, MD, PhD, Professor and Assistant Dean for Clinical Research, Division of Diagnostic and Surgical Services, University of California–Los Angeles School of Dentistry. “That’s why clinical practice guidelines are so important for dentistry, especially implant dentistry. Some treatment options require advanced training and skill, and should not be performed by less experienced clinicians, at least not without the proper training.”

“The future is extremely bright for the management of the edentulous maxilla, whether it is severely atrophic or not,” added Dr. Aghaloo. “It is apparent that technology will continue to improve, resulting in implants that can be loaded sooner and used in more compromised sites.” 

Watching cartoons through video glasses during dental treatment could help lessen children’s anxiety and distress as well as reducing disruptive behavior, according to a randomized controlled trial published in Acta Odontologia Scandinavica.

Anxiety about visiting the dentist and during treatment is common in children. Estimates suggest that as many as 1 in 5 school-aged children are afraid of dentists. Children with dental phobias end up experiencing more dental pain and are more disruptive during treatment. Although studies have shown that audiovisual distraction (eg, playing video games and watching TV) can be successful in minimizing distress and the perception of pain during short invasive medical procedures, the issue of whether distraction is beneficial during dental procedures is still hotly debated. Research to date has produced conflicting results.

In this study, 56 "uncooperative" children (aged 7 to 9 years) attending a dental clinic at the Royal College of Dentistry, King Saud University in Saudi Arabia were randomly assigned to receive either audiovisual distraction (watching their favorite cartoons using the eyeglass system Merlin i-theatre™) or no distraction (control group). Children underwent three separate (max 30 min) treatment visits involving an oral examination, injection with local anaesthetic, and tooth restoration. The researchers measured the anxiety levels and cooperative behavior of the children during each visit using an anxiety and behavior scale, and monitored each child’s vital signs, blood pressure, and pulse (indirect measures of anxiety). Children also rated their own anxiety and pain during each procedure.

During treatment, the children in the distraction group exhibited significantly less anxiety and showed more cooperation than those in the control group, particularly during the local anaesthetic injection. What’s more, the average pulse rate of children in the control group was significantly higher during the injection compared with children in the distraction group. However, the children themselves did not report differences in treatment-related pain and anxiety.

The authors conclude that audiovisual distraction seems to be a useful technique to calm children and ensure that they can be given the dental treatment they need. However, they caution that because of the limited number of participants, further larger studies will be needed in general clinical settings to confirm the value of this audiovisual distraction tool.

Read the full article online:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00016357.2016.1206211