Featured Review: Routine scale and polish for periodontal health in adults

Examining evidence for routine scale and polish treatment – an updated reviewThe Cochrane Review 'Routine scale and polish for periodontal health in adults '  was carried out by authors working withCochrane Oral Health to assess the effects of routine scale and polish treatments for healthy adults and to establish whether different time intervals between treatments influence these effects. The review had aimed to compare the effectiveness of the treatment when given by a dentist compared to a dental therapist or hygienist, but there were no studies evaluating this comparison.This review updates the version published in 2013 and includes two studies with a total of 1711 participants. Both studies involved adults without severe periodontitis who were regular attenders at dental appointments in the UK. The studies were conducted in general dental practices, which is the most appropriate setting to evaluate ' routine scale and polish ' treatments.Dr. Thomas Lamont, lead author explains,“This evidence could help patients and dental professionals make informed decisions about routine scale and polish treatment - which can be also known as ‘prophylaxis’, ‘professional mechanical plaque removal’ and ‘periodontal instrumentation’ - as it questions the effectiveness of the traditional delivery of routine scale and polish treatment in primary dental care.“The studies found that regular planned scale and polish treatments didn’t reduce the early signs of gum dise...
Source: Cochrane News and Events - Category: Information Technology Authors: Source Type: news