2020 Articles

Background. The authors aimed to evaluate the efficacy of low-dose naltrexone in the management of chronic pain conditions and determine its potential use in orofacial pain management.

Background. The popularity and prevalence of electronic cigarette (EC) usage has continued to surge to 35 million worldwide, with one-half of users younger than 34 years. Despite emerging research suggesting deleterious oral health effects, the perceptions of EC users concerning oral health effects remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore knowledge, attitudes, and practices of young adults regarding the impact of EC use on oral health.

Key Words. Electronic cigarettes; vaping; nicotine; cessation.

Background. Decisions about children’s oral health care are made by parents. Parents’ dental insurance, dental service use, and perceived affordability all influence their children’s oral health care.

Key Words. Health policy; insurance, dental; Medicaid; oral health; oral health care use; oral health care for children.

Background. A virtual oral health care help line was established to provide consultation and triage for people with dental questions and concerns. Its goal during a pandemic was to keep patients from seeking unnecessary in-person care from emergency departments and urgent care clinics, especially when dental practices were closed or limited to providing essential urgent and emergency oral health care.

Key Words. Teledentistry; dental education; access to care; disease outbreaks; public health/community dentistry; pandemic.

Background. In 2007, the American Heart Association recommended that antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) be restricted to those at high risk of developing complications due to infective endocarditis (IE) undergoing invasive dental procedures. The authors aimed to estimate the appropriateness of AP prescribing according to type of dental procedure performed in patients at high risk, moderate risk, or low or unknown risk of developing IE complications.

Key Words. Infective endocarditis; antibiotic prophylaxis; dental procedures; guidelines; prevention; antibiotic stewardship; risk.

Background. Long-term survivors of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation will increasingly seek care from dental providers.

Background.The National Commission on Radiation Protection and Measurements has reinforced its recommendation for the use of rectangular collimation for intraoral radiography in its Report No. 177 published in 2019. This study compared effective dose (E) using circular and rectangular collimator (RC) modalities .

Key Words. Thermoluminescent dosimetry; radiologic phantom; dental radiography.

Background. Nonsurgical caries management, particularly silver diamine fluoride (SDF) and Hallstyle crowns, present alternative options for populations that have barriers to traditional treatment. The authors aimed to assess changes in the teaching and utilization of these modalities in pediatric dental residency programs.

Key Words. Nonsurgical caries management; silver diamine fluoride; Hall crowns; Hall technique; caries arrest; minimal intervention dentistry; pediatric dentistry.