Search

The article presents a study which investigates on the relation of cigarette smoking in the bioavailability of metronidazole in plasma and saliva. The study was conducted to 13 nonsmokers who received single oral dose of 750 milligrams of metronidazole and used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to quantify the concentrates of metronidazole in plasma and saliva. The study reveals reduction in plasma concentration in smokers compared nonsmokers.

Objective: Paresthesia is an adverse event that may be associated with the administration of local anesthetics in dentistry. The purpose of this retrospective study was to analyze cases of paresthesia associated with local anesthetic injection that were voluntarily reported to Ontario's Professional Liability Program (PLP) from 1999 to 2008 inclusive, to see if the findings were consistent with those from 1973 to 1998 from this same source. Materials and Methods: All cases of nonsurgical paresthesia reported from 1999 to 2008 were reviewed; cases involving surgical procedures were excluded. Variables examined included patient age and gender, type and volume of local anesthetic, anatomic site of nerve injury, affected side and pain on injection or any other symptoms. Results: During the study period, 182 PLP reports of paresthesia following nonsurgical procedures were made; all but 2 were associated with mandibular block injection. There was no significant gender predilection, but the lingual nerve was affected more than twice as frequently as the inferior alveolar nerve. During 2006-2008 alone, 64 cases of nonsurgical paresthesia were reported to PLP, a reported incidence of 1 in 609,000 injections. For the 2 local anesthetic drugs available in dental cartridges as 4% solutions, i.e., articaine and prilocaine, the frequencies of reporting of paresthesia were significantly greater than expected (χ2, exact binomial distribution; p < 0.01) based on their level of use by Ontario dentists. These data suggest that local anesthetic neurotoxicity may be at least partly involved in the development of postinjection paresthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permanent paresthesia following a local anesthetic injection is a possible adverse event. Epidemiological studies have suggested that the 4% solutions used in dentistry, namely prilocaine and articaine, are more highly associated with this occurrence. This article reviews the epidemiological evidence regarding articaine and paresthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local anesthetics are the most commonly used drugs in dentistry. This article provides a brief update on the pharmacology; adverse effects and clinical applications of these drugs, as well as the role of vasoconstrictors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and opioids are available as analgesics in dentistry. They each have specific advantages, disadvantages, indications and contraindications. This article provides a brief review of their role in the management of acute postoperative pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resistance of bacteria, fungi and viruses to antimicrobials is increasing rapidly, with deleterious consequences. Dentistry's role in this development is unclear, because the necessary information has not yet been collected. Nevertheless, dentists should recognize that it is essential to use antimicrobials in an appropriate and responsible manner, both to treat infection effectively, and to minimize the likelihood that the bacteria in the general population will develop resistance to antimicrobials. The purpose of this article is to make dentists aware of the concerns raised by antimicrobial resistance, and how it can be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the use of automated external defibrillator (AED) in dentistry. It mentions that the prevalence of sudden cardiac arrest among people despite widespread skills in basic life support prompted the development of AED. It emphasizes the need for dentists to be trained in the utilization of defibrillator.