Body dissatisfaction and appearance concerns predict the development of serious psychological problems including depressive symptoms, health risk behaviours such as smoking and clinical eating disorders. In addition to cosmetic dental procedures, body dissatisfaction is of particular relevance to dental care as a predictor of disordered eating behaviours which frequently have a negative impact on dental health. This paper reviews the negative impact of body dissatisfaction and risk and protective factors for body image problems. Research into biological, psychological and social risk factors will be discussed including the recent findings of a relationship between social media use and body image concerns. Our understanding of risk factors for body dissatisfaction has guided the development of prevention and therapy interventions. As dentists may observe the dental results of an eating disorder, their role in secondary prevention is discussed.
The infected canal is the root cause of apical periodontitis. Bacteria that colonize the root canal system are not free floating, but exist as a biofilm attaching on the canal wall. Management of the infected root canal has customarily been achieved via chemomechanical preparation, with numerous studies in the 21st century focusing on mechanical debridement or instrumentation techniques. In the new millennium, there is a shift in research emphasis to removal of the endodontic biofilm by various physical and chemical means. This presentation examines various clinical strategies, and explores newer and potentially more effective approach to combat the root canal biofilm.
Probiotic bacteria are live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. The background thinking is that a harmless effector strain is implanted in the hostu0027s microflora to maintain or restore the natural microbiome by interference and/or inhibition of other microorganisms. Typically, probiotic bacteria are natural species belonging to the Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium genera but host effects are strain specific. In addition to locally-induced oral events, systemic effects through immunomodulation have been demonstrated although a permanent colonization of probiotic bacteria seems unlikely. Recent clinical trials have gathered evidence of probiotic effectiveness in caries prevention, gingival and periodontal health. Studies in early childhood have suggested a metabolic domino effect with long-term improvements of oral and general health according to the common risk factor approach. The use probiotics may be a valuable adjunct to the established methods in preventing and combating caries and other oral diseases.
Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification, assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual. Palliative care is not just about end of life care. What it does is provide relief of these symptoms while a patient continues to receive disease-controlling treatment. In this sense palliative care is about living better with life limiting illnesses, not just focussing on the terminal phase. There are problems with how Australians are dying, but access to good-quality palliative care can change that. As a society we need to invest more in giving people more time to live as well as they can for as long as they can. However we all require honesty in communication to have sufficient time to prepare for death.
