scholarly journals Clinical benefits and adverse effects of siwak (S. persica) use on periodontal health: a scoping review of literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haslinda Ramli ◽  
Tuti Ningseh Mohd-Dom ◽  
Shahida Mohd-Said

Abstract Background Siwak is a chewing stick used as an oral hygiene aid associated with Muslim communities across the globe since more than 1500 years ago. Used either exclusively or in conjunction with a regular toothbrush, there is evidence supporting its clinical effectiveness in plaque control, but adverse effects on periodontal health remains inconclusive. Objective This study aims to systematically review the wide range of data and literatures related to siwak practice and its effect on periodontal health. Method The review was conducted based on scoping review techniques, searching literature in EBSCOHOST, PubMed, SCOPUS and Google scholar databases using the following search terms: “siwak’ or ‘miswak’ or ‘chewing stick” for intervention, and “periodontium or ‘periodontal’ or ‘periodontal health’ or ‘periodontal disease” for outcome. Articles published between January 1990 to March 2021 and written in English language were included. Results A total of 721 articles collected from the search and 21 of them were eligible for the final analysis. Results of this study was described based on clinical and antibacterial reporting of siwak, method of siwak practice and its adverse effect on oral health. Siwak was found effective at removing dental plaque and improving periodontal health over time although its effect on subgingival microbiota was inconclusive. Presence of gingival recession and clinical attachment loss were much more commonly reported in siwak users, attributable to variations in the methods employed for tooth cleaning using the siwak. Conclusion There is substantial evidence that the lack of standardised reporting for effective siwak use may have resulted in contradictory findings about its oral hygiene benefits and adverse effects. As such, future work on safe and effective siwak practice is to be advocated among its users.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haslinda Ramli ◽  
Tuti Ningseh Mohd-Dom ◽  
Shahida Mohd-Said

Abstract Background: Siwak is a chewing stick used as an oral hygiene aid associated with Muslim communities across the globe since more than 1500 years ago. Used either exclusively or in conjunction with a regular toothbrush, there is evidence supporting its clinical effectiveness in plaque control, but adverse effects on periodontal health remains inconclusive. Objective: This study aims to systematically review the wide range of data and literatures related to siwak practice and its effect on periodontal health. Method: The review was conducted based on scoping review techniques, searching literature in EBSCOHOST, PubMed, SCOPUS and Google scholar databases using the following search terms: “siwak’ or ‘miswak’ or ‘chewing stick” for intervention, and “periodontium or ‘periodontal’ or ‘periodontal health’ or ‘periodontal disease” for outcome. Articles published between January 1990 to March 2021 and written in English language were included Results: A total of 721 articles collected from the search and 21 of them were eligible for the final analysis. Results of this study was described based on clinical and antibacterial reporting of siwak, method of siwak practice and its adverse effect on oral health. Siwak was found effective at removing dental plaque and improving periodontal health over time although its effect on subgingival microbiota was inconclusive. Presence of gingival recession and clinical attachment loss were much more commonly reported in siwak users, attributable to variations in the methods employed for tooth cleaning using the siwak.Conclusion: There is substantial evidence that the lack of standardised reporting for effective siwak use may have resulted in contradictory findings about its oral hygiene benefits and adverse effects. As such, future work on safe and effective siwak practice is to be advocated among its users.


Homeopathy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raj Kumar Manchanda ◽  
Meeta Gupta ◽  
Ankit Gupta ◽  
Robbert van Haselen

Abstract Background Signaling molecules such as cytokines and interleukins are key mediators for the immune response in responding to internal or external stimuli. Homeopathically prepared signaling molecules have been used therapeutically for about five decades. However, these types of products are not available in many countries and their usage by homoeopaths is also infrequent. The aim of this scoping review is to map the available pre-clinical and clinical data related to the therapeutic use of homeopathically prepared signaling molecules. Methods We conducted a scoping review of clinical and pre-clinical studies of therapeutically used signaling molecules that have been prepared in accordance with an officially recognized homeopathic pharmacopoeia. Articles in peer-reviewed journals reporting original clinical or pre-clinical research of homeopathically prepared signaling molecules such as interleukins, cytokines, antibodies, growth factors, neuropeptides and hormones, were eligible. Non-English language papers were excluded, unless we were able to obtain an English translation. An appraisal of eligible studies took place by rating the direction of the outcomes on a five-point scale. The quality of the papers was not systematically assessed. Results Twenty-eight eligible papers, reporting findings for four different manufacturers' products, were identified and reviewed. Seventeen papers reported pre-clinical studies, and 11 reported clinical studies (six experimental, five observational). A wide range of signaling molecules, as well as normal T-cell expressed specific nucleic acids, were used. A majority of the products (21 of 28) contained two or more signaling molecules. The most common clinical indications were psoriasis, vitiligo, rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory allergies, polycystic ovary syndrome, and herpes. The direction of the outcomes was positive in 26 papers and unclear in two papers. Conclusion This scoping review found that there is a body of evidence on the use of homeopathically prepared signaling molecules. From a homeopathy perspective, these substances appear to have therapeutic potential. Further steps to explore this potential are warranted.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 614-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Cerroni ◽  
Guido Pasquantonio ◽  
Roberta Condò ◽  
Loredana Cerroni

Background: Periodontal implications of orthodontic therapy are frequent, gingival and periodontal conditions need to be evaluated for every appointment. Several studies have analyzed the effects of fixed appliance on periodontal health. Objective: To evaluate whether there is updated scientific evidence on the relationship between fixed orthodontic therapy and periodontal health. Methods: A literature search was performed using the Pubmed and Cochrane databases and manual search; the search was carried out using the keywords “orthodontic” and “periodontal”. Articles published only in the English language from January 1997 to April 2017 were included. The inclusion criteria were: RCTs, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies and case-control studies only in English language; only studies on humans, with a minimum sample size of 20 patients and no restriction in terms of patient ages; orthodontic fixed appliances placed into the buccal tooth surface; standardization and training in oral hygiene; Periodontal Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), Bleeding on Probing (BOP), Pocket Probing Depth (PPD), at least at baseline (before appliance was placed) and after follow up (with a minimum period of 3 months). The exclusion criteria were as follows: absence of baseline data before fixed appliances was placed; patients with systemic diseases, periodontal disease or craniofacial anomalies; removable appliances or orthodontic appliance on the lingual dental surface; and no standardization or training in oral hygiene. Studies were selected by abstract and title; then, inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. The studies that satisfied the inclusion criteria were evaluated and classified as having low, moderate or high methodology quality. Results: Fifty-five records were reviewed on the basis of title and abstract. After full-text reading, 47 full texts were excluded, and 3 articles were classified as having low methodological quality and 5 as having moderate methodological quality. Conclusions: The present systematic analysis suggests that there is moderate scientific evidence that a fixed appliance influences periodontal status; no article reported a high score.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salima S. Mithani ◽  
A. Brianne Bota ◽  
David T. Zhu ◽  
Kumanan Wilson

Abstract Background: Globally, measures such as lockdown, quarantining, and physical distancing have been implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19. As the vaccines are now available and reintegration into the society is beginning, measures such as vaccine certificates are being implemented around the world. Objective: The objective of the scoping review is to identify the initial digital solutions available globally for COVID-19 vaccine certificates and evaluate them on the basis of purpose and use case, technological architecture, and ethical and legal implications. Methods: We conducted a Google search on November 18 and 19, 2020 as well as a search of Embase on November 26, 2020, Ovid MEDLINE and preprint servers (MedRXIV, BioRXIV). The search terms used were “coronavirus”, “COVID-19”, “SARS COV2”, “immunization passport”, “immunization certificate”, “vaccine certificate”, “vaccination certificate” and “digital”. Articles were included for review if they included any discussion of a digital solution for vaccine certificates and English language. Data was extracted using an electronic data extraction form and included date, location, type of article, source, companies identified, technology used, type of evidence provided, digital architecture, security and privacy measures, and use cases. The articles were categorized based on the following six pre-identified themes: 1) legal, 2) technology, 3) ethics, 4) travel, 5) policy, and 6) science. Results: A total of 70 articles were included in the final analysis. Technology emerged as the most dominant theme, appearing in 58.5% (n=41) articles followed by ethics (n=22, 31%), travel (n=21, 30%), legal concerns (n=10, 14%), public policy (n=9, 13%), and scientific concerns (n=1, 1.5%. Our review identified 8 global solutions that are working towards COVID-19 vaccine certificate, all optimizing blockchain technology. COVID-19 vaccine certificates are being considered in 13 countries and are in place in 3 countries. All the solutions we identified are using blockchain technology.Conclusion: Several countries have implemented or are considering COVID-19 vaccine certificates. Many issues concerning the themes we identified remain to be addressed to facilitate successful implementation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Munad Jihad Al duliamy

Background: During the course of fixed orthodontic therapy, it is difficult to maintain high standard oral hygiene care by mechanical tooth cleaning only. Therefore, mouthwashes are commonly used as adjunct for mechanical tooth cleaning. Most of the mouthwashes are chemicals and have a wide range of side effects. Plant extracts have stood the test of time as safe inexpensive and available remedy for providing general health care. Objective: The present study attempted to evaluate the efficacy of gargling with aqueous extract of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) on the oral hygiene status of patients wearing fixed orthodontic appliances. Methods: Eleven male patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances were recruited in the study. All patients were given the same oral hygiene regimen during the study period. Clinical evaluation of OPI (orthodontic plaque index) and salivary streptococcus mutans count were recorded at the first activation visit (three weeks after placement of the orthodontic appliances) which considered the baseline visit and after one week of gargling with the extract. The data were statistically analyzed with SPSS (version 21) using Paired Samples t-test. Result: The results of the statistical analysis revealed that, there were highly significant reductions in both OPI and salivary streptococcus mutans count after one week gargling with aqueous extract of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). Conclusion: The present finding concluded that, aqueous extract of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) could be use as a promising ingredient in manufacturing mouthwashs and other dental supplies that contribute in maintaining good oral hygiene during the course of orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. e053519
Author(s):  
Jennifer Jooyoung Lee ◽  
Jerri C Price ◽  
Jennifer Gewandter ◽  
Bethea A Kleykamp ◽  
Katherine V Biagas ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo conduct a scoping review of sedation clinical trials in the paediatric intensive care setting and summarise key methodological elements.DesignScoping review.Data sourcesPubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and grey references including ClinicalTrials.gov from database inception to 3 August 2021.Study selectionAll human trials in the English language related to sedation in paediatric critically ill patients were included. After title and abstract screening, full-text review was performed. 29 trials were eligible for final analysis.Data extractionA coding manual was developed and pretested. Trial characteristics were double extracted.ResultsThe majority of trials were single centre (22/29, 75.9%), parallel group superiority (17/29, 58.6%), double-blinded (18/29, 62.1%) and conducted in an academic setting (29/29, 100.0%). Trial enrolment (≥90% planned sample size) was achieved in 65.5% of trials (19/29), and retention (≥90% enrolled subjects) in 72.4% of trials (21/29). Protocol violations were reported in nine trials (31.0%). The most commonly studied cohorts were mechanically ventilated patients (28/29, 96.6%) and postsurgical patients (11/29, 37.9%) with inclusion criteria for age ranging from 0±0.5 to 15.0±7.3 years (median±IQR). The median age of enrolled patients was 1.7 years (IQR=4.4 years). Patients excluded from trials were those with neurological impairment (21/29, 72.4%), complex disease (20/29, 69.0%) or receipt of neuromuscular blockade (10/29, 34.5%). Trials evaluated drugs/protocols for sedation management (20/29, 69.0%), weaning (3/29, 10.3%), daily interruption (3/29, 10.3%) or protocolisation (3/29, 10.3%). Primary outcome measures were heterogeneous, as were assessment instruments and follow-up durations.ConclusionsThere is substantial heterogeneity in methodological approach in clinical trials evaluating sedation in critically ill paediatric patients. These results provide a basis for the design of future clinical trials to improve the quality of trial data and aid in the development of sedation-related clinical guidelines.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Bramley ◽  
Caroline Norrie ◽  
Jill Manthorpe

Purpose People experiencing homelessness are being identified as a potentially vulnerable group in relation to gambling-related harm. The purpose of this paper is to explore the links between gambling-related harm and homelessness. Design/methodology/approach A scoping review of the English-language literature was conducted in 2016-2017 using a wide range of international sources. Qualitative content analysis was employed to code and identify key themes within the literature. Findings Five themes were identified: emerging knowledge about why people experiencing homelessness may participate in gambling; emerging knowledge about the prevalence of gambling within the homeless population; the likelihood that gambling-related harm is under-reported within the homeless population; emerging knowledge about the extent that people experiencing homelessness access gambling support services; and limited awareness about the potential impact of gambling participation among people experiencing homelessness. Originality/value The paper reviews research concerning the links between gambling, gambling-related harm and homelessness, which may be relevant to those working with people experiencing homelessness.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuka Asada ◽  
Lisa D. Lieberman ◽  
Leah C. Neubauer ◽  
Rosie Hanneke ◽  
Michael C. Fagen

Structural change approaches—also known as policy and environmental changes—are becoming increasingly common in health promotion, yet our understanding of how to evaluate them is still limited. An exploratory scoping review of the literature was conducted to understand approaches and methods used to evaluate structural change interventions in health promotion and public health literature. Two analysts—along with health sciences librarian consultation—searched PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE for peer-reviewed U.S.-based, English language studies published between 2005 and 2016. Data were extracted on the use of evaluation frameworks, study designs, duration of evaluations, measurement levels, and measurement types. Forty-five articles were included for the review. Notably, the majority (73%) of studies did not report application of a specific evaluation framework. Studies used a wide range of designs, including process evaluations, quasi- or nonexperimental designs, and purely descriptive approaches. In addition, 15.6% of studies only measured outcomes at the individual level. Last, 60% of studies combined more than one measurement type (e.g., site observation + focus groups) to evaluate interventions. Future directions for evaluating structural change approaches to health promotion include more widespread use and reporting of evaluation frameworks, developing validated tools that measure structural change, and shifting the focus to health-directed approaches, including an expanded consideration for evaluation designs that address health inequities.


Author(s):  
Mohammed Adinoyi Usman

Abstract Objectives: Although the importance of ketamine in clinical practice and in resource-poor settings and disaster zones, several attempts were made to reschedule it because of the issues around its misuse. Resisting future moves to reschedule ketamine is important for its continuous availability where needed. This scoping review addresses the question of whether ketamine should or should not be banned and the state of preparedness of low resource settings if ketamine petitions become successful in the future. Methods: A search was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar to identify articles published in the English language from March 2015 to August 2020. The articles were searched with a wide range of priori search terms related to the research questions. The selection of articles was based on relevance and eligibility. Results: Seventy-five articles were selected and grouped into 4 ethical themes. The search revealed that several articles addressed the importance of ketamine, pharmacology, misuse, supply, and consequences of a ketamine ban; however, none addressed how resource-poor countries should prepare for a future without the overreliance of ketamine. Conclusion: Four ketamine petitions in about 10 years are an indication that another may resurface soon; therefore, it is important to continue to study the clinical importance of ketamine while discouraging its overreliance for clinical practice.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salima S. Mithani ◽  
A. Brianne Bota ◽  
David T. Zhu ◽  
Kumanan Wilson

Abstract Background: Globally, measures such as lockdown, quarantining, and physical distancing have been implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19. As the vaccines are now available and reintegration into society is beginning, measures such as vaccine certificates are being implemented around the world.Objective: The objective of the scoping review is to identify the existing digital solutions available globally for COVID-19 vaccine certificates and evaluate them on the basis of purpose and use case, technological architecture, and ethical and legal implications.Methods: We conducted a Google search as well as a search of Embase, Ovid MEDLINE and preprint servers (MedRXIV, BioRXIV). The search terms used were “coronavirus”, “COVID-19”, “SARS COV2”, “immunization passport”, “immunization certificate”, “vaccine certificate”, “vaccination certificate” and “digital”. Articles were included for review if they included any discussion of a digital solution for vaccine certificates and English language. Data was extracted using an electronic data extraction form and included date, location, type of article, source, companies identified, technology used, type of evidence provided, digital architecture, security and privacy measures, and use cases. The articles were categorized based on the following six pre-identified themes: 1) legal, 2) technology, 3) ethics, 4) travel, 5) policy, and 6) science. Results: A total of 70 articles were included in the final analysis. Technology emerged as the most dominant theme, appearing in 58.5% (n=41) articles followed by ethics (n=22, 31%), travel (n=21, 30%), legal concerns (n=10, 14%), public policy (n=9, 13%), and scientific concerns (n=1, 1.5%. Our review identified 8 global solutions that are working towards COVID-19 vaccine certificate, all optimizing blockchain technology. COVID-19 vaccine certificates are being considered in 13 countries and are in place in 3 countries. All the solutions we identified are using blockchain technology.Conclusion: Several countries have implemented or are considering COVID-19 vaccine certificates. Many issues concerning the themes we identified remain to be addressed to facilitate successful implementation.


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