[General health, healthcare costs and dental care use of elderly with differing oral status]. / Algemene gezondheid, zorgkosten en tandartsbezoek van ouderen met verschillende orale status.

Cross-sectional studies have shown that elderly with a natural dentition or implant-retained overdenture have better general health outcomes than elderly with conventional dentures. It is not known whether these findings would be confirmed in longitudinal studies of such groups of elderly. Therefore, in this study a large group of elderly (aged 75 and over) with a natural dentition (n = 143,199), an implant-retained overdenture (n = 6,503) or conventional denture (n=18,420) were followed over a period of 8 years. Elderly with conventional dentures had chronic conditions more often, used more medication and had higher healthcare costs. Remarkably, the general health outcomes of elderly with an implant-retained overdenture declined over the period of 8 years. At the time the implant-retained overdenture was placed, their general health profile seemed comparable to that of elderly with a natural dentition, but as time progressed it declined to the level of elderly with conventional dentures.

[Medicines and oral healthcare 3. Insurance coverage and qualification to prescribe]. / Medicamenten en mondzorg 3. Vergoeding en bevoegdheid tot voorschrijven.

On the advice of the National Health Care Institute in the Netherlands and the institute's Board of Scientific Advisors, the minister of Health, Welfare and Sport decides whether a certain drug will or will not be included in the list of drugs covered by the basic health insurance plan mandated for all Dutch citizens. In making this decision emphasis is placed on the therapeutic value of that particular drug compared to that of the standard drug for that disorder, the impact that the inclusion of the drug would have on the budget and the drug's cost-effectiveness. In the case of disorders that do not respond or respond insufficiently to the standard treatment, however, one comes up against the limitations of this system and in some cases a necessary treatment is not reimbursed. With respect to prescribing medications, dentists are qualified to prescribe, provided they are enrolled in the so-called BIG register [that recognises the qualifications of healthcare professionals in the Netherlands]. Dental hygienists, by contrast, are not qualified to prescribe and have to limit themselves to at most recommending over-the-counter medicines. In prescribing medicines, dentists are of course limited to those about which they have comprehensive knowledge and sufficient experience. If a dentist wants to prescibe a drug that is outside his or her own experience, then he or she should consult with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, general practitioner or medical specialist to determine whether the medication can be prescribed and if so, by whom.

Does a large dehiscent implant surface at placement affect the 5-year treatment outcome? An assessment of implants placed to support a maxillary overdenture.

The aim of this study was to assess the 5-year clinical and radiographic outcome of implants with a dehiscent surface at implant placement. A total of 26 consecutive patients (mean age 61.6 years; SD 8.0 years) with at least one implant with a dehiscent implant surface of ≥ two thirds of the implant length on the labial side were included. All implants were placed to support a maxillary overdenture. The implants were placed with adequate primary stability and the dehiscent surface was covered with autologous bone, inorganic bovine bone and a resorbable membrane. Outcome measures were soft tissue conditions, change of radiographic marginal bone level and implant survival. Baseline data (at loading, T0) were compared with 1-year (T1) and 5-year (T5) post loading data. Of the 116 implants, 40 implants had no dehiscence, 16 had a buccal dehiscence < two thirds of the implant length, and 60 implants had a dehiscence ≥ two thirds. The peri-implant tissues were healthy and 5-year marginal bone changes were well within normal limits (-0.4 mm; range: -0.8 to -0.1). One implant was lost during the osseointegration period. Even when implants are placed with a dehiscence ≥ two thirds of the buccal implant surface, favorable 5-year peri-implant health can be achieved provided these dehiscences are covered with autologous bone, inorganic bone and a resorbable membrane, and there is good initial stability of the implants.

[Problems with the availability of drugs in The Netherlands]. / Beschikbasrheidsproblemen van geneesmiddelen in Nederland.

The withdrawal ofa license to trade can result in problems with the availability of drugs. The reasons for withdrawal can be ofan economic nature, but the balance between effectiveness and side effects of a drug can also, after a period of time, prove disappointing and the drug can, as a result, be withdrawn from sale. A scarcity of basic materials, too, can play a role in availability, as can the inability of the manufacturer to meet the standards of the relevant authority.

[The workings of the Drug Bulletin]. / De werkwijze van het Geneesmiddelenbulletin.

The Dutch Drug Bulletin (Geneesmiddelenbulletin) is a monthly journal with a unique approach which, after a hectic period in which its independence and even its right to exist were threatened, has now reached calm water The continued existence of the Dutch Drug Bulletin is now guaranteed, independently of the pharmaceutical industry, the government, professional organizations and patient organizations. Articles appear in the Dutch Drug Bulletin after extensive consultation among various experts. Conclusions are based on the published (and hence controllable) results of randomized, preferably double-blind, studies with an appropriate control group. Departures from these standards are made only in highly exceptional cases. The Dutch Drug Bulletin determines the place of new drugs amongst the already available drugs and compares their effectiveness and side effects with those of the standard therapy. This approach guarantees that dentists and physicians are kept up to date with respect to developments in the field of pharmacology, without the pharmaceutical industry or the government exerting any influence.

A systematic review of salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia induced by cancer therapies: management strategies and economic impact.

PURPOSE: This systematic review aimed to assess the literature for management strategies and economic impact of salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia induced by cancer therapies and to determine the quality of evidence-based management recommendations. METHODS: The electronic databases of MEDLINE/PubMed and EMBASE were searched for articles published in English since the 1989 NIH Development Consensus Conference on the Oral Complications of Cancer Therapies until 2008 inclusive. For each article, two independent reviewers extracted information regarding study design, study population, interventions, outcome measures, results, and conclusions. RESULTS: Seventy-two interventional studies met the inclusion criteria. In addition, 49 intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) studies were included as a management strategy aiming for less salivary gland damage. Management guideline recommendations were drawn up for IMRT, amifostine, muscarinic agonist stimulation, oral mucosal lubricants, acupuncture, and submandibular gland transfer. CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence that salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia induced by cancer therapies can be prevented or symptoms be minimized to some degree, depending on the type of cancer treatment. Management guideline recommendations are provided for IMRT, amifostine, muscarinic agonist stimulation, oral mucosal lubricants, acupuncture, and submandibular gland transfer. Fields of sparse literature identified included effects of gustatory and masticatory stimulation, specific oral mucosal lubricant formulas, submandibular gland transfer, acupuncture, hyperbaric oxygen treatment, management strategies in pediatric cancer populations, and the economic consequences of salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia.

Prosthodontic rehabilitation of oral function in head-neck cancer patients with dental implants placed simultaneously during ablative tumour surgery: an assessment of treatment outcomes and quality of life.

The aim of this prospective study was to assess treatment outcome and impact on quality of life of prosthodontic rehabilitation with implant-retained prostheses in head-neck cancer patients. Fifty patients were evaluated by standardized questionnaires and clinical assessment. All received the implants during ablative tumour surgery in native bone in the interforaminal area. About two-thirds of the patients (n=31) needed radiotherapy post-surgery. Both in irradiated and non-irradiated bone two implants were lost 18-24 months after installation. Peri-implant tissues had a healthy appearance. No cases of osteoradionecrosis occurred. In 15 patients no functional implant-retained lower dentures could be made for various reasons. The other 35 patients all functioned well, with an improvement in quality of life. Major improvement was observed in the non-irradiated patients. In the irradiated patients, less improvement in many functional items was observed, while items related to the oral sequelae of radiotherapy did not improve. Similar to the quality-of-life assessments, denture satisfaction was improved and tended to be higher in non-irradiated than irradiated patients. Implant-retained lower dentures can substantially improve the quality of life related to oral functioning and denture satisfaction in head-neck cancer patients. This effect is greater in non-irradiated than irradiated cancer patients.

Secondary retention of permanent molars: an assessment of ankylosis by scanning electron and light microscopy.

Secondary retention refers to the cessation of eruption of a tooth after emergence. This may be the result of pathological changes in the periodontal ligament. The aim of this study was to describe the morphological and histological aspects of the radicular surface of secondarily retained permanent molars. The roots of 12 secondarily retained molars and two control molars, were examined by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM) in order to analyse the occurrence and localisation of ankylosis. With SEM it was observed that the root surface of retained molars showed local areas covered with bonelike tissue. LM of these areas showed that this tissue was bone in direct contact with the root surface (ankylosis). In 11 cases, the areas of ankylosis were observed in the bifurcation area and at the interradicular root surface. In the remaining case, ankylosis was located at the outer root surface. The results of this study endorse the assumption that focal ankylosis is an important factor in secondary retention. Treatment recommendations must be based on this fundamental principle, because orthodontic movement of ankylotic molars is not possible.