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Annals of Anatomy = Anatomischer... Jan 2023Tooth whitening is currently one of the most requested treatments to change the color of teeth. There are different types of whitening in the dental office and at home....
INTRODUCTION
Tooth whitening is currently one of the most requested treatments to change the color of teeth. There are different types of whitening in the dental office and at home. There are also many whitening agents on the market. Nowadays, the public has shown great interest in a new natural compound: activated charcoal. It has an abrasive effect and it is included in toothpastes to whiten teeth quickly and easily.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the systematic review is to perform a qualitative synthesis of the available literature on the use of activated charcoal-based toothpaste for tooth whitening.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
An electronic search was carried out in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. The search included the terms (charcoal-based OR activated charcoal OR charcoal OR soot) AND (toothpaste OR dentifrices OR bleaching OR oral hygiene OR enamel OR teeth). Inclusion criteria were articles that were published in English, that included activated charcoal toothpastes, that assessed the efficacy of activated charcoal bleaching and/or the safety of using activated charcoal toothpastes, that were conducted on humans or extracted teeth regardless of their origin and the year of publication.
RESULTS
Out of 208 articles, 11 met the inclusion criteria, the Risk of Bias of the selected studies was determined as medium-high. Regarding the whitening effect, there is a variety of results depending on the study: in some there are no significant differences between the proposed treatments and in others activated charcoal is not the most whitening agent. Regarding the abrasive effect, most studies agree that activated charcoal toothpaste has a higher abrasive potential.
CONCLUSION
Toothpastes based on activated charcoal possess a lower whitening effect than other alternatives and can be considered as less safe due to its high abrasive potential.
Topics: Humans; Toothpastes; Bleaching Agents; Charcoal; Tooth Bleaching; Tooth
PubMed: 36183933
DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2022.151998 -
Journal of Psychosomatic Research Jun 2022In psychiatric literature, few original studies exist on the topic of demoralization in suicide. In this review, we aim to identify original studies on suicidal ideation... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
In psychiatric literature, few original studies exist on the topic of demoralization in suicide. In this review, we aim to identify original studies on suicidal ideation (SI)/suicidal behavior (SB) and demoralization in populations of community-dwellers and patients with somatic or psychiatric disorders.
METHODS
We employed a systematic approach that followed PRISMA guidelines, searching through four major electronic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Science Direct, and PsychINFO) for relevant titles/abstracts published from January 1980-June 2021. We included original studies that explicitly mentioned the investigation of a potential association between SI/SB and demoralization.
RESULTS
A total of 18 studies met our inclusion criteria. Their synthesis revealed that demoralization can be associated with SI/SB in a wide range of populations (community dwellers, patients with somatic or psychiatric disorders) and lead to significantly higher suicide risk (odds ratios of >6 were encountered in community dwellers experiencing financial hardship or isolation). Moreover, demoralization alone (about half the patients who were demoralized did not meet the criteria for an affective disorder nor were they clinically depressed) or together with depression has been identified as a major risk factor for SI/SB. Regarding the crucial issue of progression from SI to SA, in the context of the "ideation-to-action" frame, some authors found that the interaction of demoralization and over-arousal could be a useful predictor for this progression, while others found that depression alone was sufficient to differentiate attempters from non-attempters or the interaction with shutdown (helplessness and low positive emotions).
CONCLUSION
These results emphasize the possibility to identify demoralization as an independent risk factor for suicide. In patients with psychiatric disorders, the association between demoralization and SI/SB may be transnosographic. Overall, from the clinical implications perspective, our findings highlight that: i. Assessment of demoralization may contribute to a more comprehensive suicide risk detection. This appears particularly relevant in Emergency Departments (EDs) where heterogeneous population typologies are usually admitted and a clinical diagnosis of depression is often difficult to be defined. ii. Additionally, since meaninglessness is considered one of the demoralization subcomponents, meaning-centered psychotherapeutic approaches prove to be indicated and they can be initiated already at the EDs upon first contact with the patient. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings.
Topics: Demoralization; Humans; Mood Disorders; Risk Factors; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide
PubMed: 35334350
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.110788 -
Advances in Clinical and Experimental... Nov 2019Down syndrome (DS) is the most often diagnosed chromosomal disorder in newborns. The incidence is 1:792 live births. The article describes the irregularities and...
Down syndrome (DS) is the most often diagnosed chromosomal disorder in newborns. The incidence is 1:792 live births. The article describes the irregularities and characteristics found in trisomy 21, which greatly affect the functioning of the stomatognathic system. The most significant disorders include the following: false macroglossia, muscular hypotonia and gothic palate. These abnormalities affect articulation, breathing, food intake, and swallowing. We analyzed the morphological characteristics of the craniofacial region in children with DS based on the current literature review. The following databases were used for the analysis: MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, Infona, and Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source. In the course of the study, 199 pieces of literature were analyzed; the analysis also included 18 articles on children and adults with DS. It also took into account the structure of the palate, dental and skeletal defects, size of the tongue, muscular hypotonia, and temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Down syndrome is still a current subject of research. Although macroglossia, hypotonia, malocclusion, and temporomandibular joint abnormalities are not features exclusive to DS, numerous dysfunctions and parafunctions as well as retarded psychomotor development greatly complicate the treatment. Therefore, interdisciplinary treatment of patients with trisomy 21 and early treatment in the first months of life with the use of the Castillo-Morales plate are very important, as they ensure better adaptation to the subsequently used apparatus and reduce the risk of disorders of the stomatognathic system.
Topics: Down Syndrome; Facial Muscles; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Macroglossia; Muscle Hypotonia; Tongue; Trisomy
PubMed: 31778604
DOI: 10.17219/acem/112785 -
BMJ Open Mar 2016To thematically synthesise primary qualitative studies of the barriers, motivators and enablers of smoke-free homes (SFHs). (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To thematically synthesise primary qualitative studies of the barriers, motivators and enablers of smoke-free homes (SFHs).
DESIGN
Systematic review and thematic synthesis.
DATA SOURCES
Searches of MEDLINE, EBM Reviews (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews), PsycINFO, Global Health, CINAHL, Web of Science, Informit and EMBASE, combining terms for families, households and vulnerable populations; SFH and secondhand smoke; and qualitative research, were supplemented by searches of PhD theses, key authors, specialist journals and reference lists.
STUDY SELECTION
We included 22 articles, reporting on 18 studies, involving 646 participants.
INCLUSION CRITERIA
peer-reviewed; English language; published from 1990 onwards (to week 3 of April 2014); used qualitative data collection methods; explored participants' perspectives of home smoking behaviours; and the barriers, motivators and enablers to initiating and/or maintaining a SFH.
DATA EXTRACTION
1 of 3 authors extracted data with checking by a second.
DATA SYNTHESIS
A thematic synthesis was performed to develop 7 core analytic themes: (1) knowledge, awareness and risk perception; (2) agency and personal skills/attributes; (3) wider community norms and personal moral responsibilities; (4) social relationships and influence of others; (5) perceived benefits, preferences and priorities; (6) addiction and habit; (7) practicalities.
CONCLUSIONS
This synthesis highlights the complexity faced by many households in having a SFH, the practical, social, cultural and personal issues that need to be addressed and balanced by households, and that while some of these are common across study settings, specific social and cultural factors play a critical role in shaping household smoking behaviours. The findings can inform policy and practice and the development of interventions aimed at increasing SFHs.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
CRD42014014115.
Topics: Housing; Humans; Motivation; Qualitative Research; Smoke-Free Policy; Smoking; Tobacco Smoke Pollution; Vulnerable Populations
PubMed: 26988351
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010260 -
Adolescent Health, Medicine and... 2020Disruptive behavior could represent an (un)moral behavioral component of multi-dimensional construct of morality that includes affective and cognitive aspects. Thus, it... (Review)
Review
Disruptive behavior could represent an (un)moral behavioral component of multi-dimensional construct of morality that includes affective and cognitive aspects. Thus, it is pivotal to investigate their interplay between affective and cognitive processes the better to understand how to intervene to contrast disruptive behavior and its antisocial outcomes. The present review has examined the relationship between affective and cognitive processes implied in moral functioning by focusing on callous-unemotional traits (CU) and moral disengagement. Starting from 1005 records identified by PsycINFO, Pubmed, and Pubpsych, only 13 studies have been selected. These studies show different theoretical approaches and methodologies and put in evidence the nuances of possible interactions of CU and moral disengagement during adolescence based on different research field. Overall, most of the scholars seem to conclude that different interplay can be plausible, suggesting that it is likely that during the adolescence the influence of moral disengagement and CU is reciprocal and longitudinal. Specifically, in adolescents with Disruptive Behavior Disorders CU and moral disengagement can move together in organizing and becoming chronic of antisocial affective-cognitive system, and in particular moral disengagement may give a free way to engage in disruptive behavior.
PubMed: 32099503
DOI: 10.2147/AHMT.S151699 -
Clinical Psychology Review Mar 2024Moral distress (MD) and moral injury (MI) are related constructs describing the negative consequences of morally challenging stressors. Despite growing support for the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Moral distress (MD) and moral injury (MI) are related constructs describing the negative consequences of morally challenging stressors. Despite growing support for the clinical relevance of these constructs, ongoing challenges regarding measurement quality risk limiting research and clinical advances. This study summarizes the nature, quality, and utility of existing MD and MI scales, and provides recommendations for future use.
METHOD
We identified psychometric studies describing the development or validation of MD or MI scales and extracted information on methodological and psychometric qualities. Content analyses identified specific outcomes measured by each scale.
RESULTS
We reviewed 77 studies representing 42 unique scales. The quality of psychometric approaches varied greatly across studies, and most failed to examine convergent and divergent validity. Content analyses indicated most scales measure exposures to potential moral stressors and outcomes together, with relatively few measuring only exposures (n = 3) or outcomes (n = 7). Scales using the term MD typically assess general distress. Scales using the term MI typically assess several specific outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
Results show how the terms MD and MI are applied in research. Several scales were identified as appropriate for research and clinical use. Recommendations for the application, development, and validation of MD and MI scales are provided.
Topics: Humans; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Morals; Psychometrics; Surveys and Questionnaires; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 38218124
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102377 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Feb 2017Clinical research affecting how doctors practice medicine is increasingly sponsored by companies that make drugs and medical devices. Previous systematic reviews have... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Clinical research affecting how doctors practice medicine is increasingly sponsored by companies that make drugs and medical devices. Previous systematic reviews have found that pharmaceutical-industry sponsored studies are more often favorable to the sponsor's product compared with studies with other sources of sponsorship. A similar association between sponsorship and outcomes have been found for device studies, but the body of evidence is not as strong as for sponsorship of drug studies. This review is an update of a previous Cochrane review and includes empirical studies on the association between sponsorship and research outcome.
OBJECTIVES
To investigate whether industry sponsored drug and device studies have more favorable outcomes and differ in risk of bias, compared with studies having other sources of sponsorship.
SEARCH METHODS
In this update we searched MEDLINE (2010 to February 2015), Embase (2010 to February 2015), the Cochrane Methodology Register (2015, Issue 2) and Web of Science (June 2015). In addition, we searched reference lists of included papers, previous systematic reviews and author files.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses that quantitatively compared primary research studies of drugs or medical devices sponsored by industry with studies with other sources of sponsorship. We had no language restrictions.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two assessors screened abstracts and identified and included relevant papers. Two assessors extracted data, and we contacted authors of included papers for additional unpublished data. Outcomes included favorable results, favorable conclusions, effect size, risk of bias and whether the conclusions agreed with the study results. Two assessors assessed risk of bias of included papers. We calculated pooled risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous data (with 95% confidence intervals (CIs)).
MAIN RESULTS
Twenty-seven new papers were included in this update and in total the review contains 75 included papers. Industry sponsored studies more often had favorable efficacy results, RR: 1.27 (95% CI: 1.17 to 1.37) (25 papers) (moderate quality evidence), similar harms results RR: 1.37 (95% CI: 0.64 to 2.93) (four papers) (very low quality evidence) and more often favorable conclusions RR: 1.34 (95% CI: 1.19 to 1.51) (29 papers) (low quality evidence) compared with non-industry sponsored studies. Nineteen papers reported on sponsorship and efficacy effect size, but could not be pooled due to differences in their reporting of data and the results were heterogeneous. We did not find a difference between drug and device studies in the association between sponsorship and conclusions (test for interaction, P = 0.98) (four papers). Comparing industry and non-industry sponsored studies, we did not find a difference in risk of bias from sequence generation, allocation concealment, follow-up and selective outcome reporting. However, industry sponsored studies more often had low risk of bias from blinding, RR: 1.25 (95% CI: 1.05 to 1.50) (13 papers), compared with non-industry sponsored studies. In industry sponsored studies, there was less agreement between the results and the conclusions than in non-industry sponsored studies, RR: 0.83 (95% CI: 0.70 to 0.98) (six papers).
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Sponsorship of drug and device studies by the manufacturing company leads to more favorable efficacy results and conclusions than sponsorship by other sources. Our analyses suggest the existence of an industry bias that cannot be explained by standard 'Risk of bias' assessments.
Topics: Conflict of Interest; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Drug Industry; Equipment and Supplies; Industry; Publication Bias; Research Report; Research Support as Topic; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 28207928
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.MR000033.pub3 -
Nursing Open Sep 2023To examine Registered Nurses (RNs') and nursing students' perspectives on factors contributing to moral distress and the effects on their health, well-being and... (Review)
Review
AIM
To examine Registered Nurses (RNs') and nursing students' perspectives on factors contributing to moral distress and the effects on their health, well-being and professional and career intentions.
DESIGN
Joanna Briggs Institute mixed-methods systematic review and thematic synthesis. Registered in Prospero (Redacted).
METHODS
Five databases were searched on 5 May 2021 for studies published in English since January 2010. Methodological quality assessment was conducted in parallel with data extraction.
RESULTS
Searches yielded 2343 hits. Seventy-seven articles were included. Most were correlational design and used convenience sampling. Studies were mainly from North America and Asia and situated in intensive and critical care settings. There were common, consistent sources of moral distress across continents, specialities and settings. Factors related to perceived inability or failure to enact moral agency and responsibility in moral events at individual, team and structural levels generated distress. Moral distress had a negative effect on RNs health and psychological well-being.
PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION
No patient or public contribution to this systematic review.
Topics: Humans; Students, Nursing; North America; Morals; Job Satisfaction; Nurses
PubMed: 37458290
DOI: 10.1002/nop2.1913 -
International Journal of Environmental... Aug 2022(1) Background: Nursing and care home staff experienced high death rates of older residents and increased occupational and psychosocial pressures during the COVID-19... (Review)
Review
(1) Background: Nursing and care home staff experienced high death rates of older residents and increased occupational and psychosocial pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature has previously found this group to be at risk of developing mental health conditions, moral injury (MI), and moral distress (MD). The latter two terms refer to the perceived ethical wrongdoing which contravenes an individual's moral beliefs and elicits adverse emotional responses. (2) Method: A systematic review was conducted to explore the prevalence, predictors, and psychological experience of MI and MD in the aforementioned population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The databases CINAHL, APA PsychINFO, APA PsychArticles, Web of Science, Medline, and Scopus were systematically searched for original research studies of all designs, published in English, with no geographical restrictions, and dating from when COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency on the 30 January 2020 to the 3 January 2022. Out of 531 studies screened for eligibility, 8 studies were selected for review. A thematic analysis was undertaken to examine the major underpinning themes. (3) Results: MI, MD, and related constructs (notably secondary traumatic stress) were evidenced to be present in staff, although most studies did not explore the prevalence or predictors. The elicited major themes were resource deficits, role challenges, communication and leadership, and emotional and psychosocial consequences. (4) Conclusions: Our findings suggest that moral injury and moral distress were likely to be present prior to COVID-19 but have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Whilst studies were generally of high quality, the dearth of quantitative studies assessing prevalence and predictors suggests a research need, enabling the exploration of causal relationships between variables. However, the implied presence of MI and MD warrants intervention developments and workplace support for nursing and care home staff.
Topics: COVID-19; Humans; Morals; Pandemics; Prevalence; Workplace
PubMed: 35954948
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159593 -
The Lancet. Healthy Longevity Aug 2021People with dementia die prematurely. Identifying differences in mortality rates between different types of dementia might aid in the development of preventive... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
People with dementia die prematurely. Identifying differences in mortality rates between different types of dementia might aid in the development of preventive interventions for the most vulnerable populations. The aim of this study was to compare the difference in mortality rates between individuals without dementia and individuals with various types of dementia.
METHODS
For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we did a systematic search of MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library from inception to July 11, 2020, for cross-sectional or cohort studies that assessed mortality and survival-related outcomes among people with different types of dementia compared with people without dementia. Single-arm studies without comparison groups and autopsy studies or family studies that used a selected sample were excluded. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used by two authors (D-JL and C-SC) independently to measure the methodological quality of included studies, and two authors (F-CY and P-TT) independently extracted data. We assessed differences in all-cause mortality rate and survival time from dementia diagnosis between individuals without dementia, individuals with Alzheimer's disease, and individuals with non-Alzheimer's disease dementias. The secondary outcomes were age at death and survival time from disease onset. Random-effects meta-analyses were done. Effect sizes included hazard ratios (HRs) and mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs. Potential moderators, including age-associated moderators, were identified through meta-regression and subgroup analyses. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42020198786.
FINDINGS
Our database search identified 11 973 records, and we included 78 eligible studies in our analyses, encompassing 63 125 individuals with dementia and 152 353 controls. Individuals with any type of dementia had a higher mortality rate than individuals without dementia (HR 5·90, 95% CI 3·53 to 9·86), and the HR for all-cause mortality was highest for Lewy body dementia (17·88, 5·87 to 54·46). After diagnosis, the mean survival time for people with Alzheimer's disease was 5·8 years (SD 2·0). Compared with people with Alzheimer's disease, a diagnosis of any non-Alzheimer's disease dementia was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR 1·33, 1·21 to 1·46), a shorter survival time from diagnosis (MD -1·12 years, 95% CI -1·52 to -0·72), and a younger age at death (-1·76 years, -2·66 to -0·85). Survival time from disease onset was also shorter in people with non-Alzheimer's dementia, across types, compared with people with Alzheimer's disease, but the subgroup analysis revealed that this difference was only significant for vascular dementia (MD -1·27 years, -1·90 to -0·65) and dementia with Lewy bodies (MD -1·06 years, -1·68 to -0·44). The interactions between age and several survival-related outcomes were significant. 39 (50%) of the 78 included studies were rated as good quality, and large heterogeneity (I>75%) was observed for most of the study outcomes.
INTERPRETATION
Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia and one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. However, the findings from the current study suggest that non-Alzheimer's disease dementias were associated with higher morality rates and shorter life expectancy than Alzheimer's disease. Developing tailored treatment and rehabilitation programmes for different types of dementia is important for mental health providers, patients, and their families.
FUNDING
None.
Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dementia; Dementia, Vascular; Humans; Lewy Body Disease
PubMed: 36097997
DOI: 10.1016/S2666-7568(21)00140-9