The November issue of the Journal of the California Dental Association explores a range of topics, including the development of a silver nitrate/sodium fluoride protocol that arrests caries lesions, the California Dental Association (CDA) announced.
In an article titled "Back to the Future: The Medical Management of Caries Introduction," the author discusses a protocol involving the application of 25% silver nitrate directly to cavitated caries lesions and immediately followed by 5% sodium fluoride varnish. The procedure is based on work published by G.V. Black many years ago.
"When primary caries prevention measures have been unsuccessful, the medical management approach described in this issue can be very positive," said Kerry Carney, DDS, editor-in-chief of the journal.
Also in this month's publication is a discussion of health issues, including dental caries, in patients with spina bifida; a cross-sectional study that found differences in facial height had no significant effect on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) internal derangement; and a case-control study in which recent stress and trait anger/anxiety of otherwise healthy patients with active recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) were compared with those of dental patients with no history of RAS.