Oral adverse effects of drugs:taste disorders

Objective: Oral healthcare professionals are frequently confronted with patients using drugs on a daily basis. These drugs can cause taste disorders as adverse effect. The literature that discusses drug-induced taste disorders is fragmented. This article aims to support oral healthcare professionals in their decision making whether a taste disorder can be due to use of drugs by providing a comprehensive overview of drugs with taste disorders as an adverse effect. Materials and methods: The national drug information database for Dutch pharmacists, based on scientific drug information, guidelines, and summaries of product characteristics, was analyzed for drug-induced taste disorders. “MedDRA classification” and “Anatomic Therapeutical Chemical codes” were used to categorize the results. Results: Of the 1,645 drugs registered in the database, 282 (17%) were documented with “dysgeusia” and 61 (3.7%) with “hypogeusia.” Drug-induced taste disorders are reported in all drug categories, but predominantly in “antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents,” “antiinfectives for systemic use,” and “nervous system.” In ~45%, “dry mouth” coincided as adverse effect with taste disorders. Conclusion: Healthcare professionals are frequently confronted with drugs reported to cause taste disorders. This article provides an overview of these drugs to support clinicians in their awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of drug-induced taste disorders

Are Survival Outcomes Different for Young and Old Patients with Oral and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to address whether age can be a determinant of overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), recurrence, distant metastasis (DM) and second primary (SP) in surgically treated oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OOPSCC). A total of 4981 cases and 44254 controls from 25 comparative observational studies were included in the analysis. A significantly better OS (matched subgroup analysis: OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.31–2.04, overall analysis: OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.09–2.01) was observed in young patients compared to older adults, with heterogeneity ranging from moderate to severe. Worse DFS (unmatched subgroup analysis OR 0.43; 95% CI 0.27–0.68) was observed in young patients compared to older adults with minimal to moderate heterogeneity. The frequency of recurrence (OR 1.49; 95% CI 1.10–2.02) and DM (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.10–3.03) was significantly higher in the young patients, as found in unmatched and matched subgroup analysis, with the least heterogeneities. Young age can be considered as an independent prognostic factor for recurrence and distant metastases in OOP-SCC. Larger and methodologically robust observational studies with longer follow-up are needed to establish the definitive role of age as an independent prognostic factor on OS and DFS in OOPSCC

Interventions to reduce contaminated aerosols produced during dental procedures for preventing infectious diseases

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness of methods used during dental treatment procedures to minimise aerosol production and reduce or neutralise contamination in aerosols

Translation of oral health research priorities into research topics in an equity-based priority setting exercise

Background: In the context of research priority setting, participants express their research priorities and ideas in various forms, ranging from narratives to explicit topics or questions. However, the transition from these expressions to well-structured research topics or questions is not always straightforward. Challenges intensify when research priorities pertain to interventions or diagnostic accuracy, requiring the conversion of narratives into the PICO (Participant, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome) format. Scope and findings: This project aimed to understand the challenges of engaging a diverse, multilingual population in setting oral health research priorities. While not a comprehensive priority-setting effort, we modified James Lind Alliance's (JLA) methods and used thematic analysis to establish a list of priority research topics and questions. This was accomplished by conducting interviews with 40 community participants and 14 dentists from various ethnic backgrounds in Malaysia. The interview language depended on participant preferences, including English, Malay, and Mandarin, with translations handled collaboratively by bilingual research assistants. The process involved thematic analysis, discussion with a research committee, and necessary modifications. Our interpretations revealed distinct categories of participant statements: explicit, complicated, implicit, and incomplete. In this study, we identified a three-step approach to translate research ideas that are presented either as explicit statements or as complicated narratives