Articles: dentistry.
-
Recent findings of research supported by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) confirm the need for additional health services research on the effectiveness and appropriateness of dental care, and the way in which dental care is provided and financed. This paper presents an overview of relevant AHCPR programs, gives examples of dental health services research supported by the Agency, and describes ways in which Fellows of the American College of Dentists could participate in the development and dissemination of health services research. ⋯ Translating that knowledge into improved quality of care will depend directly upon the best collaborative efforts of dentists in all professional settings and may include collaboration with academic researchers. As leaders in the profession, Fellows of the American College of Dentists are regarded as instrumental in conveying the findings of health services research to their colleagues, stimulating critical review, and making recommendations to guide research in the future.
-
Journal of dentistry · Apr 1992
ReviewExpert systems in dentistry. Past performance--future prospects.
Expert systems are knowledge-based computer programs designed to provide assistance in diagnosis and treatment planning. They assist the practitioner in decision making. A search of the literature on expert system design for medical and dental applications was carried out. ⋯ In the last part of the paper the features of several dental expert systems developed in the past decade are described in the light of these criteria. It is concluded that in the future more attention should be paid to the development and evaluation of expert systems in the clinical setting. Only well-designed and properly evaluated expert systems can be expected to earn a place in everyday practice.
-
Critical care medicine · Feb 1992
Anatomy of a defective barrier: sequential glove leak detection in a surgical and dental environment.
a) To determine the frequency of perforations in latex surgical gloves before, during, and after surgical and dental procedures; b) to evaluate the topographical distribution of perforations in latex surgical gloves after surgical and dental procedures; and c) to validate methods of testing for latex surgical glove patency. ⋯ Significantly high glove leak rates were noted after surgical and dental procedures, indicating that the present day latex surgical gloves can become an incompetent barrier once they are used. Unused latex surgical gloves demonstrated a higher rate of defects than allowed by the Food and Drug Administration standards, indicating substantial noncompliance of quality control standards by manufacturers as well as inadequate governmental oversight. Double gloving, or the use of thicker latex surgical gloves, would probably reduce the frequency of glove leaks. Latex surgical gloves should be tested for patency before use and during surgical and dental procedures.