Aim: To review evidence for the treatments of gingival recession and root caries in older populations. Materials & Methods: A systematic approach was adopted to identify reviews and articles to allow us to evaluate the treatments for gingival recession and root caries. Searches were performed in PubMed, Medline and Embase, the Cochrane trials register and bibliographies of European and World Workshops. Observations: Gingival recession: We identified no articles that focussed specifically on older populations. Conversely, no evidence suggested that Miller class I and II lesions should be managed differently in older patients when compared to younger cohorts. Six systematic reviews included older patients and suggested that connective tissue grafts are the treatment of choice, alone or in combination with enamel matrix derivative. Root caries can be controlled at the population level by daily brushing with fluoride-containing toothpastes, whilst active decay may be inactivated using professional application of fluoride varnishes/solutions or selfapplied high-fluoride toothpaste. Active root caries lesions that cannot be cleaned properly by the patient may be restored by minimally invasive techniques. Conclusions: Gingival recession and root caries will become more prevalent as patients retain their teeth for longer. Whilst surgical (gingival recession) and nonoperative approaches (root caries) currently appear to be favoured, more evidence is needed to identify the most appropriate strategies for older people.

A summary is given of how urgent dental care was established in the North East of England during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may help with future preparedness for pandemics.Aerosol generating procedures were almost always avoided in the delivery of urgent dental care. A telephone triage system was effectively used to determine who needed clinical care and to separate symptomatic, asymptomatic and shielding patients, with very few failures in triage noted.

Supportive periodontal care is a crucial aspect of the management of chronic periodontitis and peri-implantitis and is inevitably a long-term commitment for both the clinician and the patient. The principal goals of supportive care are to achieve a high standard of plaque control, minimize bleeding and maintain pockets at less than 6 mm. Gain of attachment around natural teeth during supportive periodontal care has been reported, although gain of attachment and of bone during supportive care may be a more pragmatic and aspirational aim in the longer term. Furthermore, we occasionally see patients for whom, despite excellent home and professional care (surgical or nonsurgical), including the management of risk factors, supportive periodontal care appears to be failing and therefore for such patients the clinician needs to consider further management options. This review considers, in particular, the options of using local or systemically delivered antimicrobials to eradicate periodontal and peri-implant disease progression and discusses the extent to which culture and sensitivity testing before the prescription of systemically delivered antimicrobials may be a cost-effective alternative to prescribing 'blind'.

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