Surprising Hypothetical Mechanism Warrants Further Investigation

According to a recently published study, a probiotic treatment has mitigated pancreatitis in an animal model.   This leads to a new hypothesis of how probiotic's may act.

“Severe acute pancreatitis is a critical illness that is characterized by intestinal barrier dysfunction.  While it is usually self-limiting, in 20% - 30% of cases patients develop serious disease, including systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, and/or multiple organ dysfunction, which frequently cause death,” says the study.

The Capsule of Porphyromonas Gingivalis Protects Gum Disease-Causing Bacteria From Immune Response

According to recent research the capsule, Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bacterium that causes gum disease, provides stealth, boosting the bacterium's virulence. You may have also heard it referred to as a sugar coating, as the capsule is made from sugar molecules. These molecules do not ordinarily elicit immunity, despite the fact that it does hide the bacterium's proteins within, preventing immune response.
Gossweiler - Dentists in carmel In.

The study was led by Janina P. Lewis, of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond. The scientists compared the ability of normal, and mutant bacteria that were missing the capsule.

"The mutant bacteria activated the host to a greater extent, and thus, were more easily killed by eukaryote cells," says Lewis. "Thus, the capsule protects the bacteria and allows them to survive unnoticed in our bodies."

Mushroom Rinse Can Improve Oral Health?

According to a study performed by researchers from Italy's University of Verona, using a mouth rinse made from shiitake mushrooms can reduce plaque and gum inflammation.

The group of researchers conducted the study because an extract from mushrooms has been shown in laboratory experiments to control the growth of oral bacteria.  It turns out that mushroom extracts kill oral bacteria, and make it harder for the bacteria to stick to teeth.

Hydrogen Fluoride – Another Cause Of Coal Burning Endemic Fluorosis

A team of scientists from China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, has recently demonstrated that “hydrogen fluoride is the prior releasing form of fluorine in long-term air-exposed coal under combustion and mild heating.”  Professor Handong Liang and his team proved that it may change current understanding of the cause and prevailing mechanism of coal burning endemic fluorosis.

"The unique chemical and physical property of hydrogen fluoride may bring new insight into the pathogenic mechanism of coal burning endemic fluorosis, or even change the current understanding fundamentally," explains Prof. Liang.

Math Gives Better Attachment For Dental Crowns?

Due to the fact that dental treatment, involving crown replacements runs Swedish people dozens of millions SEK annually, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology are working on the creation of a new method for “determining exactly how to optimally prepare a tooth to place a crown on it.”  They are working to make a new method that is much cheaper and faster; while at the same time improving quality and reliability of the crown replacements.

The researchers at Chalmers, at the initiative of the company Nobel Biocare, are now planning to run clinical tests.

"With current software, you can measure the damaged tooth's dimensions by laser scanning," says Chalmers researcher Evan Shellshear.  "The software then computes the optimal shape of the ground tooth, and the output is a 3-D visualisation of it.  You also get a 3-D animation showing precise suggestions for manoeuvring the cutting tool in order to achieve the final tooth shape safely."

Fighting Tooth Decay with Probiotics

According to recent research by Indian scientists, a daily dose of "good" bacteria might help kids fight tooth decay.

The study involved 150 children, between the ages of seven and fourteen.  All of the children were randomly assigned to one of three groups.  Each participant of the study received a powder that had to be taken once a day for two weeks.

The powder given to one of the groups (the control group) did not contain any active ingredients.  The second group's powder contained two species of pro-biotics, (Lactobacillus rhamnosus, a commercially available probiotic, and Bifidobacterium, a probiotic used in the food industry) that can potentially promote good health.  The third group was given a Bacillus coagulans containing powder, which is also used as a pro-biotic.

Study Says: Teeth Crowded In Seniors

The fact that the size of our jaws decreases with age is shown in a unique research study performed by the Faculty of Dentistry at Malmö University.  Actually, this study began more than 60 years ago.  Plaster molds were made of the jaws of dental students, who were then in their twenties and the procedure was then repeated every 10 years.  Forty years after the first molds, a final round was performed.

Lars Bondemark, Professor of Orthodontics, who analyzed the material together with his colleague Maria Nilner, Professor of Clinical Bite Physiology, at the College of Dentistry, Malmö University, mentioned that they have "found that over these forty years there was less and less room for teeth in the jaw."

New study says that premature children have smaller teeth

A study from the Faculty of Odontology at Malmö University in Sweden unveiled that the size of teeth in premature children is smaller than those of children who were full term.  In recent years multiple studies of children's dental health have been published by researchers at the Faculty of Odontology in Malmö.  The research involved 80 children born before week 33 of pregnancy.

"We have examined how their teeth are developing and, among other things, we've looked at their bites.  We've also checked their need for orthodontic adjustments and found that it is greater than in the control group, children born at full term," she says.

Babies Oral Care Can Prevent Future Cavities

A recent study performed by scientists from the University of Illinois confirms the presence of bacteria associated with early childhood caries (ECC) in infant saliva.  Now there is one more reason for parents to pay more attention to the oral health of their children.

Early childhood caries is a virulent form of caries, which is more often known as tooth decay or a cavity.  In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay is the most widespread infectious disease among U.S. children.

The Most Naturally Variable Protein Discovered

Two chemists from San Diego, have recently announced their discovery concerning "the most naturally variable protein."  Currently it is known in a bacterium that is a key player in the formation of dental plaque.  The scientists believe "the extreme variability of the protein discovered in the bacterium Treponema denticola, evolved to adhere to the hundreds of different kinds of other bacteria that inhabit people's mouths.”

They gave the name "Treponema Variable Protein," (or TvpA) to this protein they discovered.  They have arrived at the conclusion that it is a million, to a billion times more variable than the proteins playing main roles in vertebrate immune systems.

Study Says Lollipops Reduce Tooth Decay

Just a couple of days ago we informed you about a new study claiming that sugar-free lollipops containing licorice root extract reduce tooth decay causing bacteria.  Bacterias such as streptococcus mutans (or S. mutans,) which is considered to be the primary culprit in tooth decay.

We now have a bit more information to add, Martin Curzon, Editor in Chief, European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, said that "The use of the licorice root lollipops is an ideal approach as it will stop the transfer and implantation of the bacteria that cause dental decay from mothers to their infants and toddlers.  It also has the merit of being a low cost, high impact public dental health measure."

Skipping Brushing Teeth At Bedtime?

"Good oral health cannot be maintained by brushing once a day as each brushing session has a specific purpose.  Brushing first thing in the morning coats the tooth's enamel with fluoride to strengthen and protect the tooth surface against acid attacks throughout the day,” Dr Nigel Carter.

According to recent research, approximately a half of the population (a bit more than 47%) mentioned regularly skipping brushing their teeth at bedtime.

"Brushing last thing at night removes the deposits which have built up from eating and drinking during the day, in addition to removing plaque; the cause of gum disease.  The last brush of the day also coats the teeth with fluoride, which is not washed away through eating and drinking, it continues to protect the tooth's surface during sleep," advised Dr Carter.

Lollipops Reduce Tooth Decay?

According to a recent study, sugar-free lollipops containing licorice root extract, reduce the bacteria that causes tooth decay.  Specifically in preschool aged children with a high-risk of tooth decay.

The study was published by the European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, funded by the Research and Data Institute of the affiliated companies of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, New Mexico and North Carolina.

The researchers analyzed 66 preschool students ages 2 - 5 who were given a lollipop for 10 minutes twice daily for three weeks.  The results showed a significant reduction in Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans.)

Government Intervention Required On Whitening Products?

In order to resolve concerns about the position trading standards, officers are adopting in relation to the supply of teeth whitening products.  The British Dental Association is seeking an urgent meeting with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

Stuart Johnston, Chair of the British Dental Association's Representative Body, said,

"The recently changed approach to the supply of whitening products, and particularly the impact the investigation being undertaken in Essex is having, is a significant concern for patient safety.  This must be addressed as a matter of urgency and the previously adopted low-key approach to supply to dental professionals reinstated.  A significant body of evidence demonstrates the safety of whitening products when used by trained dental professionals.  We urge trading standards officers to adopt a pragmatic approach that recognizes this and puts patient safety first."

AAP and CPS Recommendations on Dental Care

In a new policy statement, "Early Childhood Caries in Indigenous Communities," were provided recommendations for the prevention of dental disease in young children and pregnant women.

AAP and CPS recommendations are as follows:

• Use well-child visits to educate parents and caregivers of infants and children on proper oral hygiene and diet.
• Promote supervised use of fluoridated toothpaste in all indigenous and other high-risk children after the first tooth has erupted.
• Provide pregnant indigenous women access to prenatal screening for dental health, and referral for dental care if needed.

Caries Among Indigenous Children

A recent research study in the United States and Canada showed that early childhood tooth decay is one of the most common infectious diseases amongst indigenous children.

In a new policy statement, "Early Childhood Caries in Indigenous Communities," were provided recommendations for the prevention of dental disease in young children and pregnant women; as early childhood tooth decay also results in additional adverse health effects.

Despite the fact that proper oral health for mothers and their babies is promoted starting from the prenatal period, and continues as children enter school, as unlikely as it may seem, in some Canadian indigenous communities, over than 90% of children have tooth decay.

Tooth Decay Among Indigenous Children of U.S. and Canada

Not long ago we told you that one of the most common infectious diseases among indigenous children of the United States and Canada is early childhood tooth decay.  The James Irvine's statement claiming that "The influence of early childhood caries on overall childhood health and well being goes well beyond the mouth, and many of our indigenous children have not benefited fully from the many advances to improve oral health in North American children," stresses the need for indigenous children to have access to early oral health care.

"Many physicians continue to view early childhood caries as a dental problem to be treated by dentists," noted Steve Holve, MD, FAAP, another co-author.

Rapid Prototyping Comes To Dentistry

Have you ever thought of what would happen if your dentist could quickly scan your jaw and "print" your new teeth using a rapid prototyping machine?  Instead of waiting days or weeks for a cast to be produced and prosthetic dental implants to be made?

Good news!!  Iranian researchers have recently explained “how medical imaging, coupled with computer-aided design could be used to create a perfect-fit blueprint for prosthetic dentistry.”

Dental Helpline To Reassure Public?

Besides the fact that the British Dental Health Foundation is an independent UK charity that offers free and impartial advice on dental issues to the public; it also runs the Dental Helpline, which advises the public to get in touch in case a patient is concerned about his rights or the cost(s) involved while receiving NHS dental treatment.

Chief Executive of the BDHF, Dr. Nigel Carter, stated that, "Dispatches has highlighted some of the concerns experienced by many people about UK dental care.  Whilst some of the programme's content was very disappointing for the image of dentistry, the main loser could be the public if they choose to delay or cancel their treatment because of concerns like charges.”

The Foundation cares about the services patients can expect from their NHS dentist, as well as their rights and the cost(s) of treatment.

New $4.7-Million Study On Early-Stage Oral Cancer

A new study performed by the researchers from UBC's Faculties of Medicine, Science, and Dentistry, is aimed at improving the outcomes for patients undergoing surgery for oral squamous cell cancers.  The study involves universities and hospitals in nine Canadian cities.

The researchers claim that “Findings from the study could revolutionize clinical practice here and around the world.”

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, every year approximately 3,400 Canadians are diagnosed with oral cancer.  In 2010, the estimated number of deaths caused by oral cancer was 1,150; now nearly 30% of the patients who have oral surgery do end up having their cancer recur.

In order to differentiate between healthy tissues from tumours or pre-cancerous cells in the mouth, the study is going to investigate the effectiveness of a fluorescence visualization, or "blue light," under which normal tissue generates a fluorescence, the fluorescence is absent in tumour or pre-cancerous tissue.

NHS New Quarterly Report Shows Amazing Numbers

According to a recent report from National Health Service dental activity, practically one million more people in England have had check-ups in comparison to the same period of time 5 years ago.

During the last 2 years, more than 29.1 million patients were seen and given a dental examination, this number is 967,000 more than the baseline figure in March 2006.

Chief Executive of the BDHF, British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter said, "The uncertainties surrounding the dental contract over the last decade created an overwhelming shortage of NHS dentists, to the point that there were simply not enough to go around."

Headaches? Visit Your Dentist!

In case you are among the many who suffer from frequent headaches, you know that the first response is often to head to the medicine cabinet for pain relief.  However if this is a chronic problem, it worth visiting your dentist, as the root of your pain may lie inside your mouth.

The cause of your headaches might lie in dental occlusion, which is a "Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) disorder, a neuromuscular jaw condition caused by an imbalanced bite."

Excessive Bureaucracy Stifling Dental Practice

British Dental Association, Northern Ireland has recently announced that it is calling for "the withdrawal of the legislation which extends the role of the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) to dental practice."

The association is inducing dental professionals to "contact (their) newly-elected Members of the Legislative Assembly requesting (they) petition the Minister and urge him to withdraw the current legislation."

Low Self-Esteem in Children affects Dental Appearance

According to a recent report from hospital-based orthodontic specialists, one in eight teenagers with irregularly shaped teeth have experienced bullying.  The bullying is said to have caused a negative influence on their self-esteem as well as on their quality of oral health.

The study unveils that the children with certain dental features, such as:

• maxillary overcrowding
• a cleft lip, with or without a cleft palate
• an overjet and a deep overbite

A lot of Pregnant Women Skip Dental Check-Ups?

A new study (of 35,267 women in 10 states) claims that some women, specifically black and Hispanic women, do not get dental care during their pregnancies.

Nearly 79% of the women in the study were white, 14% were black/non-Hispanic and 7% were Hispanic.  From more than 35,000 women taking part in the research, only 41% talked with a health care professional about the "need to take good care of their teeth and gums during pregnancy."  This study has shown the importance of oral health to a healthy, full-term pregnancy.

The results of the research are as follows:

"Compared with white women:

Asthma May Put People at a Higher Risk of Tooth Decay

According to a recent Brazilian research study that included 160 children, ages 3 to 15, some children with Asthma may get more cavities.  Half of the children in the study had asthma, consequently the other half did not.

The Brazilian researchers based the risk for tooth decay on the following factors:

New BDA Expert in Dental Surgeries of England

On May 20th, at the 2011 British Dental Conference and Exhibition at Manchester's Central Convention Complex, an innovative service that offers peace of mind in practice management was been officially launched.  British Dental Association Expert is a new practice management solution from the association that is said to auto-inform subscribers of changes to regulations as well as protocols, and other practice requirements.

Peter Ward, Chief Executive of the British Dental Association, said, "BDA Expert is a major step forward for the way that busy dentists keep up to date with the latest requirements, supplying them with the protocols and models they need to comply with changing legislation.  It offers a proactive approach that takes away the anxiety of wondering whether you're up to date with the latest developments, by providing regular updates direct from the BDA's trusted experts.  It will be like having a personal visit from the BDA team every time that regulations and requirements change.

Bone Fluoride Levels Not Associated With Osteosarcoma

A recent study performed by Lead Researcher, Chester Douglass, of Harvard University, unveiled that, investigated bone fluoride levels in individuals with osteosarcoma, (which is a rare, primary malignant bone tumor that is more prevalent in males,) found no serious association between bone fluoride levels and the risk for osteosarcoma was detected in this case-control study.

Logistic regression of the incident cases of osteosarcoma (N=137) and tumor controls (N=51;) adjusting for age and sex, as well as potential confounders of osteosarcoma were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI.)  There was no significant difference in bone fluoride levels between cases and controls.  The OR adjusted for age, gender, and a history of broken bones was 1.33 (95% CI: 0.56-3.15.)

Cedars-Sinai's COACH For Kids: $15,000 Grant to Increase Dental Care in Underserved Communities

A mobile medical program, called Cedars-Sinai's "COACH" for Kids and their Families®, is one of 20 school-based programs that have been selected nationwide to get a grant from the National Assembly on School-based Health Care (NASBHC.)  The program of the Maxine Dunitz Children's Health Center offers free health, and social services on a regular basis to schools, shelters, and neighborhood facilities in under served communities in Los Angeles.

"We're delighted to receive this grant, which enables us to add a vital new component to our oral health services in 14 Los Angeles elementary schools," said Michele Rigsby Pauley, RN, MSN, CPNP, and COACH for Kids and Their Families® program director.  "With this new funding, our clinicians will receive additional training, and we'll add a much needed fluoride varnish treatment to our dental services."  In response to "so many kids in desperate need for dental care, we added oral health education and services to the COACH for Kids program in 2003," said Rigsby Pauley.  "Including a dental hygienist going into classrooms educating young students about proper dental care.  Early damage to children's teeth can cause damage to adult teeth."

Study Shows: Treating Periodontal Disease Freshens Breath

A recent study claims that treating periodontal disease not only makes you healthier, but also freshens your breath.
The study, performed by Japanese researchers, involved 102 people with periodontal disease.  Everyone involved in the study had bad breath (halitosis.)

"Dentists used a device that measured their levels of three chemicals that commonly cause bad breath.

There are a lot of reasons for halitosis. Including:

Higher Medicaid Payments Makes More Kids' Visits

A new study came to the conclusion that children on Medicaid visit dentists more frequently, if Medicaid pays the dentists more.

The study considered nationwide data for the years of 2000 and 2008, focusing on Medicaid payment levels to dentists.  The researchers also checked whether or not children had visited a dentist in the last 6 months.  "For each $10.00 increase in Medicaid payments, children on Medicaid were about 4% more likely to have a recent dental visit," the study says.

However, it turns out that children on Medicaid are less likely to visit dentist regularly than those with private insurance.  Only about half of children on Medicaid have regular dental visits.  The difference is tangible, specifically in comparison with the 68% of children who have private insurance.

How Cavity-Causing Microbes Affect Heart

Not long ago, scientists unveiled that a bacteria often found in our mouths, is the same bacteria that often invades heart tissue.  It may cause a dangerous and even lethal infection of the heart, such an infection is called, "endocarditis."  The study claims that there is now a possibility to create a screening tool "to gauge a dental patients vulnerability to the condition."

It's a well-known fact that S. mutans is a bacterium that causes cavities.  Normally, S. mutans limits its harm to the mouth, it is possible however, for the bacteria to enter the bloodstream, particularly after a dental procedure.  Actually, the immune system destroys them, but sometimes, within a short period of time, they travel to the heart and colonize its tissue.  It's important to note that this bacteria can lead to endocarditis, which can be deadly.

Dentists Can Identify People with Undiagnosed Diabetes

According to a recent study performed by researchers at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, "dental visits represented a chance to intervene in the diabetes epidemic by identifying individuals with diabetes or pre-diabetes who are unaware of their condition."

From the nearly 600 individuals who were recruited for the study, half of the group was non-Hispanic, white 40-years-old or older; the other half were Hispanic, or non-white, 30-years-old or older.  None of them had been ever told that they have diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Periodontal Disease and Heart-related Risks

A large Korean study that involved more than 7,000 adults unveiled that periodontal disease is linked with a metabolic syndrome.  These conditions put people at risk for diabetes, heart disease as well as other health problems.

The Korean researchers used information from the fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

People are diagnosed with a metabolic syndrome if they have three or more of the following:

Study Says: Keeping Healthy Can Lower Dementia Risk

When it comes to the risk of developing Alzheimer's or another type of dementia, researchers say that not maintaining your general health may contribute to development of these types of brain disorders.

"Our study suggests that rather than just paying attention to already known risk factors for dementia, such as diabetes or heart disease, keeping up with your general health may help reduce the risk for dementia," stated principal investigator Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, director of geriatric medicine research, in Dalhousie University.

Dentists Don't Give Preference to Children on Medicaid

According to recent research performed by Joanna Bisgaier, MSW, from the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and her team; dentists avoid giving appointments to children in the combined Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program.

A team of researchers from the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, aimed to check out the affect of insurance status on dentists' sharpness to allot an appointment for young people.

Oral Hygiene among British Adults

A recent survey showed that nearly a fifth of British adults go two or more days without brushing their teeth.

According to the poll by the Dental Smile Clinic in Bristol, approximately one quarter of British adults brushes only once a day, despite the fact that it is recommended to brush twice daily; meanwhile two-thirds mentioned that it takes them less than 60 seconds to brush.

It is important to mention that one in 30 men claimed they do not brush their teeth unless their partners tell them to.

17-year Old Boy Dies after Rare Root Canal Surgery

"A 17-year old boy died due to rare complications caused by a root canal surgery just over a week after undergoing in the procedure."

Way back on February, Christopher Schutzius, a citizen of Blue Island, lost a filling after biting down on a caramel and went to Dental Dreams on Western Avenue in order to correct the issue.  It has been documented that before finally collapsing, Christopher Schutzius complained of constant fatigue and pain in his throat after the procedure.

New Dental Device Can See 'Invisible' Tooth Decay and Plaque

A team of scientists from the University of Liverpool are working on a device that will be able to identify early tooth decay, and plaque before it is visible to the human eye.

The innovation will include "a clinical digital camera which incorporates Qualitative Light Induced Fluorescence (QLF) technology, to take images of the mouth using blue light and special filters which can show cavities and plaque."  After the images are taken, they can be easily transferred via wireless technology to a PC, laptop, iPad or smart phone, so a dental care professional can give an immediate assessment and evaluation.

Gene Combination Affects Success of Dental Implants

It's no secret that the health of the surrounding tissue plays a great role in the success of a dental implant, and that is why identifying and reducing risk factors is the most important step in the implant process.  A recent study showed that "a combination of genes has been identified as a possible indicator of greater tissue destruction leading to negative outcomes for implants."

The process of tissue inflammation and destruction is very similar to periodontal disease.  The researchers were trying to find any association of these genotypes.

Obesity Leads to Poor Oral Health

According to a recent study by the British Dental Health Foundation, "Poor oral health has joined the list of knock-on effects of obesity."

Just a few years ago, 1.5 billion adults (ages 20 and older,) were overweight, of that number, over 200 million men and about 300 million women were obese.  Periodontal pockets are food and plaque traps that irritate and decay teeth to the point that the tooth will finally fall out.

Hospital Stays Deteriorate Oral Health

According to recent research studies, during hospitalization, ones oral health deteriorates.  It is connected to an increased risk of hospital-acquired infections and a reduced quality of life.

The research claims that overlooked oral health in hospitals can lead to potentially serious consequences.  The research found that plaque accumulation, and gingival as well as mucosal inflammation was rapidly increased, especially amongst among patients who had breathing problems.   

Pain-free Dental Injection Recently Invented

Thanks to a Dr. John Meechan, there has been a new syringe invented that is able to stop the agony of having an injection at the dentist.

A British Researcher and Senior Lecturer in Dental Sciences at Newcastle University; he has invented a syringe, which enables the anaesthetic.

"We think our idea has great potential to improve the comfort of dental injections, which will benefit all patients who need anaesthetics at the dentist," the Daily Mail quoted Dr. Meechan as saying.

"The whole idea was to make dental injections more comfortable for patients and we've done that by changing the delivery system," he said.

African-Americans Get a Raw Deal on Dental Care?

The fact that African Americans tend to get poorer dental care in comparison to white Americans peaked the interest of researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the College of Dental Medicine.  The researchers surveyed African American adults with recent oral health symptoms.

The poll was conducted through a qualitative survey of 118 men and women.  Despite the fact that most of adults (75 percent) in the study claimed to have at least some type of dental insurance coverage, it was appreciably limited to Medicaid (50%) only 21% claimed to have a private coverage and 4 % noted other types of dental insurance.

Making Scents to Fight Dental Fear

In a recent study conducted by Dutch researchers, the research team surveyed 150 adults who were waiting for dental treatment.  The scents of either apples or oranges were sprayed into the waiting room 30 minutes before the patients arrived.  Another group of 69 adults surveyed, were not exposed to either scent.

Despite the fact that previous studies have found that orange, lavender, vanilla and heliotropin scents reduce anxiety, this study showed that none of the scents had an effect on the amount of anxiety or pain that patients felt in the dental clinic.  Scents however, have been tested as weight-loss aids as well as suggested as treatments for depression and dementia.

Severe Tooth Infections Connected With Heart Attacks

This study (from Norway) involved more than 1,000 men; nearly half of which had heart attacks.  The men ranged in ages from 48 to 77.

During the study it appeared that men who had a history of heart attack were more likely to have had teeth pulled because of infection (because of gum disease, or a tooth infection.)

"When a tooth is extracted because of an infection, the bacteria get into the bloodstream.  This is called a "bacteremia."  The body's inflammatory response to infections may help lead to increased plaque in arteries near the heart, which can increase risk of heart attack."

Athletes at Risk for Tooth Decay

A group of New Zealand researchers gave questionnaires to professional athletes whom take part in various sports which involve, running, biking and swimming.

Nearly 94% of the professional athletes stated that they ate during training, 84% mentioned the consumption of sports drinks.  Approximately 50% said that during training sessions they drank sports drinks or water by taking "little sips, often, from a bottle."  Just few of them thought however, that the way they eat and drink during training could put them at risk for cavities.  Upon further research, 10 out of 10 athletes who had oral exams were at high risk of developing cavities.

Could There be More than Lunch Lurking on Your Retainer?

According to a recent study, held by the researchers at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute, poor cleaning may allow for build-up of microbes on orthodontic retainers.

The study was published in the "Society for Applied Microbiology's," journal Letters in Applied Microbiology. Dr Jonathan Pratten, together with his team studied the types of microbes which live on retainers. The study showed that potentially pathogenic microbes were growing on at least 50 percent of the retainers. This may very well indicate a need for the development of improved cleaning products for orthodontic retainers.

CSADC Reached 16,000 Children during National Children's Dental Health Month

During National Children's Dental Health Month, which took place in February, more than 16,000 children across the country received free dental screenings and/or oral health education, announced Church Street Health Management (CSHM).

This was the third year when "Healthy Child, Happy Smile Day," together with supporting community outreach initiatives provided free dental screenings and taught children about brushing and flossing and the importance of regular dental visits.

As part of the company's "Healthy Child, Happy Smile Day," Church Street Health Management's associated network of (which consists of more than 70 dental clinics in 22 states throughout the U.S.) caregivers held free screenings and community events.

Children Receive Free Dental Health Kits at NASCAR Event

During "SpeedFest," which took place on March 12th, the younger NASCAR fans learned how to improve their oral health and score free oral health kits.  Nearly 7,000 area children enjoyed the festivities. The SpeedFest kits include a card with oral health tips, together with a toothbrush, toothpaste and Henry Schein dental floss.

The program is an annual initiative of American Dental Association, where children from low-income families across the United States get free oral health care services. This year, more than 12,000 dentists nationwide are expected to provide free oral health care to almost 400,000 under served children.