What Are Direct and Indirect Pulp Caps?

An indirect pulp cap is usually done to take  the place of a root canal in very decayed teeth.  It is made when most of the decay on the permanent tooth is removed.  When a dentist finds extensive decay very close to the pulp (nerve,) the risk of the pulp exposition by the infected decay is high.  This infection will result in the need for a root canal.  In this case dentists leave the last little bit of decay in there and place a sedative temporary filling.  Usually Intermediate Restorative Material (IRM) is used as a temporary filling material until the patient is ready for a proper, more permanent restoration. 

Researches proved: professional tooth scaling reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes

Professional tooth scaling was associated with fewer heart attacks and strokes in a study from Taiwan, presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011.

More than 100,000 people took part in the seven year study. Gender, age, and health conditions were all considered when accepting the participants. One half of them had their teeth professionally scarped and cleaned at least once a year, the other half had no tooth scaling.
None of the participants had a history of heart attack or stroke at the beginning of the study. Weight, smoking, and race were not adjusted in this research as they were not included in the Taiwan National Health insurance data base – the source of the information for the analysis.

Mannitol Increases Effectiveness Of Dental Nerve Block Anesthesia

A necessary part of the dental process is to allow a patient to feel comfortable and pain-free during surgical and restorative dental procedures.  The most widespread local anesthetic injection for lower teeth is the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block.  Despite this, the rates of ineffectiveness range from 10 to 39 percent.

A study testing the efficacy of adding of mannitol to the typical anesthetic used in Ian blocks was presented by the journal “Anesthesia Progress.”

The participants were forty adult patients, who received an IAN block at each appointment at least once a week.

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."