Taste Buds Don’t Necessarily Make People More Likely to Have Sweet Tooth

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 27 December 2011 10:50



There’s no link between what one perceives as sweetness and what the person actually eats. In other words, it’s plausible that the more aware a person is to sweet tastes that the less sweet food he or she may eat.

The information was reported by a research team at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.

The goal of the study was to determine the level of sweets a person consumes based on how sensitive he or she is to sweets.

To gather the data, the research team studied 85 people and asked them the level of sweetness of a sucrose solution. The researchers then studied the dietary intake over several days.

The research team specifically looked at the amount of sugary foods the people ate compared to the number of fruits and vegetables, in addition to carbohydrates, protein and fat.

One issue with this study was that many people fit the same demographic. In future research on this subject, there will be a wider variety of people based on age, ethnicity, BMI, etc.

A person would need to find a way to get sweet foods out of his or her mind to successfully avoid eating such foods. It could be helpful to consistently eat healthier foods as a way of getting sweet foods completely of your mind.

More research is necessary involving the cause of the sweet tooth since this research showed that there’s no correlation between one’s awareness level of sweet foods and the amount of sweet foods the person consumed.

Plasma Brush Makes Impact on Dentistry

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 28 December 2011 09:21



The plasma brush is capable of doing things never seen before.

This brush uses chemical reactions to disinfect and then clean fillings. The entire process takes less than 30 seconds.

The flame from the brush forms a unique bond for the cavity fillings with strength that may be unmatched. The chemical reactions from the brush alter the surface of the tooth for the better.

As of now, there have been no side effects from treatment with the plasma brush. There will be more trials to determine whether or not that stays true.

According to some figures, Americans spend about $50 million each year on tooth restorations. This new brush would lower those costs, according to Hao Li, the associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the University of Missouri College of Engineering.

Teeth can also become 60 percent stronger with the plasma brush and wouldn’t have to be pulled after only 2 or 3 fillings. If this brush actually is capable doing everything it has done in studies, this type of technology will benefit everyone.

Massachusetts Looks for Varnish to Become More Widespread

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 29 December 2011 09:48



Massachusetts officials want fluoride varnish to become more readily available. To do that, the requirements for who can apply for the cavity-protecting varnish can’t be as strict as they are now.

There is currently a small number of low-income children in Massachusetts who have access to this important fluoride varnish.

The new regulations would make it permissible for nonlicensed people who work under the supervision of a licensed dentist to apply the fluoride to someone’s teeth. The proposed rules were outlined at a meeting of the state’s Public Health Council, which is a committee that comprises doctors, professors and consumer advocates.

Despite the fact that a license won’t be required to perform these procedures, mandatory training would still be required.

There are roughly 500,000 low-income people under age 21 in Massachusetts eligible for this type of treatment. Less than 3,000, however, received the treatment last year.

According to the state’s statistics, low-income children are more inclined to visit a doctor than a dentist. That’s why if doctors or other healthcare professionals could perform these procedures, it would be extremely beneficial to low-income individuals.

There are 35 percent of people in Massachusetts that don’t live in a community where fluoride is added to the water.

This problem is more widespread than just impacting children, though. Approximately three out of five senior citizens living in nursing homes have some form of tooth decay that has gone untreated.

This fluoride varnish decreases tooth decay by about 30 percent.

The council will hold a public hearing soon to discuss the situation before voting on the issue.

Protein Could Raise Risk of Blood-Vessel Constriction Involved in Gum Disease

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 23 April 2012 15:07



A protein associated with gum disease may increase the risk of plaque-containing blood vessels that result in inflammatory gum disease, according to the American Heart Association’s Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 2012 Scientific Sessions. The event was held in Chicago.

CD36 is located in blood cells and various other cells. According to research, this protein worsens the effects of bad cholesterol, known as low-density lipoprotein.

During testing, the group of researchers eliminated the gene that causes C36 production and later created plaque in blood vessels by giving mice a diet high in fat. Some of the animals were infected with bacteria involved with gum disease.

As a result, there was a buildup of fatty plaque that occurred in the blood vessels of animals that had developed gum disease. Animals that had no signs of CD36 didn’t possess plaque even after oral inflammation had set in.

This research could be extremely helpful in dentistry.

CDA Advises People to Receive Oral Cancer Screenings

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 23 April 2012 15:39



It’s essential for people to visit the dentist to receive an oral cancer screening. It’s even more important this month, since April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month.

There are more than 40,000 Americans who will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year, according to the National Cancer Institute. The two most common methods by which people develop the disease are through tobacco/alcohol use and through the human papilloma virus.

Regular visits to the dentist is one of the best ways to prevent cancer from spreading and becoming a major problem. If it’s diagnosed early enough, people can have about an 80 to 90 percent chance of surviving.

Oral cancer may impact any area of the mouth, including gums, lips, cheek lining, tongue and the soft or hard palate. It generally begins as a small white or red spot that remains inconspicuous until it eventually spreads.

That’s why dentists play a large role in the early stages of oral cancer. Before it reaches other parts of the body and possibly becomes fatal, a dentist can treat the person and enable that person to heal and live a normal life.

Correlation Exists Between Junk Food, Poor Teeth

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 24 April 2012 14:36



Children may adapt their eating habits to their oral health.

A group of researchers at the University of Queensland Children’s Nutrition Research Centre and School of Dentistry are conducting a study analyzing this issue. There have been studies regarding this phenomenon in the past, but the possibility of people adapting their eating habits to their oral health was only looked at for adults.

According to a study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, one’s diet is impacted by dental problems.

The goal of this particular study is to find out if indeed children with some form of decay or other dental problem change their appetite accordingly. The study will also focus on the impact these changes have on the child’s body and if they become more susceptible to long-term illnesses later in life.

If these findings appear to be true, screening tests and prevention programs could be created for children vulnerable to these issues.

Children on Medicaid Don’t Receive Necessary Dental Care

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 11 June 2012 15:25



Only one out of three children on Medicaid receive dental care each year. The location also factors into how often they visit a dentist.

The information comes from a new study that will appear in the July issue ofPediatrics.

The number of dental visits was anywhere from 12 percent in Nevada to 49 percent in Vermont in 2007, according to the study. There wasn’t one state in which more than half of the children on Medicaid visited the dentist in the last year.

Still, these numbers indicate a 16 percent increase when compared to the information from 2002. These numbers, however, show that much work needs to be done to ensure dental treatment for children covered by Medicaid.

The problem is that since Medicaid varies by state, eligibility rules and the amount of money available is different in each state. Medicaid programs generally include regular checkups and some necessary procedures.

According to Medicaid records, the amount of visits was low for infants and toddlers in every state but three. The dental visits reached their highest point after the children started school.

Children who were in the Primary Care Case Management part of the Medicaid generally had the highest number of dental visits.

Dental care programs in schools, as well as having a regular dentist, were two of the biggest reasons for improved dental care.

The problem is that with more people on Medicaid, some states have eliminated the dental coverage and dental education that used to exist in schools. There’s also the issue that Medicaid reimbursement payments for dentists are often low.

It May be Safe to Provide Predental Antibiotics to Heart Patients

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 12 June 2012 15:13



The amount of infective endocarditis didn’t rise for dental patients in Olmsted County, Minn, according to a new study.

There were new guidelines created for administering preventive antibiotics prior to dental procedures for those at the highest risk of complications. The information appears in Circulation, an American Heart Association publication.

Infective endocarditis is a bacterial problem involving the heart lining, heart valve or blood vessel. Patients with a weakened heart are more vulnerable to various types of infection compared those with healthy heart valves.

The AHA changed its guidelines in 2007, recommending that patients take the antibiotics prior to undergoing invasive dental treatment if they are at risk for some type of complication related to infective endocarditis. Things that would fit into that category include patients with abnormal heart valve function and specific heart defects.

Before these regulations were changed, many more people were the recipients of these antibiotics. The antibiotics were also administered for a wider array of procedures.

A study was conducted from the beginning of 1999 through the end of 2010. The Olmsted County, Minn. patients comprised about two to three of every 100,000 people in the United States that were diagnosed with heart infection before the new guidelines and one of every 100,000 after the new guidelines.

The amount of national infective endocarditis cases diagnosed was negligibly different before and after (15,300 to 17,400 cases diagnosed from 1999 through 2006 and 14,700 to 15,500 cases diagnosed after the new guidelines).

More research is necessary to verify this information.

Bad Oral Hygiene Raises Cancer Risk

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 13 June 2012 09:57



There’s more evidence that suggests poor oral hygiene increases the risk dying prematurely from cancer.

Researchers in Sweden concluded that dental plaque raises the risk of premature death from cancer after analyzing data from nearly 1,400 people from 1985 through 2009. The study appeared in the BMJ Open online journal.

During the course of the study, 58 patients who were part of the study died and 35 of those deaths were cancer-related. The research team stated that the patients who died from cancer-related problems had a higher level of dental plaque when compared to those who were alive after the study’s conclusion.

The dental plaque index score for people who died from cancer was between 0.84 and 0.91 on average compared to scores between 0.66 and 0.67 for people who died from reasons other than cancer. A higher score correlates with a larger the area of plaque coverage.

The average age of death for people who were studied was much lower than expected. The women in the study were expected to live 13 years longer than they did on average and the men were expected to live eight years longer.

Based on the results, the research team concluded that dental plaque impacts carcinogenesis. Still, they can’t be 100 percent certain that the link involving dental plaque and cancer exists.

This is another in a long line of studies showing the correlation between good overall health and good dental health. The best way to achieve that is by brushing regularly, avoiding sugary or acidic food and drinks, and visiting the dentist on a regular basis.

Dental Visits May Lead to Diabetes Detection

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 23 July 2012 15:44



A prediabetes diagnosis can be made during a basic dental visit.

The information comes from a recent Columbia University College of Dental Medicine study. The study appeared in the Journal of Dental Research.

The research could have a major impact for people that develop Type 2 diabetes. Unlike Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes comes mainly from a bad diet. If it’s detected early, it will be prevented from progressing into a more serious problem.

The study analyzed the information from 530 adults that had at least one of the risk factors for diabetes. The patients then received a periodontal exam and a hemoglobin test. The patients returned for a plasma glucose test to determine whether or not they had diabetes.

The ability to determine whether or not the patient had diabetes was as simple as looking at two factors. The number of missing teeth and the percentage of deep periodontal pockets were all it took to determine if someone had prediabetes or diabetes. The algorithm was even more effective after adding the hemoglobin component.

The reason this information is so important is because periodontal disease is one of the first complications that stems from diabetes.

There are now more than 25 millions Americans that have diabetes. More than 90 percent of the cases are Type 2 diabetes.

Dental Organizations Want Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Evaluated

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 24 July 2012 14:29



Various dental organizations are asking for a U.S. Surgeon General’s report on the relationships between certain food and drink consumption and the impact on oral diseases.

The goal of the report is to pinpoint the specific results of sugar-sweetened beverages on oral health.

The report calls for soft drinks and soda to be thoroughly studied. Soft drinks and soda need to be distinguished from health beverages like juices and milk. The organizations also want to define natural sugars, added sugars, carbonation and the acidity levels in these types of drinks.

The dental issues that arise from sugary and acidic drinks are clear. But a Surgeon General’s report will bring this issue to the forefront of American health.









The organizations backing the report and signing the letter include the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Periodontology, American Association for Dental Research, American Association of Dental Consultants, American Association of Endodontists, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Association of Public Health Dentistry, American Association of Women Dentists, American College of Prosthodontists, American Dental Education Association, American Dental Hygienists’ Association, American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists, Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, Hispanic Dental Association and National Dental Association.

Study States Fluoride Exposure Lowers IQ

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 24 July 2012 15:29



A Harvard University study shows that fluoride may not be all that great.

According to the study, the results indicated that the possibility of adverse effects of fluoride exposure to children’s neurodevelopment exists. The information appeared online in the July 20 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, which is a US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences publication.

There were cases of children in high-fluoride areas that had much lowers IQs than children who lived in low-fluoride areas.

The information was generated after fluoride from water was analyzed. Fluoride found in water, however, was the only instance of fluoride studied.

Still, the research made it clear that there’s much to be learned about the impact of fluoride on the children’s neurodevelopment.

When fluoride is exposed to the developing brain, it’s extremely vulnerable to injury caused by toxicants, according to the study. The mature brain is not nearly as vulnerable to problems associated with fluoride exposure.

Low doses of fluoride can be harmful to babies in many ways, according to the study. Some communities have stopped fluoridating water, while others are in the process of doing so.

Still, the negative or positive impact of fluoride is open for debate. There’s much more research necessary to determine the true ramifications of fluoride exposure.

European Commission Looks Into Eliminating Mercury from Dentistry

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 25 July 2012 11:15



Mercury could be phased out from dentistry in Europe within five years.

The European Environmental Bureau and Mercury Policy Project welcomed a new study by the European Commission that suggests it’s best to eliminate dental amalgam during the next five years. The project will also focus on the improved enforcement of current waste legislation in Europe. The study recommends phasing out mercury usage in button cell batteries, as well.

Many studies worldwide have concluded that amalgam has negative long-term effects. Europeans countries like Sweden have already phased mercury. Denmark, Finland, Italy and the Netherlands have reduced its usage in a major way. Several other countries have some kind of policies in place to restrict mercury usage.

The positive thing for dentists is that mercury-free dental materials have become more prevalent in the past few years, while undergoing many improvements during the same stretch.

Based on research, the European Environmental Bureau recommends that mercury should be phased out as soon as possible.

In the United States, however, the opinion is different. There are some that dispute its negative long-term effects and there are no recommendations to completely phase it out as soon as possible.

Shark Teeth as Hard as Human Teeth

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 28 August 2012 15:17



Shark teeth and human teeth are quite similar, according to a new study.

A team of German scientists came to this conclusion after a comprehensive study on the subject. The results weren’t expected based on the fact that shark teeth contain 100 percent fluoride.

Like humans, sharks have enamel on their teeth that serve to make the teeth as hard as they are.

The research team utilized an x-ray diffraction technique and scanned electron microscopy. They looked at every aspect of the fluoroapatite crystals to figure out how hard the teeth of the shortfin mako shark and tiger shark were.

The chemical and crystallographic composition of the teeth in the different sharks is similar. The slight difference is that the mako sharks tear the flesh of their prey while the tiger sharks use more of a cutting mechanism. The inner part of the teeth is an elastic dentin, while the outside is made up of enamel.

Human enamel, however, contains hydroxyapatite, something the shark teeth does not. This serves to soften the human teeth.

The researchers will continue their study on shark teeth to find out more information. One of the goals is to find a way to apply their research to finding a method for creating more advanced dental prostheses.

Lawsuit Will be Brought Against Dental Chain

Written by Dentistry TodayFriday, 31 August 2012 10:39



A lawsuit against an upstate New York dental chain will proceed.

A New York judge denied a request by Small Smiles to dismiss the lawsuits that claim the dentists at the chain carried out unnecessary procedures and restrained children in some cases.

Three lawsuits were filed on behalf of 30 children in the area of Schenectady, Syracuse and Rochester.

According to Judge John C. Cherundolo, “The defendants appear to have intended to injure the infant plaintiffs by subjecting them to harmful and unnecessary dental procedures well before they stepped through the door at a Small Smiles clinic. This intentional misconduct was part of the alleged scheme to generate revenue as quickly as possible.”

Small Smiles was a dental chain that provided dental treatment to children on Medicaid. Two years ago, the chain paid $24 million amid allegations of fraud. Small Smiles filed for bankruptcy in February. The chain currently has 63 dental offices in 19 states, but New York is no longer one of them. The company will no longer operate offices in New York.

The lawsuits claim that the main goal for these dental offices was to make money, rather than look out for the patients’ well-being. Dentists were allegedly trained in ways to achieve a profit, which included performing work that was completely unnecessary in many cases. The dentists were also trained to spend as little time as possible with each patient, which meant some patients had to be restrained.

Small Smiles also put together a script that enabled the dentists to get the parents to consent to these restraints. The dentists told the parents the alternative was anesthesia, so many of the parents allowed the restraint of their child. Subsequently, some of the children encountered emotional problems after being restrained.

The first of three trials will commence in February.

Coconut Oil May Thwart Tooth Decay

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 04 September 2012 15:51



Coconut oil may successfully fend off tooth decay.

It can be considered an antibiotic and could be incorporated into dental care products to combat the bacteria associated with tooth decay, according to scientists at the Society for General Microbiology’s Autumn Conference at the University of Warwick.

A team of researchers from the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland tested the contents of the coconut oil in its natural form and then compared it to coconut oil that was treated with enzymes. The process was similar to digestion. The oils were then compared to strains of Streptococcus bacteria that are common in the mouth.

The results of the study indicated that the enzyme-modified coconut oil was a major inhibitor to the growth of many strains of the Streptococcus bacteria.

Previous studies have demonstrated that partially digested foodstuffs are active against some micro-organisms. Enzyme-modified milk was even shown to limit the binding of Streptococcus mutans to tooth enamel. That’s why the researchers wanted to study the impact of other enzyme-modified foods on bacteria.

More work will be done to study the way in which coconut oil interacts with Streptococcus bacteria at the molecular level. Enzyme-modified coconut oil has also been able to make an impact on the yeast Candida albicans.

If this information ends up being true across the board, coconut oil will have a major positive impact on dentistry.

Salivary Gland Gene Therapy Study Yields Positive Results

Salivary Gland Gene Therapy Study Yields Positive Results

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 06 November 2012 16:03

Gene therapy may be safely used to study human salivary glands, according to a new study.

Scientists at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, which is part of the National Institute of Health, stated that the phase 1 study of gene therapy in the human salivary gland displayed positive results. The information appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Based on the study, the transferred gene, known as Aquaporin-1 could aid people who survived head and neck cancer who have problems with chronic dry mouth.

Aquaporin-1 encodes a protein that facilitates the flow of fluid in the cells. This process is similar to the way in which the salivary glands enable more studies to be conducted in this general vicinity. Salivary glands haven’t been studied closely in the past but the location, combined with the accessibility, makes these glands well-suited for gene therapy.

Bruce Baum was the lead author of the study. He’s been interested in information like this since he treated head and neck cancer survivors in the 1980s. His ideas for gene therapy began in 1991.

Many people have overcome cancer only to deal with chronic dry mouth problems. There aren’t many solutions. That’s why these studies in the salivary glands commenced in 2008.

There were 11 people studied to compile the data. Five of these people demonstrated an increase in saliva secretion and six people had no side effects.

More research is necessary to confirm these positive results.

Mouth Cancer Becoming More Prevalent

Mouth Cancer Becoming More Prevalent

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 07 November 2012 16:33

Younger people are developing mouth cancer more than ever before.

An initiative in Scotland has set out to make people under the age of 45 more aware about mouth cancer. These days, young people that do not smoke or drink are being afflicted with cancer more than in the past. Those are two of the biggest risk factors for mouth cancer.

The increase in the amount of oral cancer may be happening for many reasons. Two of the main reasons could be a poor diet or being exposed to the human papilloma virus.

Among the 900 people in Scotland that will develop oral cancer, research suggests that 10 percent of the cases will include young people that don’t drink or smoke.

The problem could be helped if more people were aware about the symptoms of oral cancer and how devastating it may be—and in some instances fatal. Dentists can help the overall awareness by educating their patients about the disease.

Research shows that there is a higher percentage of mouth cancer cases in Scotland than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. Being more educated, as well as visiting the dentist on a regular basis, is the best way to combat mouth

Tooth Tattoo May Curb Gum Disease

Tooth Tattoo May Curb Gum Disease

Written by Dentistry TodayFriday, 09 November 2012 11:26

A tooth tattoo may be what dentistry needs to defeat tooth decay.

The tattoo, which was developed at Princeton University and Tufts University, contains a sensor that measures the bacteria levels in the mouth. The sensor is made of gold, graphite and silk.

After completing the bacteria measurement in the mouth, the sensors can determine when a patient is at risk for developing gum disease. The sensors may also have the ability to predict the risk for other diseases, which is a result of studying the data from the saliva. AIDS and stomach ulcers were two of the diseases the sensor was able to determine risk for.

The tooth tattoo does not have a complicated design. It’s made of a thin layer of gold, a layer of graphene and peptide, and a layer of silk to provide support for the structure.  The silk layer was created to dissolve after the tattoo is pressed onto the surface of the tooth. After the sensors are placed, the tattoo is powered wirelessly.

The tooth tattoo hasn’t been tested on people yet, however, the trials on cow teeth have yielded promising results. The issue will be whether or not the tooth tattoo can be made thin enough to make certain the patient won’t deal with any type of discomfort. Cows won’t necessarily be bothered by the smallest of inconveniences in their mouth, whereas humans may be agitated with the device in their mouth.

More tests will be conducted to determine the feasibility of applying this technology to humans.