Poor Oral Health Could Lead to Pneumonia

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 03 January 2012 12:09



There may be a connection between poor oral health and pneumonia, according to Yale University.

The study shows that changes in the mouth resulting from bacteria could lead to pneumonia, according to Dr. Samit Joshi from the Yale University School of Medicine. Older people are also at a higher risk of developing pneumonia.

The study involved 37 participants who were analyzed throughout the course of a month. The research indicated that people who were on ventilators who developed pneumonia went through a major change to their oral bacteria before becoming sick.

The connection between illnesses involving the respiratory system and oral health has been discussed for years. The reason is bacterial infections in the chest stem from breathing droplets from the mouth and throat that seep into the lungs. Also, the more gum issues a person has, the greater the chance of death from pneumonia.

Basic dental care and maintaining good oral health can make the connection between oral bacteria and pneumonia irrelevant to a person.

This information could eventually be beneficial to the way pneumonia is treated

Possible Solution to Dry Mouth Exists

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 05 January 2012 16:18



There may be a way to aid dry mouth condition.

A new battery-powered mouthguard was created to fix this problem. The mouthguard fits over the lower arch of the teeth and enables the production of saliva thanks to little electric shocks. This device is necessary because dry mouth impacts 20 percent of people older than 50.

This device could be extremely helpful because of the importance of saliva in digestion and fighting against bacteria. A healthy person can generate three pints of saliva per day but there are many people that don’t produce enough. The result is the condition of dry mouth, known as xerostomia. The condition usually stems from some kind of medication or cancer treatment.

This new mouthguard is custom designed for each person and triggers saliva production by way of electric shocks. Each patient controls the device and can be worn for up to 10 minutes every hour.

The device can be beneficial for people who developed dry mouth from Parkinson’s Disease and Sjogren’s Syndrome. More tests are on the way.

Scientists have also created mint disks with Xylitol in them, which are thought to aid dry mouth. The disks are applied at night. They melt while the person is asleep and studies from the University of Washington indicate a reduced impact of dry mouth symptoms with one week.

Baby Bottles Result in Tooth Decay

Written by Dentistry TodayFriday, 06 January 2012 16:36



One of the top causes of tooth decay is a baby bottle, according to dentists.

Tooth decay remains a major problem for babies. There’s now evidence that shows baby bottles are one of the major reasons decay develops.

About two out of five children beginning kindergarten have at least one decayed tooth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It’s disappointing for dentists because this is an issue that can easily be prevented.

Many parents put children to bed with substances full of sugar, including fruit juices, milk, formula and breast milk. This sugar opens the possibility for the bacteria that develops into tooth decay.

When the baby’s teeth start to emerge, the child is already at risk for tooth decay based on the amount of bacteria present. Giving the child water is a solution to this issue.

It’s also common for the caregiver to unintentionally pass on bacteria to the child. Sharing utensils with your child is a surefire way for the baby to eventually develop tooth decay.

When a baby has untreated tooth decay, a dentist may have to pull the teeth because there are times when the teeth cannot be salvaged. That’s why dental visits for babies are just as important as they are for adults.

New Test Could Enable Dentists to Detect Oral Cancer Faster

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 17 April 2012 15:20



It’s possible that it may take only 20 minutes to diagnose oral cancer.

The new test involves the dentist collecting stem cells from the patients’ mouths and then utilizing a computer program to analyze the diagnosis one way or the other. The whole process takes 20 minutes, light years ahead of the current methods, which include taking a biopsy and then awaiting the results from a lab. The results may not be in for roughly two to three weeks.

Researchers from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom and researchers from Rice University have been working on a two-year trial. If the trial is a success, the new method will first be utilized in the UK.

The test uses small sensors and biologic agents that are attached to a portable machine. The actual testing device, known as lab on a chip, is about the size of a credit card. The test can be used in dental practices, providing dentists with the opportunity to test for oral cancer at their practice. The patients wouldn’t have to be anxious about the results for a period weeks and, instead, could learn the results that day.

There are 275 people who have signed up for the trial in the UK. There were 20 of those patients that tested positive for oral cancer and didn’t know they had the disease. The current rate of survival for oral cancer (50 percent) may receive a huge increase because of this test. Early treatment of oral cancer can result in about a 90-percent survival rate.

Professor Martin Thornhill, one of the leaders of the study, thinks the test will become a standard part of dentistry in the UK during the next five years. The test is useful because it can test patients who come in for a basic dental checkup or those patients that have an ulcer, a lesion or some reason to suspect they may have oral cancer. Oral cancer can be confirmed or ruled out in a matter of minutes based on this test.

Gums Suffer as People Age

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 19 April 2012 07:36



It has recently become clearer why gum health declines with age.

Queen Mary, University of London, along with research teams in the United States, put together a comprehensive study on why gum disease rises with age. The information appeared in Nature Immunology and explained that a decrease in the chemical Del-1 played a major role in gum problems.

The research teams want to learn as much as possible about Del-1 and the way it impacts the rest of the body’s immune system.

Periodontitis is a major problem that results in bleeding and bone loss. When people age, they are more susceptible to diseases and gum problems, such as gum disease.

This research was generated from a study of mice. The researchers concluded that an increase in gum disease in the older mice was associated with a drop in the Del-1 levels. This protein holds back the immune system by preventing white blood cells from sticking to the mouth tissue and attacking it.

Mice that were without Del-1 tended to develop severe gum disease and had elevated levels of bone loss. There were also more white blood cells in the gum tissue. The amount of white blood cells dropped after the gums were treated.

This information could lay the foundation for new treatment or prevention methods for gum disease.