Dental Waiting Times May be An Issue in Some Places

Dental Waiting Times May be An Issue in Some Places



Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 13 February 2013 16:06







The average wait time for a dental appointment in South Australia is two months. And that’s after the average wait time has decreased during the last six months.


Despite the positive direction the wait times are headed in for the Riverland area of Australia, the waits are still double the wait times compared to Adelaide. The waits for Riverland residents are still 18 months for dental care that is not considered urgent.


A mobile dental clinic will soon be opening to try to easy the burden dentists in the area are often faced with.


There are also cases of private dentists treating public patients because the wait times are so prohibitive in this area. The only way to accommodate all of the dental patients is for private dentists to step in as much as possible.


A new clinic, which would work in connection with the University of Adelaide, may also be in the plans.


The ultimate goal is to create enough dental facilities/personnel to be able to have each person in Australia visit a public dentist once each year.

FDA May Impose Limits on Sugar

FDA May Impose Limits on Sugar



Written by Dentistry TodayFriday, 15 February 2013 10:38







The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may soon make major changes to sugar consumption.


The FDA, after being urged by the Center for Science and Public Interest, is going to explore creating a new sugar level for products, meaning a number in which added sugar can’t exceed in a given product. The goal is to boost oral health, in addition to combat diabetes and heart disease, among other health issues.


The CSPI filed a 54-page petition with the FDA. The petition goes in depth about the overwhelming evidence that added sugars cause major health problems.


The average 20-oz bottle of soda possesses 16 teaspoons of sugar from high-fructose corn syrup. The American Heart Association only recommends consuming half of that amount throughout the entire day. No person should consume more than 9 teaspoons of sugar each day, according to the AHA.


The CSPI and researchers involved with this data agree that diet soda is healthier than regular soda despite some studies that say otherwise.


Sugary drinks comprise the largest source of calories in the American diet, according to some studies. The average American consumes between 18 and 23 teaspoons each day.


The CSPI is also requesting other industries lower the amount of sugar in various other consumable products.

Ancient Teeth Bacteria Display Evolution of Disease

Ancient Teeth Bacteria Display Evolution of Disease



Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 25 February 2013 16:38







Researchers recently learned a great deal of information about oral health from DNA preserved in calcified teeth bacteria.


It was learned that negative changes regarding oral bacteria developed after humans became farmers. The Industrial Revolution led to even worse oral health based on the manufactured food that was created.


The information, which was compiled by the University of Adelaide’s Center for Ancient DNA, appeared in the February 17 issue of Nature Genetics. The Department of Archeology at the University of Aberdeen and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge (United Kingdom) also participated in the study.


This is the first study of its kind that shows the oral bacteria have changed during the last 7,500 years. In earlier history, oral bacteria were more diverse, which was a good thing. Now, there are more oral health and other diseases based on the current human diet.


The research team utilized data from 34 prehistoric northern European human skeletons. The lineage of the bacteria was traced from the last of the hunter-gatherers through the farmers in the Bronze Age and Medieval times.


The study pinpointed the major changes that happened when farming was first introduced and again 150 years ago with the Industrial Revolution and the influx in sugar. In some ways, it could be stated that the modern mouth is in a constant state of disease.










This type of research was not possible prior to 2007, when contamination was a problem when studying ancient bacteria. The researchers plan to do similar studies involving other species like Neanderthals.

Mouthrinse May be More Effective Than Brushing

Mouthrinse May be More Effective Than Brushing



Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 26 February 2013 16:46







Mouth rinsing, in unison with brushing, has a greater chance to reduce plaque and gingivitis than simply just brushing.


The information appears in the January/February 2013 issue of General Dentistry.


The logic is simple when analyzing the makeup of the mouth. Mouthrinses can get to every part of the mouth whereas brushing can only access the teeth, which comprises about a quarter of the mouth. Bacteria have the ability to survive despite brushing and flossing.


The study concluded that utilizing germ-killing mouthrinse two times per day could lower the onset of plaque and gingivitis when used as a supplement to brushing.


The study took six months and included 139 adults with mild to moderate plaque and gingivitis. They were broken into two groups. The first group brushed and rinsed with a germ-killing mouthrinse twice daily while the other group brushed while rinsing with a placebo mouthrinse twice daily.


The occurrence of plaque was lowered by 26.3 percent for the people that utilized the germ-killing mouthrinse.

When the six-month study was over, almost all of the participants who used the germ-killing mouthrinse showed lowered levels of gingivitis. Only 30 percent of the participants in the other group showed the same type of results

Smiles May be Secret to Success

Smiles May be Secret to Success



Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 27 February 2013 15:49







A recent study indicates that a smile may have a lot to do with success.


A group of researchers from the University of Seville in Spain concluded that many of the 100 most influential people in the world—determined by Time Magazine’s rankings—had similar facial features. The researchers examined the facial features of the most influential people from 2006 through 2011.


Many of these influential people possessed similar physical features even though there were various occupations, genders, or ethnicities analyzed. Certain standards tended to impact the expressions on their faces.


The study recently appeared in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation.


The research team reviewed prior studies regarding attractive aspects of smiles and the information was utilized by oral practitioners looking to aesthetically enhance a patient’s smile. Balance of the smile and face seemed to be a key characteristic.


There were a total of 168 images that were thoroughly analyzed. The images appeared in a front-on view with the head in an upright position. After exploring numerous variables, the research team thought there were clear connections involving the world’s influential people.