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.

Cheese Could Combat Cavities

Cheese Could Combat Cavities



Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 05 June 2013 15:09







More cheese, milk and other dairy products are what you need to fight cavities.


That’s what a new study in the May/June issue of General Dentistryindicates. The way the mouth reacts after consuming these dairy products serves to protect the teeth from cavities.


A study involving 68 subjects was conducted among people aged 12 to 15. The researchers analyzed the dental plaque pH in the subjects’ mouths prior to and after consuming cheese, milk or sugar-free yogurt. A pH lower than 5.5 makes a person vulnerable to tooth erosion. A pH larger than 5.5 puts at a much lower risk for having cavities.


The study participants were randomly assigned to a group. The first group ate cheddar cheese, the next group drank milk and the final group at sugar-free yogurt. The products were consumed for 3 minutes and then the people swished water around their mouth. After that, pH levels were taken at 10, 20 and 30 minutes after consumption.


The people who consumed milk and sugar-free yogurt didn’t see any changes in pH levels. The cheese eaters, however, showed higher pH levels at each interval, which would lead you to believe that the cheese fights cavities.


Based on the information from the study, the increasing pH levels after eating cheese may stem from the higher saliva production in the mouth. This is the mouth’s natural way to try to become neutral. It’s also possible that the compounds found in cheese may bond with tooth enamel to form protection for the teeth.

This study shows that dairy products are good for oral health in numerous ways. Not only could they provide an option aside from sugary drinks but now they could prevent cavities.

New Health Warning for Treats

New Health Warning for Treats

Written by Dentistry TodayFriday, 07 June 2013 10:18

Some biscuits and cookies may pose problems that you wouldn’t think about at first.

Many people are aware of the sugar issues that stem from the treats but new research suggests these items may contain more salt than salted popcorn or chicken nuggets. If children consume the treats regularly, that may be at risk for overconsuming salt.

In addition to the many known problems caused by sugary food, such as diabetes, tooth decay, etc., the salt content is producing other issues. Too much salt consumption may result in high blood pressure and eventually heart disease or stroke.

It was discovered in the United Kingdom that 100 types of biscuits possessed the same amount or more salt when compared to popular brands of popcorn. The total was 0.9 mg of salt per 100 g.

It would be best for the consumers if the manufacturers took this into account and lowered the salt content in their products. It also would be best for parents to reduce the amount of these types cookies or biscuits that their children consume.

Being Exposed to Bisphenol A Early May Harm Enamel

Being Exposed to Bisphenol A Early May Harm Enamel

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 12 June 2013 07:33

It may be best to keep children away from Bisphenol A.

A new study shows that the teeth of rats treated with small doses of BPA could be damaged by it. The damage showed the same trends as the recent pathology of 18 percent of children ages 6 through 8.

BPA is a chemical compound utilized in plastics and resin. There have been cases of large amounts of BPA in blood, urine, amniotic fluid or placentas. Recent data suggests that BPA has a negative impact on reproduction, development and the metabolism of laboratory animals. Based on this information, it’s fair to assume the results are the same on humans.

In Europe, the manufacturing and commercialization of babies’ bottles has been prohibited since January 2011. This ban will include all food containers beginning in July 2015.

The rats in these studies were exposed to small doses of BPA within 30 days after birth. When these teeth were further analyzed, they showed signs of a tooth enamel pathology called Molar Incisor Hypomineralization, a condition that impacts first molars and permanent incisors. The first sign of this condition was the presence of white marks on the teeth. The research team then compared the information about the rat teeth exposed to BPA and teeth from humans who suffer from MIH.

The fragile and feeble enamel was the same in both cases.

When the study was concluded there was one piece of information that may prove to be vital in the years to come. It’s possible that teeth may be used as indicators for exposure to endocrine disruptors, aiding in the diagnosis of serious pathologies.

.

Link Exists Between Plaque, Early Cancer Death

Link Exists Between Plaque, Early Cancer Death

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 17 July 2013 15:15

Dental plaque could result in premature death in cancer patients, according to a new study.

The researchers determined that a large amount of plaque had some connection to a higher cancer mortality. When dental plaque is present it indicates bad oral hygiene, which is something that raises the risk of infection and ultimately may result in death.

A Swedish research team from the Karolinska Institute and a group from the University of Helsinki put the study together. The study appeared in theBMJ Open.

The study revealed that dental plaque could increase the risk of death by cancer by as much as 79 percent when analyzing all risk factors. Bacteria in the mouth is a big contributor to carcinogenesis.

Despite the findings from the study, the researchers emphasized that tooth decay does not directly cause cancer.

Based on this study and numerous studies in the past, poor oral health leads to poor overall health. It’s been proven that bad oral health may lead to Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, among other health problems.

Gingival Stem Cells May be Utilized in Tissue Regeneration

Gingival Stem Cells May be Utilized in Tissue Regeneration

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 23 July 2013 08:09

Gingival stem cells may have some newly discovered capabilities.

Gingiva was recently identified to possess mesenchymal stem cells. Essentially, it may be possible for gingiva to spur tissue regeneration. The gingiva represents a unique soft tissue that acts as a biological barrier to protecting the oral cavity side of the maxilla and mandible.

The information comes from a report by the International and American Associations for Dental Research. The report appeared in the Journal of Dental Research.

The research team showed that 90 percent of GMSCs stem from cranial neural crest cells and 10 percent from the mesoderm. When compared to the mesoderm MSCs, the CNCCs demonstrate an increased capacity to distinguish neural cells and chondrocytes. After being transplanted into mice with dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis, N-GMSCs displayed better effects in ameliorating inflammatory types of disease phenotype when compared with the M-GMSC treatment group.

More research is necessary to fully comprehend the connection between the neural crest cell and mesoderm that come from the gingiva mesenchymal stem cells. But it could be possible for gingiva to lead to stem cell regeneration.