Fruit Drinks, Like Energy Drinks, May be Problematic

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 23 May 2012 15:23



Parents need to rethink giving their children fruit drinks.

Dentists are warning that some fruit drinks can have the acidity levels of vinegar. So some parents with good intentions may actually be putting their children's oral health at risk.

Fruits drinks and smoothies were thought to have some nutritional value as a healthy option other than drinks like soda. But, in actuality, these drinks contain sugar, in addition to having high acidity levels.

When consuming these fruit drinks, bacteria in the mouth produce dangerous plaque acids that attack the enamel. With weakened enamel, it's possible for the tooth to become compromised.

According to some studies, there are certain fruit drinks that are considered more acidic than vinegar.

Based on this information, whether or not a drink contain fruits is irrelevant. What's more important whether or not it contains sugar. Water is beneficial because it doesn't have any sugar and lowers the risk of obesity, something that is rising among young children. Drinks filled with sugar is one of the main reasons for this rise.

Two-Step Implantation with Built-up Bone May be More Effective

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 24 May 2012 15:32



There may be an answer to the longstanding debate about whether or not it’s better to allow bone to build up before placing an implant.

New research shows that its more effective to build bone first and then place the implant, allowing more bone growth, according to Prof. Zvi Artzi of Tel Aviv University’s Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dentistry at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine. The information appears in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology.

A one-step implant will show more wear and tear over a period time when compared to on implanted via the two-step process. There’s a larger amount of bone resorption around the neck with the one-step procedure. Bonding around the bone is also not as good.

The success of a tooth implant relies upon the biocompatibility of titanium. Human and animal tissues generally accept the implant and grow around it.

Periodontists choose the one- or two-step process based on preference. This particular study was based on long-term results, which are not usually included in the window in which the periodontist would monitor the patient’s procedure. So the researchers tracked the progress of the implants on animals during a two-year stretch.

Despite this research, it’s still possible for the one-step procedure to be better. It all depends on the way the patient heals and reacts. This research isn’t suggesting the one-step procedure doesn’t work, rather that the two-step procedure is more effective based on long-term results

Study Claims Tooth Sensitivity More Painful Than Almost Anything

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 29 May 2012 15:03



The only thing that causes more pain for women than tooth sensitivity is giving birth, according to a new study. Tooth sensitivity was even more painful than menstrual cramps.

The information comes from a comprehensive Arm & Hammer study that surveyed more than 900 men and women. About 25 percent of the people surveyed took time off from work to visit the dentist because of tooth sensitivity. Broken down further, 18 percent of women took time off from work to go to the dentist compared to 36 percent of men.

Tooth sensitivity can impact people of all ages. It stems from damage to the tooth enamel, leaving dentin susceptible.

Visiting the dentist for such things as sensitivity to cold food or drinks or sensitivity to hot food or drinks are some of the most common reasons for going to the dentist.

Tooth sensitivity correlates with maintaining good oral hygiene. Brushing too hard, bad oral hygiene, and acid erosion resulting from sugary or acidic food/drinks can all increase one’s tooth sensitivity.

Toothpaste specifically for sensitive teeth may ease the pain from the condition but the best bet is to visit the dentist.

Aspirin May Lower Risk of Throat Cancer

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 30 July 2012 14:41



IAspirin may provide some new benefits.

A group of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Technological Assessment concluded that aspirin may lower the risk of esophageal cancer. It accomplishes this by decreasing susceptibility to Barrett's Esophagus, a condition that affects throat cells and is probably the most significant risk factor for esophageal cancer.

Barrett's Esophagus has been rising at alarming rate during the past decade. Much of the research has been in identifying some of the early warnings of BE. Earlier studies have shown that anti-inflammatory drugs that don't contain steroids lower death rates. There's no research, however, involving the impact of taking aspiring and the risk of developing Barrett's Esophagus.

According to this study, researchers in Massachusetts discovered that patients taking aspirin were 44 percent less likely to develop Barrett's Esophagus. There were 434 patients studied. The study also indicated that men were three times as likely to develop the condition when compared to women.

The results don't suggest that people should begin to take large doses of aspirin. Aspirin, however, has been shown to reduce the risk of many illnesses as research continues. It's also not ideal for people to take aspirin with the main goal being to lower the risk of throat cancer, according to Dr. Chin Hur of Massachusetts General Hospital.

Still, many people may benefit if aspirin does, indeed, lower the risk of throat cancer.

Dental Offices in Texas Continue to Close

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 30 July 2012 15:47



Dentists’ offices in Texas continue to close after crackdowns on Medicaid dental payments.

Dentists who have already collected their money from the state after treating Medicaid patients are no longer accepting those patients because the dentists’ Medicaid claims are no longer being accepted. There are more than 4,300 Medicaid dentists in Texas.

Thousands of patients are impacted by this. For a point of reference, in 2010 Medicaid paid for braces on 80,000 children in Texas.

Thanks to the more stringent regulations, 91 percent of new claims are being rejected. There are even instances of children having to have their braces taken off with plenty of time left in which they should be worn.

The new Texas HHS dental director is John Roberts, who took over for the previous director after allegations of questionable Medicaid payments.

Despite the new regulations, there were supposed to be policies in place to enable children with braces to continue to receive the necessary treatment in some way or another. The problem is that if these patients are reassigned to new dentists, these patients will continue to receive the treatment that they never even needed. This will cost the state millions of dollars.

An example of this comes from All Smile Dental Centers. This company is being sued for fraud. It is now getting rid of orthodontic treatment at 13 of its clinics. The problem is 95 percent of its dental claims included some type of fraud, according to one

Stem Cell Therapy May be Capable of Treating Head, Mouth Problems

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 01 August 2012 15:53



Stem cells were recently utilized to regrow craniofacial tissues. The study was the first of its kind and discovered that it was faster and more efficient than other, more conventional bone regeneration treatments.

A research team at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research joined forces with Ann Arbor-based Aastrom Biosciences for this study. The clinical trial included 24 patients who needed jawbone reconstruction after some type of tooth removal.

The patients were treated with experimental tissue repair cells or a guided bone regeneration therapy. The tissue repair cells are still being developed.

This treatment is ideal for people with major defects resulting from some type of disease or trauma. The problems generally include multiple layers of tissue, making the processes to treat the issue complicated.

The benefit of stem cell research is that the patients’ own cells are utilized to regenerate tissue, as opposed to using man-made tissues.

The results from the study could be extremely beneficial. Six and 12 weeks after the cell therapy treatment, patients received dental implants. The patients who received tissue repair cells had greater bone density when compared to the patients who received conventional bone therapy. The experimental group also did not need as much bone grafting when receiving the implants.

The cells used in the therapy were taken from bone marrow in the patients’ hips. The bone marrow was processed thanks to the system Aastrom uses, which enabled various cells to grow. The stem cells were later inserted throughout the mouth and jaw.

Despite this research, this kind of stem cell treatment is still at least five years away—and more than that in all likelihood—from being put into practice. More clinical trials are necessary and it’s essential to include bigger craniofacial defects in a wide array of patients.

Tooth Patch May Aid Whitening

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 27 September 2012 12:21



A tooth patch may be just what many people are looking for to improve their smile.

Japanese scientists have come up with a tooth patch that could be applied to make one’s teeth whiter. The patch could also aid people that suffer from any type of tooth sensitivity.

The sheet, which is just 0.004 mm, is made of hydroxyapatite, the main mineral in tooth enamel.

To formulate the patch, lasers were pointed at compressed blocks of the mineral in a vacuum to make individual particles pop out. The particles then fell onto a separate block of salt. This was later heated to crystallize the components.

After the salt cube was dissolved in water, the dried tooth patch was left.

The patch is also invisible, so people wouldn’t notice it when it’s in the mouth. The patch, however, can take an extensive period time of time—possibly a full day—to stick to the teeth in an optimal fashion.









The patch won’t be ready for usage for a while, however. It will be at least three years before the patch could even be used for cosmetic purposes.