Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine are piecing together the process of tooth enamel biomineralization, which could lead to novel nanoscale approaches to developing biomaterials (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, August 8, 2011). Dental enamel is the most mineralized tissue in the body and combines high hardness with resilience, explained Elia Beniash, PhD, an associate professor of oral biology at the University of Pittsburgh

A common technique for determining whether melanoma has spread can be used safely and effectively even in tumors from the head and neck area, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center (Cancer, July 19, 2011). Sentinel lymph node biopsy involves injecting a special dye to identify the first node where cancer would likely spread. If that node is clean, patients can avoid further debilitating

Two-photon microscopy is effective in visualizing the spread of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, according to a study in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (July 25, 2011). Orthotopic mouse models of oral cancer have been developed to facilitate the study of factors that impact invasion and serve as a model system for evaluating antitumor therapeutics, noted the study authors, from the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center at West Virginia

Research has shown that infection and inflammation play a role in 15% to 20% of all cancers, and that “highly prevalent” oral diseases are “significantly linked” to some types of cancer. But a literature review in Oral Diseases (accepted for publication July 4, 2011) found that evidence remains weak and that further studies are needed before cancer can be added to the list of diseases caused by oral infections. Inflammation