Preventing perio disease aids positive mental, physical health

Over the years, research has continued to support the link between periodontal disease and physical health. More recently, the science is also showing a correlation between periodontal disease and mental health. Considering periodontal disease plagues approximately 64.7 million people in the U.S., there is a need to take a closer look at how dental professionals can continue to arm their patients with every available option to treat and prevent this disease.

Heart disease risk increases by gum disease severity

Periodontitis is associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, and the risk increases for those with more severe gum disease, according to research being presented this week at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) virtual meeting. In a long-term follow-up of a previous study that found periodontitis to be significantly more common in first-time heart attack patients compared with healthy peers, researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm reported

Do you know which orofacial signs are linked to Lyme disease?

As if the symptoms of Lyme disease weren’t debilitating enough, a new systematic review has identified more than half a dozen orofacial manifestations of the condition, including temporomandibular joint pain, altered taste, and facial palsy. The findings were published in the August issue of the Journal of Dental Hygiene. When a clinical exam fails to identify a specific oral health pathology in patients who experience unexplained orofacial symptoms, dental professionals

ADA group, dental school get $2.3M to study oral mucosa

The U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) has awarded $2.3 million to the ADA Science & Research Institute and the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine to study oral mucosa. The grant will be used to study how the presence of periodontitis and peri-implantitis affects oral tissues. The researchers will explore ways to improve the outer epithelial barrier of the oral mucosa, which can provide added protection

Oclean unveils new water flosser

Oclean has introduced Oclean W10, a compact water flosser designed for use at home, at the office, or on a trip. Featuring a “minimalist” concept and a hand-strap design aimed at providing portability, W10 generates 1,400 pulses per minute, delivering a 0.66-mm waterjet for cleaning food debris between teeth, according to the vendor. Oclean said that W10 is particularly suited for braces users. The flosser features five floss modes and

It ain’t just sugar: 9 oral benefits of honey

I thought my dental colleagues were going to laugh me out of my profession when I suggested that raw honey could be used to brush teeth. Well, the research is clear: Honey ain’t just sugar. Several peer-reviewed medical articles have explained how raw honey could be used in the mouth to decrease the pathogens causing tooth decay and gum disease. In an April 2020 article published in the Journal of

Imaging aids in treating boy’s dental infection-caused abscesses

Imaging helped clinicians diagnose and treat rare orbital and mouth abscesses caused by a dental infection in a 13-year-old boy, according to a case report recently published in the European Journal of Dentistry. If untreated, the condition could have led to death or blindness. The boy’s main symptom was two days of dental pain, which progressed to his periorbital tissues, and he began experiencing vision problems. A computed tomography (CT)

NIDCR grants researchers $1.2M to study kids’ oral health

The U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) has granted $1.2 million in funding to researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago for a five-year study on the oral health of kids in low-income communities. The study, called Coordinated Oral Health Promotion (CO-OP) Chicago, will investigate predictors of oral health behaviors and risk of cavities in children who live in urban, low-income environments. A team led by

When Are Tooth Extractions Necessary?

Tooth extractions are a dental procedure in which the tooth needs to be removed from its socket. Most of the time, tooth extractions might need to be performed by dental surgeons, but general dentists might also be capable of doing this surgery. Tooth extractions might sound scary at first, and even more if you haven’t gone through that process before. Some might believe that a tooth extraction is only necessary

Week in Review: Medicare dental benefits | Changes to TMD treatment | Stuck vampire teeth

Dear DrBicuspid Member, The addition of dental benefits to the Medicare program is a “when,” not an “if,” according to Dr. Marc Cooper. In the top story of the week, Cooper spelled out why he believes the addition of oral healthcare to Medicare is inevitable — and why dentistry is not prepared for the monumental change. If Democrats have their way, the addition of dental benefits to Medicare could happen sooner

Parents sue dental office for death of 3-year-old boy

The parents of a 3-year-old boy who died following a dental procedure in Wichita, KS, are suing the dentist, the dental office, the certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), and the anesthesia company involved in the case, according to an article on KSN.com. Angel Zapata and Nancy Valenzuela of Scott City are the parents of Abiel Zapata Valenzuela, who died in early July, the news station reported. Before the appointment in

Where the science stands on periodontitis-obesity link

Obesity is associated with worse periodontal conditions, according to a recent literature review on the relationship between obesity and periodontal disease. Conversely, periodontal treatment appears to significantly reduce several biochemical biomarkers associated with obesity. Periodontal disease is known to be associated with a number of systemic disorders, including obesity, a condition that predisposes individuals to a variety of comorbidities and complications that affect overall health. The basic commonality between periodontitis