New research shows that mothers with high levels of dental plaque are eight times as likely to pass on microbes that cause tooth decay to their offspring. The mother’s oral hygiene status, reflected in dental plaque accumulation, was a significant factor in determining this transmission. Other factors such as delivery method, feeding behaviors and ethnicity …
DrBicuspid (4/2, Busch) reports, “Using ongoing bone regeneration research, University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry researchers are studying whether DNA nanotechnology can restore teeth, possibly reducing the need for cavities to be filled, according to university news published March 25.” Already, preliminary studies have “shown the potential of injecting DNA …
DrBicuspid reports, “Lidocaine (the most common local anesthetic used for dental procedures) triggers specific bitter taste receptors in the mouth that may ultimately lead to the death of head and neck cancer (HNC) cells, according to a preclinical study recently published in Cell Reports.” The “increased expression of these bitter …
Newsweek reports that “scientists are examining a new treatment for advanced tooth decay.” In a new study, researchers “found that molecules called resolvins regenerate tissue when applied to dental pulp.” The body naturally produces “Resolvin E1 (RvE1) and other resolvins,” and “the study found that when RvE1 was applied to different …
DentistryIQ reports, “A new early-stage oral cancer detection test for dental professionals could offer ‘unprecedented level of actionable insight into their patients’ health,’” according to Viome Life Sciences, the company launching it. The Oral Health Pro with CancerDetect is “a device that, according to a company press release , uses proprietary RNA …
The AP examined a claim made in a video posted on Facebook that “the No. 1 cause of heart attacks is a tooth treated for a root canal.” The AP said, “There’s no credible scientific evidence that having a root canal can cause a heart attack, according to endodontists,” and …
In a consumer-focused article, the Daily Express (UK) reports that “difficulty moving your jaw, as well as jaw pain could be” a sign of a serious problem, such as “gum disease or even mouth cancer.” One cause of jaw pain is temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction or temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), which …
KHN reports smartphones “are being repurposed and commercialized for quick access to information needed for monitoring patient health,” but their use “as diagnostic tools remains a work in progress.” While “doctors and their patients have found some real-world success in deploying the phone as a medical device, the overall potential …
The Washington Post (Blakemore) reports alcohol warning labels “haven’t been updated since the late 1980s,” and “now, researchers say they don’t adequately advertise alcohol consumption’s biggest potential health consequence: cancer, including breast cancer.” In a perspective piece published in “the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers warn that the labels …
Research published in The Journal of the American Dental Association that analyzed data from 71 studies found the prevalence of tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, was 5% overall but ranged from 2% to 20% depending on the assessment tool used, ADA News reported. Researchers said tongue-tie prevalence was 7% among infants, 1% in …
