Sugary Drink Consumption May Be Associated With Higher Cancer Risk

The New York Times (7/10, Bakalar) reports that research “suggests there may be a link between the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and fruit juices and the development of cancer.” In the study, which “involved 101,257 people,” compared “with the lowest one-quarter for sugary drink consumption, the highest one-quarter had a …

Dental Care Before Major Cancer Surgery May Reduce Risk Of Complications, Study Suggests

Reuters (8/28, Crist) reports a study published in the British Journal of Surgery found that patients who are undergoing “major cancer surgery might reduce their risk of complications by seeing a dentist beforehand.” The researchers discovered that patients “who visited a dentist were slightly less likely to have post-surgery pneumonia …

Reducing post-op complications after cancer surgery

Improving patients’ oral hygiene is an option for preventing postoperative pneumonia that may be caused by aspiration of oral secretions. Whether preoperative oral care by a dentist can decrease postoperative complications remains controversial. A retrospective study was undertaken to assess the association between preoperative oral care and postoperative complications among …

Dry Mouth and Gum Disease Among Dental Problems Adults Over 50 May Experience

With well over 400 medications having a side effect of dry mouth, the number of adults taking medications and suffering from dry mouth issues has risen dramatically over the past 10 years, but often goes unaddressed by dental and medical offices. The results can be disastrous and expensive! The Huffington …

Mouth Sores May Indicate Difficult-To-Diagnose Condition

In an article for the Philadelphia Inquirer (2/7), Dr. Eric T. Stoopler, an associate professor of oral medicine, discusses a patient who suffered from treatment-resistant mouth sores and skin lesions and “died of respiratory failure about a year after he first noticed the mouth sores.” Before his death, “immunological blood …

Cancer and Oral Health

Anyone can develop cancer. Since the risk of being diagnosed with cancer increases with age, most cases occur in adults who are middle aged or older. About 78% of all cancers are diagnosed in persons 55 years of age and older. In the US, men have slightly less than a …

Little Rock Dentist Explains – silver fillings or tooth-colored ones?

Lots of questions still come up today about silver fillings versus tooth colored fillings. Questions such as “Which one is better?”, Which ones cause me harm?”, and “What should I do?”. Let me first talk about silver fillings (known as amalgam fillings) which have been around proior to 1900. As …