Gum Chewers Beware!

Teenagers are notorious for chewing a lot of gum. The lip smacking, bubble popping, discarded gum stuck to the sole give teachers and parents a headache. Now, Dr. Nathan Watemberg of Tel Aviv University-affiliated Meir Medical Center has found that gum-chewing teenagers, and younger children as well, are giving themselves …

Can being overweight put you at risk for gum disease?

Impacting approximately one-third of the U.S. population, obesity is a significant health concern for Americans. It’s a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain forms of cancer, and now, according to an article published in the January/February 2013 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of …

Danger: Newly discovered bacterium delivers one-two punch to the mouth

The newly discovered bacterium that causes gum disease delivers a one-two punch by also triggering normally protective proteins in the mouth to actually destroy more bone, a University of Michigan study found. Scientists and oral health care providers have known for decades that bacteria are responsible for periodontitis, or gum …

Decoding Migraine Pain

Wielding a joystick and wearing special glasses, pain researcher Alexandre DaSilva rotates and slices apart a large, colorful, 3-D brain floating in space before him. Despite the white lab coat, it appears DaSilva’s playing the world’s most advanced virtual video game. The University of Michigan dentistry professor is actually hoping …

New Evidence About Fluoride

In an advance toward solving a 50-year-old mystery, scientists are reporting new evidence on how the fluoride in drinking water, toothpastes, mouth rinses and other oral care products prevents tooth decay. Karin Jacobs and colleagues explain that despite a half-century of scientific research, controversy still exists over exactly how fluoride …