Dental Research

Oral health is an essential part of maintaining a healthy life. An infected tooth can lead to a blood infection, which can be deadly if not taken care of immediately. Routine dental visits with a dental hygienist can spot problem areas before an infection can invade. Oral and throat cancers can be spotted early and immediately referred to the...

The economic troubles during the Great Recession of 2007-2009 have had a statistical impact on both dentistry and orthodontics in several different ways. The Effect of the Great Recession on the Demand for General Oral Health Care and Orthodontic Care, an article researched and written by Albert H. Guay, DMD, and Andrew Blatz, MS., is a study of how professional...

As the second decade of the 21st century has ended, we are seeing an increasing number of "organ-on-a-chip" devices allowing scientists to observe and analyze organ cells using a variety of instruments. Recently, researchers have started experimenting with "tooth-on-a-chip." "On-a-chip" devices recreate the natural physiology and mechanical forces that affect the cells in the human body. Researchers use them to...

Periodontal disease and obesity may seem unrelated, but they share one important feature. They are both extremely common in the United States. The two diseases may also have a deeper connection than anyone realized in the past. The British Dental Journal recently published a review of many studies that explores the connection between the two diseases. While their findings are not...

New research reveals there may be a potential link between tooth loss and cardiovascular disease. Researchers presented data from a recent study at the Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions during the 2018 American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention conference. According to the results of the preliminary study, middle-aged patients who lost two or more of their natural teeth had a higher chance...

Scientists at the School of Medicine at the University of Buffalo have conducted research which appears to prove patients who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes can improve their health by taking better care of their oral hygiene. Their findings, "Benefits of Non‐Surgical Periodontal Treatment in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Chronic Periodontitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial," was...

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine have unearthed evidence that smoking can prevent dental pulp from performing its core function of combatting different diseases. The study, titled "Comparison of IL-1β, TNF-α, hBD-2, and hBD-3 Expression in the Dental Pulp of Smokers Versus Nonsmokers," was published in the Journal of Endodontics. How Dental Pulp Helps Fight Bacteria Dental pulp...

The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society recently published a study titled, "Oral Health Symptoms and Cognitive Function Among US Community-Dwelling Chinese Older Adults," which examined how poor oral health impacts cognitive function in geriatric Chinese adults living in the United States. The studied showed that adults who report poor oral hygiene are much more likely than adults reporting good oral...

An estimated 10 percent of the population, or roughly 100 million Americans, have diabetes or prediabetes according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Due to this alarming trend, research institutions are making a serious effort to learn more about the chronic condition and find a cure. Now there may be evidence that people with undetected glucose disorders run a...

Halloween is just around the corner, which is exciting for children, but concerning for many parents. Along with safety hazards to consider, there's the issue of excess sugar. Some families opt out of the holiday completely, and others put parameters in place, to mitigate sugar overload and tooth decay. So, where do dentists and hygienists fall on this spectrum?...