Dental Research

Dental technology has advanced tremendously in the past few decades, and it continues to move forward at a rapid pace as new materials and techniques are constantly being introduced. A wide variety of appliances are now being used in the treatment of countless conditions, and many of these innovative devices are manufactured from plastics. While plastics offer numerous advantages to...

The results of a recent study highlight how periodontal disease and oral hygiene can impact the health of patients with lupus. The research, which was published in the Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology journal, is titled "Antibodies to periodontogenic bacteria are associated with higher disease activity in lupus patients." About Lupus An estimated 1.5 million people in the United States have the chronic...

The field of nanodentistry is progressing rapidly from theory to practice as dental researchers seek ever more precise methods for dentists to maintain and improve oral health. Nanotechnology has been at the forefront of scientific advances for decades. It has not had, until recently, viable clinical applications. Nanotechnology is based on manipulating matter at the cellular level. The term nano is...

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. There's a lot of research out there about how people become addicted and how to stop them from becoming users. There's also research on how to help addicts. Beating an addiction of any kind is incredibly difficult. A dental school in Utah has found a new, creative way to help people kick...

It was bound to happen, sooner or later. Fortunately for our generation, it is happening now rather than years into the future. Using the classic tale of the small boy, David, defeating the feared giant, Goliath, as an analogy, researchers from the University of Alabama have developed a small molecule that, when unleashed against Streptococcus mutans (known to be the ultimate...

Should amalgam fillings be completely banned? While there's no scientific proof that the metals in amalgam can negatively impact human health, patient request and concern has made composite resin fillings more popular in recent years. But amalgam may be tougher and a better choice for a subset of people who have genetic or environmental factors that negatively influence their ability...

Researchers at the West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia have recently discovered a gender disparity among young dental patients. According to their research, female children were more likely to have at least one tooth missing than their male peers. The study was recently published in the April 2019 edition of the Journal of Dental Hygiene under the title, "Hypodontia,...

According to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, with someone in America developing the disease every 65 seconds. Periodontal disease attacks approximately half of United States adults over age 30, with prevalence rates rising to around 70% in adults 65 and older. When we look at the stats on Alzheimer's and...

Researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville have discovered another factor that can cause tooth erosion. According to recent data from their study, dry mouth lozenges may lead to tooth erosion due to their high level of acidity. A Closer Look at Tooth Erosion According to the American Dental Association, dental erosion occurs when excessive acid in the mouth causes tooth enamel...

Scientists at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York recently examined the facilitators and potential barriers to implementing Oral Rapid HIV testing in the dental setting. The test is very helpful for patients who are unaware of their positive HIV status. The study, "Oral Rapid HIV Testing: Implementation experiences of dental hygiene faculty and students," was published in the Journal...