Dental Research

The Journal of Dental Hygiene recently published a study titled "Obstructive Sleep Apnea Knowledge: Attitudes and screening practices of Minnesota dental hygienists." The article, which was published in the journal's June edition, examined the current knowledge and attitudes among Minnesota dental hygienists on the subject of obstructive sleep apnea. About Obstructive Sleep Apnea Obstructive sleep apnea is a medical term used to describe patients...

Dental implants are an exciting alternative to bridges and dentures, eliminating many of the aesthetic and practical issues associated with removable dentures. The innovation doesn't stop there, however, as researchers devote resources to important studies, striving to make dental implants even easier to maintain and clean. Recently, researchers conducted a study on cavitating jets and their efficacy in cleaning...

Smoking while pregnant can cause all types of problems in utero and long after the child's birth. Doctors warn newly pregnant women that smoking cigarettes can cause your child to have respiratory problems, attention difficulties, low birth weight, and even death. But smoking may cause more problems than we currently know. How about your teeth? Do prenatal smoking and the...

Substance abuse is on the rise across America with an estimated 3 million new users every year. This population has unique needs and identifying and understanding the consequences of substance abuse on dental health is crucial. A new review published in the journal, Addiction, shows a link between substance abuse and poorer dental health. Patients with a substance-abuse disorder have greater amounts...

Many of us remember what it was like to get our third molars extracted. Was it a simple extraction or surgical extraction? Had they erupted fully, or impacted causing havoc and pushing against other teeth, threatening thousands of dollars in orthodontic care? Did you receive sedation anesthesia or general anesthesia and then recorded by your mother on her phone while...

The American Dental Hygienists' Association recently published an article, "Variations in Periodontal Diagnosis Among Clinicians: dental hygienists' experiences and perceived barriers," in their June 2018 edition. The purpose of the study was to investigate how different clinicians face barriers when they try to use evidence-based protocols to diagnose and treat periodontal disease. The researchers wanted to understand how the dental hygienists'...

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...

Charcoal toothpastes are gaining popularity across the globe. From Southeast Asia to the West Coast of the United States, a growing number of patients are asking their dental hygienists about charcoal toothpaste. Responding to these inquiries is not always easy because savvy marketing tactics and social media bloggers promote charcoal toothpaste as a natural toothpaste alternative that can effectively...

A study titled, "Tongue Microbiota and Oral Health Status in Community-Dwelling Elderly Adults," sheds light on research about geriatric dentistry. The study was published in the American Society for Microbiology and closely examined whether older patients with dental caries were more likely to develop future respiratory issues like pneumonia. A Closer Look at Pneumonia and the Geriatric Population Pneumonia occurs when a virus,...

According to research presented at the EuroPerio9 conference, coronary artery disease and periodontal disease share a mutual epidemiological relationship. The conference, which ran from June 20-23 in Amsterdam, was held by the European Federation of Periodontology. The non-profit organization focuses on sharing and promoting research related to periodontal health. Thirty individual national scientific societies of periodontology make up the European Federation of Periodontology. The lead researcher,...