Dental Research

Every year, advances in medical and dental research uncover new ways in which a healthy oral cavity contributes to overall health and vice versa. Many of the bacteria we once thought were limited to the mouth and throat have been discovered to play important roles in health or disease conditions throughout the body. For decades, periodontitis has been positively linked...

Dental caries is a ubiquitous problem around the globe for people of all ages. Cavities not only cause discomfort, though. They also consume time and money. In the US, 92% of adults have experienced the pain and expense associated with dental cavities. After years of scientific research demonstrated the effectiveness of fluoride in preventing dental decay, fluoride-fortified toothpaste hit the American market in...

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...

A large percentage of children suffer some form of injury or trauma to a tooth at some point during childhood. When this happens, the immature permanent tooth can be affected by poor blood supply and development of the root. For a long time, standard protocol for treating this has included a procedure that helps the root develop better, but...

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'...

Teeth whitening is a billion-dollar industry. People from all over the globe routinely buy teeth whitening products with the hopes that it will remove stains and make their teeth appear brighter. Now there is new research that suggests teeth whitening products can potentially damage a patient's smile. The study, titled "Teeth whitening products can harm protein-rich tooth layer: Researchers...

The International Journal of Dental Hygiene recently released an article, "Success of non‐surgical periodontal therapy in adult periodontitis patients‐a retrospective analysis," that studied adult patients who had undergone periodontal treatment. About the Netherlands Study The study that was published in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene was led by G.A. Van der Weijden. Van der Weijden is a periodontist and works at the...

A recent thesis out of Sahlgrenska Academy (of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden) is convincingly positing the importance of proper dental hygiene education in battling rising obesity levels among children. Studying the Diets of Children Specifically, one of the sub-studies presented in the paper "Diets of European Children, With Focus on BMI, Well-being, and Families" looked into eating behaviors in addition...

Humans have marked their bodies with tattoos for thousands of years, and these permanent designs are always personal, serving as status symbols, signs of religious beliefs, amulets, declarations of love, adornments, and even as forms of punishment. People tattoo every part of their bodies, including their inner labial mucosa, gingiva, and hard palate as a form of self-expression. Celebrities such...

An exciting study from the Queen Mary University of London demonstrates the possibility to create a mineral substance that mimics tooth enamel. The study, which was published in the Nature Communications journal, could help push dental technology to a new height by replacing enamel in human teeth and help decrease dentinal hypersensitivity. Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the...