Dental Research

If a child is not familiar with going to the dentist or unsure what treatments they will be subjected to, anxiety may arise but should mostly dissipate with age. When dental anxiety occurs in older teens, especially without a history of anxiety, there may be another problem that they are dealing with that we, and their guardians, may be...

Finding the Virus Vectors During the first year of the pandemic, there was growing worldwide consensus that COVID-19 was spread primarily through respiratory means. It was also shown quite early in the pandemic that transmission from presymptomatic/asymptomatic carriers was a virus vector as well. The reported respiratory studies drove the vast majority of research and focus to those areas, and reporting...

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the immune system, which is responsible for protecting the body from harmful bacteria, starts to malfunction and attack healthy cells instead. The autoimmune and inflammatory disease can cause inflammation in the joint area of the knees, ankles, hands, and wrists. Patients may feel pain or stiffness when they move. The most common symptoms associated with...

Periodontitis is one of the most widespread preventable diseases in the world. A vast majority of studies, both qualitative and quantitative, looked at the association between periodontal disease and osteoporosis in geriatric populations. But what about the occurrence of periodontal disease and osteoporosis in adults that are currently determined to be 'middle-aged'? Are the two conditions related to someone...

The majority of our education in dentistry rightfully consists of increasing our patients' quality of life by addressing current dental issues and preventing future problems. We provide an essential service to our communities full of people who desperately need our help and guidance. At the same time, who is looking out for us? Our jobs can be very physical, which may...

To some, it may seem impossible that bad (virulent) bacteria in your mouth can affect memory cells in your brain. DNA researchers, however, discovered that bacteria in the mouth that cause periodontitis could move from the mouth to the brain. The most common periodontal bacteria found in patients with Alzheimer's is Porphyromonas gingivalis, also known as P. gingivalis. Data from...

Have you ever thought about administering vaccines in a dental office? It sounds very unusual when most of the injections we give in our offices come in the form of local anesthesia but never a medication known to prevent an STD that can lead to cancer. HPV, or the human papillomavirus, is a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer not only...

More than 34 million Americans have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since the disease is so prevalent among adults and young children, scientists in the dental community are very focused on understanding how the disease may impact a patient's oral health or the effectiveness of treatment plans. Recently, a team of researchers located in Germany conducted...

Women who live under the poverty line tend to favor other responsibilities over dental care, which may seem like elective care to some individuals. Many studies have been completed on the reasons behind a lack of dental knowledge in poverty-stricken communities. The specific detriments to adequate dental care are the same all over the world. Perceptions of Access to Oral...

It's no secret that the number of people that seek out healthier options to increase the quality of their everyday lives is growing. Some choose to take the stairs instead of using an elevator. Some try to eat more natural foods. How do we approach herbal dental care with our patients if they should ask for our advice? We have previously...