Healthcare News
Gum disease linked with new onset heart disease
Gum disease is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease: the more severe the periodontitis, the higher the risk.
Researchers developing smart dental implants that resist bacterial growth, generate their own electricity
The novel implant would implement two key technologies, Hwang says. One is a nanoparticle-infused material that resists bacterial colonization. And the second is an embedded light source to conduct phototherapy, powered by the natural motions of the mouth, such as chewing or toothbrushing.
Here's how COVID-19 can affect your mouth
A lost or altered sense of taste, dry mouth and sores are common among COVID-19 patients and those symptoms may last long after others disappear, Brazilian researchers report.
Study: Dental implant surfaces play major role in tissue attachment, warding off unwanted bacteria
When dental implants are inserted, saliva or blood plasma immediately coat them. The implants adsorb a thin layer of proteins from these fluids that help gum tissue attach, but also allow microorganisms—including potentially harmful bacteria—to grow on the implant surface.
Research finds 'very low rates' of dental fluoride varnish treatment for young children
Fewer than 5% of well-child visits for privately insured young children included a recommended dental fluoride varnish application, despite mandatory insurance coverage for this service, according to a University of Massachusetts Amherst study.
AI helps predict treatment outcomes for patients with diseased dental implants
Peri-implantitis, a condition where tissue and bone around dental implants becomes infected, besets roughly one-quarter of dental implant patients, and currently there's no reliable way to assess how patients will respond to treatment of this condition.
COVID-19 infection rates of dentists remain lower than other health professionals
More than a year after COVID-19 appeared in the U.S., dentists continue to have a lower infection rate than other front-line health professionals, such as nurses and physicians, according to a study published online ahead of the June print issue in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
Tooth loss may affect ability to carry out everyday tasks
Older adults with more natural teeth are better able to perform everyday tasks such as cooking a meal, making a telephone call or going shopping, according to researchers from UCL and the Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
Treating dental pain with opioids linked to higher risk of overdose in patients and families
A new study from the University of Michigan shows that overdose rates were two and a half times higher among patients who filled a prescription for an opioid medication after a dental procedure, compared with those who didn't fill such a prescription.
A gentler strategy for avoiding childhood dental decay
A few years ago, scientists from Penn's School of Dental Medicine found that the dental plaque that gives rise to ECC is composed of both a bacterial species, Streptococcus mutans, and a fungus, Candida albicans. The two form a sticky symbiosis, known scientifically as a biofilm. Now, a new study from the group offers a strategy for disrupting this biofilm by targeting the yeast-bacterial interactions that make ECC plaques so intractable.