MEDICAL EXPRESS - DENTISTRY

1. Healthy teeth are wondrous and priceless: Dentist explains why and how best to protect them

   At an auction in England in 2011, one of John Lennon's teeth sold for just over US$31,000.

2. Bullying may affect dental health, say researchers

   Young people who have adverse childhood experiences are at greater risk of poor dental health. This is important knowledge for dental health services, according to new research published in BMC Oral Health.

3. Caring for older Americans' teeth and gums is essential, but Medicare generally doesn't cover that cost

   C. Everett Koop, the avuncular doctor with a fluffy white beard who served as the U.S. surgeon general during the Reagan administration, was famous for his work as an innovative pediatric surgeon and the attention he paid to the HIV-AIDS crisis.

4. As bans spread, fluoride in drinking water divides communities across the US

   Regina Barrett, a 69-year-old retiree who lives in this small North Carolina city southeast of Charlotte, has not been happy with her tap water for a while.

5. Doctors take on dental duties to reach low-income and uninsured patients

   Pediatrician Patricia Braun and her team saw roughly 100 children at a community health clinic on a Monday. They gave flu shots and treatments for illnesses like ear infections. But Braun also did something most primary care doctors don't. She peered inside mouths searching for cavities or she brushed fluoride varnish on their teeth.

6. The horrors of temporomandibular joint disorders: Chronic pain, metal jaws and futile treatments

   A TMJ patient in Maine had six surgeries to replace part or all of the joints of her jaw. Another woman in California, desperate for relief, used a screwdriver to lengthen her jawbone daily, turning screws that protruded from her neck.

7. Treating gum disease after heart rhythm ablation reduces risk of AFib recurrence, study finds

   Treating gum disease in the three months after a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation (AFib) may lower oral inflammation and may reduce AFib recurrence, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

8. Q&A: Is xylitol for your teeth a sweet trend or a true cavity blocker?

   At first glance, a claim that a sweetener derived from the bark of birch trees can prevent cavity formation might seem far-fetched. It can't be true, some might reason. Sugar causes cavities.

9. App designed for dental teams offers step-by-step guidance in an emergency

   In a crisis, a checklist can bring clarity over confusion. First widely adopted by the U.S. military after the fatal crash of an early-model B17 "Flying Fortress" in the years before World War II, checklists have since become a staple for fields such as aviation, nuclear energy, and medicine.

10. Bringing dental care to kids in schools is helping take care of teeth neglected in the pandemic

    Tucked away inside the teachers lounge at a New Hampshire elementary school, Amber Warner was having her teeth checked out for the first time.

11. Oral microbiome and cancer: A closer look into the intricate interplays of the mouth's hidden world

    The human mouth is a bustling ecosystem teeming with microscopic life. While we often associate oral health with brushing, flossing, and regular dental check-ups, there's more to the story.

12. Researchers recommend update of dental antibiotic guidelines to protect high-risk heart patients

    Research led by the University of Sheffield found that dental patients at high risk of infective endocarditis, a life-threatening infection, should be given antibiotics before undergoing invasive dental treatment.

13. Multiple biomaterials for immediate implant placement tissue repair: Current status and future perspectives

    A study published in the journal MedComm – Biomaterials and Applications, led by Dr. Xiaojing Wang from the Department of Oral Implantology at The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, focuses on addressing tooth loss, a prevalent dental condition linked to accidents, decay, periodontal disease, and congenital deficiencies.

14. Researchers determine oral bacteria accelerate pancreatic cancer development in mice

    Prof. Gabriel Nussbaum and his team at the Institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Dental Medicine, have recently published research in the journal Gut that uncovers a pivotal link between oral bacteria and the onset of pancreatic cancer in mice.

15. Study suggests statins could help fight gum disease

    Could taking statins benefit your mouth in addition to your arteries? A new study conducted in cell cultures has shown that cholesterol-lowering drugs help to dampen the inflammation associated with periodontal disease by altering the behavior of macrophages, a type of immune cell.

16. Transforming root canal treatments: The rise of precision dentistry

    Endodontic diseases present a significant challenge in dentistry due to their complex nature and the precision required in treatment. Traditionally, the success of these treatments has heavily relied on the dentist's skill and experience. Digital Guided Therapy (DGT) emerges as a transformative solution, leveraging state-of-the-art technology to enhance treatment precision and outcomes.

17. Laboratory model enables researchers to explore the mouth's response to oral disease

    Researchers have created a three-dimensional model of the oral mucosa that can be used in studies to test its response to a range of bacterial and other infections. They report their results in the Journal of Tissue Engineering.

18. Proposing an oral health benefit package under the national health insurance program of the Philippines

    A study aiming to determine a set of oral health care services to be delivered within the comprehensive outpatient benefit package of the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) of the Philippines was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S..

19. Evaluating homelessness empathy through virtual reality among dental students

    A study aiming to determine experiential impact on student-empathy in relation to timing of when they experienced a VR-simulation of homelessness was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S.

20. Indigeneity: A strength-based approach to oral health of Indigenous children

    A study aiming to determine whether a relationship exists between constructs of Indigeneity and untreated caries in First Nations children in Manitoba and Ontario, controlling for selected, was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeing of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S..

21. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein sensitizes nociceptors and evokes nociceptive behaviors

    A study that investigated whether the spike protein of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can sensitize nociceptors and promote pain-like behaviors in mice was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S..

22. Polyphenol-mediated oxygenating hydrogel ameliorates periodontitis by targeting stem cell senescence

    A study seeking to develop a novel therapeutic strategy for periodontitis that targeted stem cell senescence by modulating the microenvironmental cues was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S..

23. Rapid specific detection of oral pathogens using CRISPR-based diagnostics

    A study aiming to develop a low-cost, rapid detection technique for the widescale detection and screening of oral microorganisms suitable for point-of-care settings was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S..

24. Examining the mediation effect of oral health on inequalities in dementia

    A study that examined the mediation effect of the number of teeth on the association between income and dementia was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S..

25. Minor dental restorations found to decrease after implementation of sugar-sweetened beverage tax

    A study aiming to examine rates of minor restorations before and after the implementation of a Sugar Sweetened Beverage (SSB) tax in the city of Boulder, Colorado, on July 1, 2017 was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S..

26. Community health workers' dental intervention benefits underserved pregnant people, study shows

    A study aiming to assess an innovative "SMARTeeth" program that provides a digital tool-enabled oral health screening for underserved pregnant women at an obstetric office facilitated by community health workers (CHWs) was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S..

27. FGF-2 found to promote periodontal healing in an osteoporosis model rat

    A study investigating the effects of local application of fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) on periodontal healing in osteoporosis model rats was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S..

28. Predicting oral cancer-related mortality among adults using machine learning approach

    A study aiming to predict oral cancer-related mortality among adults in the United States and identify the predictors of oral cancer-related mortality using the Machine Learning Approach. was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S.

29. Artificial intelligence algorithms for understanding the determinants of oral health

    A study that used AI and predictive models to forecast the likelihood of permanent tooth loss as an indicator of overall oral health based on various behavioral and lifestyle factors was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S..

30. Synthesis of antibacterial 3D printing resin with long-term fluoride-releasing properties

    A study aiming to synthesize a three-dimensional (3D) printing resin with good mechanical properties, low cytotoxicity, antibacterial activities, and long-term fluoride-releasing properties was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, U.S..