Licorice Root Kills Bacteria Linked to Dental Caries and Gum Disease
Studies around the world have recently discovered that substances in licorice effectively kill the bacteria responsible for the onset of dental caries and gum disease. The idea for the study originated after researchers found that the dried root of licorice plants is a common ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine; unfortunately, the U.S. has replaced much [...]
OK Dental Patients Test Positive: Hepatitis/HIV
Officials have just announced that numerous dental patients from the Oklahoma dental clinic (which is under investigation for breaking health code violations related to infection control) have indeed tested positive for several infectious diseases. Of the 3,122 dental patients tested so far, 57 have tested positive for Hepatitis C, while another three were diagnosed with [...]
Education: The Key to Oral Cancer Awareness
Did you know that April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month? As dental clinicians, it is no secret that the profession is becoming one of the first lines of defense against this growing disease. What patients may not realize is that oral cancer causes one person to die every single hour of every day, and of [...]
Influence of Nutrition on Oral-Systemic Health
The connection between oral and general health is being explored more than ever these days, and one of the most evident parallels between the two is the influence of diet and nutrition. In 2011, an article was written by the Oral Sciences Department of Surgical and Oncological Disciplines in Palermo, Italy that referenced the two [...]
Oral Leukoplakia Linked to Tobacco/Alcohol?
Up until recently, the link between oral leukoplakia and tobacco/alcohol consumption has been more of an assumption than anything else, as no clinical or systematic reviews have been conducted to actually determine what the relationship is between the two. The research that has been done suggests that engaging in frequent tobacco use and/or tobacco consumption [...]
Salivary Diagnostics in Contemporary Dentistry
Salivary Diagnostics is quickly becoming one of the most progressive methods in healthcare for detecting / preventing a wide range of oral-systemic diseases. Today, dental and medical professionals alike are seeing a number of products on the market that utilize salivary biomarkers for diagnostic purposes, but like any new technology, it will take time before completely replacing [...]
Stress: A Strong Influence for Poor Oral Health
As many in the dental profession are aware, the oral-systemic link has been drawing more attention than ever lately with the abundance of research being conducted throughout the industry. One aspect of this dynamic that affects nearly every single one of us at some point or another (if not on a continual basis…), is the [...]
Number of U.S. Adults with Periodontitis is Higher than Expected
A new study published by the Journal of Dental Research discloses the prevalence, severity, and extent of Periodontitis among U.S. adults (age 30 years and over), with results that are much higher than ever expected. The study used data from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycle, and incorporated the first national probability [...]
