A new U.S. study published Friday in JAMA Health Forum warns that eliminating fluoride from community water systems could lead to increased tooth decay in children and drive up dental costs by an estimated $9.8 billion over five years. “Fluoride replaces weaker ions within tooth enamel, making it stronger and less susceptible to tooth decay … Read more
Gen Z and millennials are especially vulnerable to dental misinformation online, according to a new U.S. survey commissioned by the American Association of Endodontists (AAE). The results suggest younger adults are increasingly fearful of dental treatment, especially root canals, due in part to social media myths and confusion about credible sources. The survey, conducted by … Read more
A team led by an interdisciplinary engineer at Tufts University has developed a novel cortisol-detecting dental floss, offering a more affordable, accurate, and practical way to monitor stress, the Massachusetts-based university recently announced. Research has long shown that chronic stress negatively impacts overall health, increasing the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety, … Read more
Yara Haridy, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Chicago, was originally searching for the oldest fossil of an animal with a backbone—paleontology is, after all, her field. But her research led to a surprising finding: insights into the origin of teeth. In a study recently published in Nature, Haridy—who led the research in Neil … Read more
Older adults who have lost teeth but do not wear dentures may be at an increased risk for hypertension, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Dental Medicine. Researchers found that among adults with fewer than 20 teeth, those who did not wear dentures had a significantly higher sodium-to-potassium (Na/K) ratio — a … Read more
Hydroxyapatite (HAp) derived from chicken eggshells is emerging as a “promising biomaterial in dentistry,” according to a recent review published in Evidence-Based Dentistry. The review, which analyzed 17 studies on eggshell-derived hydroxyapatite (E-HAp), found the material offers “a wide range of applications” in tissue engineering and regenerative dentistry. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature search … Read more
A new study is shedding more light on Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) — a key bacterial pathogen long associated with periodontitis and systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer’s. Although P. gingivalis is found in 10 to 25 per cent of individuals with healthy gums, it’s present in an estimated 69 to … Read more
When parents of her young patients expressed frustration over the number of cavities their children needed filled, Gili Naveh, an orthodontist-turned-scientist, had a light-bulb moment. “They tried everything their pediatric dentist told them, but every time they would go for an exam, the dentist would find so many new cavities,” said Naveh, associate professor of … Read more
In an effort to train the innate immune system to combat inflammatory diseases such as periodontitis and arthritis, researchers from Penn Dental Medicine, in collaboration with Dresden University of Technology, discovered that the process can lead to increased bone loss in mice. The study, published in ScienceDirect, explores the concept of trained immunity—also known as … Read more
A Finnish study led by the University of Eastern Finland surveyed 156 institutions across 53 countries to gauge how dental educators use virtual reality (VR) in training and what’s holding it back. Published in Frontiers in Dental Medicine, the study collected 378 responses, with 57% of respondents holding dental doctorates and 59% holding PhDs. So far, incorporating VR in dental education is … Read more
A $1.2-million gift from the Canerector Foundation will support research at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry aimed at improving diagnosis and treatment for Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS), a group of rare and often debilitating genetic conditions that affect collagen, the university’s magazine reported in its latest edition. The donation will expand professor Laurent Bozec’s … Read more
A new study is calling for more research around the world into the carbon footprint of dental laboratories, after finding staff travel and procurement are driving up emissions in Egypt’s private labs. Published this month in BDJ Open, the study examined 21 private dental labs across Cairo, Alexandria and Elbeheira and found that the average … Read more
A new study from Penn Dental Medicine has found that some of the most widely prescribed drugs for high blood pressure could reduce the effectiveness of a potentially game-changing enzyme therapy — and, in some cases, even worsen the condition they aim to treat. Published in Hypertension Research, the study reveals that oral ACE2, a … Read more
Researchers at Penn Dental Medicine have developed a plant-based drug to help treat periodontal diseases, commonly known as gingivitis and periodontitis. The anti-senescence therapy, or “senotherapy,” consists of an enzyme inhibitor called dasatinib and a natural flavonoid plant compound called quercetin, the university said in a statement on April 11. “Our findings suggest that senotherapy … Read more
Scientists from King’s College London announced Monday they have grown human teeth in a lab for the first time. In their latest study, the King’s team—working with Imperial College London—developed a material that mimics the environment needed for tooth development. The material allows cells to communicate and send signals that initiate the tooth formation process. … Read more
Research has shown that titanium particles may occur in inflamed tissues around dental implants. But a new study, published in Communications Medicine, showed that titanium micro-particles are found at all examined implants, with or without signs of inflammation. Tord Berglundh, senior professor of periodontology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, told Medical Xpress that titanium … Read more
Stem cells from human dental pulp have been used to create neuron-like cells capable of generating electrical impulses—opening up new possibilities for treating conditions such as Huntington’s disease and epilepsy, according to researchers at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). The peer-reviewed study, published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy, shows that these excitable … Read more
Researchers at Penn’s School of Dental Medicine, in collaboration with Finnish scientists, are developing a clinical-grade chewing gum to neutralize herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2) and two strains of influenza known to cause bird flu. Henry Daniell, W.D. Miller Professor at Penn Dental Medicine, and collaborators tested the ability of a chewing gum made from lablab … Read more
A research team from the Philippines and Taiwan has developed an artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic system capable of identifying tooth and sinus structures in dental X-rays with 98.2% accuracy. The study, published by the Ateneo Laboratory for Intelligent Visual Environments (ALIVE) in collaboration with Taiwan’s Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, Chung Yuan Christian … Read more
An Australian study has linked bottle feeding babies to sleep beyond 12 months to dental cavities and overweight in early childhood, citing prolonged exposure of teeth to sugar as one of the contributing factors. Lead author Heilok Cheng told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that similar international studies have shown similar links, but this research, … Read more