Having good oral hygiene is crucial for your overall health. But did you know that it can also help prevent erectile dysfunction (ED)? According to an interesting study, there is a link between gum disease and ED, or impotence, in men. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology and was conducted by researchers from the Department of Surgery and … Read more
A new study has found genetic makeup does not predispose people to tooth decay, however, the research did find that children with overweight mothers are more likely to have cavities. The paper, published in the latest edition of Pediatrics, estimates that one in three Australian children have tooth decay by the time they start school. Lead researcher Dr. … Read more
Melissa Dunlay expected Jan. 30 would be like any other day. She got up, got her kids ready for school, and went to her dentist appointment at River Valley Dental Clinic in Saint John with her daughter. It was snowing that day, so she made her husband drive. But when Dunlay was leaving the dentist’s … Read more
As many people return to work after Christmas full of good intentions, leading dentists are urging them to make one more resolution for the new year: eat less cake in the office. The faculty of dental surgery (FDS) at the Royal College of Surgeons has urged employers to tackle workplace “cake culture” which is contributing … Read more
In the September 2016 issue of this journal, I shared information about how the dental professional can help patients with their general and oral health through the diagnosis of acid reflux, a condition that affects up to 50% of the population. In this article, I discuss bulimia, an eating disorder which in the early stages … Read more
A single bout of sleep apnea impacts the human body’s ability to regulate blood pressure. In a recent study measuring the impact of simulated sleep apnea on humans, researchers at UBC’s Okanagan campus found that just six hours of the fluctuating oxygen levels associated with sleep apnea can begin to deteriorate a person’s circulatory system. … Read more
On November 14, Canadian dental hygienists will join more than 1 billion people worldwide in marking World Diabetes Day. As primary health care providers, dental hygienists are important members of the diabetes health care team. According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, 11 million Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes. These individuals are particularly susceptible … Read more
For decades, research has suggested a link between oral health and inflammatory diseases affecting the entire body—in particular, heart attacks and strokes. The results released today from a randomized trial of a novel plaque identifying toothpaste, (Plaque HD), show statistically significant reductions in dental plaque and inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation throughout the body is … Read more
Mouth and throat cancers caused by the human papilloma virus have been rising steadily over the past two decades, with a “dramatic” increase among Canadian men, according to a new report from the Canadian Cancer Society. The special report on HPV-associated cancers, released Wednesday as part of the 2016 Canadian Cancer Statistics breakdown, says the … Read more
Columbia College of Dental Medicine researchers have identified stem cells that can make new cartilage and repair damaged joints. The cells reside within the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which articulates the jaw bone to the skull. When the stem cells were manipulated in animals with TMJ degeneration, the cells repaired cartilage in the joint. A single … Read more