Fluoride News and Research

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Fluoride is a form of the element fluorine that helps prevent tooth decay. Fluoride may be naturally present in drinking water or may be added to it. Fluoride may also be put directly on the teeth, as a gel, toothpaste, or a rinse.

Avoidance of fluoride reduces anemia in pregnant women and decreases pre-term births

Fluoride avoidance reduced anemia in pregnant women, decreased pre-term births and enhanced babies' birth-weight, concludes leading fluoride expert, AK Susheela and colleagues, in a study published in Current Science (May 2010).

3 Sep 2010

Study finds source of tetracycline from bone analysis of Nubians

A chemical analysis of the bones of ancient Nubians shows that they were regularly consuming tetracycline, most likely in their beer. The finding is the strongest evidence yet that the art of making antibiotics, which officially dates to the discovery of penicillin in 1928, was common practice nearly 2,000 years ago.

3 Sep 2010

Fluoridation exposure during childhood prevents adult tooth loss

Children drinking water with added fluoride helps dental health in adulthood decades later, a new study finds.

25 Aug 2010

The Center for Pediatric Dentistry opens in Seattle on September 1, 2010

At today's ribbon cutting ceremony, The Center for Pediatric Dentistry, created to address the growing epidemic of childhood dental disease, announced the grand opening of its facility on September 1, 2010. The Seattle-based institute is the first of its kind in the country, providing pediatric dental care, education for dentists and medical professionals, research, and policy under one roof.

20 Aug 2010

Federal task force on preventive care faces new challenge under health law

Kaiser Health News staff writer Christopher Weaver, working in collaboration with The Washington Post, reports: "For years, an obscure federal task force sifted through medical literature ranging from colonoscopies to fluoride treatment, ferreting out the best evidence for doctors to use in caring for their patients. But now its recommendations have new financial implications, raising the stakes for patients, physicians and others in the health care industry"

16 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 15, 2010

Headlines topping today's news include reports about the White House release of new coverage rules for certain screening tests and other types of preventive care, and calls from the GOP for hearings on Berwick's recess appointment to run Medicare and Medicaid top today's news.

15 Jul 2010

Black tea consumption can pose problems to heavy tea drinkers

Black tea, a Southern staple and the world's most consumed beverage, may contain higher concentrations of fluoride than previously thought, which could pose problems for the heaviest tea drinkers.

15 Jul 2010

ODA suggests tips for good oral hygiene to parents and kids

The Ontario Dental Association is asking parents to put oral health at the top of their kids camp preparation list. An oral care kit should be on the packing list, complete with a toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste and dental floss.

7 Jul 2010

New method to synthesize drug candidates for testing

Some drugs may be more effective the longer they last inside the body. To prevent such drugs from being broken down too rapidly, pharmaceutical manufacturers often attach a fluorine-containing structure called a trifluoromethyl group. However, the processes now used require harsh reaction conditions or only work in a small number of cases, limiting their usefulness for synthesizing new drug candidates for testing.

25 Jun 2010

TF2 bispecific antibody pretargeted therapy prolongs survival in animal model of human colonic cancer

Immunomedics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer and other serious diseases, today announced that pretargeted therapy with TF2, a bispecific antibody against carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and a small peptide, delayed tumor growth and prolonged survival in an animal model of human colonic cancer.

10 Jun 2010

States struggle with poor dental care

Reports show that California and Wisconsin have poor dental care, while various communities try to improve lagging dental care indicators.

25 May 2010

Toothpaste with triclosan/copolymer kills harmful germs

The human mouth is home to an estimated 800 to 1,000 different kinds of bacteria. The warm and moist environment, along with hard tooth surfaces and soft tissues, prove to be optimal factors in boosting germ growth. Many of these bacteria are harmful and can form a film on teeth called "dental plaque," which causes cavities, gingivitis and eventually more severe kinds of gum disease.

15 Apr 2010

Drinking tap water is a cost-effective way to fight tooth decay

Tooth decay affects children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC states that tooth decay, if left untreated, can cause pain and infections that hinder eating, speaking, playing and learning.

15 Apr 2010

Fluoride chemicals may increase lead accumulation, say researchers

Fluoride chemicals added to public water supplies, boosts lead absorption in lab animals' bones, teeth and blood, report Sawan, et al. (Toxicology 2/2010). Earlier studies already show children's blood-lead-levels are higher in fluoridated communities, reports Sawan's research team.

16 Mar 2010

Astra Tech's OsseoSpeed TX implant line launched to the US market at AO Annual Meeting

Astra Tech, leading provider of comprehensive solutions for dental implant therapy, launched their OsseoSpeed™ TX implant line to the US market at this year’s AO Annual Meeting. The OsseoSpeed™ TX implant comes as the next step in the continuous evolution of the Astra Tech Implant System™ with its modified tapered apex design, first introduced with the launch of their narrow two-piece implant, OsseoSpeed™ TX 3.0 S in June 2008.

10 Mar 2010

Dental checkup before first baby tooth appears may help a lifetime of preventive dental care

Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. This February, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) encourages parents and caregivers to "Get it Done in Year One." Visiting a pediatric dentist by the time the first baby tooth appears enables the child to begin a lifetime of preventive dental care, helping to minimize tooth decay and cavities. In fact, studies show that dental costs for children who have their first dental visit before age one are 40 percent lower in the first five years than for those who do not see a dentist prior to their first birthday.

23 Feb 2010

Connecticut policy makers providing cost effective dental care to children, says report

Connecticut is a national leader in addressing the dental health needs of its children, according to a report released by the Pew Center on the States. The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children, released with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the DentaQuest Foundation, grades each state's policy responses to the urgent challenges in dental health among America's children.

23 Feb 2010

Dental health needs of children: Louisiana receives failing grade

Louisiana is failing to ensure the dental health needs of its children, according to a report released by the Pew Center on the States. The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children, released with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the DentaQuest Foundation, grades each state's policy responses to the urgent challenges in dental health among America's children.

23 Feb 2010

Pennsylvania fails to address children's dental needs: Pew Report

Pennsylvania lawmakers are failing to ensure the dental health needs of its children, according to a report released by the Pew Center on the States. The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children, released with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the DentaQuest Foundation, grades each state's policy responses to the urgent challenges in dental health among America's children.

23 Feb 2010