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NIH’s continued investment fuels TMJ pain research

Chronic pain is one of the most common health conditions worldwide. Back pain is the most frequently reported type, followed closely by head and face pain linked to the jaw joint, in the form of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

27 Feb 2026

New insights into periodontitis reveal gender-specific inflammatory mechanisms

A study out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has unveiled new insights into the inflammatory processes behind periodontitis, a common and debilitating gum disease. Research conducted by UNC Adams School of Dentistry's Julie Marchesan, DDS, PhD, and UNC School of Medicine's Jenny Y. Ting, PhD, found that a part of the immune system called the inflammasome plays a key role in disease development, and that blocking this system prevents bone resorption only in males.

14 Nov 2025

New NIH grants fuel research in oral cancer treatment and pain relief

Researchers at the School of Dentistry at UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio, have been awarded three multi-year grants totaling $6 million from the National Institutes of Health to address treatment and pain management for oral cancer.

7 Nov 2025

Shame prevents people from seeking dental treatment and worsens oral health inequalities

Shame can lead people to avoid getting treatment for dental issues, potentially worsening oral health inequalities, a new study warns.

9 Oct 2025

School-based cavity treatments help stop tooth decay in children

Two topical treatments applied to kids' cavities can stop the majority of them from progressing for years, according to a study led by NYU College of Dentistry and published in JAMA Network Open.

9 Jun 2025

U of M dental students bring smiles to underserved communities

Becky Klein needed a dentist for herself and her two teenage sons when she returned to Atlanta in northern Michigan after years living down state.

21 Apr 2025

Dentists are pulling ‘healthy’ and treatable teeth to profit from implants, experts warn

Becky Carroll was missing a few teeth, and others were stained or crooked. Ashamed, she smiled with lips pressed closed. Her dentist offered to fix most of her teeth with root canals and crowns, Carroll said, but she was wary of traveling a long road of dental work.

1 Nov 2024

Inexpensive liquid works as well as dental sealants to keep tooth decay at bay

An inexpensive, cavity-fighting liquid called silver diamine fluoride (SDF) works as well as dental sealants to keep tooth decay at bay in a school cavity prevention and treatment program, according to a new study by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry.

4 Mar 2024

UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry opens special-care dental clinic in South Texas

The UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry has opened a special-care dental clinic, the first of its kind in an academic setting in South Texas that will serve people of all ages with intellectual, developmental, cognitive or physical disabilities.

9 Feb 2024

UT Health San Antonio launches new center to transform community and global oral health

The School of Dentistry of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has launched the Center for Global and Community Oral Health, designed to bring together various existing outreach and research programs under one umbrella to study and develop solutions to the most pressing dental challenges facing the global population.

29 Nov 2023

Targeting the ORAI1 calcium channel could provide new approach to treating oral cancer

An essential protein that acts as a gatekeeper for calcium entering cells promotes the growth of oral cancer and generates pain, according to a new study published in Science Signaling led by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry.

5 Sep 2023

Computer algorithms could help track and diagnose periodontal disease

Periodontal disease is a growing public health issue in the United States as the nation's population ages, yet it's underdiagnosed and undertreated.

1 Aug 2023

New gene therapy shows promise in reversing chronic pain

Researchers at NYU College of Dentistry's Pain Research Center have developed a gene therapy that treats chronic pain by indirectly regulating a specific sodium ion channel, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

27 Jul 2023

Babies experiencing hypoxia due to sleep apnea tend to develop hypertension in adulthood

Newborn babies who experience low levels of oxygen in their body tissues (hypoxia) due to sleep apnea, for example, tend to develop respiratory problems and hypertension (high blood pressure) in adulthood, and these problems may persist for the rest of their lives.

31 May 2023

Modified version of anti-nausea drug can enter into cells and provide long-lasting pain relief

Altering the chemical properties of an anti-nausea drug enables it to enter an interior compartment of the cell and provide long-lasting pain relief, according to a new study led by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry's Pain Research Center.

22 May 2023

Millions are stuck in dental deserts, with no access to oral health care

Every day, Adrienne Grimmett and her colleagues at Evara Health in the Tampa Bay area see stories of inequity in their patients' teeth, gums, and palates.

2 May 2023

COVID-19 virus can be detected in tears collected by swabbing, research finds

Research led by scientists at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil has found that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can be detected in tears collected by swabbing.

16 Feb 2023

A cost-effective approach for improving children's oral health through school-based care

In a study of nearly 3,000 schoolchildren, silver diamine fluoride - a liquid that is brushed onto the surface of teeth to prevent cavities or keep them from worsening - was as effective against cavities as dental sealants, the standard of care.

10 Feb 2023

Early interruption of breastfeeding and sugar consumption contribute to dental caries by age 2

A study involving 800 children shows inclusion of sugar in their diet and early interruption of breastfeeding to be the main factors that contribute to the appearance of dental caries by age 2.

7 Feb 2023

Use of anti-inflammatory drugs by children may be associated with dental enamel defects

A study conducted at the University of São Paulo in Brazil and described in an article published in the journal Scientific Reports shows that anti-inflammatory drugs commonly taken by children may be associated with dental enamel defects (DEDs), currently seen in about 20% of children worldwide.

20 Dec 2022