Tooth Decay News and Research

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Also termed caries, tooth decay refers to the destruction of the hard white enamel on the surface of teeth that protects the inner pulp and nerves inside from the elements. This causes exposure of the inner nerves to hot and cold food or drink which leads to pain.

Obesity and dental cavities increase and become epidemic as homeless children age

Obesity and dental cavities increase and become epidemic as children living below the poverty level age, according to nurse researchers from the Case Western Reserve University and the University of Akron.

14 Nov 2012

PAC program improves children’s dental care, may serve as invaluable tool for dental students

A partnership between a New York City dental school and a local foster care agency has provided consistent dental care to more than 650 children, and may serve as a model for other dental school program curriculums. The success of Partners Against Caries (PAC), both for the participating foster children and dental school students, was outlined Oct. 21 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans.

22 Oct 2012

Friendly bacteria: do we really need to eat probiotic yogurts?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) probiotics are “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”.

19 Sep 2012

Coconut oil attacks tooth decay

Digested coconut oil could become part of the armory used to combat tooth decay, report researchers presenting their findings at the Society for General Microbiology’s Autumn Conference in Warwick, UK.

4 Sep 2012

Digested coconut oil able to attack the bacteria that cause tooth decay

Digested coconut oil is able to attack the bacteria that cause tooth decay. It is a natural antibiotic that could be incorporated into commercial dental care products, say scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn Conference at the University of Warwick.

3 Sep 2012

Research roundup: Readmission risks after surgery; Assessing Medicaid applicants' eligibility; Satisfaction among health plan types

General Surgeons Identify Postoperative Complications Posing Strongest Readmission Risks -- Researchers found that about 11 percent of patients in a study of 1,442 individuals who underwent general surgery were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.

31 Aug 2012

Cancer patients with xerostomia can benefit from regenerative research

Biologists, surgical oncologists and regenerative medicine specialists from Rice University, the University of Delaware and the Christiana Care Health System in Wilmington, Del., have begun a four-year program aimed at using cells to grow whole salivary glands that can replace those destroyed by cancer radiation therapy.

16 Aug 2012

Roundup: Seeking medical malpractice alternatives part of Mass. cost control law; Low-Income Health Program signs up 400k in Calif.

It may not seem like big news, but if you've followed the long-running, stubborn and mostly dug-in debate over reforming medical malpractice in the U.S., you know that when doctors and lawyers issue a joint news release, something is really going on. ... Formally, it's called "Disclosure, Apology and Offer" and it's a key provision of the new state health cost law. Massachusetts doctors and lawyers have agreed to work side by side on this less hostile (and potentially cost-saving) approach to dealing with medical errors and malpractice.

9 Aug 2012

Access to dental care alone is not sufficient to meet oral health needs of adults with I/DD

A comprehensive study using electronic dental records to profile the oral health status of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) has concluded that access to specialized dental care alone is not sufficient to meet the community's substantial oral health needs.

2 Aug 2012

Premature cancer death risk may be increased by dental plaque

Persistent dental plaque may increase the risk of dying early from cancer, suggests an observational study published in the online journal BMJ Open.

12 Jun 2012

Dentists explore how psychological factors affect oral health

What does mental health have to do with dental health? Quite a bit, according to Richard Heyman, PhD, and Amy Smith Slep, PhD, psychologists who joined the New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) in July 2011.

7 Jun 2012

State roundup: Minn. defends Medicaid billing; Cigna, N.H. Group form joint venture; Health coupons in Mass.

Top Minnesota health officials pushed back Tuesday against a congressional committee probing allegations that the state overbilled federal taxpayers for Medicaid services to cover losses from in other state-run public health programs. In a letter to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Minnesota Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson defended reforms implemented under DFL Gov. Mark Dayton, saying "our focus has been on changing course rather than investigating the past."

31 May 2012

Researchers eager to teach Swedes about best brushing technique

Almost all Swedes brush their teeth, yet only one in ten does it in a way that effectively prevents tooth decay. Now researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, are eager to teach Swedes how to brush their teeth more effectively.

16 May 2012

McDonald’s introduces “healthy” fruit drink for kids – but experts say it contains too much sugar

McDonald’s is all set to introduce a ‘healthy’ fizzy drink for children that promises one of their five-a-day portions of fruit and vegetables. However the drink is packed with sugar and calories.

10 May 2012

Dental fraud of £73 million revealed as experts call for system overhaul

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9 May 2012

Energy/Sports drinks damage teeth enamel raising risk of cavities: Study

Researcher Poonam Jain, associate professor and director of community dentistry at the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine said, “The big misconception is that energy drinks and sports drinks are healthier than soda for oral health. This study completely disproves that, because they erode or thin out the enamel of the teeth, leaving them more susceptible to decay and sensitivity.”

4 May 2012

Nanocomposite dental cavity-filling kills harmful bacteria

Scientists using nanotechology at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry have created the first cavity-filling composite that kills harmful bacteria and regenerates tooth structure lost to bacterial decay.

2 May 2012

States roundup: Calif. mental health system grapples with controversy, shortage; Texas issues new stem cell rules

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state, alleging that it was violating patients' rights by heavily drugging and improperly restraining them and failing to provide appropriate treatment. The state settled, agreeing to an extensive court-supervised improvement plan at four hospitals with more than 4,000 patients. But a Times investigation found that the plan has failed to achieve the Justice Department's main objective: to raise the level of care so patients could control their violent tendencies and would not be institutionalized any longer than necessary.

17 Apr 2012

Dentists to screen for too much alcohol intake

The UK Government is proposing that dentists should question their patients on alcohol consumption, or that dental receptionists hand out drinking questionnaires to patients to be filled in while they wait for appointments. The plans have been drawn up by dentists at Cardiff University to try to combat excessive drinking. Patients who are deemed to drink too much would be referred on to sessions with dental nurses or hygienists for advice on cutting down.

5 Apr 2012

Researchers perform first scientific evaluation of high-fluoride toothpaste

Do you really want to avoid cavities in your teeth? Try massaging them with a high-fluoride toothpaste after lunch. "Rubbing toothpaste onto your teeth increases the fluoride protection by 400%," says Anna Nordström, dentist, PhD and researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

26 Mar 2012