Dentistry News and Research

Latest Dentistry News and Research

SUMO1 gene implicated in cleft lip and palate defects

Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health report in the current issue of the journal Science that a much-studied gene called SUMO1, when under expressed, can cause cleft lip and palate, one of the world's most common birth defects.

21 Sep 2006

Methamphetamine robs people of their teeth

Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive drug that can seriously damage oral health, destroying a person's smile and natural ability to chew, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).

21 Sep 2006

British tackle childrens' tooth decay in deprived areas

A British scheme to encourage families with young children in disadvantaged areas to get into the habit of brushing their children's teeth regularly with fluoride toothpaste was launched by Health Minster Rosie Winterton today at the Appleby health centre in Newham - an area with one of the highest oral health needs in the country.

14 Sep 2006

NIH launches "Knockout Mouse Project"

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today awarded a set of cooperative agreements, totaling up to $52 million over five years, to launch the Knockout Mouse Project.

7 Sep 2006

Some find Accutane iPledge program requirements burdensome

Six months after the introduction of iPledge -- with which all people taking the acne drug isotretinoin, sold by Roche under the brand name Accutane, must register to receive their prescriptions - many patients and dermatologists "complain that the rules of iPledge are onerous and unworkable

5 Sep 2006

Hearing loss in older women linked to hormone replacement therapy

Researchers in the U.S. are suggesting that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may possibly exacerbate hearing deficits in women who take it following the menopause.

5 Sep 2006

Researchers identify genetic risk for type 1 diabetes

A discovery at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes has identified a genetic risk for type 1 diabetes three to four times higher than previously thought possible.

4 Sep 2006

Edible coatings will be the packaging of the future

The growing demand by consumers for healthier and more ecological foods has driven researchers to develop new systems of packaging that prolong the useful life of the products and that are, at the same time, recyclable.

4 Sep 2006

Anger and hostility compromise lung function and hasten the natural decline in lung power

Longstanding anger and hostility compromise lung function and hasten the natural decline in lung power that is a normal part of aging, reveals research published ahead of print in Thorax.

30 Aug 2006

Mitochondrial DNA sequencing tool updated

High-tech laboratory tools, like computers, are often updated publicly as their analytical capabilities expand. In the September issue of the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, NIH grantees report they have developed a second generation "lab on a silicon chip" called the MitoChip v2.0 that for the first time rapidly and reliably sequences all mitochondrial DNA.

30 Aug 2006

Kaiser report summarizes editorials on approval of nonprescription plan B sales to women over age 18

Some editorials and opinion pieces respond to FDA's decision on Thursday to approve Barr Laboratories' application for nonprescription sales of its emergency contraceptive Plan B to women ages 18 and older.

30 Aug 2006

Hospital system in New Orleans examined one year after hurricane Katrina

The Boston Globe on Monday examined the hospital system in New Orleans one year after damage from Hurricane Katrina forced most facilities in the city to close.

30 Aug 2006

California Senate happy to allow groups to distribute condoms to prison inmates

The California Senate on Thursday voted 22-16 to approve a bill (AB 1677) that would allow not-for-profit or public health organizations to distribute devices - such as condoms or dental dams - that can protect against sexually transmitted infections to the state's 162,000 prison inmates, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports (Young, AP/San Jose Mercury News, 8/24).

30 Aug 2006

Search for Aussie patients of HIV positive dentist

Health authorities in Australia are trying to contact hundreds of people who were treated by a female dentist who has been diagnosed as HIV positive.

24 Aug 2006

Chewing gum which fights tooth decay

Consumers will soon be able to buy a chewing gum which contains friendly bacteria which can help prevent tooth decay.

21 Aug 2006

Varenicline shown to help 'quit smoking'

A drug recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an aid to smoking cessation appears effective both short- and long-term for smokers trying to quit, according to two reports in the August 14/28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

14 Aug 2006

New screening program effectively roots out toddlers' cavities

Dental researchers are combining the ease of digital photography with the Internet to develop a new and inexpensive way to screen for a common childhood oral disease.

8 Aug 2006

Combination of free counseling and nicotine replacement therapy significantly increases odds of quitting

New research findings released in the August 2006 edition of the journal Tobacco Control demonstrate clearly that providing smokers with access to free counseling and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), such as patches and gum, significantly increases their odds of quitting.

7 Aug 2006

Osteonecrosis of the jawbone and oral bisphosphonates

People taking oral bisphosphonates, a type of drug used to treat osteoporosis, osteopenia and Paget's disease of bone, should be aware of potential risks when undergoing certain dental procedures, according to guidelines published in this month's Journal of the American Dental Association (ADA).

4 Aug 2006

University of Kent spin out to revolutionise biomedical optics

Kent Enterprise and the School of Physical Sciences at the University of Kent have 'spun out' a high-tech company that is set to revolutionise biomedical optics.

3 Aug 2006