Study: Treating Gum Disease May Help Reduce Symptoms Of Prostate Inflammation.

Study: Treating Gum Disease May Help Reduce Symptoms Of Prostate Inflammation.

HealthDay (5/23, Preidt) reported that research published in Dentistry suggests that “treating gum disease may help reduce symptoms of prostate inflammation.” In the study, 27 patients with prostatitis and “moderate to severe gum disease” received “treatment for gum disease and showed significant improvement in their gums within four to eight weeks, the study authors said.” Participants “received no treatment for their prostatitis, but symptoms of the condition improved in 21 of 27 of them after their gum disease was treated.”

Study: Gum Disease Risk Increases with Weight Gain

Posted on May 15, 2015

Gaining weight may increase a person's risk of gum disease, says a study.

The study looked at data from previous research. It included only long-term studies that focused on possible links between weight gain and gum disease.

The researchers found five studies that involved a total of 42,198 people. The studies showed that people who became overweight had a 13% increased risk of gum disease, compared with people who remained at normal weight. People who became obese had a 33% increased risk of gum disease, compared with those who did not become obese.

"Overweight" usually is defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) between 25.1 and 30. "Obese" is defined as having a BMI higher than 30.

The study appears in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Periodontology. It was done by researchers in Brazil and South Australia.

Source: SimpleSteps Dental

Vitamin D During Pregnancy May Lower Infant Caries Risk

Posted on May 13, 2015

EHIME, Japan – Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with bone defects by a number of studies. New research from Japan has now provided additional evidence that it may also be involved in the development of tooth decay, according to Dental Tribune. In a study of 1,210 Japanese mother–child pairs, scientists found that dental caries was less prevalent in children whose mothers had a higher vitamin D intake during pregnancy.

In the study, researchers collected information on maternal vitamin D intake during pregnancy using a diet history questionnaire. In addition, the children underwent oral examination at 36–46 months of age and were classified as having dental caries if one or more primary teeth had decayed or had been filled.

Overall, the analysis indicated that higher maternal vitamin D intake during pregnancy may be associated with a lower risk of dental caries, as children whose mothers took more vitamin D had fewer cavities.

According to the researchers, maternal nutrition status affects pre- and post-natal development of children, including formation and mineralisation of children’s teeth.

The study, titled “Higher vitamin D intake during pregnancy is associated with reduced risk of dental caries in young Japanese children”, was published online on 18 April in the Annals of Epidemiology ahead of print.

Xylitol Among Healthy Sweeteners.

Xylitol Among Healthy Sweeteners.

In a lengthy article titled “A Healthy Candy Revolution,” Canadian Manufacturing (5/13, Hein) reports on several sugar alternatives that candy manufacturers are turning to in their attempt to move their products in a more healthy direction. The article notes that one of those sugar alternatives is xylitol, which “is safe for diabetics and provides substantial oral health benefits.” One manufacturer of the sweetener, has a line of candy that uses xylitol and includes lollipops, gum, hard candy, mints, and taffy that is available at Whole Foods, the article notes. Moreover, “Xylitol has received positive support in the Journal Of The American Dental Association and from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine” and a recent paper in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that xylitol chewing gum “can provide a ‘real clinical benefit’ in terms of several oral health issues that commonly affect many seniors.”

ADHA Supports New Community Water Fluoridation Recommendation

Posted on April 28, 2015

Chicago (April 27, 2015) — Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the final Public Health Service (PHS) recommendation for the optimal fluoride level in drinking water to prevent tooth decay. The new recommendation is for a single level of 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water. It updates and replaces the previous recommended range (0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter), which was issued in 1962. 

Because it is now possible to receive enough fluoride with slightly lower levels of fluoride in water, HHS developed the new PHS recommendation for community water fluoridation. This change will maintain the protective decay prevention benefits of water fluoridation and reduce the occurrence of dental fluorosis. 

“While additional sources of fluoride are more widely used than they were in 1962, the need for community water fluoridation still continues,” said U.S. Deputy Surgeon General Rear Admiral Boris D. Lushniak, MD, MPH. “Community water fluoridation is effective, inexpensive and does not depend on access or availability of professional services.” 

For the past 70 years, communities across the United States have found that fluoride in their public water systems significantly improved their residents’ oral health. Nearly 75 percent of Americans who are served by public water systems receive fluoridated water. The ADHA is a supporter of community water fluoridation — the ADHA’s Policy Manual states that community water fluoridation is a “safe and effective method for reducing the incidence of dental caries.” In addition, the organization also promotes the “education of the public and other health professionals regarding the preventive and therapeutic benefits of fluoride.” 

“As dental hygienists, it’s important that we educate the public on the preventive benefits of community water fluoridation,” said ADHA President Kelli Swanson Jaecks, MA, RDH. “Community water fluoridation serves as an important measure that has been shown to lower the rate of dental caries. It is vital that we continue to utilize water fluoridation to help the public achieve their optimal oral health.” 

The U.S. Public Health Service Recommendation for Fluoride Concentration in Drinking Water for the Prevention of Dental Caries was published on April 27, 2015, in Public Health Reports. You may view the report by visiting http://www.publichealthreports.org/documents/PHS_2015_Fluoride_Guidelines.pdf. 

For more information about community water fluoridation, the Children’s Dental Health Project fluoridation toolkit (http://www.ilikemyteeth.org/) offers a number of resources and facts about water fluoridation. Information for health care providers and individuals on how to prevent tooth decay and reduce the chance of developing dental fluorosis also may be obtained by visiting http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation. 

Study: Periodontal Disease Could Lead To Erectile Dysfunction.

Men’s Health (4/21, Austin) reports that preliminary research conducted in Taiwan found that “men with erectile dysfunction (ED) were 79 percent more likely to have been diagnosed with chronic periodontal disease (CPD)” than males without ED. Men’s Health urology advisor Larry Lipshultz, MD, explained that CPD leads to chronic inflammation that can damage the lining of blood vessels and “result in impaired blood flow.” Sally J. Cram, DDS, a consumer advisor for the American Dental Association, said, “Most people who have [periodontal] disease don’t feel pain until it is in the advanced stages, so be sure to see your dentist if you experience red swollen gums, bleeding gums when brushing, bad breath, loose teeth, and receding gums.” If the disease is caught before it becomes advanced, treatment “can be as simple as a few deep cleanings from your dentist. If it’s discovered later on, you might require gum surgery to reduce the pockets and restore some of the bone loss,” according to Cram.

Association Between Tonsillectomy, Oral Cancer Evaluated.

The Atlantic (4/21) reports that a study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research and led by Johns Hopkins University otolaryngologist Carole Fakhry “evaluated more than three million Danish patients in a 35-year database and found that palatine tonsil removal was associated with a 60 to 85 percent decrease in tonsillar cancers.” Moreover, the researchers noted that “rates of cancer of the palatine and lingual tonsils are increasing” due to the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus. In an editorial accompanying the study, Anil Chaturvedi, an investigator at the Division of Cancer Epidemiology at NIH, noted that more studies were needed before determining whether tonsillectomy should be a mandatory preventative procedure.