Smoking significantly changes the mouth’s microbiome, with potential implications for tooth decay and the ability to break down toxins, according to results published in the ISME (International Society for Microbial Ecology) Journal.

There are around 600 species of bacteria in the human mouth. Over 75% of oral cancers are thought to be linked to smoking, but it remains unclear whether microbial differences in the mouth affect the risk for cancer.

Study done by Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine researchers found the human body is better at fighting gum disease when fat cells, which trigger inflammation, disappear.  The pilot study of 31 obese people with gum disease. Half of the group with an average body mass index (BMI) of 39 had gastric bypass surgery and had fat cells from the abdomen removed. That half fared better than a control group of obese people with a BMI of 35 who also were treated for gum disease but did not have the gastric bypass surgery or fat removed.

Scientists report in ACS’ journal Analytical Chemistry a simple, paper-based test that could help detect pathogens hitchhiking on food before they reach store shelves, restaurants and, most importantly, our stomachs.

According to one estimate by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the foodborne bacteria Salmonella alone led to nearly 20,000 hospitalizations and almost 400 deaths in 2013. Economists estimate that the treatment of all these patients and the related productivity losses cost more than $3 billion annually. And those numbers account for just one of the 15 pathogens responsible for most of the food poisoning cases. Current testing for pathogens in food requires complicated machinery and trained personnel. But these tests don’t provide the simple results needed in large-scale food manufacturing. So Je-Kyun Park and colleagues set out to find a more practical way to detect foodborne pathogens.

Periodontitis is a serious, chronic, non-communicable gum disease, that damages the soft tissue and bone that support the teeth. Estimates suggest it affects 15-20% of middle-aged (35-44 years) adults.

The disease starts when the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis infects the tissue around the teeth, giving rise to gum inflammation. If this is not treated, the condition progresses and the bacteria begin to eat away at the bone around the teeth.

Having untreated gum disease not only leads to tooth loss, but it also raises risk of heart attack or stroke.

Gum disease is a major cause of tooth loss and a challenge to treat. Now, new research suggests why silicon nitride – a ceramic material used in spinal implants – could lead to effective, new types of gum disease treatmen

A new toothpaste ingredient which puts back the lost minerals from tooth enamel and helps prevent decay and treat sensitivity while you sleep is available online and from specialist dental distributors now. It is expected to be available through high street stores by the end of the year.

A recent study suggest that no enough dentist are using dental sealants to help protect back teeth.  Temple University’s dental school researchers who did the study, surveyed 595 general dentists and 176 pediatric dentists. The dentist were asked about whether they would use sealants on teeth with different signs of early decay. They also were asked how they felt about using sealants in different groups of people.

In 2008 the ADA endorsed the use of sealants n teeth with the earliest stages of decay. In these stages, a molar or premolar is discolored on its chewing surface, but there is no cavity in the tooth yet. Research has shown that sealing teeth like this can prevent cavities. However the new survey found that many dentist do not either know about the ADA panel’s advise or the dentist that do know do not agree with it.  It also show that Pediatric dentist were more likely to follow the recommendations then general dentist. This study appears in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.

The Local Government Association has today published a report that states that around 100 children and teenagers a day are being admitted to hospital for surgery to remove rotten teeth.

The report says that £35 million was spent in 2014-15 on removing children’s rotten teeth, a 66 per cent increase since 2010-11. In all, 40,970 surgical procedures were carried out on children for their teeth in 2014-15, as opposed to 32,457 in 2010-11.

They are NOT Dental Discount Plans

Also included with discount dental plans, these are not dental insurance, but can provide you with the freedom to visit any dentists at considerable discounts over their standard charge, though they are seemingly rare, but the indemnity dental insurance plans are also available to provide freedom to choose the dentist from your choice on a higher out of pocket expenditure.  The lack of benefits has rendered traditional indemnity dental insurance little more than two inexpensive continuing care visits, consisting of an examination, prophylaxis (cleaning) and radiographs (X-rays) per year and help with minor restorative treatment, such as a few direct restorations (fillings).

The presence of certain bacteria in the mouth may indicate a raised risk for pancreatic cancer – a disease that often begins with no symptoms and for which there is no routine screening test

This was the main conclusion of a study led by NYU Langone in New York, NY, presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in New Orleans, LA, April 16-20, 2016.

100% Preventive Care Options

There are several features of indemnity dental insurance plans for individuals that make these plans different from many other types of dental coverage: Insurance providers will pay up to 100% of preventative dental care.

Although they are becoming increasingly rare, indemnity dental insurance plans are also still available and provide the freedom to choose the dentist of your choice at a higher out-of-pocket expense.  In indemnity dental insurance plans, the insured has to pay all the costs for services directly and then submit a claim for reimbursement once a deductible has been met.

The findings, by a team of researchers from the University of Oslo, the Forsyth Institute, and the University of Illinois at Chicago, appeared last week in the American Society for Microbiology’s new open-access journal, mSystems.

The researchers wanted to know precisely which metabolic pathways in the bacterial cell must be activated for the bacteria to become “competent,” or able to acquire genes from DNA in the environment. They focused on Streptococcus mutans, a strain involved in tooth decay.

Periodontitis comprises a group of multifactorial diseases in which periodontopathogens accumulate in dental plaque and trigger host chronic inflammatory and immune responses against periodontal structures, which are determinant to the disease outcome. Although unusual cases of non-inflammatory destructive periodontal disease (NIDPD) are described, their pathogenesis remains unknown. A unique NIDPD case was investigated by clinical, microbiological, immunological and genetic tools. The patient, a non-smoking dental surgeon with excessive oral hygiene practice, presented a generalized bone resorption and tooth mobility, but not gingival inflammation or occlusion problems. No hematological, immunological or endocrine alterations were found. No periodontopathogens (A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis, F. nucleatum and T. denticola) or viruses (HCMV, EBV-1 and HSV-1) were detected, along with levels of IL-1β and TNF-a in GCF compatible with healthy tissues. Conversely ALP, ACP and RANKL GCF levels were similar to diseased periodontal sites. Genetic investigation demonstrated that the patient carried some SNPs, as well HLA-DR4 (*0404) and HLA-B27 alleles, considered risk factors for bone loss. Then, a less vigorous and diminished frequency of toothbrushing was recommended to the patient, resulting in the arrest of alveolar bone loss, associated with the return of ALP, ACP and RANKL in GCF to normality levels. In conclusion, the unusual case presented here is compatible with the previous description of NIDPD, and the results that a possible combination of excessive force and frequency of mechanical stimulation with a potentially bone loss prone genotype could result in the alveolar bone loss seen in NIDPD.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

An impacted wisdom tooth is one that is entrapped completely or partially by soft tissue which can also be a cause of bacterial infections. It is important you see a dentist immediately for this condition. Infections in the mouth, gum, and jaw area can quickly travel to the brain and then you have a whole set of other problems. Why not check here for a dental plan that may off-set the cost of getting help with your impacted wisdom tooth.

What are some of the problems associated with wisdom teeth?  Sometimes wisdom teeth can cause crowding of the teeth, infections, cysts, tumors, jaw and gum disease.  Talk to your dentist about your wisdom teeth to see if they suggest that they should removed or not.

Did you know that more teeth are lost due to gum disease then though tooth decay.  Gum disease can strike anyone who neglects their oral hygiene or eats a poor diet. People with alcoholism, malnutrition, or AIDS/HIV infection or who are being treated with steroid drugs or certain cancer chemotherapies have a higher risk of gum disease. Women with tooth or gum problems are also more likely to give birth to premature babies.  Seeing a dentist regularly and proper dental care habits are important in reducing your risk of gum disease and tooth loss.

If you ever had your teeth whiten you may know the trick about drinking stain-able drinks such as coffee though a straw in order to maintain you newly whiten teeth.  However, drinking sodas, sports/energy drink and juices though a straw is also a good idea in order to help protect your tooth enamel.  Many of those types of drinks contain acids, such as citric and phosphoric, that can erode dental enamel, even if they are diet or sugar-free versions. By drinking though a straw you can position it toward the back of mouth limiting the contact the drinks have with your teeth.  Therefore helping  to preserve the tooth enamel.

Affordable Dental Plans

According to the National Association of Dental Plans, approximately half of the U.S. population does not have an affordable dental plan. The cost for affordable dental insurance can vary. Therefore, it is important to understand all your options in obtaining the most affordable dental plan coverage.

The company where you work may provide the most affordable dental insurance plan options. Dental insurance plans for individual and families are usually an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) or a PPO (Preferred Provided Organization) and operate much like traditional health insurance organizations.

A study in the current issue of the journal Anesthesia Progress looked at whether a patient’s level of pain before a root canal changed the effectiveness of local anesthesia. The research showed that the more active pain a patient felt before the procedure, the lower the pain threshold was for that patient during surgery.

Question: I was reviewing your dental insurance plans.  I am a signal dad and my son lives with me for most of the year.  We are in TX and I would like to get a dental insurance plan for him.  I really do not care about the monthly cost as long as it is a good dental insurance plan that will be able to take care of any future dental needs my son may have.  It it helps to know he had really good teeth at this point in time.  Can you tell me your best plan is.

Answer: What would be the best insurance plan would be based on your own dental care needs. Such as if you do not want any waiting periods you may wish to review our HMO or dental discount plan options. However with these options you do have to choose a dentist in the plan network of providers.     If you are wanting to stay with or choose your own dentist then you may prefer a dental PPO plan that provides that option.  Call our member service line at 310-534-3444 go over your needs and they will be able to help pick the “best” plan for you and your son.