Scientists are reporting identification of two substances in licorice — used extensively in Chinese traditional medicine — that kill the major bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease, the leading causes of tooth loss in children and adults. In a study in ACS’ Journal of Natural Products, they say that these substances could have a role in treating and preventing tooth decay and gum disease.
Stefan Gafner and colleagues explain that the dried root of the licorice plant is a common treatment in Chinese traditional medicine, especially as a way to enhance the activity of other herbal ingredients or as a flavoring. Despite the popularity of licorice candy in the U.S., licorice root has been replaced in domestic candy with anise oil, which has a similar flavor. Traditional medical practitioners use dried licorice root to treat various ailments, such as respiratory and digestive problems, but few modern scientific studies address whether licorice really works. (Consumers should check with their health care provider before taking licorice root because it can have undesirable effects and interactions with prescription drugs.) To test whether the sweet root could combat the bacteria that cause gum disease and cavities, the researchers took a closer look at various substances in licorice.
They found that two of the licorice compounds, licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, were the most effective antibacterial substances. These substances killed two of the major bacteria responsible for dental cavities and two of the bacteria that promote gum disease. One of the compounds — licoricidin — also killed a third gum disease bacterium. The researchers say that these substances could treat or even prevent oral infections.
Source: Science Daily
Journal Reference:
- Stefan Gafner, Chantal Bergeron, Jacquelyn R. Villinski, Markus Godejohann, Pavel Kessler, John H. Cardellina, Daneel Ferreira, Karine Feghali, Daniel Grenier. Isoflavonoids and Coumarins fromGlycyrrhiza uralensis: Antibacterial Activity against Oral Pathogens and Conversion of Isoflavans into Isoflavan-Quinones during Purification. Journal of Natural Products, 2011; 74 (12): 2514 DOI: 10.1021/np2004775
The saliva of people with pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis varies from that of healthy people, according to a study published online Oct. 12 in Gut.
Researchers at University of California Los Angeles—led by James J. Farrell, MD, an assistant professor in the Division of Digestive Diseases at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA—conducted a three-phase study to measure the variations in salivary microbiota and evaluate their potential associations with pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis.
They found that the levels of 31 types of bacterial species were increased in the saliva of patients with pancreatic cancer, compared with that of healthy control participants, and that the levels of 25 types of bacteria were reduced. For example, the levels of Granulicatella adiacens, which is associated with systemic inflammation, were elevated in patients with pancreatic cancer. The levels of Streptococcus mitis, which may play a protective role against inflammation, were lower in patients with pancreatic cancer.
Researchers say their findings add to growing evidence that saliva may be a credible biomarker source to track and diagnose nonoral diseases. They add that the results of their study also offer new research directions for focusing on inflammation as a contributor to pancreatic diseases.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.
Source: JADA
Reference: http://gut.bmj.com/content/early/2011/09/23/gutjnl-2011-300784.abstract
Nearly 20 million Americans annually visit a dentist but not a general healthcare provider, according to an NYU study published in the American Journal of Public Health.
The study, conducted by a nursing-dental research team at NYU, is the first of its kind to determine the proportion of Americans who are seen annually by a dentist but not by a general healthcare provider.
This finding suggests dentists can play a crucial role as health care practitioners in the front-line defense of identifying systemic disease which would otherwise go undetected in a significant portion of the population, say the researchers.
“For these and other individuals, dental professionals are in a key position to assess and detect oral signs and symptoms of systemic health disorders that may otherwise go unnoticed, and to refer patients for follow-up care,” said Dr. Shiela Strauss, an associate professor of nursing at the NYU College of Nursing and co-director of the statistics and data management core for NYU’s Colleges of Nursing and Dentistry.
During the course of a routine dental examination, dentists and dental hygienists, as trained healthcare providers, can take a patient’s health history, check blood pressure, and use direct clinical observation and X-rays to detect risk for systemic conditions, such as diabetes,hypertension, and heart disease.
The NYU research team examined the most recent available data, which came from a nationally representative subsample of 31,262 adults and children who participated in the Department of Health & Human Services 2008 annual National Health Interview Survey, a health status study of the U.S. population, which at that time consisted of 304,375,942 individuals. Physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants were among those categorized as general health care providers for the purposes of the survey.
When extrapolated to the U.S. population, 26 percent of children did not see a general health care provider. Yet over one-third of this group, representing nearly seven million children, did visit a dentist at least once during that year, according to survey results.
Among the adults, one quarter did not visit a general healthcare provider, yet almost a quarter — nearly 13 million Americans — did have at least one dental visit. When combined, adults and children who had contact only with dentists represent nearly 20 million people.
Ninety-three percent of the children and 85 percent of the adults had some form of health insurance, suggesting that while many of those who did not interact with a general healthcare provider may have had access to general health care, they opted not to seek it.
From: www.medicalnewstoday.com
Professional tooth scaling was associated with fewer heart attacks and strokes in a study from Taiwan presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2011.
Among more than 100,000 people, those who had their teeth scraped and cleaned (tooth scaling) by a dentist or dental hygienist had a 24 percent lower risk of heart attack and 13 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those who had never had a dental cleaning. The participants were followed for an average of seven years.
Scientists considered tooth scaling frequent if it occurred at least twice or more in two years; occasional tooth scaling was once or less in two years.
The study included more than 51,000 adults who had received at least one full or partial tooth scaling and a similar number of people matched with gender and health conditions who had no tooth scaling. None of the participants had a history of heart attack or stroke at the beginning of the study.
The study didn’t adjust for heart attack and stroke risk factors — such as weight, smoking and race — that weren’t included in the Taiwan National Health insurance data base, the source of the information used in the analysis.
“Protection from heart disease and stroke was more pronounced in participants who got tooth scaling at least once a year,” said Emily (Zu-Yin) Chen, M.D., cardiology fellow at the Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan.
Professional tooth scaling appears to reduce inflammation-causing bacterial growth that can lead to heart disease or stroke, she said.
Hsin-Bang Leu M.D., is the study co-author. Author disclosures and funding are on the abstract.
Type of periodontal disease predicts degree of risk for heart attack, stroke, and heart failure
In a separate study, researchers found that the value of markers for gum disease predict heart attack, congestive heart failure and stroke in different ways and to different degrees.
Anders Holmlund, D.D.S., Ph.D. Centre for Research and Development of the County Council of Gävleborg, Sweden, and senior consultant; Specialized Dentistry, studied 7,999 participants with periodontal disease and found people with:
- Fewer than 21 teeth had a 69 percent increased risk of heart attack compared to those with the most teeth.
- A higher number of deepened periodontal pockets (infection of the gum around the base of the tooth) had a 53 percent increased risk of heart attack compared to those with the fewest pockets.
- The least amount of teeth had a 2.5 increased risk of congestive heart failure compared to those with the most teeth.
- The highest incidence of gum bleeding had a 2.1 increased risk of stroke compared to those with the lowest incidence.
Source: Science Daily
Invisalign is a modern approach to straightening teeth, using a custom-made series of plastic trays called aligners. Invisalign treatment has grown in popularity over the past few years and has been used to treat over a million patients. Many potential patients are drawn to the treatment for esthetic reasons; however, Invisalign offers several other great benefits that make it a more practical and comfortable option than traditional braces. If you have wanted to straighten your teeth for a while, consider the following advantages that Invisalign provides over traditional braces.
5 great reasons to straighten teeth with Invisalign treatment:
- Same results as traditional braces. Since its inception in 1997, Invisalign’s ability to move teeth has improved dramatically. Today’s Invisalign is able to accomplish many of the treatment goals that traditional braces are able to do via a much more comfortable and attractive system.
- Easy to eat. Invisalign retainers are removable. Patients simply remove the retainers when they eat, making it possible to eat all their favorite foods, including apples and corn-on-the-cob, while teeth are being straightened.
- Less expensive. The overall cost of Invisalign treatment may be up to several thousand dollars less than that of traditional braces.
- Low maintenance. Traditional braces may be difficult to care for and maintain. Patients have to use special floss and other cleaning instruments. With traditional braces it may be more challenging to maintain a healthy mouth and fresh breath, and the process is oftentimes very time consuming. On the contrary, it’s easy to brush with Invisalign since the retainers are removable. You simply brush and floss as you normally would.
- Can’t see them. Invisalign retainers are clear, making them much less awkward looking than traditional braces. This system works really well for anyone in the working sector, who would like to straighten teeth, but need to maintain a professional appearance.
Straightening teeth with Invisalign has many advantages. In addition to the more obvious esthetic advantage, they are more comfortable, easy to care for and more affordable than metal braces. Orthodontists and family dentists who have been properly trained can provide Invisalign treatment.
New research from the University of Kent suggests that many of the common orthodontic problems experienced by people in industrialised nations is due to their soft modern diet causing the jaw to grow too short and small relative to the size of their teeth. The research, which was conducted by Dr Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel from the University’s School of Anthropology and Conservation, tested the long-debated theory that the transition from a largely hunter-gatherer to an agricultural subsistence strategy across many parts of the world has had a knock-on effect on the growth and development of the human skull and lower jaw.
Dr von Cramon-Taubadel compared the shape of the cranium (skull) and mandible (lower jaw) of 11 globally distributed populations against models of genetic, geographic, climatic and dietary differences. She found that lower jaw shape, and to some extent the shape of the upper palate, was related to the dietary behaviour of populations, while the cranium was strongly related to the genetic relationships of the populations.
In particular, the lower jaw reflects whether populations are primarily hunter-gatherer or agriculturalist in nature, irrespective of what part of the world they come from. This therefore suggests that chewing behaviour causes the lower jaw to grow and develop differently in different subsistence groups, while the skull is not affected in the same way.
Overall, the hunter-gather groups had longer and narrower mandible, indicating more room for the teeth to erupt correctly, while the agriculturalists had generally shorter and broader mandibles, increasing the likelihood of dental crowding.
Dr von Cramon-Taubadel, a lecturer in Biological Anthropology with research interests in human and primate evolution, and in particular the causes of modern human skeletal diversity, said: ‘Chewing behaviour appears to cause the lower jaw to develop differently in hunter-gatherer versus farming populations, and this holds true at a global level. What is interesting, is that the rest of the skull is not affected in the same way and seems to more closely match our genetic history.’
Source: Science Daily
A mouthwash concocted by a UCLA microbiologist may render cavities and tooth decay a thing of the past.
The innovation developed by Wenyuan Shi, chairman of the UCLA School of Dentistry’s oral biology section, acts as a sort of “smart bomb” against harmful bacteria like, S. mutans, a main cause of cavities and tooth decay.
Wenyuan Shi(credit:UCLA)
“With this new antimicrobial technology, we have the prospect of actually wiping out tooth decay in our lifetime,” he said.
A successful clinical study involving a dozen people found that those who rinsed with the UCLA-developed mouthwash just once over a four-day testing period experienced a near-complete elimination of the S. mutans bacteria.
Shi has been working on the innovation for over a decade with support from Colgate-Palmolive and a company he founded, C3-Jian Inc.
He said the findings may lay the groundwork for developing other target-specific anti-microbials to combat other diseases.
In a news release issued by the school, UCLA School of Dentistry, Dean, Dr. No-Hee Park is quoted as saying, “the work conducted by Dr. Shi’s laboratory will transform the concept of targeted antimicrobial therapy into reality.
“We are proud that UCLA will become known as the birthplace of this significant treatment innovation.”
More extensive clinical trials on the mouthwash may begin as early as March 2012.
Source: Yahoo! News
An important new study from the Laboratory for Developmental Genetics at USC has confirmed cytomegalovirus (CMV) as a cause of the most common salivary gland cancers. CMV joins a group of fewer than 10 identified oncoviruses – cancer-causing viruses – including HPV.
The findings, published online in the journal Experimental and Molecular Pathology over the weekend, are the latest in a series of studies by USC researchers that together demonstrate CMV’s role as an oncovirus, a virus that can either trigger cancer in healthy cells or exploit mutant cell weaknesses to enhance tumor formation.
Lead author Michael Melnick, professor of developmental genetics in the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC and Co-Director of the Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, said the conclusion that CMV is an oncovirus came after rigorous study of both human salivary gland tumors and salivary glands of postnatal mice.
CMV’s classification as an oncovirus has important implications for human health. The virus, which has an extremely high prevalence in humans, can cause severe illness and death in patients with compromised immune systems and can cause birth defects if a woman is exposed to CMV for the first time while pregnant. It may also be connected to other cancers besides salivary gland cancer, Melnick added.
“CMV is incredibly common; most of us likely carry it because of our exposure to it,” he said. “In healthy patients with normal immune systems, it becomes dormant and resides inactive in the salivary glands. No one knows what reactivates it.”
This study illustrates not only that the CMV in the tumors is active but also that the amount of virus-created proteins found is positively correlated with the severity of the cancer, Melnick said.
Previous work with mice satisfied other important criteria needed to link CMV to cancer. After salivary glands obtained from newborn mice were exposed to purified CMV, cancer developed. In addition, efforts to stop the cancer’s progression identified how the virus was acting upon the cells to spark the disease.
Thus, the team not only uncovered the connection between CMV and mucoepidermoid carcinoma, the most common type of salivary gland cancer, but also identified a specific molecular signaling pathway exploited by the virus to create tumors, being the same in humans and mice.
“Typically, this pathway is only active during embryonic growth and development,” Melnick said, “but when CMV turns it back on, the resulting growth is a malignant tumor that supports production of more and more of the virus.”
The study was conducted by Melnick with Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC colleagues Tina Jaskoll, professor of developmental genetics and co-director of the Laboratory for Developmental Genetics; Parish Sedghizadeh, director of the USC Center for Biofilms and associate professor of diagnostic sciences; and Carl Allen at The Ohio State University.
Jaskoll said salivary gland cancers can be particularly problematic because they often go undiagnosed until they reach a late stage. And since the affected area is near the face, surgical treatment can be quite extensive and seriously detrimental to a patient’s quality of life.
However, with the new information about CMV’s connection to cancer comes hope for new prevention and treatment methods, perhaps akin to the development of measures to mitigate human papilloma virus (HPV) after its connection to cervical cancer was established. Jaskoll added that the mouse salivary gland model created to connect CMV to cancer might also be used to design more effective treatments.
“This could allow us to have more rational design of drugs used to treat these tumors,” she said.
Melnick said that in the not too distant future, he expects much more information about viruses and their connections to cancer and other health issues seemingly unrelated to viral infection to emerge.
“This should be a most fruitful area of investigation for a long time to come,” he said. “This is just the tip of the iceberg with viruses.”
Source: Medical News Today
In a report on a preclinical investigation titled “Flagellin Enhances Saliva Ig A Response and Protection of Anti-caries DNA Vaccine,” lead author Wei Shi, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and his team of researchers demonstrate that anti-caries DNA vaccines, including pGJA-P/VAX, are promising for preventing dental caries. However, challenges remain because of the low immunogenicity of DNA vaccines.
This study is published in the Journal of Dental Research, the official publication of the International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR).
In this study, Shi and team used recombinant flagellin protein derived from Salmonella as mucosal adjuvant for anti-caries DNA vaccine (pGJA-P/VAX) and analyzed the effects of Salmonella protein on the serum surface protein immunoglobulin G and saliva surface protein immunoglobulin A antibody responses, the colonization of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) on rodent teeth, and the formation of caries lesions. The results showed that Salmonella promoted the production of surface protein immunoglobulin G in serum and secretory immunoglobulin A in saliva of animals by intranasal immunization with pGJA-P/VAX plus Salmonella.
Furthermore, Shi found that enhanced surface protein immunoglobulin A responses in saliva were associated with inhibition of S. mutans colonization of tooth surfaces and endowed better protection with significant less carious lesions. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that recombinant Salmonella could enhance specific immunoglobulin A responses in saliva and protective ability of pGJA-P/VAX, providing an effective mucosal adjuvant candidate for intranasal immunization of an anti-caries DNA vaccine.
Daniel Smith, The Forsyth Institute, wrote a corresponding perspective article in response to the Shi et al report titled “Prospects in Caries Vaccine Development.” In it, he states that DNA vaccine approaches for dental caries have had a history of success in animal models. Dental caries vaccines, directed to key components of S. mutans colonization and enhanced by safe and effective adjuvants and optimal delivery vehicles, are likely to be forthcoming.
“These papers highlight the exciting potential of using vaccines to protect against dental caries,” said JDR Editor-in-Chief William Giannobile. “This research is promising and provides optimism to help promote public health of caries-susceptible individuals.”
Source: Science Daily
Journal Reference:
- W. Shi, Y. H. Li, F. Liu, J. Y. Yang, D. H. Zhou, Y. Q. Chen, Y. Zhang, Y. Yang, B. X. He, C. Han, M. W. Fan, H. M. Yan. Flagellin Enhances Saliva IgA Response and Protection of Anti-caries DNA Vaccine. Journal of Dental Research, Published online Oct. 25, 2011 DOI: 10.1177/0022034511424283
For many dental implant patients, restoring facial volume can be as critical as the dental restoration for optimizing cosmetic outcomes. In a workshop at the American Academy of Implant Dentistry Annual Scientific Meeting in Las Vegas, Pankaj Singh, DDS urged attendees to pay close attention to facial structures and consider using Botox and dermal filler agents for patients who need facial volume restorations.
“Besides creating beautiful smiles, we like to create harmony between the dento-facial complex by addressing the deep lines and wrinkles in the face that can prevent our patients from looking their best,” said Singh. “Soft tissues that ring the mouth are as important as perfectly restored teeth for an attractive and confident smile,” said Singh.
Botox is a natural and purified protein that relaxes facial muscles by blocking nerve impulses. Once the muscles are at rest, the skin becomes smoother, creating a more natural and relaxed appearance. The effects last about three to four months and patients feel little, if any, discomfort after the procedure.
For older dental implant patients with facial aging, the corners the mouth begin to turn down and wrinkles appear around the lips. “Botox can be used by dentists to relax affected muscles to raise mouth corners and smooth wrinkles to assure successful and satisfying outcomes,” said Singh.
Dermal filler agents, such as Restylane, treat fat and collagen volume loss due to the aging process that causes static lines to develop. “As we age, our body’s production of Hyaluronic Acid (HA), the body’s natural filler decreases, which causes facial lines to appear,” Singh explained. He added that it takes about two weeks for dermal filler agents to show results and some patients experience side effects, such as localized pain, infection, bleeding, swelling, redness, bruising and tenderness in and near the injection site. Results are not permanent and injections will need to be repeated periodically to maintain the cosmetic improvement.
An estimated 8 percent of dentists in North America now provide Botox and dermal filer cosmetic treatments for patients and the number is growing, as state dental boards lobby to allow dentists to use the agents for cosmetic dentistry.
“Facial volume restoration is the future for the achieving optimal aesthetic outcomes in the delivery of cosmetic and restorative dental care,” said Singh. “Dentists have as much training and knowledge in the oral and maxillofacial area as dermatologists and other providers, so they, with proper training, can be as proficient in administering these agents,” said Singh.
About AAID
AAID is the leading professional society dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of implant dentistry through research and education. The annual meeting is the field’s leading venue for cutting-edge, evidence-based implant research presentations and demonstrations of state-of-the art implantation techniques.
AAID can help consumers find a local credentialed implant dentist at www.aaid.com. AAID is based in Chicago and has more than 3,500 members. It is the first organization dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of implant dentistry by supporting research and education to advance comprehensive implant knowledge.
SOURCE American Academy of Implant Dentistry