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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Detecting Early Tooth Decay

“Both low-coherence light and ultrashort laser pulses can be used to measure internal structure in biological systems. An optical signal that is transmitted through or reflected from a biological tissue will contain time-of-flight information, which in turn yields spatial information about tissue microstructure.”

So began Huang et al. 20 years ago in the journal Science to describe their initial efforts to adapt a non-invasive fiberoptic imaging technique called optical coherence tomography, or OCT, to view tissues in the body. In this case, they visualized the retina and coronary artery. Five years later, Colston et al. applied OCT to the periodontal tissues of a pig, showing clearly the physical boundaries of the gingiva from the tooth and the tooth’s enamel from the cementum. This study marked the first time that OCT had imaged a hard biologic tissue successfully.

Since these groundbreaking papers, OCT is often employed with a polarization sensitive (PS) feature, creating the designation PS-OCT. The PS feature eliminates reflection from the tissue surface and monitors changes to the incident polarized light due to structural changes in the tissue.

For the complete article: http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/ScienceBriefs/Archive/SNIB2011/February/ToothDecay.htm

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Disclaimer

Content on this blog are for informational purposes only, is neither intended to and does not establish a standard of care, and is not a substitute for professional judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ACES is not responsible for information on external websites linked to this website.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Study Warns of Killer Bugs in Dentures

A new study has warned that dentures, despite its clean look, could be teeming with killer bugs like MRSA.

Researchers have advised that putting infected false teeth in a microwave oven for three minutes makes them safe.

Dentures are known to get covered with thin layers of bacteria called biofilms, which can lurk until they are breathed into the lungs.

Nearly 20 million people in the U.S. wear full or partial dentures often infected with MRSA or drug-resistant staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

Read more: Study Warns of Killer Bugs in Dentures | MedIndia http://www.medindia.net/news/study-warns-of-killer-bugs-in-dentures-99839-1.htm#ixzz1sE115MTb

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ACES is the world's leader in providing live webcast dental continuing education

Disclaimer

Content on this blog are for informational purposes only, is neither intended to and does not establish a standard of care, and is not a substitute for professional judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ACES is not responsible for information on external websites linked to this website.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A point pollution source, not only of mercury but also of other amalgam constituents

Shraim A, Alsuhaimi A, Al-Thakafy JT Taibah University, Faculty of Science, Chemistry Department, Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, Saudi Arabia; University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (EnTox), 39 Kessels Road, Brisbane, QLD 4108, Australia. Current literature suggests that amalgam waste from dental clinics is a point-source of mercury pollution in the environment. However, apart from mercury, other amalgam constituents (e.g. Ag, Sn, Cu, and Zn) in dental clinics' wastewater have not been reported in the literature before. The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of mercury and other metals in the wastewater of some dental clinics and the influent of a wastewater treatment plant in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah (KSA). This renders dental clinics wastewater a hazardous waste which should be properly treated before it is discharged into the environment.

For full article: http://dental.researchtoday.net/archive/8/5/8972.htm

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ACES is the world's leader in providing live webcast dental continuing education

Disclaimer

Content on this blog are for informational purposes only, is neither intended to and does not establish a standard of care, and is not a substitute for professional judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ACES is not responsible for information on external websites linked to this website.

Monday, December 17, 2012

More Americans seeking dental treatment at the ER

By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical WriterAssociated Press

CHICAGO—More Americans are turning to the emergency room for routine dental problems—a choice that often costs 10 times more than preventive care and offers far fewer treatment options than a dentist's office, according to an analysis of government data and dental research.

Most of those emergency visits involve trouble such as toothaches that could have been avoided with regular checkups but went untreated, in many cases because of a shortage of dentists, particularly those willing to treat Medicaid patients, the analysis said.

The number of ER visits nationwide for dental problems increased 16 percent from 2006 to 2009, and the report released Tuesday by the Pew Center on the States suggests the trend is continuing.

For full article: http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_20058367

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ACES is the world's leader in providing live webcast dental continuing education

Disclaimer

Content on this blog are for informational purposes only, is neither intended to and does not establish a standard of care, and is not a substitute for professional judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ACES is not responsible for information on external websites linked to this website.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Unhealthy Gums Increase Risk of Premature Delivery

Gum disease can do more than affecting just your gums. It can increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature delivery. The following is the conclusion arrived at a conference on periodontal disease, held at New York.

Participants at the conference highlighted the accumulating evidence regarding increased risk of serious illness in association with gum disease. They further reflected the need for a collaborative work between both dentists and medical health professionals.


Read more: Unhealthy Gums Increase Risk Of Premature Delivery | MedIndia http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=8099#ixzz1nbXWqvoX

Website supported by www.aces4ce.com
ACES is the world's leader in providing live webcast dental continuing education

Disclaimer

Content on this blog are for informational purposes only, is neither intended to and does not establish a standard of care, and is not a substitute for professional judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ACES is not responsible for information on external websites linked to this website.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Possible link between gum disease and bowel cancer

The bacteria associated with the most common cause of tooth loss in adults could be a pre-curser for the development of bowel cancer, according to a team of scientists.

The link comes as scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute in America found an abnormally large number of Fusobacterium – a bacterium associated with the development of periodontal disease – in nine colorectal tumour samples, pointing to the possibility the two could be associated.

For full article: http://www.dentistry.co.uk/news/4859--Oral-health-Possible-link-between-gum-disease-and-bowel-cancer

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ACES is the world's leader in providing live webcast dental continuing education

Disclaimer

Content on this blog are for informational purposes only, is neither intended to and does not establish a standard of care, and is not a substitute for professional judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ACES is not responsible for information on external websites linked to this website.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Guidelines on Infant Oral Health

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommended infants 6 to 12 months old for dental visits. More than 40 percent of children have tooth decay by the time they reach kindergarten. In order to help prevent tooth decay, dental experts at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are reminding parents to schedule dental appointments for their toddlers.

Studies have shown that if children experience tooth decay in their baby teeth, they are more likely to develop tooth decay in their permanent teeth. By bringing their child to a dentist at an early age, parents learn about the structure of the child’s mouth, preventative information on infant oral health and introduce their toddlers to the act of brushing their teeth.

Infant oral health is the foundation for preventing future tooth decay,” said Paul Casamassimo, DDS, MS, chief ofDentistry at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “If a child experiences tooth decay at an early age, it is a very difficult process to stop. The purpose of this initial visit is not only to introduce these toddlers to visiting the dentist, but also to provide preventative information to prevent tooth decay.

Read more: Guidelines on Infant Oral Health | MedIndia http://www.medindia.net/news/Guidelines-on-Infant-Oral-Health-95620-1.htm#ixzz1loBcZF00

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ACES is the world's leader in providing live webcast dental continuing education

Disclaimer

Content on this blog are for informational purposes only, is neither intended to and does not establish a standard of care, and is not a substitute for professional judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ACES is not responsible for information on external websites linked to this website.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Studies Evaluate Health Effects of Dental Amalgam Fillings in Children

Scientists supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health, report in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association the results of the first-ever randomized clinical trials to evaluate the safety of placing amalgam fillings, which contain mercury, in the teeth of children.

Both studies—one conducted in Europe, the other in the United States—independently reached the conclusion: Children whose cavities were filled with dental amalgam had no adverse health effects. The findings included no detectable loss of intelligence, memory, coordination, concentration, nerve conduction, or kidney function during the 5-7 years the children were followed. The researchers looked for measurable signs of damage to the brain and kidneys because previous studies with adults indicated these organs might be especially sensitive to mercury.

The authors noted that children in both studies who received amalgam, informally known as “silver fillings,” had slightly elevated levels of mercury in their urine. But after several years of analysis, they determined the mercury levels remained low and did not correlate with any symptoms of mercury poisoning.

For full article: http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/NewsReleases/ArchivedNewsReleases/NRY2006/PR04182006.htm

Website supported by www.aces4ce.com
ACES is the world's leader in providing live webcast dental continuing education

Disclaimer

Content on this blog are for informational purposes only, is neither intended to and does not establish a standard of care, and is not a substitute for professional judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ACES is not responsible for information on external websites linked to this website.