Alligators May Help Some Human Dental Issues

Alligators May Help Some Human Dental Issues

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 15 May 2013 14:59

Scientists are now looking at one of the unique qualities of alligator teeth: the capability the animals have of regrowing their teeth.

At any time, they can have 80 teeth while producing 50 sets of replacement teeth. In their lifetime, they may go through more than 2,000 teeth. This ability to regrow teeth has given scientists the idea to study the way this process happens to aid people who encounter numerous dental issues.

Most vertebrates can replace teeth repeatedly but humans have only one replacement set. In analyzing the replacement process, the researchers will hope to create a way of regrowing human teeth. Alligators, like many other mammals, have teeth implanted in sockets in the jawbone and secondary plates.

The University of Southern California research team has been studying alligators by using molecular analysis and modern scanning techniques. The early findings indicate that there are three parts to the alligator teeth throughout different times in their development. Teeth are ready to replace an old one as soon as the old one falls out.

The information appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Children, Low-Income Adults Benefitting from Dental Therapists

Children, Low-Income Adults Benefitting from Dental Therapists

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 16 May 2013 14:17

Midlevel dental providers are now giving treatment to the people who need it most: children and low-income adults.

The report comes from Community Catalyst and concluded that these dental providers in Alaska and Minnesota cost their employers 27 and 29 percent of their generated revenue, respectively. The report showed that 85 percent of the treatment would be considered routine and preventative and 25 percent of patients need cavities filled.

This report is the first to comprehensively view the economics of practicing midlevel dental providers in the United States as a method of increasing the reach of dental care. Based on information from the government, 45 million Americans live in places without the requisite number of dentists. Millions others simply can’t afford dental care.

In addition to Alaska and Minnesota, eight other states have moved forward with legislation to permit dental therapists. Other states may soon put together legislation to allow them while 50 countries around the world utilize dental therapists.

The other findings in the report, which was commissioned from August 2011 through December 2012, included the majority of services being preventative in 32.8 percent of cases. Also, 44 percent of people were treated with sealants while 43 percent were given fluoride varnishes.

Only 23.7 percent of the cases for dental care therapists were restorative. Only 3.8 percent of the patients needed extractions.

The largest portion of revenue (46.7 percent) came from restorative procedures.

In Minnesota, 78 percent of the patients for dental therapists were publicly insured—and most of the patients were younger than 21. There were about 66 percent of the patients in Alaska under age 21.

Dental therapists have been practicing in Minnesota since 2011 and Alaska since 2006. Among the more than 2,000 patients served in Minnesota, about 84 percent were enrolled in Medicaid and 9 percent didn’t have insurance. In Alaska, more than 40,000 patients have been treated in tribal health clinics in rural Alaska. These people would not receive dental treatment, if not for these dental therapists.

More than 50 million Americans lack basic dental care. As a result, nearly 60 percent of children encounter tooth decay.

Lack of Fluoride May be Root of Calgary Dental Problems

Lack of Fluoride May be Root of Calgary Dental Problems

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 20 May 2013 13:03

A lack of fluoride exposure may be posing some problems in a Canadian city.

Dentists in Calgary, Alberta are blaming the rise in cavities over the stoppage of water fluoridation. Water fluoridation in the city was ceased two years ago and many now claim that was a mistake.

The standards of children’s oral health have declined in the last two years, based on information from the Alberta Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. More children are developing cavities and more are developing more severe cavities.

The statistics show that 30 percent of the children 5 and younger have encountered an issue with cavities.

Many dentists in the city would like government officials to overturn the legislation that ended fluoridation, returning to fluoridation again.

One of the reasons for ending fluoridation stemmed from the idea that the money could be spent elsewhere in the area of children’s dental health programs.

Many studies have been done on fluoride, yet there isn’t a conclusive answer on its impact on teeth. Many people state that it’s beneficial for teeth while others claim its does more harm than good over time.