Blackberries May Lead to Healthy Gums

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 28 January 2013 12:23



Blackberries could be beneficial for one’s oral health.

A new study shows that this type of fruit could lead to healthy gums. The study appeared in the Journal of Periodontal Research. The study states that the antibacterial properties of blackberries lower the risk of gum disease and promote gum health.

There are also prior studies that have indicated the positive aspects of blackberries and claim they prevent cancerous cells from spreading.

Many studies have shown that eating a diet filled with fruits and vegetables is beneficial to one’s oral health. This type of diet can also lower the risk of developing oral cancer, diabetes and heart disease, among other health ailments.

Since good oral health leads to good overall health, it can be extremely beneficial for a person to implement blackberries into his or her diet.

Study on Chimps Questions Tooth Development Research

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 29 January 2013 16:44



Tooth development and weaning in chimpanzees were thought to have a correlation—until now.

For more than two decades scientists concluded that juvenile primate tooth development had an impact on when the primates started to move on from their mother’s milk. But that isn’t true. The Harvard Department of Human Evolutionary Biology utilized high-resolution digital photographs of the chimpanzees to demonstrate that when the first molar appears, they continue to nurse.

The information appears in a January 28 paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Previous studies attempted to tie the correlation in chimpanzees to the way things play out in humans. But this study refutes that link.

Also, many previous chimpanzee studies involved captive animals or skeletons. Those studies proved to not be representative of most of the chimp population.

This study was different because it analyzed chimps in the wild and captive ones. Then, using advanced technology, the researchers were able to pinpoint the exact time in which the chimp’s molars erupted.

In this study, chimps still were interesting in nursing even after their first molar erupted. Essentially, they showed adult-like feeding behavior but still wanted to be nursed. The mothers sometimes have to fight off their children from nursing at that age. The reason for this behavior is unknown.

This study provides enough information for scientists to look to other species to determine a correlation involving tooth development and weaning that could be considered similar to human patterns.

New Method of Treating Children’s Tooth Decay Explored

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 30 January 2013 15:27



A needleless, drill-free method of treating tooth decay may have been created by a New Zealand college.

University of Otago researchers generated this new treatment, called the Hall technique, for the purpose of limiting the anxiety of children when they visit the dentist.

There were around 190 children ages 5 through 8 studied to compile the data. About 100 children were treated by using this new method and the others were treated using conventional methods.

The new process includes the placement of a stainless steel crown over a baby molar to seal the decay instead of using a drill to take out the decay and then add a filling. With the new method, the decay stops or slows down because the tooth is deprived of nutrients. The crown stays in place until it naturally falls out with the tooth.

The new method resulted in less dental anxiety among those children compared to the ones treated with the more standard methods. The final numbers showed that about 90 percent of the children enjoyed their dental visit when treated with the new method compared to only about 52 percent who enjoyed their visit with traditional treatment.

The new method also is 20 minutes faster and more successful.

There could be an even greater impact in the future. If people enjoy their dental visits as children, they will be more likely to visit the dentist as they grow older.

More work, however, needs to be done to determine the exact reasons for the more enjoyable dental visits.

As it stands now, these crowns are more expensive that traditional amalgam or white fillings. In the long term, however, this method could be more cost effective based on the fact that the new treatment is successful at a higher rate.

The study was funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.