Pacifiers could harm your childs dental health.....

COLUMBUS, Ohio, USA: Researchers have found that children who are learning to walk are at the highest risk of injury from baby bottles, sippy cups and pacifiers. For the first time, they analyzed nationwide statistical data from the last 20 years and found that, on average, 2,270 injuries related to these products are treated in U.S. emergency rooms every year.

The study conducted by researchers at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio suggests that between January 1991 and December 2010 an estimated 45,398 children under three required treatment in an emergency room owing to baby bottles, pacifiers and sippy cups.

According to the study, approximately two-thirds of injuries occurred among children aged one, a period of development associated with unsteady walking. The researchers found that 86 percent of the injuries were the result of falls while using the product. More than 70 percent of the injuries caused by falls affected the mouth and teeth of the toddlers, followed by lacerations of the head, face or neck (20 percent).

Baby bottles were involved in about 66 percent of the injuries. Pacifiers accounted for 20 percent of the injuries and sippy cups for 14 percent. Pacifiers were associated with soft-tissue and dental injuries, in particular.

"The permanent front teeth begin to develop in an infant's jaws soon after birth and the crown of the permanent tooth does not complete development until a child is three or four years old. If the toddler falls and injures a baby tooth, that tooth can get pushed up into the jaw and disrupt the development of the permanent tooth to follow. The risk is greatest when a baby tooth is injured before the child is three years of age and if the baby tooth is pushed up into the gums or completely knocked out," said Dr. Dennis McTigue, pediatric dentist at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

The researchers said that, currently, there are few formal recommendations regarding the ages at which children should discontinue using these products. Although the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend using lidless cups by 12 months of age to prevent dental caries, and limiting pacifier use after six months to prevent infections, the products tend to be used at least until the age of two, the researchers said.

"Educating parents and caregivers about the importance of transitioning their children away from these products at the ages recommended by the AAP and AAPD could prevent up to 80 percent of the injuries related to baby bottles, pacifiers and sippy cups," study co-author Dr. Laura McKenzie suggested.

There is a need for further research into the nature of these injuries and prevention strategies, the researchers concluded.

Statistics were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System operated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Dr. Caroline Wallace DDS
Complete Dental Care
103 South Colorado Street
Salem, Virginia, 24153
540-387-3844

Oral Bacteria can cause Artificial Joint Failure

CLEVELAND, Ohio, USA: Study results have suggested that periodontal bacteria can migrate from the mouth to the synovial cavity, which might be the reason for the failure of artificial joints. In recent DNA tests, researchers detected the same bacterial DNA in synovial fluid and dental plaque in 14 percent of patients with arthritis and periodontitis.



The study was conducted by researchers at the Case Western Reserve University's School of Dental Medicine and the University Hospitals Case Medical Center.

"For a long time, we have suspected that these bacteria were causing problems in arthritis patients, but never had the scientific evidence to support it," said Prof. Nabil Bissada, chair of the Department of Periodontics at the dental school.

In order to prove their bacterial translocation hypothesis, the researchers investigated the presence of bacterial DNA in synovial fluid and periodontal tissue samples from 36 patients with periodontal disease and arthritis. Five of the subjects showed a direct DNA link between the bacteria in the fluid and plaque. The researchers detected identical bacterial DNA in two patients with rheumatoid arthritis and three patients with osteoarthritis who were also diagnosed with periodontitis.

"The oral–synovium translocation could be due to the periodontal disease the patients had. In the presence of periodontal disease, the quantity of oral bacteria increases dramatically. This, in combination with inflamed gums, increases the chance of oral bacteria entering the circulation, leading to systemic dissemination," the researchers said.

"On the basis of our present and previous studies, we suggest that patients with arthritis or failed prosthetic joints be examined for the presence of periodontal disease and be treated accordingly," the researchers concluded.

According to the researchers, this data is the first genetically proven evidence that oral bacteria can migrate to the synovium in humans. Nevertheless, Bissada admitted that larger studies, with control groups, are required to corroborate the findings.

The case study group consisted of nine men and 27 women, aged between 45 and 84, with a mean age of 61.6 years. Eleven of the patients were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and 25 with osteoarthritis.

The study was published in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology.

Dr. Caroline Wallace DDS
Complete Dental Care
103 South Colorado Street
Salem, Virginia, 24153
540-387-3844

Sport drinks will cause damage to your teeth....

A recent study published in the May/June 2012 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry, found that an alarming increase in the consumption of sports and energy drinks, especially among adolescents, is causing irreversible damage to teeth - specifically, the high acidity levels in the drinks erode tooth enamel, the glossy outer layer of the tooth.

"Young adults consume these drinks assuming that they will improve their sports performance and energy levels and that they are 'better' for them than soda," says Poonam Jain, BDS, MS, MPH, lead author of the study. "Most of these patients are shocked to learn that these drinks are essentially bathing their teeth with acid."

Researchers examined the acidity levels in 13 sports drinks and nine energy drinks. They found that the acidity levels can vary between brands of beverages and flavors of the same brand. To test the effect of the acidity levels, the researchers immersed samples of human tooth enamel in each beverage for 15 minutes, followed by immersion in artificial saliva for two hours. This cycle was repeated four times a day for five days, and the samples were stored in fresh artificial saliva at all other times.

"This type of testing simulates the same exposure that a large proportion of American teens and young adults are subjecting their teeth to on a regular basis when they drink one of these beverages every few hours," says Dr. Jain.

The researchers found that damage to enamel was evident after only five days of exposure to sports or energy drinks, although energy drinks showed a significantly greater potential to damage teeth than sports drinks. In fact, the authors found that energy drinks caused twice as much damage to teeth as sports drinks.

With a reported 30 to 50 percent of U.S. teens consuming energy drinks, and as many as 62 percent consuming at least one sports drink per day, it is important to educate parents and young adults about the downside of these drinks. Damage caused to tooth enamel is irreversible, and without the protection of enamel, teeth become overly sensitive, prone to cavities, and more likely to decay.

"Teens regularly come into my office with these types of symptoms, but they don't know why," says AGD spokesperson Jennifer Bone, DDS, MAGD. "We review their diet and snacking habits and then we discuss their consumption of these beverages. They don't realize that something as seemingly harmless as a sports or energy drink can do a lot of damage to their teeth."

Dr. Bone recommends that her patients minimize their intake of sports and energy drinks. She also advises them to chew sugar-free gum or rinse the mouth with water following consumption of the drinks. "Both tactics increase saliva flow, which naturally helps to return the acidity levels in the mouth to normal," she says.

Also, patients should wait at least an hour to brush their teeth after consuming sports and energy drinks. Otherwise, says Dr. Bone, they will be spreading acid onto the tooth surfaces, increasing the erosive action.


Dr. Caroline Wallace DDS
Complete Dental Care
103 South Colorado Street
Salem, Virginia, 24153
540-387-3844

Your Dental Health and your Heart

The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) acknowledged the very comprehensive review of the literature undertaken by the American Heart Association (AHA) on the relationship between periodontal disease and heart disease. The review titled "Periodontal disease and atherosclerotic vascular disease: Does the evidence support an independent association?: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association" was published online in Circulation.

The review assessed, 1) whether available data supported an independent association between atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD) and periodontal disease, and 2) whether available data supported that periodontal treatment might modify ASVD risks or outcomes.

The extensive review of current literature - including more than 40 epidemiologic observational studies - did indeed support an association between periodontal disease and ASVD independent of known cofounders. "The validation of an association between periodontal disease and heart disease from the American Heart Association is an important statement from a public policy perspective," said AADR President Rena D'Souza. While the association has been demonstrated, the literature review failed to support either a cause-effect relationship, or that periodontal treatment might prevent ASVD or modify its outcome.

AADR has many members who are researching the association between oral health and cardiovascular health, but long-term studies on the association between periodontal infection and cardiovascular disease or long-term periodontal treatment intervention studies on cardiovascular health are certainly understudied. Hence, it was not surprising that the authors failed to find evidence in the literature demonstrating either causality or a treatment effect.

Importantly, the AHA review highlighted significant gaps in our scientific understanding of the interaction of oral health and ASVD and articulated that well-designed, controlled interventional studies would be required to further elucidate our understanding of these interactions.

"Further research on the association of oral health and cardiovascular disease is critical," stated D'Souza. "By harnessing today's epidemiologic, genomic, proteomic, microbiologic and immunologic tools with data examining environmental interactions and bioinformatics approaches, we can advance our understanding of this important association that has such clear public health implications."

Dr. Caroline Wallace DDS

Complete Dental Care

103 South Colorado Street

Salem, Virginia, 24153

540-387-3844

Great Smiles

The alignment of teeth provokes assumptions regarding success, popularity, intelligence and general health, a recent perception study conducted by market research consultancy Kelton has found. The study was ordered by Align Technology, manufacturer of Invisalign, a proprietary method for treating malocclusion, or misaligned teeth.
From hair and skin to clothes and shoes, one's appearance is the basis for snap judgments, whether being interviewed for a job or just looking to make a good first impression.

According to the Kelton study, for Americans, teeth are a standout feature when it comes to what they notice and recall when first meeting someone. About two-thirds of Americans are more likely to remember attractive features than those they find to be unpleasant.

The online perception study contrasted images of men and women with straight and crooked teeth. The survey was completed by a representative sample of 1,047 Americans. In the study, respondents were shown images of people with varying smiles and teeth and asked to give their honest opinion about them. The respondents were unaware that they were comparing people with straight teeth to people with crooked teeth. Results of the study indicated that Americans perceive people with straight teeth as possessing more desirable qualities than those with crooked teeth, including attributes such as being happy, surrounded by loved ones and successful professionally.

The findings of the perception study confirmed the effect that crooked teeth can have on one's social life and how they are perceived by others. Nearly one-third (29 percent) of the respondents said that his or her teeth is the first characteristic of someone's face they typically notice, and 24 percent said that this is also the facial feature that they remember the most after meeting someone.

When looking at the images, the respondents perceived those with straight teeth as 45 percent more likely to get a job than those with crooked teeth when competing with someone with a similar skill set and experience. People with straight teeth were also seen as 58 percent more likely to be successful, as well as 58 percent more likely to be wealthy.

According to the study, when it comes to attracting a possible partner on a dating site, those with straight teeth are seen as 57 percent more likely to get a date based on their picture alone. Nearly two in five would consider not going on a second date with someone with misaligned teeth.

Furthermore, people with straight teeth were 21 percent more likely to be seen as happy, 47 percent more likely to be viewed as being healthy and 38 percent more likely to be perceived as smart. Nearly three in four (73 percent) Americans would be more likely to trust someone with a nice smile than someone with a good job, outfit or car, the study found.

A nice smile seems to be of great importance to many Americans. Close to three in five (57 percent) of the respondents stated they would rather have a nice smile than clear skin. Eighty-seven percent of the respondents would even forego something for a year in order to have a nice smile for the rest of their life, such as giving up dessert (39 percent) or vacations (37 percent).

Dr. Caroline Wallace DDS
Complete Dental Care
103 South Colorado Street
Salem, Virginia, 24153
540-387-3844

Vitamin B-12 can be good for your Dental Health

Vitamin B 12 and Folate Prevent Aphthous Ulcers

Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (RAS) is a widespread, common oral mucousal lesion.  Incidence levels vary with reports as high s 50% in women and 40% in men.  The lesions are small, oval in shape with necrotic tissue in the center and a red, inflamed border.  The lesions are painful, especially with eating and regular oral  hygiene.  RAS is more common in younger people than older people.  This difference might be explained by dietary intake of nutrients.  Younger people are less likely to eat healthy, well balanced meals than older people.

Researchers analyzed the dietary intake of 100 subjects who experienced at least three episodes of RAS in the past year.  Nine nutrients were identified for comparison:  vitamins, A, B6, B12, C, E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.  Those in the RAS group had higher levels of seven of the nine nutrients than the controls.  The two nutrients that were lower in this group were vitamin B12 and folate.  This correlates to 7% of the recommended daily intake level for vitamin B12 and 20% of the recommended level for folate.  Just how vitamin deficiencies affect RAS is unknown.

Thus, increasing dietary B12 and folate or adding nutritional supplements seems an easy way to prevent recurrent aphthous ulcers.

Dr. Caroline Wallace DDS

 Complete Dental Care

103 South Colorado Street 

Salem, Virginia, 24153

540-387-3844

Dentistry and Stem Cells-the Future?

Research has shown that teeth are a source of high quality stem cells that may be used for the treatment of medical and dental disease.  The discovery that odontogenic tissues are a source of adult stem cells has opened up a new role for dentists in the field of medicine.  Dentists are positioned to become one of the key providers of stem cells and as a result, their linkage with the medical field will become very intimate.

Dental stem cells have the potential to be used in the treatment of a full range of oral pathoses.  Dentists can be involved in the extraction, collection and storage of stem cells from their patients’ teeth.  Ongoing research suggests that these stem cells will soon be used for dental purposes such as to replace lost bone around teeth, periodontal disease and someday even produce new teeth, as well as for medical applications.   

Dr. Caroline Wallace DDS

 Complete Dental Care

103 South Colorado Street

Salem, Virginia, 24153

540-387-3844