Medicine & Healthcare Dentistry

The COVID-19 pandemic has made us more aware of the aerosols that hang around in the air and spread certain infectious diseases. Common dental procedures can be potentially hazardous in this regard. Therefore, it is crucial for researchers to be able to measure how aerosols spread so they can reduce them. A recent study harnessed a high-sensitivity camera and a high intensity LED light source, along with a mannequin and dental air turbine, to measure the spread of aerosols and the effectiveness of various means to reduce them.

Tohoku University researchers have discovered that softer gums hinder the development of gingiva fibroblasts – the cells that help produce the fibers that hold our teeth in place.

New research found that periodontitis, a common gum infection known to worsen other systemic diseases, could also be linked to atrial fibrosis — potentially clarifying its previously unknown connection with atrial fibrillation.

Tohoku University scientists in Japan have made a scaffold that supports the growth of new bone in large jaw defects in mice. Their findings, published in the journal PNAS Nexus, bring scientists one step closer to addressing the issues currently facing the treatment of large jaw bone defects, especially in the elderly.

Researchers led by Osaka University shed light on a metabolic network integrated by an oral microbe Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum). Analysis of co-cultures of F. nucleatum with other commensal oral bacteria revealed that metabolic cross-feeding enables F. nucleatum to increase the production of the polyamines putrescine and cadaverine, thereby promoting the development of periodontitis. The nutritional interactions of F. nucleatum may serve as potential targets for the development of new methods to prevent periodontal disease.

Researchers have shown that postpartum depression can inhibit a mother’s ability to instill healthy tooth brushing habits in children. The study demonstrates the need to foster greater mental support and management for mothers and incorporate these factors when assessing children’s oral health.

A study showed braces that give our smiles a makeover could also transform oral microflora to a pre-gum disease state. Now scientists plan to use their findings to prevent this from happening.

Dentists could soon be using a ready-to-use formulation containing an antibiotic and natural healing oils to treat periodontitis patients. The treatment, called PeriodoxTM, was developed by researchers who are members of IIUM Biofilm Interest Research Group (BIG) at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

Researchers have designed a safer, faster and cheaper cell-based regenerative therapy approach for the treatment of one of the most common human dental diseases, namely periodontitis.

Researchers have found a way to remove plaque from dental implants to improve oral hygiene.