Dentistry News and Research

Latest Dentistry News and Research

Sheep gene research sheds light on human condition - ectodermal dysplasia

Sheep gene research at the University of Adelaide's Roseworthy Campus aimed at helping maximise wool production for Australian producers, has shed light on a human genetic hair and skin disorder.

4 Apr 2007

Impact of secondhand smoke on periodontitis

A study published in this month's issue of the Journal of Periodontology found that subjects with periodontitis who were exposed to secondhand smoke were more likely to develop bone loss, the number one cause of tooth loss.

4 Apr 2007

Researchers document rare case of hepatitis B virus transmission

Researchers have documented a case of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission between two patients at a dentist's office in the United States.

4 Apr 2007

Dingell introduces bill that would expand dental coverage for children enrolled in Medicaid, SCHIP

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) last week introduced a bill (HR 1781) that would help improve the delivery of dental services to low-income children enrolled in Medicaid and SCHIP, CQ HealthBeat reports.

3 Apr 2007

Antisocial behaviour in boys leads to poor health in men

A study of over 500 men born in the early 70s in Dunedin reveals that the costs associated with antisocial behaviour may be much higher than previously thought. The research led by scientists from the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre based at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London is published in Archives of General Psychiatry.

3 Apr 2007

New type of chemistry promises less expensive drugs

With a newly discovered method of assembling organic molecules, a team of Princeton University chemists may have found a way to sidestep many of the expensive and hazardous barriers that stand in the way of drug development.

3 Apr 2007

Information technology boosts mammography screening rates

Findings of a new Mayo Clinic study published in Archives of Internal Medicine show that a computerized mail and phone reminder program can significantly increase the percentage of patients receiving preventive health services and improve the value of health care.

2 Apr 2007

Maternal beef consumption associated with lower sperm concentration

New research has shown that women who ate a lot of beef while pregnant had sons who were more likely to suffer from poor sperm quality as adults, and it suggests that the growth promoters used in cattle may play a role in these men's reduced fertility.

2 Apr 2007

Monthly premiums for low-cost health plans in Massachusetts fell by 8% in second round of bidding

Monthly premiums for the four lowest-cost health plans submitted to the Massachusetts Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority decreased by an average of 8% in the second round of bidding, the Boston Globe reports.

2 Apr 2007

Counseling by student-dentists helps patients quit smoking

Students in most dental schools are taught to refer tobacco-using patients they encounter in their clinical training to call a "quit line."

27 Mar 2007

Study describes how estradiol helps to maintain bone density

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have described a novel pathway by which estradiol, the primary estrogen in humans, aids in maintaining bone density, a function critical to avoiding osteoporosis.

25 Mar 2007

AACR's Sixth Annual Landon Awards recognize Richard Kolodner, Douglas Lowy and John Schiller

Scientists whose discoveries have led to fundamental advances in the science and treatment of cancer are the recipients of two prestigious international prizes offered by the Kirk A. and Dorothy P. Landon Foundation and the American Association for Cancer Research.

22 Mar 2007

Osteoporosis: sensitivity and specificity of dental radiographs

Researchers in the Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam have created a unique way of identifying patients at risk of osteoporosis by using ordinary dental x-rays. Professor Paul F. van der Stelt and his team developed the largely automated approach to detecting the disease during a three-year, EU-funded collaboration with the Universities of Manchester, Athens, Leuven, and Malmo.

22 Mar 2007

For healthier patients, create happier doctors

Rochester doctors are putting to the test the idea that less stressed, more fulfilled physicians offer improved care to their patients.

6 Mar 2007

Ink-jet printing of bone

A modified ink-jet printer can be used to directly print layer upon layer of artificial bone for quick-fix grafts used in reconstructive surgery.

4 Mar 2007

Treatment for gum disease could also help the heart

Scientists at University College London (UCL) have conducted the first clinical trial to demonstrate that an intensive treatment for periodontitis (gum disease) directly improves the health of blood vessels.

4 Mar 2007

Sugar substitute Xylitol reduces risk of cavities

The sugar substitute xylitol affects the bacterial composition of the oral cavity even in low doses. On the other hand, a relatively high intake is needed to counteract the production of acid between the teeth, according to Pernilla Lif Holgerson in the dissertation she will defend at Umea University in Sweden on February 23.

15 Feb 2007

People from lower socioeconomic backgrounds worse off following heart attack

People from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who suffer a heart attack come to the emergency department more often, are less likely to be treated aggressively and have higher mortality rates a year after the attack, says new University of Alberta research that has important implications for access to cardiac care.

13 Feb 2007

Some doctors do not tell patients about treatments they oppose

Some physicians do not tell patients about treatments -- such as contraception, abortion or sedation for dying patients -- that they are morally opposed to, according to a study published in the Feb. 8 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, the Washington Post reports.

13 Feb 2007

New approach to nerve repair with novel silk-based products

A new company, Neurotex Ltd, has been established to develop novel silk-based products that have the potential to provide a new generation of nerve repair materials and treatments.

12 Feb 2007