Dentistry News and Research

Latest Dentistry News and Research

Dentists should measure the blood pressure of every patient

University of Michigan dentistry student Sara Kellogg believes dentists could save lives simply by taking a few minutes to measure the blood pressure of every patient.

13 Sep 2004

Inhaled nitrite spray may help babies diagnosed with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn

Scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center and the Loma Linda University School of Medicine have found that use of an inhaled nitrite spray may help babies diagnosed with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).

13 Sep 2004

New genetic test can predict cleft lip or palate

Researchers have developed a new genetic test that can help predict whether parents who have one child with the "isolated" form of cleft lip or palate are likely to have a second child with the same birth defect. Isolated clefts account for 70 percent of all cleft lip and palate cases.

10 Sep 2004

Herbals, surgery and anesthesia don't always mix

The woman who swears by gingko biloba wonders why her mouth won't stop bleeding after wisdom tooth surgery. What she doesn't know is that the herbal remedy she takes religiously to enhance mental alertness also acts as a powerful blood thinner that inhibits clotting.

10 Sep 2004

NHS Direct Online web site too confusing for most

Many diabetes sufferers cannot understand the health advice they are given on the NHS Direct Online website and many other internet pages, a new study concludes.

8 Sep 2004

Scientists crack tooth decay

About half of today’s children have tooth decay, so a new solution that blocks the action of bacteria which attack teeth could bring significant benefits, according to scientists speaking Monday at the Society for General Microbiology’s 155th Meeting at Trinity College Dublin.

7 Sep 2004

Nicotine patches and gum less effective for women than men

Research at Texas A&M University reveals that one of the most widely used forms of treatment - nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), or nicotine chewing gum and 'the patch' - may be less effective for women than men.

5 Sep 2004

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced the Medicare premium amounts

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced the Medicare premium, deductible and coinsurance amounts to be paid by Medicare beneficiaries in 2005.

4 Sep 2004

Smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol have taken a substantial toll on the American wallet

When these cardiovascular risk factors led to a fatal heart attack or stroke in people who had not had a previous heart attack or stroke, it cost more than $13 billion in hospitalization and lost wages annually.

2 Sep 2004

New sedation procedure which could allow patients to avoid potentially risky general anaesthetics

Dental experts have developed a new sedation procedure which could relieve pressure on hospitals and allow patients to avoid potentially risky general anaesthetics.

1 Sep 2004

A trip to Mars might sound appealing, but it would be a one-way-trip

A space traveller’s dream of one day holidaying on Mars might sound appealing, but it would be a one-way-trip according to Australian researchers at the University of Queensland.

23 Aug 2004

Study finds no link between dental amalgam fillings containing mercury and disease

A new study into whether dental amalgam fillings containing mercury are hazardous to health has found little evidence of an association between amalgam and disease.

23 Aug 2004

Nicotine replacement therapy shown to help teenagers and women

In the first study, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that the nicotine patch seems to work as well, at least initially, for teens as it does for adults. In addition, the patch, the top delivery form of NRT (followed by gum, an inhaler and a nasal spray) worked equally well with or without supplementation by an anti-depressant given to the teens.

21 Aug 2004

Gene variant that is a major contributor to cleft lip

An international team of researchers has identified a gene variant that is a major contributor to oral clefts and triples the risk of recurrence in affected families, it was reported today in The New England Journal of Medicine.

18 Aug 2004

British patients will find new pharmacies easier to get to

British patients will find new pharmacies easier to get to, open longer and offering a wider range of services locally following new rules to control the location of pharmacies Health Minister Rosie Winterton announced today.

18 Aug 2004

Why more than 70 per cent of child poisoning cases involve medications

"Although deaths are now rare, poisoning still remains a prime cause of hospitalisation in children under five," Professor Ozanne-Smith said. "Also, the rate of poisoning in this age group is increasing in Victoria, and we need to find out why."

17 Aug 2004

Smoking may be on the rise again

The statistics are alarming: About one in five high school seniors smoke cigarettes daily. Yet nearly half a million Americans die prematurely from tobacco-related disease and smoking is projected to in some way kill one third of all smokers.

15 Aug 2004

Sugar Association questions claim that breast cancer is connected to sucrose consumption

In response to a recent study published in the journal "Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention," the Sugar Association is questioning the study's claim that breast cancer is connected to sucrose consumption.

11 Aug 2004

New drive to recruit more NHS staff from underprivileged backgrounds

Research shows that 74% of the medical school population come from the highest three social classes, although just 38% of the working age population is from this background. Asian ethnic groups are under-represented in applicants to nursing courses, and there is evidence that black and ethnic minority applicants have difficulty in securing course places.

10 Aug 2004

New pill-size camera travels beyond other scope procedures to reveal gastrointestinal disorders in small intestines that often go unseen

If it doesn't sound like your typical disposable camera, that's because it's not. And while this new camera is not designed to snap shots during vacations or at other special occasions, patients are finding that the latest in high-tech, digital photography is very easy to swallow.

9 Aug 2004