Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 6/27/12.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Metformin may lower cancer risk in people with type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 6/25/12 - "the odds of getting any type of cancer was 0.62 times less -- an estimated 38 percent relative risk reduction -- with daily continuous use of metformin than for those with no exposure to metformin ... This risk reduction with metformin use extended to certain types of cancers, specifically colon and breast cancer ... Metformin, which is the standard recommended initial treatment of Type 2 diabetes, may protect against cancer because it regulates activity of an enzyme that suppresses cell growth" - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.

Hormone, oxytocin, shows potential as weight-loss treatment - Science Daily, 6/25/12 - "In an obese animal model, the investigators found that daily injections of oxytocin reduced the amount of food the animals consumed, as well as decreased their body weight during, and for nine days after, treatment ... Similar results were observed with oxytocin administered by implanted mini pumps. This drug-delivery method also reduced fat in the liver, improved glucose tolerance, and decreased abdominal fat, which is a major risk factor for heart and blood-vessel, or cardiovascular disease. Additionally, the mini pumps decreased the size of fat-storage cells, or adipocytes, but did not adversely affect blood pressure or activity levels" - See Oxytocin 6x5iu tablets at International Antiaging Systems or Oxytocin Factor.

Testosterone-replacement therapy improves symptoms of metabolic syndrome - Science Daily, 6/25/12 - "investigators found that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome dropped from 56 to 30 percent after 57 months of treatment with testosterone-replacement medication to regulate hormone levels. In addition, triglycerides, and levels of blood sugar and pressure significantly decreased, while the average waist circumference shrank by 11 centimeters ...Patients received 1,000 milligrams of a long-acting testosterone drug, called undecanoate, on the first day of the study, at week six, and then every three months"

Treating vitamin D deficiency may improve depression - Science Daily, 6/25/12 - "Women with moderate to severe depression had substantial improvement in their symptoms of depression after they received treatment for their vitamin D deficiency ... Vitamin D may have an as-yet-unproven effect on mood, and its deficiency may exacerbate depression ... Pathak presented the research findings in three women, who ranged in age from 42 to 66. All had previously diagnosed major depressive disorder, also called clinical depression, and were receiving antidepressant therapy ... After treatment, all three women reported significant improvement in their depression, as found using the Beck Depression Inventory" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Common diabetes drugs associated with increased risk of death - Science Daily, 6/25/12 - "The drugs, glipizide, glyburide, and glimepiride ... We have clearly demonstrated that metformin is associated with a substantial reduction in mortality risk, and, thus, should be the preferred first-line agent, if one has a choice between metformin and a sulfonylurea ... Investigators found that all three sulfonylureas studied were associated with a more than 50 percent greater risk of death compared to metformin"

Vitamin D May Help Breast Cancer Survivors Stay on Track - Medscape, 6/25/12 - "women taking 30,000 IU of oral vitamin D3 weekly on starting letrozole therapy achieved significant benefits in terms of fatigue, joint pain, and disability from joint pain ... Aromatase inhibitors are one of the most important endocrine treatments for breast cancer, but the problem is that about half of the women have severe musculoskeletal pain from these agents, and 18% to 30% report fatigue, [resulting in] a discontinuation rate of about 10% each year ... pain relievers are the only available treatment option ... Using the Simple Descriptive Pain Intensity scale for analysis, only 37% of women receiving vitamin D3 supplementation reported a musculoskeletal event (joint pain, disability from joint pain, or resulting discontinuation of letrozole) at 6 months compared with 51% of those in the placebo group ... In addition, significantly fewer patients receiving vitamin D3 supplementation reported adverse quality of life events, including worsening of pain, disability, or fatigue (42% vs 72%; P < .001)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Low Vitamin D Linked to Weight Gain in Older Women - WebMD, 6/25/12 - "Of more than 4,600 women aged 65 and older, those with insufficient levels of vitamin D in their blood gained about two pounds more than those who had adequate levels of the vitamin during a five-year study ... Besides weight gain, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a host of diseases and conditions, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and some autoimmune disorders ... The Institute of Medicine recently raised the recommended daily intake to 600 IU for people aged 1-70 and to 800 IU for adults older than 70. Other groups set the bar even higher" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

The Week in Bone Health | Breaking news on natural vitamin K2 MK-7 - betterbones.com, 6/25/12 - "Noted vitamin K expert Dr. Cees Vermeer led the European study which found that natural vitamin K2 as MK-7 (MenaQ 7 ®) significantly increases the strength of both the spine and the hip in postmenopausal women" - See vitamin K at Amazon.com.

Mild thyroid dysfunction in early pregnancy linked to serious complications - Science Daily, 6/23/12 - "In this study, investigators found that even mild thyroid dysfunction that did not meet the criteria for hypothyroidism greatly increased the risk of serious problems. Compared to pregnant women with normal thyroid function, the risk was: ... doubled for miscarriage (≤20 weeks of pregnancy), premature labor, and low birth weight ... seven times greater for still birth"

Long-term testosterone treatment for men results in reduced weight and waist size - Science Daily, 6/23/12 - "The substantial weight loss found in our study -- an average of 36 pounds -- was a surprise ... On average, the men weighed 236 pounds before beginning testosterone treatment and 200 pounds after treatment ... Weight loss was reportedly continuous, with an average reduction in body weight ranging from about 4 percent after one year of treatment to more than 13 percent after five years ... In addition, men lost an average of nearly 3.5 inches (8.8 centimeters) around their waist" - Note:  My testosterone has been about 10% above the high range number for years just by taking a quarter tablet of letrozole every two or three days.  Testosterone replacement increases estrogen as much as it increases testosterone (percentage wise).  See aromatization and also letrozole and aromatization.  See letrozole at OffshoreRx1.com.

'Trust' hormone oxytocin found at heart of rare genetic disorder - Science Daily, 6/23/12 - "those with WS had three times as much of the hormone as those without the syndrome ... Those test results suggest that increased levels of oxytocin are linked to both increased desire to seek social interaction and decreased ability to process social cues, a double-edged message that may be very useful at times, for example, during courtship, but damaging at others, as in WS"

Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis May Benefit From Vitamin D - Medscape, 6/22/12 - "Significant protective factors were hemoglobin levels above 12 g/dL and the treatment with oral active vitamin D ... patients receiving oral active vitamin D had significantly better outcomes in terms of avoiding peritonitis over time compared with patients who were not taking it ... oral active vitamin D reduced the risk of developing peritonitis by 57% ... oral active vitamin D was associated with a 54% decreased risk for all-cause death ... The biggest problem in studying the effects of vitamin D, he said, is that it is "too cheap...so there is no company interested in this kind of study. But this should be stimulated by authorities, I think. It's a cheap drug, and probably it is a very valuable one."" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

New evidence in fructose debate: Could it be healthy for us? - Science Daily, 6/21/12 - "fructose may not be as bad for us as previously thought and that it may even provide some benefit ... this research suggests that the problem is likely one of overconsumption, not fructose ... The study reviewed 18 trials with 209 participants who had Type 1 and 2 diabetes and found fructose significantly improved their blood sugar control. The improvement was equivalent to what can be achieved with an oral antidiabetic drug ... We're seeing that there may be benefit if fructose wasn't being consumed in such large amounts ... All negative attention on fructose-related harm draws further away from the issue of eating too many calories" - [Abstract]

Apple peel compound boosts brown fat, reduces obesity in mice - Science Daily, 6/20/12 - "The findings suggest that the substance known as ursolic acid reduces obesity and its associated health problems by increasing the amount of muscle and brown fat, two tissues recognized for their calorie-burning properties ... In this study, we tested ursolic acid in mice on a high-fat diet -- a mouse model of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Once again, ursolic acid increased skeletal muscle. Interestingly, it also reduced obesity, pre-diabetes and fatty liver disease ... Since muscle is very good at burning calories, the increased muscle in ursolic acid-treated mice may be sufficient to explain how ursolic acid reduces obesity. However, we were surprised to find that ursolic acid also increased brown fat, a fantastic calorie burner. This increase in brown fat may also help protect against obesity" - See ursolic acid at Amazon.com.

Omega-3 lowers inflammation in overweight older adults - Science Daily, 6/21/12 - "Chronic inflammation is linked to numerous conditions, including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease, as well as the frailty and functional decline that can accompany aging ... Participants received either a placebo or one of two different doses of omega-3 fatty acids -- either 2.5 grams or 1.25 grams per day ... After four months, participants who had taken the omega-3 supplements had significantly lower levels in their blood of two proteins that are markers of inflammation, also called pro-inflammatory cytokines. The low-dose group showed an average 10 percent decrease in the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the high-dose group's overall IL-6 dropped by 12 percent. In comparison, those taking a placebo saw an overall 36 percent increase in IL-6 by the end of the study ... The current typical American diet contains between 15 and 17 times more omega-6 than omega-3, a ratio that researchers suggest should be lowered to 4-to-1, or even 2-to-1, to improve overall health" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Low Vitamin D in Diet Linked to Increased Stroke - Medscape, 6/20/12 - "Study participants included 7385 Japanese-American men who enrolled in the Honolulu Heart Program, a long-running, prospective, population-based observational study, between 1965 and 1968. They were 45 and 68 years old at the baseline examination and were followed through 1999 for stroke ... Age-adjusted rates of stroke were significantly higher in the lowest dietary vitamin D quartile (0 - 1.12 µg/day) compared with the highest quartile (4.13 - 211.60 µg/day)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Resveratrol may be natural exercise performance enhancer - Science Daily, 6/19/12 - "high doses of the natural compound resveratrol improved physical performance, heart function and muscle strength in lab models ... resveratrol showed results similar to what you would see from extensive endurance exercise training ... I think resveratrol could help patient populations who want to exercise but are physically incapable. Resveratrol could mimic exercise for them or improve the benefits of the modest amount of exercise that they can do" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Low Vitamin B6 Linked to Inflammation - WebMD, 6/19/12 - "people with the lowest levels of vitamin B6 in their blood had the highest levels of chronic inflammation, based on a wide variety of indicators. Those with the most vitamin B6 circulating in the bloodstream were also the least likely to have indicators of inflammation ... chronic inflammation is an emerging risk factor for a wide range of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes" - See vitamin B6 at Amazon.com.

Too much salt may damage blood vessels and lead to high blood pressure - Science Daily, 6/18/12 - "Higher sodium intake was associated with increasing levels of uric acid and albumin over time. The higher the levels of these markers, the greater the risk of developing hypertension if dietary salt intake was high, researchers found. Compared with participants eating the least amount of sodium (about 2,200 milligrams a day), those eating the most (about 6,200 mg/d) were 21 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure. However, those who had high uric acid levels and ate the most salt were 32 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure while those with high urine albumin levels and highest salt intake were 86 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure ... A high-salt diet is believed to be responsible for 20 percent to 40 percent of all cases of high blood pressure in the United States"

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

Subclinical Hypothyroidism Is Associated With Increased Risk for All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in Adults - J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012 Jun 7 - "subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) ... SCH may increase the risks of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis ... Euthyroidism was defined as a serum TSH level of 0.47 to 4.9 mIU/l ... Compared with subjects with euthyroidism, after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, alcohol consumption, betel nut chewing, physical activity, income, and education level, the RRs (95% confidence interval) of deaths from all-cause and CVD among subjects with SCH were 1.30 (1.02 to 1.66), and 1.68 (1.02 to 2.76), respectively"

Glycemic load, glycemic index and risk of cardiovascular diseases: Meta-analyses of prospective studies - Atherosclerosis. 2012 Jun 6 - "Fourteen studies were identified, involving 229,213 participants and more than 11,363 cases. The pooled RRs of CVDs risk for the highest vs lowest categories of GL and GI were 1.23 (95% CI: 1.11-1.36) and 1.13 (95% CI: 1.04-1.22) respectively. Both the risk estimates of GL and GI for women (GL: RR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.18-1.55; GI: RR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.06-1.34) were higher than men (GL: RR = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.95-1.28; GI: RR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.94-1.17) ... High GL and GI were associated with significant increased risk of CVDs, specifically for women"

Diindolilmethane (DIM) selectively inhibits cancer stem cells - Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012 Jun 19 - "Epidemiologic studies repeatedly have shown chemopreventive effects of cruciferous vegetables. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and its metabolite diindolylmethane (DIM) were identified in these plants as active ingredients and theirs anti-tumor activities were confirmed in multiple in vitro and in vivo experiments. Here, we demonstrate that DIM is a selective and potent inhibitor of cancer stem cells (CSCs). In several cancer cell lines, DIM inhibited tumor sphere formation at the concentrations 30-300 times lower than concentrations required for growth inhibition of parental cells cultured as adherent culture. We also found that treatment with DIM overcomes chemoresistance of CSCs to cytotoxics, such as paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and SN-38 ... DIM can potentially be used in cancer patients, either alone, or in combinations with existing drugs" - See diindolylmethane at Amazon.com.

Fructose consumption leads to reduced aerobic capacity and to liver injury in rats - Lipids Health Dis. 2012 Jun 19;11(1):78 - "We separated twenty-eight rats into two groups according to diet: a control group (C) (balanced diet) and a fructose group (F) (fed a diet containing fructose as 60% of the total caloric intake) ... The animals fed a fructose-rich diet exhibited a reduction in aerobic capacity, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and increased concentrations of triglycerides and TBARS in the liver. Catalase and SOD activities were reduced in the livers of the fructose-fed animals. In addition, the serum AST/ALT ratio was higher than that of the C group, which indicates hepatic damage, and the damage was confirmed by histology. In conclusion, the fructose-rich diet caused significant liver damage and a reduction in insulin sensitivity in the animals, which could lead to deleterious metabolic effects"

Can simvastatin improve erectile function and health-related quality of life in men aged ≥40 years with erectile dysfunction? Results of the Erectile Dysfunction and Statins Trial - BJU Int. 2012 Jun 11 - "Erectile dysfunction (ED) is often associated with endothelial dysfunction. It is also recognized as a marker for underlying vascular disease. There are missed opportunities to address cardiovascular risk factors in these men. Simvastatin administered for 6 months improves sexual health-related quality of life in men aged ≥40 years with untreated ED. It reduces the risk of future cardiovascular events via a reduction in serum cholesterol in men with ED. A non-significant trend towards improving erectile function suggests longer trials with a more potent statin may be required ... joint analysis of costs and QALY benefits suggests that there is high probability that simvastatin is a cost-effective strategy in men with ED"

Metformin for Treatment of Antipsychotic-Induced Amenorrhea and Weight Gain in Women With First-Episode Schizophrenia: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study - Am J Psychiatry. 2012 Jun 15 - "A total of 76 patients completed the 6-month trial. Significantly more patients in the metformin group (N=28, 66.7%) than in placebo group (N=2, 4.8%) resumed their menstruation. Among patients treated with metformin, BMI decreased by a mean of 0.93 and the insulin resistance index by 2.04. In contrast, patients who received placebo had a mean increase in BMI of 0.85. The prolactin, LH, and testosterone levels and LH/FSH ratio decreased significantly in the metformin group at months 2, 4, and 6, but these levels did not change in the placebo group ... Metformin was effective in reversing antipsychotic-induced adverse events, including restoration of menstruation, promotion of weight loss, and improvement in insulin resistance in female patients with schizophrenia" - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.

Health Focus (Periodontal Disease):

Related Topics:

• halitosis

Products:

• 1.1% sodium fluoride toothpaste at Amazon.com
• Spry xylitol gum at Amazon.com
• Braun Oral-B products

Alternative News:

• Dietary antioxidants and periodontal disease in community-based older Japanese: a 2-year follow-up study - Public Health Nutr. 2012 May 22:1-9 - "Intakes of dietary antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, α-carotene and β-carotene) were assessed with a validated FFQ ... A higher intake of dietary antioxidants was inversely associated with the number of teeth with periodontal disease progression, controlling for other variables. The multivariate-adjusted incidence rate ratios in the first, second and third tertiles were 1.00, 0.76 (95 % CI 0.60, 0.97) and 0.72 (95 % CI 0.56, 0.93) for vitamin C; 1.00, 0.79 (95 % CI 0.62, 0.99) and 0.55 (95 % CI 0.42, 0.72), for vitamin E; and 1.00, 1.02 (95 % CI 0.81, 1.29) and 0.73 (95 % CI 0.56, 0.95) for β-carotene" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com and Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.
• High-Fiber Foods Reduce Periodontal Disease Progression in Men Aged 65 and Older: The Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study/Dental Longitudinal Study - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012 Feb 8 - "Dental and physical examinations were conducted every 3 to 5 years. Diet was assessed using food frequency questionnaires (FFQs). Mean follow-up was 15 years (range: 2-24 years) ... alveolar bone loss (ABL) ... In men aged 65 and older, each serving of good to excellent sources of total fiber was associated with lower risk of ABL progression (HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.60-0.95) and tooth loss (HR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.53-0.97). Of the different food groups, only fruits that were good to excellent sources of fiber were associated with lower risk of progression of ABL (HR = 0.86 per serving, 95% CI = 0.78-0.95), PPD (HR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.91-0.99), and tooth loss (HR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.78-0.99). No significant associations were seen in men younger than 65"
• My dentist recommended xylitol gum to prevent cavities.  Basically the bacteria eat it thinking it's sugar but end up starving from lack of calories.  The same theory supports using it to prevent halitosis.  Here's some research on:
  • 8 Ways to Get Rid of Bad Breath - WebMD - "While anything that makes you salivate will improve your breath, a gum that is sweetened with xylitol is your best option. Xylitol is a sugar substitute that not only increases salvation but also works to prevent bacteria from replicating in the mouth"
  • The science of xylitol: How it negatively impacts the bacteria that cause tooth decay.
  • Xlear Spry Peppermint Gum, 600-Count (Made with 100% xylitol) at Amazon.com
• Resveratrol may boost oral health: Cell study - Nutra USA, 10/26/11 - "If additional studies support the Hong Kong findings then oral health may also be added to the list of potential benefits of resveratrol ... Results showed that levels of both A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis were significantly decreased after 1 hour and that no viable bacterial cells were observed after 24 hours ... Resveratrol had no effect on the other non-periodontitis promoting oral microorganisms, said the researchers ... the researchers note that periodontal disease involves an inflammatory process, and that a recent study has suggested that resveratrol may block this process by preventing the binding of a pro-inflammatory compound called nuclear factor kappaB" - [Abstract] - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• More evidence vitamin D boosts immune response - Science Daily, 6/17/11 - "Laboratory-grown gingival cells treated with vitamin D boosted their production of an endogenous antibiotic, and killed more bacteria than untreated cells, according to a paper in the June 2011 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity. The research suggests that vitamin D can help protect the gums from bacterial infections that lead to gingivitis and periodontitis" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• n-3 Fatty Acids and Periodontitis in US Adults - J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Nov;110(11):1669-75 - "Compared with the lowest tertiles, the adjusted odds ratios for periodontitis associated with the highest tertiles of dietary n-3 intake were 0.78 (95% CI 0.61 to 1.00; P=0.009) for DHA, 0.85 (95% CI 0.67 to 1.08; P=0.10) for EPA, and 0.86 (95% CI 0.60 to 1.23; P=0.28) for LNA" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Consuming polyunsaturated fatty acids may lower the incidence of gum disease - Science Daily, 10/26/10 - "There was an approximately 20% reduction in periodontitis prevalence in those subjects who consumed the highest amount of dietary DHA. The reduction correlated with EPA was smaller, while the correlation to LNA was not statistically significant" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Human trial of liposomal lactoferrin supplementation for periodontal disease - Biol Pharm Bull. 2010;33(10):1758-62 - "The PD was significantly reduced by L-bLF supplementation, but the BOP and GCF volume were not significantly changed. The MCP-1 level in GCF was significantly reduced, while levels of other cytokines were not changed. Four-week L-bLF supplementation also showed significant decreases of LPS-induced cytokine production from PBMCs. Relative gene expressions of TLR2 and TLR4 did not change. These results suggest that L-bLF supplementation can be effective in the treatment of periodontal disease, although prospective controlled large-scale studies are required" - See lactoferrin products at iHerb.
• 'Jailbreak' bacteria can trigger heart disease - Science Daily, 9/5/10 - "Poor dental hygiene can lead to bleeding gums, providing bacteria with an escape route into the bloodstream, where they can initiate blood clots leading to heart disease"
• Oral bacteria may offer probiotic potential against upper respiratory infections - Science Daily, 6/18/10 - "So far, the benefits of probiotics have been predominantly explored in the intestinal tract, however, other initial studies suggest probiotics may contribute to wellness in the stomach, vaginal tract, skin and mouth ... A probiotic strategy effective in the prophylaxis of pharyngitis, therefore, could provide a significant social benefit"
• Brushing Teeth May Keep Away Heart Disease - WebMD, 5/27/10 - "people who admitted to brushing their teeth less frequently had a 70% extra risk of heart disease ... People who reported poor oral hygiene also tested positive for bloodstream inflammatory markers such as fibrinogen and C-reactive protein"
• Treatment of gum disease may lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 5/12/10 - "Current belief is that, when bacteria infect the mouth and cause inflammation, the resulting chemical changes reduce the effectiveness of insulin produced in the body, thus making it more difficult for diabetics to control their blood sugar"
• Green tea may boost oral health, reduce tooth loss - Nutra USA, 3/17/10 - "analysed data from 25,078 people aged between 40 to 64 years. By measuring tooth loss in people with up to 20 teeth still remaining, the researchers calculated that one to two cups of green tea per day was associated with an 18 per cent reduction in tooth loss risk. The same reduction was calculted for three to four cups per day, while five or more cups was associated with a 23 per cent reduction in risk ... The researchers noted that the a certain level of tea was required to produce the effect" - [Abstract] - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Association between green tea consumption and tooth loss: Cross-sectional results from the Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study - Prev Med. 2010 Apr;50(4):173-179 - "Consumption of >/=1 cup/day of green tea was significantly associated with decreased odds for tooth loss, and the association appeared to fit a threshold model. In men, the multivariate-adjusted ORs for tooth loss with a cut-off point of <20 teeth associated with different frequencies of green tea consumption were 1.00 (reference) for <1 cup/day, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.74-0.91) for 1-2 cups/day, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.73-0.92) for 3-4 cups/day, and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.66-0.89) for >/=5 cups/day" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 may combat mouth bacteria, boost oral health - Nutra USA, 2/10/10 - "The study, sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health, found that all six compounds showed cent 50 per cent inhibitory activity for concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 micrograms per millilitre" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 may reduce risk of dental disease: Study - Nutra USA, 1/28/10 - "The average number of dental disease events was 1.5 times higher in people with low DHA levels, compared to those with the highest average levels of DHA" - [Abstract] - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Longitudinal relationship between dietary omega-3 fatty acids and periodontal disease - Nutrition. 2010 Jan 22 - "Low DHA intake was significantly associated with more periodontal disease events. The mean number of periodontal disease events for participants who consumed the lowest tertile of DHA was approximately 1.5 times larger (lowest tertile, incidence rate ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.21) than the reference group (highest tertile of DHA consumption), after simultaneously adjusting for possible confounders" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Probiotics may protect against gum disease: Yakult study - Nutra USA, 9/30/09 - "One group was required to drink 65 ml of Yakult daily, giving a daily probiotic dose of 100 billion bacteria per 100 ml. The other group was given no product to consume at all ... analysis of the fluid between the gum and the tooth (gingival crevicular fluid) showed that the probiotic was associated with reductions were in elastase activity, and enzyme linked to inflammation, and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), an enzyme that is responsible for the degradation of extracellular matrix components and known to have increased activity during inflammation" - [Abstract] - See probiotics at Amazon.com.
• The influence of a probiotic milk drink on the development of gingivitis: a pilot study - J Clin Periodontol. 2009 Oct;36(10):850-6 - "Interproximal PI and papillary bleeding were not different between the groups. In the test group, elastase activity and MMP-3 amount were significantly lower after the intake of the probiotic milk drink (p<0.001 and 0.016). There was a significant increase of MPO activity in the control group; both groups were different at the end of the study (p=0.014). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest a beneficial effect of the probiotic milk drink on gingival inflammation" - See probiotics at Amazon.com.
• Patients With Moderate To Severe Periodontitis Need Evaluation For Heart Disease Risk - Science Daily, 6/30/09 - "Periodontitis is common, with mild to moderate forms affecting 30 to 50% of adults and the severe generalized form affecting 5 to 15% of all adults in the USA. In addition, there is now strong evidence that people with periodontitis are at increased risk of atherosclerotic CVD — the accumulation of lipid products within the arterial vascular wall"
• Resolvins Have Potential To Resolve Periodontal Inflammation And Restore Tissue Health - Science Daily, 4/4/09 - "These results support the hypothesis that both EPA- and DHA-derived Resolvins have therapeutic potential in resolving periodontal inflammation and restoring the tissues' health" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Drink Green Tea For Healthy Teeth And Gums - Science Daily, 3/5/09 - "those who regularly drank green tea had superior periodontal health than subjects that consumed less green tea ... Green tea's ability to help reduce symptoms of periodontal disease may be due to the presence of the antioxidant catechin. Previous research has demonstrated antioxidants' ability to reduce inflammation in the body, and the indicators of periodontal disease measured in this study, PD, CAL and BOP, suggest the existence of an inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria in the mouth" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• UV Light-enhanced Tooth Bleaching Dangerous To Eyes and Skin, Study Shows - Science Daily, 1/29/09 - "The light treatment gives absolutely no benefit over bleaching without UV, and damages skin and eyes up to four times as much as sunbathing"
• Treating Gum Disease Linked To Lower Medical Costs For Patients With Diabetes - Science Daily, 12/23/08 - "treating gum disease in patients who have diabetes with procedures such as cleanings and periodontal scaling is linked to 10 to 12 percent lower medical costs per month"
• Grape seed extract may boost oral health: Study - Nutra USA, 11/26/08 - "The extracts showed a good antibacterial activity, as evidence by the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the test compound against the two strains" - See grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• Bleeding Gums Linked To Heart Disease - Science Daily, 9/10/08 - "People with poor dental hygiene and those who don't brush their teeth regularly end up with bleeding gums, which provide an entry to the bloodstream for up to 700 different types of bacteria found in our mouths. This increases the risk of having a heart attack"
• My dentist tells me that I have periodontal problems and he doesn't think I will be able to keep my teeth much longer. Is there anything that I can do? - Dr. Murray
• Mouthful of Mercury? - Dr. Weil, 8/25/08
• Want Healthy Gums? Hit The Dairy Aisle - Science Daily, 2/6/08 - "subjects that consumed 55 or more grams of products containing lactic acid each day had a significantly lower prevalence of deep PD and severe CAL, therefore demonstrating a lower instance of periodontal disease"
• Winemaking Waste Proves Effective Against Disease-causing Bacteria In Early Studies - Science Daily, 1/2/08 - "specific polyphenols, present in large amounts in fermented seeds and skins cast away after grapes are pressed, interfere with the ability of bacteria to contribute to tooth decay. Beyond cavities, the action of the wine grape-based chemicals may also hold clues for new ways to lessen the ability of bacteria to cause life-threatening, systemic infections" - See grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• Research shows benefits of cranberries -MSNBC, 11/20/06 - "A compound Howell discovered in cranberries, proanthocyanidine, prevents plaque formation on teeth" - See cranberry supplements at Amazon.com.
• Stress May Wreak Havoc on Your Mouth - WebMD, 8/13/07
• Diseased gums raise risk of pancreatic cancer - MSNBC, 11/13/06 - "that men with gum disease and recent tooth loss had a 2.7-fold increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared with those who reported neither gum disease nor tooth loss"

Other News:

• Joint failures potentially linked to oral bacteria - Science Daily, 4/18/12 - "The culprit behind a failed hip or knee replacements might be found in the mouth. DNA testing of bacteria from the fluid that lubricates hip and knee joints had bacteria with the same DNA as the plaque from patients with gum disease and in need of a joint replacement ... it might be the reason why aseptic loosening or prosthetic wear of the artificial joints fail within 10 years when no infection appears to be present ... For a long time, we've suspected that these bacteria were causing problems in arthritis patients, but never had the scientific evidence to support it"
• Study hints at why gums suffer with age - Science Daily, 4/17/12
• Poor Dental Health Linked to Dementia Onset - Medscape, 4/13/12 - "those who had few teeth and who did not use dentures or who did not visit a dentist regularly had a significantly higher risk for dementia onset than the participants who practiced better dental health practices ... Gum Disease a Likely Culprit ... The participants who had few teeth without dentures had a significantly higher risk of developing dementia than those who had 20 teeth or more (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.85 ... Not having a regular dentist was also a significant risk factor for dementia onset (HR, 1.44 ... One possibility is that periodontal disease...increases concentrations of circulating inflammatory markers [that] may be involved in the pathogenesis of dementia. A second possibility is that poor nutrition, including decreased intake of vitamins, may result from tooth loss and dementia onset"
• Studies Show No Advantage to Low-Fluoride Toothpaste - Medscape, 3/30/12 - "children tend to swallow a substantial amount of toothpaste when brushing ... those brushing with low-fluoride toothpastes had 13% more decayed, missing, or filled teeth than those brushing with standard toothpaste ... low-fluoride toothpaste did not significantly reduce the risk for aesthetically objectionable fluorosis in the upper anterior permanent teeth ... It would be reasonable to accept that using toothpaste with low fluoride should reduce the amount of fluorosis, but that's not what the studies show ... A high concentration of fluoride in toothpaste may be important because the fluoride comes into direct contact with teeth"
• Periodontal Treatment Cost Effective for Diabetics - Medscape, 3/27/12 - "Patients with diabetes who are treated for periodontal disease are less likely to see a physician and less likely to be hospitalized. Furthermore, they cost the healthcare system $1800 less per patient per year ... There was a 33% reduction in the number of hospitalizations with treatment; the mean number of hospitalizations was 5.9 in the treatment group and 9.0 in the control group ... There was a savings of $1814 (or 25%) with treatment; mean medical cost was $5522 in the treatment group and $7336 per year in the control group"
• Salivary Testing for Periodontal Disease - Medscape, 3/26/12 - "Salivary samples were sent to the laboratory for a DNA-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test (My Perio Path®; OralDNA Labs; Brentwood, Tennessee) to test for the presence of high-risk pathogens and a periodontal susceptibility test (PST®, OralDNA Labs, Brentwood, Tennessee) for the probability of more severe periodontal disease. The DNA bacteria test identifies the type and concentration of pathogenic bacteria that are known to cause periodontal disease. The PST detects variations in the genes for interleukin 1A and 1B that suggest a predisposition for overexpression of inflammation and risk for periodontal disease. These tests permit appropriate treatment of the patient's periodontal disease, without overtreating or undertreating, and take the level of risk for future disease and complications into consideration ... All of these pathogens are associated with periodontal disease. Aa leukotoxin kills white blood cells in a variety of ways, allowing pathogenic bacteria to survive the immune response and releasing compounds that are essential for bacteria survival and growth. Aa leukotoxin is involved in attachment loss in adolescents, indicating that it plays a role in the pathogenesis of aggressive periodontitis ... Specific home care instructions: Use a power toothbrush ... Use a water irrigator ... Use antibacterial tooth paste ... Use antibacterial mouth rinse ... Eat a balanced diet high in antioxidants ... Take high-quality nutritional supplementation ... Get adequate rest and exercise ... adjunct to treatment based on the patient's bacterial profile: amoxicillin 500 mg 3 times daily for 8 days and metronidazole 500 mg twice daily for 8 days beginning on the last day of periodontal therapy ... Taking into consideration the transmissible nature of Aa, the odds that his wife has a similar periodontal pathogen profile are substantial"
• Bottled water may boost kids' tooth decay, dentists say - MSNBC, 3/20/12 - "the practice of skipping tap water in favor of bottled water may be contributing to rising rates of tooth decay in young children ... You should brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste ... bottled water may not have a sufficient amount of fluoride, which is important for preventing tooth decay and promoting oral health" - See 1.1% sodium fluoride toothpaste at Amazon.com.
• In New Jersey, a Battle Over Fluoridation, and the Facts - New York Times, 3/2/12
• In the mouth, smoking zaps healthy bacteria - Science Daily, 2/15/12 - "They need a more aggressive form of treatment, because even after a professional cleaning, they're still at a very high risk for getting these pathogens back in their mouths right away"
• How bacteria fight fluoride in toothpaste and in nature - Science Daily, 12/22/11
• Oral bacteria enables breaking bond on blood vessels to allow invaders in - Science Daily, 12/15/11 - "The microbiologist at the dental school has studied the oral bacteria over the past decade and was the first to find direct evidence that linked it to preterm labor and fetal death. But its presence is found in other infections and abscesses in the brain, lungs, liver, spleen and joints ... These junctures are like a hook and loop connection, but for some unknown reason when F. nucleatum invades the body through breaks in the mucous membranes of the mouth, due to injuries or periodontal disease, this particular bacterium triggers a cascade of signals that causes the hook to recede back into the endothelial cell. The oral bacterium leads the way with any other harmful invaders following along ... This cascade knocks out the guard on duty and allows the bacteria to enter the blood and travel like a bus loaded with riders throughout the system. Whenever the F. nucleatum wants to get off the bus at the liver, brain, spleen, or another place, it does ... When it disembarks from its ride through the blood, it begins to colonize. The colony of bacteria induces an inflammatory reaction that has a range of consequences from necrosis of tissue to fetal death" - Note:  The point is that it shows all the problems that can be caused by bad oral health.
• Cleaning your teeth can cut heart attack risk - MSNBC, 11/14/11 - "According to data compiled by researchers in Taiwan, people who had their teeth professionally scraped and cleaned had a 24 percent lower risk of heart attack and 13 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those who never had a dental cleaning"
• Periodontal Disease and Decreased Kidney Function in Japanese Elderly - Am J Kidney Dis. 2011 Oct 14 - "periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) ... During the 2-year follow-up (2003-2005), 45 participants (14.2%) developed decreased kidney function. The highest PISA quartile was associated significantly with a greater cumulative incidence of decreased kidney function (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.05-4.79) than the referent group (the other 3 quartiles) after adjusting for covariates"
• Does Maternal Oral Health Predict Child Oral Health QOL? - Medscape, 9/27/11 - "oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) ... maternal self-rated oral health when a child is young has a bearing on that child's OHRQOL almost three decades later ... OHRQOL can be influenced by circumstances early in the life course means the when, and for whom, of preventive interventions must be carefully considered. As far as effective intervention is concerned, later may be simply too late. Intervention early in the life-course is essential. As for whom, those children whose mothers (and these days, fathers) rate their own oral health unfavourably must be considered to be at greater risk than most"
• Going Swimming? Guard Your Teeth - ABC News, 7/15/11 - "39 percent of competitive swimmers suffered from dental enamel erosion. In this recent paper, dentists from the New York University College of Dentistry analyzed the case of a 52-year-old man who complained of sensitive teeth, dark tooth staining, and enamel loss that came on quickly and had lasted for just five months. The only logical explanation for these sudden changes the researchers could pinpoint was his newly adopted, 90-minutes-per-day swimming routine ... Damage to tooth enamel occurs when the pH balance of swimming pool water drops too low, or becomes too acidic"
• Gum disease can increase the time it takes to become pregnant - Science Daily, 7/5/11 - "women with gum disease took an average of just over seven months to become pregnant -- two months longer than the average of five months that it took women without gum disease to conceive ... Prof Hart said that the reason why pregnancies in non-Caucasian women were more affected by gum disease could be because these women appeared to have a higher level of inflammatory response to the condition"
• Diet and halitosis - Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2011 Jun 13 - "Transient-altered breath smell usually reflects the effects of foodstuffs, whereas longstanding halitosis is almost always because of oral disease such as gingivitis or periodontitis. There is, however, increasing evidence that upper gastrointestinal tract disease may give rise to halitosis and that extracts of foodstuffs may be future therapeutic agents for the treatment of halitosis derived from the mouth or upper gastrointestinal tract" - Note:  The point being that mouth wash isn't going to cure gingivitis or periodontal disease so you're probably wasting your money.  I've never had any luck with flossing plus who has that much time?  Halitosis is one of my pet peeves.  I was at Home Depot the other day and someone was shopping in an area that I was looking for something and it was so bad I had to go somewhere else until he moved on.  Same thing for some in my west coast swing class.  I can't understand why people ignore something that offensive.  Here's my suggestion along with frequent dental cleaning by a dental hygienist:
  • Periogard - Needs a prescription but is usually available at you dentist for around $10.
  • Sunstar Butler Proxabrush GUM Eez-Lok Handle
  • Sunstar Butler GUM Proxabrush Refill Ultra Wide (614) - use this wide brush for the back teeth
  • Butler 612 Soft Picks or Butler Ultra-Fine - use these narrower brushes for the front teeth
  • Put a few tablespoons of Periogard into a small glass.  Soak the brush in it and run it between your teeth.
• Mouth Rinse Effective in Reducing Risk for Preterm Birth - Medscape, 3/18/11 - "An over-the-counter mouthwash reduced the risk for preterm birth by more than two thirds in women with periodontal disease ... Only 6.1% of the women using the rinse experienced preterm births, which the researchers defined as birth at less than 35 weeks. In comparison, 21.9% of the untreated group experienced preterm births" - Note: It makes you wonder if the bacteria in your mouth my me just as harmful with increasing diabetes and heart disease.
• Potentially pathogenic microbes growing on at least half of all orthodontic retainers, study suggests - Science Daily, 3/15/11 - "Our mouths are full of different types of bacteria, some of which promote oral health. However, the researchers were looking for microbes which are not normally found in the oral cavity. They were particularly interested in two species of microbes; Candida, a type of yeast, and Staphylococcus including MRSA. Dr Pratten and his team found that species of these microorganisms were present on 66.7% and 50% of retainers respectively regardless of the retainer type. These microbes were also present on the interior cheeks and tongue of retainer wearers ... Candida and Staphylococcus rarely cause problems in healthy individuals but are potentially highly problematic in people with a compromised immune system. The bacteria on the retainers live in biofilms, which are communities of bacteria living together covered in a layer of slime. Once these biofilms form they are very difficult to remove and often have high levels of resistance to antimicrobials"
• Message to postmenopausal women: 'Increase yearly dental checkups,' researcher urges - Science Daily, 3/10/11 - "Two annual dental checkups aren't enough ... Twenty-eight postmenopausal women with normal bones were compared with 28 women on bisphosphonate therapies for at least two years or more ... Both groups of women had followed the recommended American Dental Association oral health standards to brush twice daily, floss and have at least two dental checkups a year ... The findings for bone strength and other markers for osteoporosis were similar for both groups. But the researchers found both groups had increased dental plaque levels, which could endanger the jawbone of normal postmenopausal women and reverse any benefits gained in bone mass"
• Denture wearers warned about risk of excess zinc consumption - Science Daily, 3/4/11 - "Denture wearers are advised to pay special attention to the amount of zinc they consume ...A single tube should last three to 10 weeks with daily use, although actual usage depends on the number of applications per day ... Over time, toxic levels of zinc could cause a copper deficiency, which has been linked to neurological damage"
• Mouth Rinse Reduces Preterm Birth in Women With Periodontal Disease - Science Daily, 2/16/11 - "the incidence of preterm birth at less than 35 weeks was 6.1% in the rinse group and 21.9% in the control group (P = .01). In the intent-to-treat analysis, the relative risk for preterm birth was 0.26 in the rinse group. The mean gestational age in the rinse group was significantly higher than in the control group (38.4 vs 36.8 weeks; P < .011). The analysis also showed that the mean birth weight in the rinse group was significantly higher than in the control group (3087 vs 2633 g; P < .001)"
• Healthy gums, healthy lungs: Maintaining healthy teeth and gums may reduce risk for pneumonia, chronic obstructive pumonary disease - Science Daily, 1/18/11 - "patients with respiratory diseases had worse periodontal health than the control group, suggesting a relationship between respiratory disease and periodontal disease. Researchers suspect that the presence of oral pathogens associated with periodontal disease may increase a patient's risk of developing or exacerbating respiratory disease"
• Association Between Periodontitis and Impaired Fasting Glucose and Diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2011 Jan 7 - "clinical attachment loss (CAL) ... Participants in the top quintile category of CAL had higher prevalence odds of IFG (odds ratio [OR] 1.55 [95% CI 1.16-2.07]) and diabetes (4.77 [2.69-8.46]) after adjustment for related confounders, compared with those in the bottom quintile. The highest quintile of pocket depth was positively associated with IFG (1.39 [1.00-1.92]) and diabetes (1.63 [1.10-2.42]) compared with the lowest quintile. ORs for CAL increased from the lowest to the highest quintile (P value test for trend <0.01) for all outcomes. The ORs for pocket depth also tended to rise across quintiles. CONCLUSIONS Chronic periodontitis measured by CAL and pocket depth was positively associated in a linear relation with IFG and diabetes in U.S. adults"
• Bacteria eyed for possible role in atherosclerosis - Science Daily, 1/5/11 - "a chronic infection may underlie the process of atherosclerosis, an infection that can be initiated by the systemic dissemination of bacteria though different "gates" in the vascular wall -- as in the case of a septic patient, through intestinal infection. The data support Dr. Kozarov's previous studies, where his team identified periodontal bacteria in carotid artery, thus pointing to tissue-destructing periodontal infections as one possible gate to the circulation"
• Gum disease found to be significant public health concern - Science Daily, 9/22/10 - "the prevalence of periodontal disease may have been underestimated by as much as 50 percent. The implication is that more American adults may suffer from moderate to severe gum disease than previously thought ... If left untreated, it can lead to tooth loss, and may also interfere with other systems of the body. Several research studies have associated gum disease with other chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis"
• Dental sealants temporarily raise BPA levels - USA Today, 9/6/10 - "BPA levels in saliva can spike to 88 times higher than normal immediately after a dental sealing"
• Periodontal disease and carotid atherosclerosis: Are hemodynamic forces a link? - Atherosclerosis. 2010 Jul 29 - "Worse periodontal health was associated to the presence of carotid atherosclerosis. Patients with carotid plaques (n=19) had higher periodontal indices compared with subjects without plaques (n=14) (gingival index: 1.40+/-0.71 vs. 0.69+/-0.64, p=0.006) ... In the 66 examined common carotids, wall shear stress was inversely related to all periodontal indices (r=0.54, p<0.00001 for peak wall shear stress and gingival index) ... The present study identifies for the first time a link between periodontal indices and wall shear stress, suggesting that an alteration of hemodynamic profile might contribute to atherosclerosis in subjects with periodontal disease"
• Gum inflammation linked to Alzheimer's disease - Science Daily, 8/3/10 - "cognitively normal subjects with periodontal inflammation are at an increased risk of lower cognitive function compared to cognitively normal subjects with little or no periodontal inflammation ... subjects with Alzheimer's disease had a significantly higher level of antibodies and inflammatory molecules associated with periodontal disease in their plasma compared to healthy people ... the Digit Symbol Test, or DST, a part of the standard measurement of adult IQ ... periodontal inflammation at age 70 was strongly associated with lower DST scores at age 70. Subjects with periodontal inflammation were nine times more likely to test in the lower range of the DST compared to subjects with little or no periodontal inflammation" - Note:  See my dental page.  Gum disease has been linked to several other heath conditions including diabetes and heart disease.  Over the years I've tried several methods for gum disease including floss, Periostat and Arestin and here is the only method that worked:
  • Periogard - Needs a prescription but is usually available at you dentist for around $10.
  • Sunstar Butler Proxabrush GUM Eez-Lok Handle
  • Sunstar Butler Proxabrush GUM Eez-Lok Handle - a better model than the above
  •  Sunstar Butler GUM Proxabrush Refill Ultra Wide (618) - use this wide brush for the back teeth
  • Butler 612 Soft Picks or Butler Ultra-Fine - use these narrower brushes for the front teeth
  • Soak the brush in the Periogard than run it between your teeth.
• Drinking tap water may help you avoid dentist's drill, study says - Science Daily, 4/13/10 - "The controlled addition of a fluoride compound to public water supplies is considered to be the most cost-effective way to prevent cavities and fight tooth decay ... The second-most effective source of fluoride is varnish. Varnish, applied quickly and easily by a dentist, is one of the most concentrated products available commercially. Varnishes that contain sodium fluoride adhere to tooth surfaces when saliva is present, providing an excellent fluoride treatment"
• Toothpaste with triclosan/copolymer kills harmful germs, study finds - Science Daily, 4/13/10 - "Toothpaste that contains triclosan/copolymer is better than regular fluoride toothpastes at killing the kinds of bacteria that live in people's mouths" - Note:  I thought this article was interesting because see the article below titled "FDA Reviewing Antibacterial Chemical Widely Used in Soaps and Body Washes" where they claim triclosan shouldn't even be used externally in soaps and shampoos let alone toothpaste.
  • FDA Reviewing Antibacterial Chemical Widely Used in Soaps and Body Washes - Medscape, 4/12/10 - "In animal studies, triclosan has been found to interfere with hormones crucial for normal brain development and function and reproductive system development and function"
• Are Mercury Dental Fillings Safe? - U.S. News, 1/20/10
• Oral health and risk for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: the Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Study - Cancer Causes Control. 2010 Jan 5 - "squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN) ... Routine dental visits were associated with 30% risk reduction (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.87). CONCLUSIONS: These data provide support for a possible modest association of periodontal disease, as measured by self-reported tooth loss indicators, but not tooth loss per se, with SCCHN risk" - Interesting because I survived neck cancer with about a 1 in 10 chance of survival (it will be 5 years next month, click here).  I've been getting my teeth cleaned every three months for about twelve years.
• More than 90 percent of people with gum disease are at risk for diabetes, study finds - Science Daily, 12/15/09 - "An overwhelming majority of people who have periodontal (gum) disease are also at high risk for diabetes and should be screened for diabetes ... 93 percent of subjects who had periodontal disease, compared to 63 percent of those without the disease, were considered to be at high risk for diabetes and should be screened for diabetes"
• Older dental fillings contain form of mercury unlikely to be toxic, study finds - Science Daily, 12/9/09
• Look Ma, No Mercury In Fillings! - Science Daily, 11/26/09
• Gum Disease Raises Arthritis Risk - WebMD, 10/20/09
• Chronic periodontitis and the incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009 Sep;18(9):2406-12 - "Patients with periodontitis were more likely to have poorly differentiated oral cavity SCC than those without periodontitis (32.8% versus 11.5%"
• Prevent Periodontitis To Reduce The Risk Of Head And Neck Cancer - Science Daily, 9/8/09 - "Chronic periodontitis, a form of gum disease, is an independent risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma"
• Open Wide And Say 'Zap': New Way To Clinically Assess Condition Of Tooth Enamel Using Lasers - Science Daily, 8/22/09
• Flying By The Skin Of Our Teeth - Science Daily,8/19/09
• FDA: Mercury Fillings Not Harmful - WebMD, 7/28/09
• Tooth Gel: Healing Power Of Aloe Vera Proves Beneficial For Teeth And Gums, Too - Science Daily, 7/17/09
• Link Between Oral Infections And Cardiovascular Disease Morbidity Explained - Science Daily, 7/9/09 - "A recent study that will be cited during the presentation explored the existence of bacteria known to cause periodontitis and the growth of blood vessel walls, which is a symptom of CVD. After examining the subjects used, the investigators found a positive connection between the growth of blood vessel walls and the existence of bacteria found in dental plaque, causing periodontitis"
• New Treatment For Receding Gums: No Pain, Lots Of Gain - Science Daily, 7/1/09
• Orange Juice Worse For Teeth Than Whitening Agents - Science Daily, 6/30/09 - "the effects of 6 percent hydrogen peroxide, the common ingredient in professional and over-the-counter whitening products, are insignificant compared to acidic fruit juices. Orange juice markedly decreased hardness and increased roughness of tooth enamel"
• Treating Gum Disease May Help Rheumatoid Arthritis - WebMD, 6/12/09 - "It was exciting to find that if we eliminated the infection and inflammation in the gums, then patients with a severe kind of active rheumatoid arthritis reported improvement on the signs and symptoms of that disease"
• Placement Of Dental Implants Results In Minimal Bone Loss - Science Daily, 5/12/09
• New Evidence Of Periodontal Disease Leading To Gestational Diabetes - Science Daily, 4/4/09 - "Gestational diabetes is characterized by an inability to transport glucose -- the main source of fuel for the body -- to the cells during pregnancy. The condition usually disappears when the pregnancy ends, but women who have had gestational diabetes are at a greater risk of developing the most common form of diabetes, known as Type 2 diabetes, later in life ... In addition to its potential role in preterm delivery, evidence that gum disease may also contribute to gestational diabetes suggests that women should see a dentist if they plan to get pregnant, and after becoming pregnant"
• Your Oral Health Is Connected To Your Overall Health - Science Daily, 4/4/09 - "While treatment of mothers with mild periodontal disease usually does not have an effect on infant prematurity, the greatest effect has been reported by scientists to be observed in mothers with generalized severe periodontal disease"
• Obesity Associated With Periodontal Disease - Science Daily, 4/4/09 - "The team observed significant associations between all measures of obesity and periodontal disease when accounting for age, smoking, race, dental profession, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, and diabetes status at baseline. Obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) at the beginning of follow-up and over follow-up was significantly associated with a 25% and 29% increased risk compared with normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2), respectively ... These results provide the first evidence following a large group of people over time with clear evidence of obesity occurring prior to periodontal disease, and support an association between obesity and risk of periodontal disease"
• The More Oral Bacteria, The Higher The Risk Of Heart Attack, Study Shows - Science Daily, 4/1/09 - "two oral pathogens in the mouth were associated with an increased risk of having a heart attack, but that the total number of germs, regardless of type, was more important to heart health"
• New Tooth Cavity Protection: Make Surface Too Slippery For Bacteria To Adhere - Science Daily, 12/20/08
• Inflamed Gums Linked To Heart Disease - Science Daily, 12/20/08 - "a protein associated with inflammation (called CRP) is elevated in people who are at risk for heart disease. But where's the inflammation coming from? ... infected gums may be one place ... something as simple as taking good care of your teeth and gums can greatly reduce your risk of developing serious diseases"
• Root Canal or Dental Implant? - WebMD, 11/19/08
• Periodontal Disease May Independently Predict New-Onset Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 8/7/08 - "Individuals with elevated levels of periodontal disease were nearly twice as likely to become diabetic in that 20-year timeframe"
• Most Effective Dental Braces Are Least Attractive - Science Daily, 7/9/08
• Warning issued for silver dental fillings - USATODAY.com, 6/12/08
• Gum Disease May Make Diabetes Worse - WebMD, 6/6/08 - "The suggestion from the study is that treating gum disease could actually slow down the progression to diabetes in those at high risk of developing the disease"
• Mercury dental fillings may harm some - MSNBC, 6/4/08
• Gum Disease May Raise Cancer Risk - WebMD, 5/27/08 - "Compared to men with healthy gums, men with a history of gum disease were: ... 14% more likely to develop cancer overall ... 49% more likely to develop kidney cancer ... 54% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer ... 30% more likely to develop blood cancers"
• New Drug Reverses Dentists' Anesthesia - WebMD, 5/12/08
• Bonelike Coating For Dental Implants Makes Everyone Smile - Science Daily, 4/4/08
• Periodontal Disease Can Lead To Gestational Diabetes, Study Shows - Science Daily, 3/24/08 - "Inflammation associated with periodontal disease is believed to play a role in the onset of gestational diabetes, perhaps by interfering with the normal functioning of insulin, the hormone that regulates glucose metabolism"
• When And How Often You Consume Acidic Foods Or Beverages Affects Dental Health - Science Daily, 2/5/08
• Periodontal Disease Is Associated With Chronic Kidney Disease - Medscape, 1/30/08 - "subjects with periodontal disease and those who were edentulous were nearly twice as likely to have CKD (adjusted odds ratios, 1.60 and 1.85, respectively)"
• Dental Tooth Fillings Containing Mercury Don't Affect Children's Brain Development, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 1/25/08
• Healthy Smile May Promote A Healthy Heart - Science Daily, 1/8/08 - "individuals with periodontal disease whose biomarkers showed increased bacterial exposure were more likely to develop coronary heart disease or atherogenesis (plaque formation in the arteries)"
• Huge Success With Directly Loaded Implants In The Mouth - Science Daily, 12/16/07
• Treating Your Periodontal Pockets May Benefit Your Pocket Book - Science Daily, 11/28/07 - "prevention of periodontal diseases may lead to savings on not only dental costs, but also medical care costs. Periodontal, or gum diseases have been linked to systemic health conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory problems ... cumulative health care costs were 21% higher for those patients with severe periodontal disease than those with no periodontal disease"
• Smoking Can Harm The Long-term Effects Of Some Oral Plastic Surgery Procedures - Science Daily, 9/18/07
• Chronic Gum Disease Associated With Tongue Cancer - Science Daily, 5/23/07
• Treat Gum Disease, Help Heart? - WebMD, 2/28/07 - "One group got standard gum disease treatment -- having a dentist scrape and polish their teeth ... The other group got more aggressive treatment, including a shot of anesthesia to let dentists remove plaque below the gum line and extract teeth, if necessary ... two months later, the intensive treatment group had better endothelial function than the standard treatment group. That advantage was still seen at the end of the six-month study"
• Gum Disease Ups Pancreatic Cancer Risk - WebMD, 1/16/07 - "subjects who reported gum disease were 64% more likely to have pancreatic cancer ... Michaud and colleagues suggest that long-standing gum infections trigger a body-wide immune response: inflammation. Inflamed tissues give off chemical signals that promote tumor growth"
• Periodontal Therapy Helps Patients With Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 10/31/06
• Tooth Whiteners Work, at Least Briefly - WebMD, 10/17/06
• New Study Finds a Positive Association Between Periodontal Disease and Coronary Heart Disease - Doctor's Guide, 9/27/06 - "A number of pathways are suspected to be involved," said Geismar. "One way is that periodontal bacteria directly invade the arterial wall and another way is that bacterial products from the periodontal pocket exert a systemic effect on atherosclerosis development based on the immune system."
• Safety of Dental Fillings Questioned - WebMD, 9/7/06
• Study Supports Findings That Periodontal Bacteria May Be Linked to Heart Disease - Doctor's Guide, 7/21/06 - "acute coronary syndrome (ACS) ... Seventy-seven percent of the participants in the ACS group and 42 percent in the control group demonstrated evidence of periodontitis"
• No Harm Found in Amalgam Fillings - WebMD, 4/18/06
• Periodontitis Associated With Pregnancy Complications - Doctor's Guide, 2/6/06
• Treating Gum Disease May Reduce The Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease - Science Daily, 1/6/06 - "inflammation in the mouth has a measurable effect in the bloodstream, and therefore the rest of the body"
• Tooth Loss and Heart Disease Linked, Even Among Nonsmokers - Doctor's Guide, 12/20/05 - "Heart disease was present in 4.7% of those without tooth loss, 5.7% of those with 1 to 5 missing teeth, 7.5% of those with 6 to 31 missing teeth, and 8.5% of those with total tooth loss"
• Common Antibiotic May Affect Tooth Enamel - WebMD, 10/3/05
• Dangers of Teeth Whitening Obsession - ABC News, 7/30/05 - "When people abuse teeth whitening products, the results aren't pretty ... The edges of your teeth will become bluish-translucent in color, and that is irreversible ... Your teeth can become very sensitive. You can harm the gum tissue and burn it away"
• Certain Drinks Can Permanently Damage Teeth - CBS2 Chicago, 6/9/05
• Dental Erosion -- Consume Pickles, Lemons And Soft Drinks In Moderation - Science Daily, 5/29/05
• Wisdom Teeth Removal Often Unnecessary - WebMD, 5/5/05
• New Dental Implants Build Bone, Speed Healing - CBS 2 Chicago, 4/26/05
• Electric Toothbrushes May Be Better At Fighting Plaque, Gum Disease - Science Daily, 4/20/05 - "Over the short term of one to three months, the rotating brushes reduced plaque by 11 percent over manual toothbrushes and reduced the signs of gingivitis, or gum inflammation, by 6 percent over the regular brushes ... The powered brushes reduced gingivitis by 17 percent over the manual brushes after more than three months’ use"
• Live Oral Bacteria Found In Arterial Plaque - Science Daily, 3/31/05 - "Gum disease has been linked to hardening of the arteries ... This report certainly provides a smoking gun that live bacteria have become seeded from the oral cavity to become inhabitants of the vessel wall ... The exciting implications focus on the known ability of these bacteria to destroy connective tissue in the mouth, suggesting that when infecting the vessel wall they may contribute to the instability of the atherosclerotic plaque — leading to acute events such as heart attack or stroke"
• Columbia Study Suggests Brushing Your Teeth May Reduce Risk Of Stroke And Heart Attack - Science Daily, 2/17/05 - "people with gum disease are more likely to suffer from atherosclerosis – a narrowing of blood vessels that can lead to stroke or heart attack ... one possible explanation for the link is that the bacteria that cause the gum disease may migrate throughout the body via the bloodstream and stimulate the immune system, causing inflammation that results in the clogging of arteries"
• Which Drinks Damage Your Teeth the Most? - WebMD, 2/16/05 - "noncola soft drinks, energy/sports drinks, and commercial lemonade "showed the most aggressive dissolution effect on dental enamel,""
• Listerine no replacement for flossing? - MSNBC, 1/7/05
• Little Evidence To Link Mercury Fillings To Human Health Problems - Science Daily, 12/20/04
• Possible Link Between Oral and Overall Health in Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 12/13/04
• Mercury Fillings: They're Not Risky - WebMD, 12/9/04
• Dental Plaque May Harbor Pathogens for Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia - Medscape, 11/11/04
• Further Evidence Reveals The Association Between Periodontal Disease And Coronary Artery Disease - Science Daily, 10/27/04 - "One reason is that periodontal pathogens could enter the bloodstream, invade the blood vessel walls and ultimately cause atherosclerosis ... Another hypothesis is based on several studies that have shown that periodontal infections can be correlated with increased plasma levels of inflammation such as fibrinogen (this creates blood clots), C-reactive protein, or several cytokines"
• Can Tooth Whiteners Cause Oral Cancer? - WebMD, 8/7/04 - "the active ingredient in these popular whiteners -- available at a dentist's office or in over-the-counter kits -- may be the reason why two patients with no other identifiable risk factors developed advanced tongue cancer while in their 20s ... Free Radical Damage Suspected"
• Repeated Treatment Of Gum Disease Reduces Levels Of Inflammatory Factors Known To Increase Heart Disease Risk - Science Daily, 4/8/04 - "in people who had elevated levels of CRP at baseline, removal of dental plaque bacteria by scaling or scaling combined with topical antibiotics produced a statistically significant reduction, bringing CRP levels close to the low-risk level. Both treatments also significantly reduced levels of fibrinogen in patients with elevated fibrinogen levels"