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Dr. Wenyuan Shi, of the UCLA School of Dentistry, has created a new type of mouthwash that could have the potential to virtually wipe out tooth decay!  Tooth decay, commonly called cavities, is caused by a certain type of bacteria called Streptococcus mutans.  In a study performed by Dr. Shi, twelve subjects used this new mouthwash one time.  Over the study’s four day testing period, the twelve subjects showed an almost complete removal of the S. mutans bacteria, with just one rinsing!  What makes this new dental mouthwash so different is its singular focus on only this harmful bacteria.  The human body is home to a great deal of bacteria, numbering in the millions, and not all of them are bad.  Many of these bacteria are actually needed for one to be in good health; one only needs to look to foods like yogurt to find examples of just this idea at work.  However, most dental mouthwashes are made to fight and kill all types of bacteria in the mouth, even the helpful ones.  Dr. Shi’s new rinse uses a breakthrough technology to target and destroy only the harmful bacteria responsible for tooth decay and causing cavities.  This new product has

According to a study submitted to the American Heart Association, you may want to consider replacing a couple of the apples you should be eating to keep the doctor away with a trip to your local dentist!  The study, consisting of over 100,000 people, showed a significant link between having a professional dental cleaning and a lower risk of heart attack and stroke.  None of the participants came into the study with any history of heart attack or stroke, but those participants who had their teeth scraped/cleaned by a dentist showed a 24 percent decrease in their chances of having a heart attack, along with a 13 percent decrease in stroke risk. Like all healthy choices, it appears the more you do it, the better the results.  The study showed that those who had cleanings more often were also associated with an even lower risk of both stroke and heart disease.  The people who had more frequent cleanings were those who had at least two cleanings within a two-year period.  While many other factors can have an effect on your heart health, the study showed that dental cleanings were shown to reduce a bacterial growth that can lead to

Most children are excited to trade a lost tooth to the tooth fairy for cash, but what about the unexpected loss of a primary or premature tooth? There are two kinds of traumatic tooth loss in childhood: the loss can be a primary (baby) tooth prematurely or the loss of a permanent tooth. When your child loses a primary "baby tooth" prematurely, it can cause permanent teeth to come in crooked. Baby teeth maintain the spacing for permanent teeth, increasing the likelihood that permanent teeth will come in straight. Parents sometimes think that if a permanent tooth is lost, it can be replanted. In some cases, the tooth can be splinted back in; however, treatment should be reviewed by a family dentist for the lost tooth to make sure there are no bone fractures or other damage. The ideal time between a permanent tooth loss and replantation is a period of no longer than 30 minutes. Only your family dentist that knows your child's history can take the best care in a trauma situation. The tooth should be placed in a moist solution like milk while en route to the dentist. Young children can lose permanent teeth prematurely the most because they

How young should your child be when you take them for their first dental checkup? While infants under 12 months old may only have a few teeth, they should be seen by a dentist within the first year of their life. Often it can be discovered that there is tooth decay by the time they reach kindergarten. In order to prevent it, being seen by a dentist early on in a child's life can help this to be avoided. Studies have shown that if children experience tooth decay in their baby teeth, they are more likely to develop tooth decay in their permanent teeth. When bringing your child for a dental exam, parents can learn preventative information about infant oral health and introduce their toddlers to the act of brushing their teeth. Your family dentist is able to examine them in a gentle way that makes going to the dentist a interesting experience. Infant oral health is the foundation for preventing tooth decay in the future of your child. When there is a relationship established between your family dentist and the children and their parents, good habits can be developed for taking care of their toddler's teeth. Some good habits for your

There have been several reports out in the last week about dried licorice root and fighting bacteria that causes tooth decay and gum disease. Tooth decay and gum disease are the two leading causes of tooth loss in children and adults. Your family dentist will always advise you to brush regularly along with dental floss to fight tooth decay. The dried root of the licorice plant is a common treatment in Chinese traditional medicine, especially as a way to enhance the activity of other herbal ingredients or as a flavoring. In the U. S., licorice root has been replaced in domestic candy with anise oil, which has a similar flavor. The compounds in licorice, licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, were the most effective antibacterial substances. These substances killed two of the major bacteria responsible for dental cavities and two of the bacteria that promote gum disease. One of the compounds - licoricidin - killed a third gum disease bacterium. Researchers indicate that these substances could treat or even prevent oral infections. What does this mean for tooth decay and gum disease in the U. S.? More research and testing ahead. Reference: The American Chemical Society is a non-profit organization chartered by the U. S.

  NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Organization encouraging dental professionals to offer free screenings to the public Did you know that the fastest growing segment of the oral cancer community is young, healthy non-smokers? It's shocking but true. Exposure to the HPV-16 virus, the most common sexually transmitted infection, is now the leading cause of oral cancers in the U.S. There is little that can be done to stop this virus from spreading. Our only hope to save lives is through increased professional involvement and public awareness to generate early discovery of the disease process. To that end, the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) is encouraging the dental community to get involved in Oral Cancer Awareness Month this April 2012 by offering free oral cancer screenings to the public in a national effort to raise awareness of this silent killer. Oral cancer has existed outside the consciousness of much of the public, which is one reason 37,000 Americans will be newly diagnosed this year alone. That is about 100 new people a day. That lack of awareness has contributed to this cancer not being discovered until very late in its development. By implementing a public awareness campaign, OCF wants

A study finds parents can accidentally pass harmful bacteria from their mouths to their children, putting kids at a higher risk of getting cavities and developing other problems.

Dr. Ed Schooley, a dentist and dental director for Delta Dental of Iowa, says moms and dads may be infecting their children through very innocent actions.

“The bacteria typically are passed with items that are contaminated with one’s saliva into a child’s mouth,” Dr. Schooley says. “This primarily takes place through natural parental behaviors as sharing utensils or using one’s mouth to clean a baby’s pacifier.”

He says a recent survey found fewer than a third of Iowa parents realize the risks involved with such simple behaviors.

“Most parents lack the knowledge of passing on bacteria like this and what it can lead to,” Schooley says. “Babies are born without any harmful bacteria in their mouths but once the bacteria are introduced, then they’re more prone to having cavities in their baby teeth and permanent teeth.”

The survey found 30-percent of Iowans say they sometimes or often share utensils with their children, while caregivers of children ages two and three are most likely

Dr. Allen Castle, Lexington cosmetic dentist, improves communication between patients and Lansdowne-Merrick Family Dentistry through the creation of social media websites - Facebook and Twitter. Patients can now connect and engage with Dr. Allen Castle, cosmetic dentist in Lexington, and his staff members on these popular social networking sites.

With over 500 million users, and growing, Facebook and Twitter are proving to be a helpful tool for dentists to use in order to educate and communicate with patients about the importance of oral health. Patients can easily access the Facebook and Twitter sites for Lansdowne-Merrick Family Dentistry via the practice's interactive website. With the introduction of Facebook and Twitter, patients can now interact with other patients, share their experiences and ask questions regarding their dental health.

"Our patients use social media every day to share and engage with other people on the Internet who share their same interests. Creating our own social network allows us to share educational information, promotional information and communicate more effectively with patients in the exact way they prefer to connect - online," said Dr. Allen Castle, dentist in Lexington, KY.

Patients have

A team of researchers from University of Missouri, University of Tennessee, and Nanova, Inc (Columbia, MO) have been working on a new dental “plasma brush” for cleaning out cavities and preparing teeth for fillings. The device uses “cool” plasma to affect chemical reactions while remaining painless to the patient.   So far laboratory trials haven’t revealed any side effects, except that fillings tend to be 60% stronger when applied in conjunction with plasma therapy. Human clinical trials are expected to begin early next year and if everything goes well we may see this technology in dental offices by 2013. “Painless ” Plasma Brush Is Becoming Realistic In Dentistry, MU Engineers Say from MU News Bureau on