The toothbrush in question is the battery-powered Arm & Hammer Spinbrush (previously known as the Crest Spinbrush).   According to the FDA’s warning, it has received a number of reports from users in which parts of the toothbrush head have broken off during use causing injuries such as cuts to the lips, gums, and cheeks, injuries to the eyes, broken and chipped teeth, and potential choking hazards.  These have been caused by parts of the toothbrush head popping off the battery powered motor in the base of the brush.  The brush head is designed to be removed and replaced, but it should not be coming loose while the toothbrush is in use.

The FDA concerns also reached the “Spinbrush for Kids” models.  While the children’s toothbrush models do not have heads that are removable, there have also been reports of injury such as cut lips, burns from the brush’s batteries, and bristles coming off and lodging in tonsils.  The complete list of toothbrush models included in the FDA warning are the: Spinbrush ProClean, Spinbrush ProClean Recharge, Spinbrush Pro Whitening, Spinbrush SONIC, Spinbrush SONIC Recharge, Spinbrush Swirl, Spinbrush For Kids, and the Spinbrush Replacement Heads.

Using your toothbrush every day is meant to keep your mouth in good condition between regular trips to your local dentist, not cause you to make another trip for a serious dental injury (you are having those regular appointments right?  If you’re not, call and set up your appointment today).  This article is not meant to instill fear in anyone currently using one of the toothbrush models listed above, rather it is meant to advocate responsibility.  If you are using a Spinbrush, make sure you are checking your brush daily for any damage or loose bristles, replacing the head every 3 months or before if needed, make sure the brush head is tightly attached to the base, and test the toothbrush outside of your mouth before use.  If your children are using one, make sure to supervise them properly also.  Be responsible, be safe, and be healthy so that the only dental appointments you need are regular check-ups and cleanings!

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 the potential to become the first FDA licensed anti-cavity drug since fluoride nearly six decades ago.

Dr. Shi’s work is amazing and could become an incredible partner to the preventative work done by your own local dentist.  When speaking about his new research, Dr. Shi was quoted as saying that “with this new antimicrobial technology, we have the prospect of actually wiping out tooth decay in our lifetime.”  The potential in this new drug, and its impact on the world of dental health, is huge for those living here in Reynoldsburg and Columbus, all the way to those living half way around the world in Europe, Africa, and Asia!  I look forward to the advancements Dr. Shi and others are bringing to the world of dental health and hope you are all doing your best to maintain your dental health by making your regular visits to your family dentist also!

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 both heart disease and stroke.

So, be kind to your heart, call your family dentist, and schedule your regular cleaning appointments now!

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 are the most active. Protective mouth guards will help to cut down the loss of permanent teeth and traumatic blows that cause injury. Their teeth and gums are still developing and need to be protected from trauma in sports whenever possible.

A good emergency kit to keep on hand for this kind of emergency would consist of you family dentist’s phone numbers (home and office), saline solution, a handkerchief, gauze, a small container with a lid and ibuprofen. It is not advised to include aspirin, since it can cause excessive bleeding in an emergency.

Remain calm and assed your child’s injury

Control the bleeding

Determine if the injury involves more than just tooth loss and needs medical attention

Call your family dentist as soon as possible and inform him of the situation.

If the tooth is a permanent tooth, clean it by rinsing if off with mile and replant it immediately. Hold it is place en route to your family dentist. If it is impossible to replant the tooth, ask your family dentist what medium to store the tooth in. The possibilities range from water, milk or the child’s saliva. Let your family dentist give directions on which solution to use.

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 toddler are regular brushing, limit sweets and make sure they drink plenty of water each day. Toddlers love to mimic their parents are are happy to spend time brushing their teeth when their parents or siblings are. This will start the process of good dental health for the rest of their life.

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. Congress. They are the largest scientific society and global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research. They have offices in Washington D. C. and Columbus, Ohio

Be sure to talk to your family dentist and ask him about any alternative treatments you would like to use for your dental health.

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 to educate the public about the risk factors, early signs and symptoms of the disease, as well as the need for all adults to undergo an annual oral cancer screening. In the early stages of oral cancer’s development, it is often is painless, and physical signs may not be obvious to an individual. This makes it a very dangerous disease and is also the reason it is crucial to have an annual oral cancer screening. OCF is asking dental and medical professionals nationwide to act as the first line of defense against oral cancer through the process of early discovery, and to raise public awareness of this cause by opening their doors for at least a half-day, during the month of April, to opportunistically screen members of their community.

These screenings are more important now than ever. Oral cancer is one of the few cancers that are on the rise in the U.S. When found early, oral cancers have an 80% or better survival rate. Unfortunately, most oral cancers are found in late stages, when the five-year survival rate plummets to about 30%. Late stage diagnosis can be greatly reduced through increased public awareness of these facts, and OCF believes that a national program of opportunistic screenings is the best means of creating that awareness.

A visit to the dentist is no longer just about a cleaning or restorative procedures; when a dental exam includes a simple, painless, visual and tactile oral cancer screening, it can save your life. The Oral Cancer Foundation urges you to find out if your local dentist is participating in Oral Cancer Awareness Month this April by visiting OCF’s event section of the website at http://ow.ly/8jzhN . If you do not see your dental practice listed, please encourage them to contact the Foundation for more information on how easy it is for them to participate. Like other screenings you may receive, such as cervical, skin, prostate, colon and breast examinations, oral cancer screenings are an effective means of finding cancer at its earliest and highly treatable stage. Of all these screenings, the one for oral cancer is the least invasive and time-consuming. It is also affordable and in many cases, it may even be free.

The Oral Cancer Foundation is a big believer in the development of strategic partnerships. In April 2012, OCF will again join forces with both professional societies and private sector companies who are stakeholders in this disease. The American Dental Association, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Academy of Oral Medicine form the core of the professional society sponsorship. OCF has also aligned with private sector entities Henry Schein Inc., LED Dental, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, who are asking their customer base to be active in this April’s endeavor. In addition, the 21 treatment facilities with head and neck departments that participated in 2011′s effort are expected to participate again in 2012. With the help of these partners in 2011, OCF was able to create over 2,000 screening sites/events, a ten-fold increase over any previous year. These events, combined with 7 major walk/run awareness events coordinated by OCF, resulted in over 50,000 individual screenings for this deadly disease during April alone. For 2012, the Foundation and its partners have set of goal of at least doubling those results.

Oral cancer is not a rare disease. Each hour of every day, one American dies of the disease, and four more Americans are newly diagnosed. These staggering statistics are the result of the public’s low awareness of the diseases risk factors, which makes these free screening events so crucial. This disease can be defeated, but only with an informed public supported by involved professionals who want to make a difference in the world of oral cancer.

About the Oral Cancer Foundation: The Oral Cancer Foundation, founded by oral cancer survivor Brian R. Hill, is a non-profit 501(c) 3 public service charity that provides information, patient support, sponsorship of research, and advocacy related to this disease. Oral cancer is the largest group of those cancers that fall into the head and neck cancer category. Common names for it include such things as mouth cancer, tongue cancer, head and neck cancer, and throat cancer. It maintains a Web site at http://www.oralcancer.org , which receives millions of hits per month. Supporting the foundation’s goals is a scientific advisory board composed of leading cancer authorities from varied medical and dental specialties, and from prominent educational, treatment, and research institutions in the United States.

SOURCE Oral Cancer Foundation

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 to share utensils.

In addition to avoiding passing saliva on objects, he says good dental hygiene is another safeguard — for kids and parents.

“Brush the teeth once a day with fluoride toothpaste, floss once a day, at least,” Schooley says. “With the baby, take a warm washcloth and wipe it over the gums until they get teeth, and once they get teeth, you can start to use a soft toothbrush.”

The research shows moms, more often than dads or others, usually inadvertently infect their children.

Learn more at: www.OralHealthIA.com

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 the chance to discuss topics of their choice, as well as ask Dr. Allen Castle, Lexington, KY dentist, any questions that they may encounter. In addition, patients can feel free to write about their experiences with Lansdowne-Merrick Family Dentistry, which allows for other patients to better prepare themselves for their appointments. Currently, patients can find an array of topics easily available via the practice’s Facebook and Twitter pages. When visiting these pages, patients can find more information on crowns, oral sedation, smile makeovers, dental implants, and an array of other valuable dental health topics.

Additionally, the practice blog for Lansdowne-Merrick Family Dentistry is directly linked to the practice’s Facebook and Twitter sites. The informative blog was created for the practice so that Dr. Castle, Lexington family dentist, can actively contribute content related to dental health care. Each post from the practice’s blog updates the Facebook and Twitter pages, maintaining an up-to-date social network. The blog offers information on an array of dental health care topics including crowns, sedation and dental implants.

Whether patients are looking for a routine cleaning or dental implants, they turn to Dr. Allen Castle, Lexington dentist, of Lansdowne-Merrick Family Dentistry for all of their dental care needs. Lansdowne-Merrick Family Dentistry’s commitment to their patients, as well as their passion for delivering quality patient care keeps them at the forefront of dental procedures and techniques. The practice’s new social network further demonstrates its eagerness to engage patients and improve communication on dental health care information.

About Lansdowne-Merrick Family Dentistry: Established in 1989, Lansdowne-Merrick Family Dentistry is owned and operated by Dr. Allen Castle. A solo practitioner, Dr. Castle provides personalized care with a focus on the use of implants to replace lost teeth and to stabilize dentures. He attended the University of Kentucky for his undergraduate work in Chemistry and then obtained his dental degree from the University of Kentucky in 1987. Dr. Castle completed a 2-year general practice residency at the University of Kentucky in 1989, serving as chief resident that year. Annually attending continuing education courses enables Dr. Castle to stay at the forefront of his profession so that he can provide optimal care to his patients.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/536016#ixzz1iKJlbdR5

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 Vimeo.