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New root canal components are being developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg working in collaboration with VOCO GmbH.

“The basis of this material is provided by ORMOCER®s,” explains Dr. Herbert Wolter. “We have combined these ORMOCER®s with various nano- and microparticles to achieve the highly diverse properties needed.”

Materials used in filling the root canal should not shrink as they harder, be visible in x-rays, and should form an airtight bond with the dental material. However, the material used to rebuild the tooth, should have the same properties as the tooth itself.

“Hybrid materials are well suited to these requirements. For instance, they only shrink by about 1.3 percent as they harden, while standard materials generally shrink by 2 to 4 percent. ORMOCER®s can also be adapted to adhere to the different parts of the tooth,” says Wolter.

VOCO GmbH is producing dental preparations. Product launch is coming along and could be within the next 2 years.

This could potentially help lessen the number of crowns that needed to be replaced due to breaking.

Adapted from materials provided by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

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An Austrialian former oral surgeon has been found guilty of sex claims.  News of the oral surgeon and his bizaree medical study to incite patients to masturbate in front of him can be found at http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/lying-sex-predator-disgraced-surgeon-guilty-of-indecent-assault/1696567.aspx and http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/new-sex-claim-against-wollongong-doctor/1373243.aspx

What it boils down to is that Arthur Bosanquet  convinced a teenager and his father  he was conducting a medical trial to measure the blood pressure of men before, during and after masturbation. Essentially he did the same thing twice with two different victims. He went to the victim’s bedrooms and took a blood sample and told them to masterbate. When they had difficulty doing so, he indecently assaulted them. Bosanquet had performed wisdom teeth removal on one of the victims in addition to facial surgery after an assault occured.

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Researchers led by Dr. Dwayne D. Arola of the University of Maryland, have recently examined the role of aging and its affect on the reduction in fracture toughness of human dentin. The article appears on the Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials (October 2009 issue, pages 550-559). Dr. Arola and colleagues found that the average fracture toughness of  old dentin was approximately 30% lower than young dentin. The researchers observed that the fracture toughness seemed to depend on the number of lumens, which is important in determining the mineral-to-collagen ratio and the variation in the degree of age-related sclerosis, or embrittlement, throughout dentin.

They were able to do this by examining the crack growth resistance of human coronal dentin using tissue obtained from patients 18 to 83 years of age and for crack extension oriented perpendicular to the dentin tubules. The authors stated that their “…primary objectives of this investigation were to quantify the fracture toughness of human dentin for cracks extending perpendicular to the dentin tubules and to characterize the influence of patient age on the crack growth resistance.

In the ending paragraph of the discussion of the journal article, the authors state, “Many of the current practices in the field of restorative dentistry are based on knowledge of the structure and properties of the tooth tissues. However, they have not necessarily been developed to accommodate changes in the mechanical properties that are associated with aging. Results of this investigation have provided further evidence that aging results in significant changes in the mechanical behavior of dentin and a reduction in the ‘damage tolerance’ of the tissue. With these findings in mind, the success of specific practices in the field of restorative dentistry may require special consideration in the treatment of seniors, or the development of age-sensitive methods of care.”

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A study, led by Dr. Shiela Strauss, Associate Professor of Nursing and Co-Director of the Statistics and Data Management Core for New York University’s Colleges of Dentistry and Nursing, examined data from nearly 3,000 adults in the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who had not been diagnosed with diabetes. The results appear in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry in the article titled “The dental office visit as a potential opportunity for diabetes screening: an analysis using NHANES 2003-2004 data.” The results indicate that the majority of people who have periodontal (gum) disease are also at high risk for diabetes. In addition, half of those at risk had seen a dentist in the previous year. This one can draw the conclusion that dentists should consider offering diabetes screenings in their offices.

Dr. Strauss and colleagues determined that 93% of those examined had periodontal disease, compared to 63% of those without the disease, were considered to be at high risk for diabetes and should be screened for diabetes. Diabetes screening is recommended for people at least 45 years of age with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or greater, as well as for those under 45 years of age with a BMI of 25 or greater who also have at least one diabetes risk factor. Dr. Strauss’s study indicated that  a first-degree relative (a parent or sibling) with diabetes and high blood pressure were reported in a significantly greater number of those examined with periodontal disease than in those without periodontal disease.

Dr. Strauss said that dentists can screen patients for diabetes by evaluating them for risk factors such as belonging to a high-risk ethnic group (African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian-American, or Pacific Islander, being overweight,  a first-degree relative with diabetes, having high cholesterol, and/or having high blood pressure.

Dentists can use a glucometer which is a diagnostic instrument for measuring blood glucose. This could potentially be done in one of two ways, 1)  analyze finger-stick blood samples, or 2) use the glucometer to evaluate blood samples taken from pockets of inflammation in the gums. Both methods have been shown to be correlated and provide correct results as indicated in an earlier study by Dr. Strauss.

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The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS)  is really trying to increase their marketing campaign to attract young adults for choosing wisdom teeth removal.

They have recently made available a Third Molar Patient Information DVD available at http://www.aaomsstore.com/p-107-third-molar-patient-information-dvd.aspx. The DVD is sold in lots of 25. The price varies depending on whether or not you are a member, part of an institution, or a non-member. The non-member cost is $135 for 25 DVDs.

A brief one minute trailer is available.

The DVD features 3D illustrations along with a comprehensive discussion of third molar (wisdom teeth) surgery. I haven’t seen this DVD so I don’t know the quality of it. However it is clearly being promoted as a marketing tool to attract patients to want to proceed with wisdom teeth removal.

Of course I disagree with AAOMS and their stance on wisdom teeth removal. I encourage you to fully explore http://www.teethremoval.com/ to learn why you should think twice before wisdom teeth removal and not buy into this marketing plan by AAOMS without doing your own research.

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