Month: August 2018

Opioids Overused For Migraine Headache Treatment

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A new study that attempted to find racial disparities in the treatment of migraine headaches found no differences and instead found that opioids are often overused for migraine headache treatment. As has been discussed on this blog and site before, the prescribing habits of opioids are under scrutiny for wisdom teeth surgery. See for example the article http://blog.teethremoval.com/what-can-a-surgeon-do-to-prevent-opioid-abuse/ and the article http://blog.teethremoval.com/painkiller-overdose-in-michigan-are-wisdom-teeth-extractions-contributing/. Now it appears that the prescribing habits of opiods for migraines should also be under scrutiny. Existing research shows that African-Americans experience more frequent and severe migraine headaches than non-Hispanic whites. Researchers at the University of Michigan set out to explore if there was any evidence of racial disparities in treatment practices for migraines. However, instead of finding any disparities, they found opioids were being prescribed as frequently as medications that are more effective for migraine headaches. In the study, results from … Read more

Gum to Test for Inflammation in Mouth

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Researchers from the University of Würzburg in Germany have developed a chewing gum that is capable of detecting inflammation in the mouth. The research was motivated by the fact that 6% to 15% of patients who receive dental implants develop an inflammatory response in in the years that follow. This is caused by bacteria destroying the soft tissue and the bone around the dental implant. The researchers provided proof of a principle by using studies of the saliva of patients at Merli Dental Clinic in Rimini. They showed that in the presence of inflammatory conditions, specific protein-degrading enzymes are activated in the mouth. These same enzymes break down a special ingredient of chewing gum within five minutes to release a bittering agent that could not be tasted before. In the future, patients will benefit from this method using a chewing gum diagnostic test … Read more

Terror Attack Survivors More Prone to Headaches

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Researchers have shown that survivors of a terror attack have an increased risk of frequent migraine and tension headaches developing after the attack. Therefore there are potential physical effects of violent incidents in addition to the better known psychological effects. The researchers studied the responses teenage survivors of the largest mass killing in Norway that occurred in 2011. In the attack, a lone gunman opened fire at a youth summer camp on Utøya Island, killing 69 people and severely wounding 33. All survivors experienced terror, some lost friends, and some risked drowning as they tried to escape the island. The study shows that a single highly stressful event such as a terror attack may lead to ongoing suffering with frequent migraines and other headaches. All 358 teenage survivors of the incident were invited to participate in the study. A total of 213 … Read more

Nanodiamonds to Help With Root Canal Recovery

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Researchers at UCLA found in a clinical trial that nanodiamonds protected disinfected root canals after the nerve and pulp were removed. This result may help people who undergo root canals as it could help prevent infection after treatment. Specifically combining nanodiamonds with gutta percha, a material used to fill disinfected root canals, may enhance the gutta percha’s protective properties. Nanodiamonds are tiny particles made of carbon and are very very small. Nanodiamonds have previously been explored to deliver drugs and serve as imaging agents. Protecting disinfected root canals is a delicate process. Dentists use gutta percha to block bacteria from infiltrating the tooth, but it can break during the procedure or create pockets of space for bacteria to infiltrate. The researchers tested nanodiamond-embedded gutta percha (NDGP) in three people who undergoing root canal procedures. These tests demonstrated the implanted material NDGP … Read more