periodontal disease

A Study of Outcomes Related to Wisdom Teeth Removal

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An interesting article titled “A Prospective Study of Clinical Outcomes Related to Third Molar Removal or Retention,” appears in the American Journal of Public Health (April 2014, Vol 104, No. 4) written by Greg J. Huang and et al. The article is a companion article to another also on wisdom teeth in the April 2014 issue of the journal. I discussed the companion article last week in the blog post http://blog.teethremoval.com/practice-based-wisdom-teeth-removal-study/. The article opens by mentioning the controversy surrounding the removal of wisdom teeth. On one side some have advocated for wisdom teeth to be removed to prevent future pathology and minimize risks, others have advocated for wisdom teeth to be removed to prevent lower incisor crowding, and others have argued for wisdom teeth to be removed to prevent periodontal pathology. On the other side some have advocated for wisdom … Read more

Periodontal Disease and Pregnancy Risks

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An often disagreed point in the literature is whether or not periodontal disease is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm births and low birth weight. I have discussed this some more on the risks of keeping wisdom teeth page over at http://www.teethremoval.com/risks_of_keeping_wisdom_teeth.html. I discussed how in a meta-analysis of 10 randomized trials in January 2011 found no evidence in favor of periodontal disease being associated with preterm births and low birth weight. The source for this study is Mariana Fampa Fogacci and et al. The Effect of Periodontal Therapy on Preterm Low Birth Weight: A Meta-Analysis. Obstetrics & Gynecology. vol. 117. issue 1. pages 153-165. January 2011. In a letter in J Can Dent Assoc 2012; 78: c120 there is an articled titled “Periodontal Disease and Pregnancy Risks,” which was published on on September 24, 2012 over at http://www.jcda.ca/article/c120 … Read more

Removing Wisdom Teeth May Improve The Periodontal Health of Remaining Teeth

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An interesting article titled “Removal of Symptomatic Third Molars May Improve Periodontal Status of Remaining Dentition,” by Carolyn Dicus-Brookes and et al. appears in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (vol. 71, pp. 1639-1646, 2013). The article seeks to explore the impact of removing wisdom teeth on the periodontal status of adjacent second molars and other teeth located in the mouth specifically for patients who have mild symptoms of pericoronitis. As discussed recently over at Upcoming Changes to JOMS and AAOMS in 2014, select articles in JOMS will have press releases written by AAOMS staff to accompany them. This is one of those articles so that feature appears to have already been rolled out. To get an idea of what the press release entails I will briefly describe it. It is very short (less than 10 sentences) and fits … Read more

Wisdom Teeth Caries Experience and Periodontal Pathology in Young Patients

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An interesting article explored the prevalence of caries experience and periodontal pathology on asymptomatic wisdom teeth in young adults appears in a 2012 issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery by Rachel N. Garaas and et al. titled “Prevalence of third molars with caries or periodontal pathology in young adults” (J Oral Maxillofac Surg. vol. 70, pages 507-513, 2012). The article seeks to help inform young adults who are seeking advice about the extraction or retention of wisdom teeth about if these teeth can remain symptom free or not. The study includes 409 patients with an average age of 25. The authors define a periodontal probing depth of at least 4 mm as indicative of periodontal inflammatory disease. The authors found that a periodontal probing depth of at least 4 mm was detected more often on a mandibular … Read more

Gingivitis Bacteria Manipulate Your Immune System

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An interesting article appears in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology discussing how the bacteria known for causing gum disease–Porphyromonas gingivalis–can manipulate the immune system to disable normal processes that would otherwise destroy it.The article talks about how this bacteria causes the anti-inflammatory molecule Interleukin-10 (IL-10) which inhibits the function of T-cells which would otherwise help to fight off the bacteria. The researchers discuss how it is important to understand how gingivitis bacteria affect the immune system since more than 50% of adults over 50 in the U.S. develop periodontal disease. The researchers used cells from mice that were exposed to Porphyromonas gingivalis and had some of them treated with an inhibiting antibody against IL-10 and the other portion of cells was not treated. The cells were then tested for interferon gamma production. The researchers found that an increase of interferon … Read more