Wisdom Teeth

Your teeth could be in more trouble than you know because of a silent and destructive phenomenon called dental erosion. The incidence of dental erosion, which is the steady loss of the teeth’s protective enamel, is on the rise in the United States. Bennett T. Amaechi, M.S., Ph.D., associate professor of community dentistry at the UT Health Science Center, and colleagues discovered a 30 percent prevalence rate of dental erosion among 10- to 14-year-olds in the United States. Dr. Amaechi led the San Antonio portion of the nation’s first population-based, multi-center study of dental erosion. The study, involving 900 middle school students, was conducted in 2004 and 2005 at Indiana University, the University of California at San Francisco and the UT Health Science Center San Antonio. Dental erosion has not been widely analyzed in the United States. “This study is … Read more

Each year, cardiovascular disease kills more Americans than cancer. Just brushing and flossing your teeth each day, you might also be avoiding this potentially lethal condition. This is similar study as the one posted yesterday. A new article suggests that periodontal patients whose bodies show evidence of a reaction to the bacteria associated with periodontitis may have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. “Although there have been many studies associating gum disease with heart disease, what we have not known is exactly why this happens and under what circumstances,” said JOP editor Kenneth Kornman, DDS, PhD. “The findings of this new analysis of previously published studies suggest that the long-term effect of chronic periodontitis, such as extended bacterial exposure, may be what ultimately leads to cardiovascular disease.” Researchers at Howard University identified 11 studies that had previously examined clinically-diagnosed … Read more

For more than 10 years, energy drinks in the United States have been on the rise, promising consumers more “oomph” in their day. In fact, it is estimated that the energy drink market will hit $10 billion by 2010. While that may be great news for energy drink companies, it could mean a different story for the oral health of consumers. Previous scientific research findings have helped to warn consumers that the pH levels in beverages such as soda could lead to tooth erosion, the breakdown of tooth structure caused by the effect of acid on the teeth that leads to decay. The studies revealed that, whether diet or regular, ice tea or root beer, the acidity level in popular beverages that consumers drink every day contributes to the erosion of enamel. A recent study examined the acidity levels of … Read more