Vitamin D Can Help Prevent Gum Infections

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A study appearing in the June 2011 issue of Infection and Immunity titled “Vitamin D-Mediated Induction of Innate Immunity in Gingival Epithelial Cells.” written by Laura McMahon and et al. (vol. 79, no. 6, pages 2250-2256), suggests that making sure you have enough Vitamin D can help with the immune defense in the oral cavity. The authors found that an innate immune regulator TREM-1 can be induced by treating gingival cells with vitamin D. While still much work needs to be done looking at how exactly vitamin D can fight infections there is potential for targeted therapies in the future. The authors state “As vitamin D and calcium defciences can lead to increased inflammation, it is reasonable to hypothesize that there is an association with periodontal disease….vitamin D-mediated gene regulation of the innate immune response may be associated with the … Read more

Thirteen Year Old Girl Dies After Dentist Visit

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I was sad to hear about the death of a 13 year old girl recently after she had a visit to the dentist. Marissa Kingery visited Dr. Henry Mazorow, an 80 year old dentist, who has been in practice since 1956, to remove two baby teeth and uncover an impacted tooth. The tentative cause of death is lack of oxygen to the brain following the administration of anesthesia. Marissa died in early January 2011 after being on life support for nearly two weeks. She was an eighth grade honor student and her fellow classmates and staff recently held a vigil to remember her along with a moment of silence. This occurred in Ohio. In May of 2010  a six year old boy who died during a dentist visit. For additional details visit http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2011/01/07/news/doc4d27207bd2d5d011029191.txt and http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2011/01/08/court-records-show-dentist-settled-wrongful-death-lawsuit-in-1997/

Darvon and Darvocet banned in U.S.

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I find it interesting to hear that the drug commonly known as Darvocet and also similarly Darvon has been banned in the U.S. as of November 19, 2010. The formal name of the drug is Dextropropoxyphene and is in the opiod category of drugs. If you know someone who wants to help a drug addicted friend or loved one, refer them to this website so they can see what they can do to help. This ban came by the FDA in response to research that suggests the drug Darvocet can lead to heart problems such as heart arrythmias. The drug is also known to be addictive and is associated with some deaths. It is commonly prescribed in the treatment of pain. I personally was prescribed darovcet in 2008 in an attempt to treat my chronic 24/7 headache caused by the … Read more

Fish Oil Supplements Lower Risk of Gum Disease

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New research shows that consuming  polyunsaturated fatty acids can lower the risk of developing periodontitis. Periodontitis is a gum infection that can lead to tissue and bone loss around teeth. The specific studies I am referring to found that n-3 fatty acid intake such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are inversely associated with periodontitis in a U.S. sample size of over 9,000 adults. This is useful to know because it is quite easy to incorporate a supplement like fish oil in your diet. However, I do have issues with dietary supplements as they typically do not have to meet tough standards to make it on your local pharmacy store’s shelf. Therefore you need to be careful about which brand you may purchase. There are also others ways to obtain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as by eating nuts, … Read more

One in Four Children Living in California Have not been to a Dentist

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I found this new study called “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Dental Care for Publicly Insured Children” to be quite discouraging which recently appeared in the July issue of the journal Health Affairs.  The study says 25% of children in the state of California (U.S.)  have never seen a dentist. It also goes on to address  disparities which exist across type of insurance coverage, ethnicity, and race. This is not good news as lack of dental care can of course cause children to have to miss school for treatment. The study looks at California kids who are age 11 and under and uses data from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey which contains over 10,000 children. So of course this is slightly dated data that was used. Some highlights on the study include African American and Latino American children with … Read more