dentist

Gum Disease Risk Doubles With Frequent Marijuana Use

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Marijuana has come a long way from being demonized as an illegal drug. Today, medical marijuana use is legal in 29 states and in Washington D.C. And as of November 2016, eight states made recreational marijuana use legal as well. But despite its praises being sung by millions, marijuana remains illegal under federal law. And for all its purported medical benefits, there are still downsides to marijuana use which advocates conveniently fail to mention in most conversations about the drug. One such downside is the one uncovered by a recent Columbia University study that says frequent pot use doubles the risk for periodontitis, an infection that causes serious damage not only to gum tissue but to the bone that supports the teeth as well. Frequent pot users show signs of periodontitis The study, which was published in the Journal of … Read more

Childhood Sleep Apnea – How can my Child Overcome It?

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According to the National Sleep Foundation, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) affects more than 18 million adults and about 2-3% of children of all ages as well as newborns. This sleep-related disorder causes difficulties during breathing while asleep. It often caused because the muscles in your upper airway relax while you sleep, making it floppy, which tends to make it susceptible to blockage due to the adenoids and tonsils. It is known to run in families, and children who have larger adenoids and tonsils. OSA in babies and toddlers is particularly concerning for parents as such children tend to feel very tired and cranky due to disturbed sleeping patterns and may also face learning, behavioral and health problems in the future. This happens because OSA causes the child’s breathing to temporarily pause while asleep for a little over two breath cycles. … Read more

Prefabricated blood vessels may revolutionize root canals

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Root canals are used to save a tooth that has become infected or decayed, with over 15 million performed each year in the U.S.. However, this procedure can cause teeth to become to become brittle and susceptible to fracture over time. The procedure involves removing infected dental tissues and replacing them with synthetic biomaterials covered by a protective crown. Now researchers in Portland, Oregon, have developed a process by which they can engineer new blood vessels in teeth, creating better long-term outcomes. By removing the tooth’s blood and nerve supply it is without an biological response. Then can cause the tooth to be lost and a need of dentures or implants. The researchers used a 3D printing-inspired process, which was based on their previous work fabricating artificial capillaries, to create blood vessels in the lab. They placed a fiber mold made … Read more

Going to the Virtual Beach Improves Dental Experiences

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For patients at a dental practice in Devon, England, Virtual Reality encounters in the dental chair can result in demonstrably better experiences. A team of researchers at the Universities of Plymouth, Exeter and Birmingham worked with Torrington Dental Practice in Devon to find out whether virtual experiences could improve the patient’s experience during routine dental procedures such as teeth removal. Patients, who agreed to take part in the study were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: a) standard care , b) a virtual walk around Wembury beach in Devon or c) a walk around an anonymous virtual reality city. Results found that those who ‘walked’ around Wembury beach were less anxious, experienced less pain, and had more positive recollections of their treatment when compared to those in the standard care condition. These benefits were not found for those who walked … Read more

Bleeding After Dental Extractions in Patients on Warfarin

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An interesting article titled “Postoperative Bleeding Following Dental Extractions in Patients Anticoagulated With Warfarin” written by Anthony Febbo and et al. appears in the 2016 Journal or Oral and Maxilofacial Surgery (vol. 74, pp. 1518-1523). The article sought to explore the risk of bleeding in patients on warfarin after dental extraction. Warfarin is the most common anticoagulant used in Australia which can be used to prevent life-threatening thromboembolic events, such as stroke and deep vein thrombosis from occuring in patients at risk. Varying viewing points exisist as how to best handle these patients when a tooth or teeth need to be extracted. Some options include stopping the anticoagulant before extraction or continuing to use it while local hemostatic techniques are used. However ceasing the anticoagulant could be deadly so it is not generally used. The therapeutic effect of warfarin is … Read more