It’s already known that your oral health – the condition of your gums, in particular – can have an effect on your heart healthy, but now researchers are finding that there may also be a connection with head and neck cancers.
Chronic periodontitis, progressive bone loss and loosening of soft tissue surrounding the teeth, was to add to the risk of head and neck cancers, in particular, cancers in the mouth. In a study published in the most recent issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, researchers came to this conclusion after after studying 463 patients (207 control patients).
“Although …read more

New research has determined that diets high in fermentable carbohydrates can cause poor dental health. We always think of carbs as adding to health problems such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but rarely does the subject of dental health arise. Until now.

A new article in this month’s Dental Research magazine says that “poor dental health has been linked to a number of chronic diseases.” The article argues that dentists should be asking their patients about their nutritional habits as part of their regular care.
Image: sxc.hu.

You may be able to brush away some pregnancy problems.
A new study from Queen Mary University of London shows that if pregnant women improve their dental hygiene, they might reduce complications in pregnancy and improve health of newborn babies. Researchers examined stomach contents containing swallowed amniotic fluid of 57 newborn babies. The work was presented recently at the Society for General Microbiology.
Why Better Oral Health Helps
Bacteria from a pregnant woman’s mouth may be transmitted through the blood and amniotic fluid in the womb to her unborn child. If that happens, the bacteria could contribute to a slew of problems, including:
• risk …read more

The cardiovascular health benefits of chocolate has already been much documented. Its positive effect on skin health, a bit less so. That is actually good for the teeth? Unheard of… til now.
Think chocolate is bad for your teeth? Think again—it may actually be beneficial. A study out of the University of Osaka Graduate School of Dentistry in Osaka, Japan found that after four days of rinsing with a cocoa flavanol extract without other oral hygiene methods (such as brushing or flossing) participants had decreased bacteria and plaque on their teeth.
Can you believe that? In the book Chocolate – A Healthy …read more

First, there were the cavity fighting lollipops. Now, the cavity-fighting goodness of xylitol, a commonly used sugar substitute, in gummy bears!
Xylitol has already been shown to reduce levels of the harmful mutans streptococci (MS) bacteria that are known to cause tooth decay and is actually already being used as the active ingredient in anti-cavity chewing gum. However such a product were not considered to be suitable for young kids. What’s a better product to use as a vehicle then? Gummy bears, what else!
The children in the study were given four bears three times a day, containing different concentrations of xylitol. …read more

Here’s a candy that’s sure to be a hit with kids (and their parents): a lollipop that fights tooth decay! It’s sugar-free, and contains an extract of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) which kills the primary bacteria responsible for tooth decay (Streptococccus mutans).

[Professor Wenyuan Shi] determined that an extract of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) is effective against tooth-decaying bacteria, providing the scientific basis for the ancient practice of chewing licorice root. “This was particularly charming because in both Chinese and in Western cultures, people have been chewing it maybe for the taste, but it also has a lot of good …read more

Fluoridated bottled water manufacturers are now allowed to claim that “Drinking fluoridated water may reduce the risk of [dental caries or tooth decay].”
It seems like something everyone already knows, but that’s how regulation goes. Before any firm can write any health claim on their packaging labels, all these go through rigorous validation processes first. And in fact, not all fluoridated water qualify. According to the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and applied Nutrition, “the food eligible to bear the claim is bottled water [snip] containing greater than 0.6 and up to 1.0 mg/L total fluoride, and meeting all general requirements …read more