Tooth Loss Linked to Depression and Anxiety

At the 43rd Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR), held in conjunction with the 38th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, R. Constance Wiener, from West Virginia University, Morgantown, presented a research study titled "Association of Tooth Loss and Depression and Anxiety." Tooth loss from caries and periodontal disease is an outcome from complex, chronic conditions. Several biopsychosocial factors are involved, including accessing care. Individuals reporting dental anxiety may avoid dental care; and individuals with depression may be negligent in self-care. In this study, researchers examined a potential association of tooth loss with depression and anxiety. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Survey is a complex, telephone survey of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments. In this study, the researchers used the BRFSS 2010 data (451,075 respondents). Analysis involved frequency, Chi square analysis, and complex survey logistic regression. Participants eligibility included being 19 years or older, and having complete data on depression, anxiety and tooth loss. There were 76,292 eligible participants; and 13.4% of participants reported anxiety, 16.7% reported depression, and 5.7% reported total tooth loss. The sample was evenly distributed between males and females; there were 68.7% non-Hispanic whites, 12.7% non-Hispanic blacks, 12.5% Hispanics, and 6.8% other. In Chi-square analysis by tooth loss: depression, anxiety, and a combined category of depression or anxiety were significantly different in tooth loss verses participants without the conditions. At the conclusion of this national study, the researchers found that depression and anxiety are associated with tooth loss. Funding for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Health National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the, U54GM104942.

Smoking And Taste Alteration

In a recent study it was noted that tobacco's chemicals are already known to cause a loss of taste in smokers, as well as structural changes to the fungiform papillae of the tongue - where taste buds are found. What has been unknown is to what extent smokers' taste range is affected, whether it returns to normal upon quitting smoking and if so, how long that takes. Taste buds are largely responsible for conveying sweet, sour, bitter, salty and metallic sensations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the responsibilities of the taste system include:  Triggering digestive systems that change secretions of saliva, stomach acid and pancreatic juices  Enhancing feelings of pleasure and satiety when eating  Determining quality of foods and determining "good" tasting foods from "bad" ones, which could have potential toxins. To further investigate the changes in taste buds caused by smoking, Jacob and colleagues tested the ability of 451 study participants to recognize and rate intensity of the four basic tastes - sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Tobacco product accumulation could impede taste bud regeneration Smokers may not be able to fully taste the bitterness of coffee, researchers say. Dividing the participants into three groups (smokers, non-smokers and former smokers), the team conducted the voluntary tests during three separate and consecutive "World No-Tobacco Days." A person's ability to recognize salty, sweet or sour tastes was not influenced by smoking status, the researchers say. However, smoking status did affect their ability to taste the bitterness in caffeine. While bitter receptors in the tongue are normally able to detect this sensation in even low concentrations, nearly 20% of smokers were not able to correctly identify the taste. Of the former smokers, 26.5% were not able to identify the taste, while only 13.4% of the non-smokers were unable to correctly identify the bitter samples. Speaking about their findings, Jacob says: "We consider that the perception of bitter taste should be examined more closely, both as a tool for smoking cessation or for preventing smoking initiation. More generally, it should be worthwhile to consider the role of chemosensory perceptions in smoking behavior." The team believes the accumulation of some tobacco products in the body could impede taste buds regenerating, which could still affect a person's ability to recognize certain tastes after they have quit smoking. In the world of taste bud studies, recent research has reported on a digital taste simulator that can produce the four main elements of taste. Researchers say it could one day be used to improve or regenerate sense of taste in cancer patients whose taste buds have been impaired by chemotherapy.