Vitamin D and Dental Decay

A new review of existing studies points toward a potential role for vitamin D in helping to prevent dental caries, or tooth decay. The review, published in the December issue of Nutrition Reviews, encompassed 24 controlled clinical trials, spanning the 1920s to the 1980s, on approximately 3,000 children in several countries. These trials showed that vitamin D was associated with an approximately 50 percent reduction in the incidence of tooth decay. "My main goal was to summarize the clinical trial database so that we could take a fresh look at this vitamin D question," said Dr. Philippe Hujoel of the University of Washington, who conducted the review. While vitamin D's role in supporting bone health has not been disputed, significant disagreement has historically existed over its role in preventing caries, Hujoel noted. The American Medical Association and the U.S. National Research Council concluded around 1950 that vitamin D was beneficial in managing dental caries. The American Dental Association said otherwise - based on the same evidence. In 1989, the National Research Council, despite new evidence supporting vitamin D's caries-fighting benefits, called the issue "unresolved." Current reviews by the Institute of Medicine, the U.S. Department of Human Health and Service and the American Dental Association draw no conclusions on the vitamin D evidence as it relates to dental caries. "Such inconsistent conclusions by different organizations do not make much sense from an evidence-based perspective," Hujoel said. The trials he reviewed increased vitamin D levels in children through the use of supplemental UV radiation or by supplementing the children's diet with cod-liver oil or other products containing the vitamin. The clinical trials he reviewed were conducted in the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Austria, New Zealand and Sweden. Trials were conducted in institutional settings, schools, medical and dental practices, or hospitals. The subjects were children or young adults between the ages of 2 and 16 years, with a weighted mean age of 10 years. Hujoel's findings come as no surprise to researchers familiar with past vitamin D studies. According to Dr. Michael Hollick, professor of medicine at the Boston University Medical Center, "the findings from the University of Washington reaffirm the importance of vitamin D for dental health." He said that "children who are vitamin D deficient have poor and delayed teeth eruption and are prone to dental caries." The vitamin D question takes on greater importance in the light of current public health trends. Vitamin D levels in many populations are decreasing while dental caries levels in young children are increasing. "Whether this is more than just a coincidence is open to debate," Hujoel said. "In the meantime, pregnant women or young mothers can do little harm by realizing that vitamin D is essential to their offspring's health. Vitamin D does lead to teeth and bones that are better mineralized." Hujoel added a note of caution to his findings: "One has to be careful with the interpretation of this systematic review. The trials had weaknesses which could have biased the result, and most of the trial participants lived in an era that differs profoundly from today's environment. " Hujoel has joint appointments as a professor in the University of Washington School of Dentistry's Department of Oral Health Sciences and as an adjunct professor of epidemiology in the UW School of Public Health. His research has concentrated on nutrition with a focus on low-carbohydrate diets, harmful effects of diagnostic radiation, and evidence-based methodology and applications. His research has also covered sugar substitutes, the use of antibiotics in the treatment of periodontal disease, and cleft lip and cleft palate. He has also studied the link between dental disease and systemic disease, as well as trends in disease prevalence

Erectile Dysfunction And Your Gums

Men in their thirties who had inflamed gums caused by severe periodontal disease were three times more likely to suffer from erection problems, according to a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Turkish researchers compared 80 men aged 30 to 40 with erectile dysfunction with a control group of 82 men without erection problems. This showed that 53 per cent of the men with erectile dysfunction had inflamed gums compared with 23 per cent in the control group. When the results were adjusted for other factors, such as age, body mass index, household income and education level, the men with severe periodontal disease were 3.29 times more likely to suffer from erection problems than men with healthy gums. "Erectile dysfunction is a major public health problem that affects the quality of life of some 150 million men, and their partners, worldwide," says lead author Dr. Faith Oguz from Inonu University in Malatya, Turkey. "Physical factors cause nearly two-thirds of cases, mainly because of problems with the blood vessels, with psychological issues like emotional stress and depression accounting for the remainder. "Chronic periodontitis (CP) is a group of infectious diseases caused predominantly by bacteria that most commonly occur with inflammation of the gums. "Many studies have reported that CP may induce systemic vascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease, which have been linked with erection problems." The average age of the men in both groups was just under 36 and there were no significant differences when it came to body mass index, household income and education. Their sexual function was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function and their gum health using the plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing depth and clinical attachment level. "To our knowledge, erectile dysfunction and CP in humans are caused by similar risk factors, such as ageing, smoking, diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease," says Dr. Oguz. "We therefore excluded men who had systemic disease and who were smokers from this study. "We particularly selected men aged between 30 and 40 to assess the impact of CP on erectile dysfunction without the results being influenced by the effects of ageing. "The result of our study support the theory that CP is present more often in patients with erectile dysfunction than those without and should be considered as a factor by clinicians treating men with erection problems."

Genetic Test And Mouth Cancer

A new gene test may be able to detect precancerous cells in patients with begin looking mouth lesions according to a study published in the International Journal of Cancer . Researchers used a special diagnostic test to analyze head and neck specimens from 229 patients in the United Kingdom. The genetic test they performed is less invasive than standard methods which require a 1-2mm tissue specimen , also the genetic results are available in a much shorter time . The study showed that the genetic test had a cancer detection rate of 94% in the specimens that were used for the tissue samples. The study is groundbreaking in the fact that it allows the release patients with harmless lesions and with out the unnecessary anxiety of waiting a week for the lab biopsy results.

Your Breath and Cancer

A study published in October 2012 shows that what is in your breath may be helpful in distinguishing between benign and malignat lung cancer . The reseachers analyzed the exhaled volatile organic compounds form patients who had pulomonary nodeules then underwent resection of the nodule for final diagnosis . The technique not only ewas able to distinguish between benign and malignat nodules but could differentiate between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma , in addition the test could determine if the lesion was early or late stage.The conclusion was that in the future clinicians could use exhaled breath test to descriminate between benign and malignate nodules and reduce the rate of false positives detected by x-ray. In addition this procedure could minimize thew risk of morbidity related to invasive diagnostic procedures as well.

Laser Treatment And Gum Disease

A new study printed in the Journal of Lasers in Medical Science , November 2012 shows that laser treatment can significantly improve the clinical results when used as a adjunct to scaling and root planning . The study looked a t 30 adults with some form of gum disease and had at least 14 teeth in their mouth . The test group had used only a diode laser that had a wavelength of 940-nm. The results concluded that although the type of laser used will affect the results , laser therapy will if used properly improve the outcomes for non-surgical approaches for the treatment of gum disease.

CDC:Half of U.S. Adults Have Periodontal Disease

The finding of a survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control(CDC)show that one out of every two American adults age 30 or older has periodontal disease. The data indicates that 47 % or 64.7 million American adults have some form of periodontal disease . In adults older than age 65 , prevalence rates increase to 70%. The survey included a full-mouth periodontal examination because periodontal disease is very site specific , meaning not every tooth has the disease at the same time. The data show the disease is higher in men(54%) than women(38%) and is highest in Mexican-Americans(66%) . The next highest was current smokers(64%) , those living below the federal poverty level(65%) and those with less than a high school education(66%).Periodontal disease is associated with age , and as Americans live longer and retain more of therir natural teeth , periodontal disease may take on a more prominent role in the oral health of the U.S. population.

BP Drugs And Lip Cancer

Long term use of commonly prescribed blood pressure medications is associated with an increased risk of lip cancer in non-Hispanic whites , according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine . The study of 23,000 non-Hispanic whites that were using diuretic hydrochlorothiazide with or with out triamterene , lisinopril , nifedipine or atenolol ....the results showed that the risk for developing squamous cell lip cancer was higher among those who received all except the drug atenolol for long-term use.The study concluded that although lip cancer is rare an increased risk of developing it is generally outweighed by the benefit of these blood pressure drugs. Physicians who are prescribing these photosensitizing drugs should be aware of the patients risk for developing skin cancer by virture of fair skin , long term sun exposure and the ability to discuss lip protection .