Premie's And Their Teeth

Our knowledge about premature children, and their physical and mental development as they grow up, is constantly growing. In recent years several studies of children's dental health have been published by researchers at the Faculty of Odontology in Malmö. Liselotte Paulsson-Björnsson, a specialist in orthodontics, has studied 80 children born before week 33 of pregnancy. "We have examined how their teeth are developing and, among other things, we've looked at their bites. We've also checked their need for orthodontic adjustments and found that it is greater than in the control group, children born at full term," she says. The children participating in the various studies were born in the mid 1990s and were examined when they developed their first permanent teeth at the age of eight to ten. The first permanent teeth are the front teeth in the upper and lower jaw and the so-called six-year molars, the first big molars. The results show that the teeth of premature children were up to ten percent smaller compared with the control group. The earlier the children were born the smaller their teeth were. "When we examined the children we also saw that their teeth were farther apart," says Liselotte Paulsson-Björnsson, who stresses that having small teeth as such is not a serious problem, but it can be aesthetically problematic to have large gaps between your teeth. "But these problems can be addressed. We can move teeth if the gaps between them are too large, and there is also good material to extend teeth if they're too small." Disturbances in the teeth's mineralization phase can also lead to spots on the front teeth, but this is also a problem that can be dealt with using cosmetic dental treatments. Liselotte Paulsson-Björnsson is now planning new studies to follow these children into their teens. Among other things, she will be studying whether all permanent teeth are affected in terms of size, or only the ones that are formed in connection with birth. She also wants to study the children's quality of life in relation to their dental status. "But as care of premature children is under constant development, it's not possible to automatically transfer my findings to children being born prematurely now," she says

New Gel Causes The Body To Form Teeth

A bit of pressure from a new shrinking, sponge-like gel is all it takes to turn transplanted unspecialized cells into cells that lay down minerals and begin to form teeth. The bioinspired gel material could one day help repair or replace damaged organs, such as teeth and bone, and possibly other organs as well, scientists from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), and Boston Children's Hospital report recently in Advanced Materials. "Tissue engineers have long raised the idea of using synthetic materials to mimic the inductive power of the embryo," said Don Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., Founding Director of the Wyss Institute, Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School, Professor of Bioengineering at SEAS, and senior author of the study. "We're excited about this work because it shows that it really is possible." Embryonic tissues have the power to drive cells and tissues to specialize and form organs. To do that, they employ biomolecules called growth factors to stimulate growth; gene-activating chemicals that cause the cells to specialize, and mechanical forces that modulate cell responses to these other factors. But so far tissue engineers who want to build organs in the laboratory have employed only two of the three strategies - growth factors and gene-activating chemicals. Perhaps as a result, they have not yet succeeded in producing complex three-dimensional tissues. A few years ago, Ingber and Tadanori Mammoto, M.D., Ph.D., Instructor in Surgery at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, investigated a process called mesenchymal condensation that embryos use to begin forming a variety of organs, including teeth, cartilage, bone, muscle, tendon, and kidney. In mesenchymal condensation, two adjacent tissue layers - loosely packed connective-tissue cells called mesenchyme and sheet-like tissue called an epithelium that covers it - exchange biochemical signals. This exchange causes the mesenchymal cells to squeeze themselves tightly into a small knot directly below where the new organ will form. By examining tissues isolated from the jaws of embryonic mice, Mammoto and Ingber showed that when the compressed mesenchymal cells turn on genes that stimulate them to generate whole teeth composed of mineralized tissues, including dentin and enamel. Inspired by this embryonic induction mechanism, Ingber and Basma Hashmi, a Ph.D. candidate at SEAS who is the lead author of the current paper, set out to develop a way to engineer artificial teeth by creating a tissue-friendly material that accomplishes the same goal. Specifically, they wanted a porous sponge-like gel that could be impregnated with mesenchymal cells, then, when implanted into the body, induced to shrink in 3D to physically compact the cells inside it. To develop such a material, Ingber and Hashmi teamed up with researchers led by Joanna Aizenberg, Ph.D., a Wyss Institute Core Faculty member who leads the Institute's Adaptive Materials Technologies platform. Aizenberg is the Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at SEAS and Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University. They chemically modified a special gel-forming polymer called PNIPAAm that scientists have used to deliver drugs to the body's tissues. PNIPAAm gels have an unusual property: they contract abruptly when they warm. But they do this at a lukewarm temperature, whereas the researchers wanted them to shrink specifically at 37°C - body temperature - so that they'd squeeze their contents as soon as they were injected into the body. Hashmi worked with Lauren Zarzar, Ph.D., a former SEAS graduate student who's now a postdoctoral associate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for more than a year, modifying PNIPAAm and testing the resulting materials. Ultimately, they developed a polymer that forms a tissue-friendly gel with two key properties: cells stick to it, and it compresses abruptly when warmed to body temperature. As an initial test, Hashmi implanted mesenchymal cells in the gel and warmed it in the lab. Sure enough, when the temperature reached 37°C, the gel shrank within 15 minutes, causing the cells inside the gel to round up, shrink, and pack tightly together. "The reason that's cool is that the cells are alive," Hashmi said. "Usually when this happens, cells are dead or dying." Not only were they alive - they activated three genes that drive tooth formation. To see if the shrinking gel also worked its magic in the body, Hashmi worked with Mammoto to load mesenchymal cells into the gel, then implant the gel beneath the mouse kidney capsule - a tissue that is well supplied with blood and often used for transplantation experiments. The implanted cells not only expressed tooth-development genes - they laid down calcium and minerals, just as mesenchymal cells do in the body as they begin to form teeth. "They were in full-throttle tooth-development mode," Hashmi said. In the embryo, mesenchymal cells can't build teeth alone - they need to be combined with cells that form the epithelium. In the future, the scientists plan to test whether the shrinking gel can stimulate both tissues to generate an entire functional tooth.

"Big Tooth" Is Watching You !

Researchers at the National University of Taiwan have developed a “smart” tooth device that monitors an individual ‘s oral habits by recording movement of the jaw and generating data that is fed to a computer via the tooth’s sensor , then paired with an oral action . The device can be used as a detachable fake tooth or inserted in a crown , allowing doctors to track chewing , drinking , eating , coughing and even smoking – and (hopefully) allow them help treating a wide range of problems . In testing the device , the researchers asked 8 volunteers to perform 30 – second tasks such as chewing gum , reading aloud , drinking a bottle of water and coughing . The device was able to determine what action each volunteer performed with 94% accuracy . Because the mouth is “an opening into human health” , the researchers contend the device has the potential to enhance existing healthcare monitoring applications such as dietary tracking.

New Study About Heart Surgery And Infected Teeth

Abscessed or infected teeth are often removed before heart surgery, as this decreases the risk of infection during surgery and decreases the risk of an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart - called endocarditis - following surgery. But although it is standard practice to remove bad teeth prior to heart surgery, there is only limited evidence that supports this practice. The new study set out to evaluate what harms may be associated with dental extraction before cardiovascular surgery. "Guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association label dental extraction as a minor procedure, with the risk of death or non-fatal heart attack estimated to be less than 1%," says study author and anesthesiologist Dr. Mark M. Smith, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. "Our results, however, documented a higher rate of major adverse outcomes, suggesting physicians should evaluate individualized risk of anesthesia and surgery in this patient population," he adds. Heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and death Dr. Smith and his colleagues found that 8% of patients who had teeth removed prior to heart surgery experienced adverse outcomes. These included heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and death. Overall, 3% of patients died after dental extraction and before the heart surgery could take place. But this study did have some limitations. Co-author and cardiac surgeon Dr. Joseph A. Dearani says: "With the information from our study we cannot make a definitive recommendation for or against dental extraction prior to cardiac surgery. We recommend an individualized analysis of the expected benefit of dental extraction prior to surgery weighed against the risk of morbidity and mortality as observed in our study." Established thinking on dental surgery and cardiac surgery is changing The results of the Mayo Clinic study contribute to an ongoing departure in current thinking on the relationship between dental surgery and cardiac surgery. "'Accepted wisdom' leads surgeons to request dental reviews prior to cardiac surgery in many thousands of patients annually around the world," says Dr. Michael Jonathan Unsworth-White, from Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, UK. "Dr. Smith's group asks us to question this philosophy. It is a significant departure from current thinking." Writing in a linked comment, Dr. Unsworth-White draws parallels with another recent change of consensus. In patients undergoing dental work who have existing heart problems, it has previously been standard practice to prescribe prophylactic antibiotics. Again, this was because there is a known link between dental bacteremia and endocarditis. But more recent studies have suggested that the potential side effects of these antibiotics may outweigh the benefits. Dr. Unsworth-White explains: "The American Heart Association and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the UK have withdrawn support for this practice of prophylactic antibiotics because the danger from overuse of antibiotics outweighs any other potential risks. Regular tooth brushing, flossing, and even chewing gum are now recognized to dislodge as much, if not more, bacteremia than most dental procedures."

Gum Disease Bacteria Cause Cancer

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University have discovered how byproducts in the form of small fatty acids from two bacteria prevalent in gum disease incite the growth of deadly Kaposi's sarcoma-related (KS) lesions and tumors in the mouth. The discovery could lead to early saliva testing for the bacteria, which, if found, could be treated and monitored for signs of cancer and before it develops into a malignancy, researchers say. "These new findings provide one of the first looks at how the periodontal bacteria create a unique microenvironment in the oral cavity that contributes to the replication the Kaposi's sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV) and development of KS," said Fengchun Ye, the study's lead investigator from Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine's Department of Biological Sciences. The discovery is described in The Journal of Virology article, "Short Chain Fatty Acids from Periodontal Pathogens Suppress HDACs, EZH2, and SUV39H1 to Promote Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Replication." The research focuses on how the bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn), which are associated with gum disease, contribute to cancer formation. Ye said high levels of these bacteria are found in the saliva of people with periodontal disease, and at lower levels in those with good oral health - further evidence of the link between oral and overall physical health. KS impacts a significant number of people with HIV, whose immune systems lack the ability to fight off the herpesvirus and other infections, he said. "These individual are susceptible to the cancer," Ye said. KS first appears as lesions on the surface of the mouth that, if not removed, can grow into malignant tumors. Survival rates are higher when detected and treated early in the lesion state than when a malignancy develops. Also at risk are people with compromised immune systems: people on medications to suppress rejection of transplants, cancer patients on chemotherapies and the elderly population whose immune systems naturally weaken with age. The researchers wanted to learn why most people never develop this form of cancer and what it is that protects them. The researchers recruited 21 patients, dividing them into two groups. All participants were given standard gum-disease tests. The first group of 11 participants had an average age of 50 and had severe chronic gum disease. The second group of 10 participants, whose average age was about 26, had healthy gums, practiced good oral health and showed no signs of bleeding or tooth loss from periodontal disease. The researchers also studied a saliva sample from each. Part of the saliva sample was separated into its components using a spinning centrifuge. The remaining saliva was used for DNA testing to track and identify bacteria present, and at what levels. The researchers were interested in Pg's and Fn's byproducts of lipopolysaccharide, fimbriae, proteinases and at least five different short-chain fatty acids (SCFA): butyric acid, isobutryic acid, isovaleric acid, propionic acid and acetic acid. After initially testing the byproducts, the researchers suspected that the fatty acids were involved in replicating KSHV. The researchers cleansed the fatty acids and then introduced them to cells with quiescent KSHV virus in a petri dish for monitoring the virus' reaction. After introducing SCFA, the virus began to replicate. But the researchers saw that, while the fatty acids allowed the virus to multiple, the process also set in motion a cascade of actions that also inhibited molecules in the body's immune system from stopping the growth of KSHV. "The most important thing to come out of this study is that we believe periodontal disease is a risk factor for Kaposi sarcoma tumor in HIV patients," Ye said. With that knowledge, Ye said those with HIV must be informed about the importance of good oral health and the possible consequences of overlooking that area .

New Candy Reduces Cavities

Our mouths are a delicate balance of good and bad bacteria. When we clean our teeth, the aim is to knock out cavity-causing bacteria, while allowing beneficial oral bacteria to thrive. Now, researchers have developed a sugar-free candy, which contains dead bacteria that bind to bad bacteria, potentially reducing cavities. The importance of good oral health has been emphasized by doctors for years. Poor oral health has been linked to many conditions, from Alzheimer's disease to pancreatic cancer, not to mention cardiovascular disease. To promote better oral health, a team from the Berlin-based firm Organobalance GmbH, Germany, created a new candy, which they claim reduced levels of 'bad' bacteria in study subjects' mouths. Their research was published in Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins. They note that after we eat, bacteria on the surface of the teeth release acid, which can dissolve the tooth enamel, leading to cavities. The most common strain of this "bad" bacteria is called Mutans streptococci. However, the researchers say that in previous studies with rats, another bacteria called Lactobacillus paracasei has been shown to reduce levels of the cavity-causing bacteria, decreasing the number of cavities in the rodents. The team, led by Christine Lang, believe that by binding with M. streptococci, the L. paracasei bacteria prevent this bad bacteria from reattaching to the teeth, causing it to get washed away by saliva. Dentists normally suggest staying away from sweets, but a newly created sugar-free bacteria-containing candy reduced levels of bad oral bacteria. In a pilot trial involving 60 subjects, Lang and her team tested whether their sugar-free candy, which contained heat-killed samples of L. paracasei DSMZ16671, reduced levels of bad oral bacteria. One-third of the subjects ate candies with 1 mg of L. paracasei, while another third ate candies with twice this amount (2 mg). The final third served as a control group and ate candies that were similar in taste but that contained no bacteria. In total, all subjects ate five candies during the 1.5-day study. They were not allowed to perform any oral hygiene activities during this time, and they were also not allowed to consume coffee, tea, wine or probiotic foods. Results showed that nearly 75% of the participants who ate candies with the good bacteria had "significantly lower" levels of Mutans streptococci in their saliva than before, compared with the control group. Additionally, the subjects who ate candy with 2 mg of L. paracasei had a reduction in bad bacteria levels after eating only one piece of candy. The researchers write: "We think it remarkable that this effect was observed after exposure to only five pieces of candy containing 1 or 2 mg of dead L. paracasei DSMZ16671 consumed in 1.5 days." They say that by using dead bacteria, they avoided problems that live bacteria might have caused. They also note that the L. paracasei does not bind with beneficial oral bacteria, which is why this is a better cavity prevention method than other probiotics. "Additionally," they add, "sugar-free candies stimulate saliva flow, a benefit to oral health."

Whats In Your Food ?

In our modern and fast-paced lives, it may be difficult to keep a healthy balance of nutrients in our food. Sugar is one of these nutrients, and the cells in our body would die without it. Consuming too much sugar, however, raises the risk of several problems, including poor dental health, obesity and type 2 diabetes. To keep control of sugar levels, it helps to know just how much sugar there is in the food we eat. Here, we have listed the sugar content of numerous everyday foods, both processed and natural ones. What is sugar? Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that belongs to a class of chemically-related sweet-flavored substances. It comes in many different forms. The three main types of sugar are sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Even though our cells need sugar (glucose) to survive, consuming too much of it can cause numerous different health problems. Added sugar contains no beneficial nutrients and in excess only contributes to tooth decay, diabetes, and obesity. The American Heart Association (AHA) have said that added sugars "contribute zero nutrients" and are just empty calories "that can lead to extra pounds, or even obesity, thereby reducing heart health." Being aware of the existing and added sugar contents of the foods and drinks we consume is vital for our health - even more so today because so many products have sugar added to them. The AHA currently recommends that men consume no more than 150 calories from added sugar per day, and women 100 calories. Nutritionists strongly recommend against consuming more than 13 teaspoons a day. Sugar content in common foods and drinks To help you keep track of how much sugar you're consuming we've listed some common everyday foods and drinks, together with their sugar content. Some of these may surprise you: How much sugar do chocolates and candy contain? Milk chocolate bar (44g) - 5.75 teaspoons of sugar Snickers bar (57g) - 7 teaspoons of sugar Milky Way bar (58g) - 8.5 teaspoons of sugar Marshmallows (100g) - 14.5 teaspoons of sugar Caramel piece (10g) - 1.7 teaspoons of sugar Butterfinger bar (60g) - 6.9 teaspoons of sugar Dove chocolate bar (37g) - 5 teaspoons of sugar Starburst packet (45 grams) - 5.5 teaspoons of sugar Twix bar - 2.75 teaspoons of sugar M&Ms packet (45 grams) - 5.75 teaspoons of sugar Boiled sweets bag (100 grams) - 11.5 teaspoons of sugar How much sugar do soft drinks contain? Coca cola (one can) - 7 teaspoons of sugar Red Bull (one can) - 7.5 teaspoons of sugar Lemonade (one glass) - 5.5 teaspoons of sugar Orange squash (one glass) - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar Hot chocolate (one mug) - 4.5 teaspoons of sugar Fruit smoothie (one glass) - 3.5 teaspoons of sugar A study published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, identified a link between drinking more than one soft drink a day and increased risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. How much sugar do breakfast cereals contain? Alpen - 5 teaspoons of sugar Cheerios - 1.1 teaspoons of sugar Corn Flakes - 2.4 teaspoons of sugar Cocoa Krispies - 9.6 teaspoons of sugar Froot Loops - 10.6 teaspoons of sugar Raisin Bran - 7.8 teaspoons of sugar Frosted Flakes - 8.9 teaspoons of sugar Honey Smacks - 14 teaspoons of sugar Rice Krispies - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar Special K - 3 teaspoons of sugar Wheaties - 3.8 teaspoons of sugar Trix - 8 teaspoons of sugar Lucky Charms - 9 teaspoons of sugar Rice Chex - 2 teaspoons of sugar Wheat Chex - 2.6 teaspoons of sugar Corn Chex - 2.8 teaspoons of sugar Honey Nut Cheerios - 8.25 teaspoons of sugar Reese's Puffs - 8.9 teaspoons of sugar Golden Grahams - 8.8 teaspoons of sugar Cocoa Puffs - 9.3 teaspoons of sugar Cookie Crisp - 8.7 teaspoons of sugar Shredded Wheat - 0.1 teaspoons of sugar Cocoa Pebbles - 8.6 teaspoons of sugar Banana Nut Crunch - 4.7 teaspoons of sugar In June 2012, researchers from Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity revealed that even though cereals aimed at kids had become more nutritious, cereal companies (such as Kellogg, General Mills, and Post) had increased their advertising spending considerably. Cereal advertising aimed at children increased by 34% between 2008 and 2011. Marlene Schwartz, deputy director of the Rudd Center, said: "While cereal companies have made small improvements to the nutrition of their child-targeted cereals, these cereals are still far worse than the products they market to adults. They have 56% more sugar, half as much fiber, and 50% more sodium. The companies know how to make a range of good-tasting cereals that aren't loaded with sugar and salt. Why can't they help parents out and market these directly to children instead?" How much sugar does fruit contain? Fruits contain fructose, a type of sugar. Fresh fruit have no "added sugar", but as you can see below, their levels of sugar range from 1 teaspoon per 100 grams in cranberries to 4 teaspoons in grapes. Mangos - 3.2 teaspoons of sugar Bananas - 3 teaspoons of sugar Apples - 2.6 teaspoons of sugar Pineapples - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar Grapes - 4 teaspoons of sugar Lemons - 0.6 teaspoons of sugar Kiwi fruit - 2.3 teaspoons of sugar Apricots - 2.3 teaspoons of sugar Strawberries - 1.3 teaspoons of sugar Raspberries - 1 teaspoon of sugar Blueberries - 1.7 teaspoons of sugar Cranberries - 1 teaspoons of sugar Tomatoes - 0.7 teaspoons of sugar How much sugar do cakes and desserts contain? Banoffee pie (1 medium portion) - 4.25 teaspoons of sugar Carrot cake (1 medium slice) - 3 teaspoons of sugar Custard (1 medium portion) - 3.25 teaspoons of sugar Chocolate mousse (1 medium portion) - 3 teaspoons of sugar Cornetto (1 cone) - 3 teaspoons of sugar Donut (1 jam doughnut) - 3.5 teaspoons of sugar Fruit pie (1 medium portion) - 3.5 teaspoons of sugar Fruit cake (1 medium slice) - 5 teaspoons of sugar Muffin (one chocolate chip muffin) - 4.75 teaspoons of sugar Ice cream (1 scoop) - 3 teaspoons of sugar Rice pudding (1 portion) - 3.75 teaspoons of sugar Sponge cake (1 medium slice) - 5.5 teaspoons of sugar Swiss roll (1 roll) - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar Why Should I monitor my sugar intake? The American Heart Association has urged people to cut their added sugar intake because of evidence that it can cause the following health conditions: Obesity - Scientists at the Medical Research Council found that eating more sugar is associated with obesity. High blood pressure - A high-fructose diet raises blood pressure in men, according to research reported at the American Heart Association's 63rd High Blood Pressure Research Conference. Heart disease - Researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that people who consume higher amounts of added sugar are more likely to have heart disease risk factors. Type 2 diabetes - Research conducted at the University of California-San Francisco indicates that sugar intake could be directly linked to type 2 diabetes. Added sugar consumption far too high The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that far too many Americans are consuming too many calories from added sugars. The report revealed that nearly 13% of adults' total caloric intake are coming from sources such as sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Consumers need information on "Added Sugars" Dr Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist, wrote in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) last month that dietary advice on added sugar is damaging people's health. Dr. Malhotra said "not only has this advice been manipulated by the food industry for profit but it is actually a risk factor for obesity and diet related disease." Food labels in the USA and Europe contain only information on total sugars per serving, and tell us nothing about added sugar. "It is therefore almost impossible for consumers to determine the amount of added sugars in foods and beverages." Prof. Tim Noakes, Director at the Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa, wrote in the same journal "Sugary sports drinks are promoted as essential for athletic performance, but are used predominantly by those without real athletic aspirations. Users need to understand that exercise may not protect them from the negative consequences of an excessive sugar intake." In the video below, Dr. Miriam Vos, assistant professor of pediatrics (gastroenterology) at Emory University School of Medicine explains what "added sugars" are and how they are different from the natural sugars we find in fruit or milk .