Boggess KA et al. – Maternal periodontal disease is found in up to 40% of pregnant women and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Vitamin D deficiency may play a role in periodontal disease and tooth loss, and insufficient vitamin D status is common among pregnant women. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal vitamin D status and periodontal disease. Vitamin D insufficiency (serum 25(OH)D < 75 nmol/L) is associated with maternal periodontal disease during pregnancy. Vitamin D supplementation represents a potential therapeutic strategy to improve maternal oral health.

Source:  MD Linx

A shocking new study suggests that males with type 2 diabetes are twice more likely to suffer from tooth loss than those without the illness. The 20-year study was presented at the International Association of Dental Research conference held in Barcelona. It followed more than 38,000 males from 1986 to 2006 to examine connections between diabetes and tooth loss or gum disease. The study was carried out in Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. More

Source:  Dentistry.co.uk

People with a significant burden of periodontal bacteria are more than three times as likely to have hypertension as those with low levels of such bacteria, according to a large international study. Seven investigators from Columbia University, the University of Miami, the University of Minnesota and the French School of Public Health collected 4,533 subgingival plaque samples from 653 patients enrolled in the Oral Infections and Vascular Disease Epidemiology Study. (May require free registration to view article.) More

Source:  Dr.Bicuspid.com

Honest Results in Journal of Negative Results Document Truth of Drug Trial

by Heidi Stevenson

16 June 2010

In pure science, an experiment is neither successful nor a failure. Even if the results are the opposite of what the researchers expected or hope for, information is gained. Sadly, in the era of Big Pharma, scientists are expected to produce predetermined results. Occasionally, though, they tell the truth anyway.

The Journal of Negative Results came into being recently to report on trials that didn’t have the intended results. This month, the journal has published a report of a study that demonstrated “intense bone loss” in rats with periodontal disease given venlavaxine, the generic term for Effexor.

Effexor is owned by Pfizer, but the patent expires this year. As often happens, the company is frantically trying to find a new use for it before the expiration, in the hope of gaining a new patent.

Periodontal disease, which is a common condition of gum inflammation that can lead to bone and tooth loss, was instigated in the study’s rats. They were given Effexor shortly before surgical treatment and for ten days after. The amount of bone loss at the site of periodontal induction averaged 1.61 mm (+/- 1.36 mm) without Effexor and 4.47 mm (+/- 1.98 mm) with Effexor. The drug caused close to three times more bone loss. Higher doses equated with greater bone loss.

The authors state:

Thus we show for the first time that SNRIs such as venlafaxine are likely to worsen the bone loss in periodontal disease.

Recent studies have shown a connection between periodontal disease and depression. The results of this study, though, must open the question of whether the use of antidepressants may be the real cause of increased periodontal disease. Certainly, anyone who already has periodontal disease—a large percentage of us—should think twice before considering taking Effexor or any other SNRI.

Treating serious gum disease in diabetics can help to lower their blood sugar levels, a new study has found.

Edinburgh University scientists have found reducing gum inflammation in people with diabetes can help minimise complications with the condition.

It is thought when bacteria infect the mouth causing inflammation the chemical changes reduce effectiveness of insulin and raise the levels of blood sugar.

Treatment to reduce inflammation may therefore help reduce blood sugar.

The findings are published as part of the international Cochrane Collaboration.

Dental institute

The team, including researchers from UCL Eastman Dental Institute, Peninsula Dental School and Ottawa University, said their findings highlighted the need for doctors and dentists to work together in the treatment of people with diabetes.

Dr Terry Simpson, honorary research fellow at Edinburgh University’s dental institute, who led the study, said: “This research confirms that there may be a link between serious gum disease and diabetes.

“It highlights the role dentists can play in managing the condition, given that gum disease is very treatable.

“By far the most important aspect of diabetes management is the use of insulin, drugs and diet to control blood sugar levels but maintaining good dental health is something patients and healthcare professionals should also recognise.

“Although the benefit in terms of insulin management is small, anything we can do to promote the wellbeing of people with diabetes should be welcomed.”

Gum disease ‘linked to heart problems’

Excellent oral hygiene could prevent heart attacks, by stopping dangerous bacteria entering the bloodstream, a British study shows.

THE SHEER number of bacteria which can live in an unhealthy mouth – more than 700 strains – increases the risk of heart disease, regardless of how fit a person is.

Evidence is now developing that links the oral bacteria of gum disease and chronic teeth infections to increased incidence of heart disease.

The germs create thousands of tiny blood clots, which can cause a narrowing of the arteries; a common cause of attacks.

More than 2.5 million people in Britain suffer from heart disease, and one British adult dies from the condition every three minutes.

The disease is characterised by the restriction of blood to the heart, which can cause an attack.

Studies have previously shown a link between having gum disease and an increased likelihood of suffering from heart disease or a stroke. However, they have struggled to explain why the conditions are linked until now.

Professor Howard Jenkinson, from the University of Bristol, who led the study, said: “The mouth is an easy entry for nasty bacteria. Once inside the blood stream the platelets, which help the blood to clot, latch onto the bacteria. This can cause a blood clot, which can detach and travel to the heart. This is more worrying if the blood clot actually forms on the heart’s ventricle.”

He added: “We now recognise that bacterial infections are an independent risk factor for heart diseases, and there are now suggested links with cancer as well. In other words it doesn’t matter how fit, slim or healthy you are, you are adding to your chances of getting heart disease by having bad teeth.” Gum disease is the most common reason behind tooth loss in adults, which shows how extremely common it is.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO PREVENT GUM DISEASE AND DENTAL PROBLEMS

For most people, sticking with common sense tips can head off problems. If you keep your mouth clean, it is very hard for the bacteria that cause periodontal disease to get started. You will also reap other benefits – fewer fillings, healthier gums, a brighter smile and fresh breath confidence.

We have always known that a little prevention goes a long way but we used to think of it in terms of avoiding cavities and things like that. Now it seems that by using your toothbrush and your floss / mini brushes, you might also be preventing much more serious health problems down the road.”

Source:  roundtownnews.co.uk

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A new study reveals that green tea contains antimicrobial molecules called catechins that may promote dental health.

Researchers found that people aged 40-64 who drank one cup of green tea a day were less likely to lose teeth, reports www.news.discovery.com.

The research, published in Preventive Medicine, sugests that drinking at least one cup of green tea a day increases the odds of keeping your teeth as you age.

The researchers suspect that antimicrobial molecules called catechins present in green tea and, in lesser amounts in oolong tea, provide the benefit. But that sweetener may negate the effect, the team found.

Alfredo Morabia, of Columbia University in New York and editor of Preventive Medicine, says: ‘Green tea may have bacteriocidal effects, which would affect teeth, but only if you drink it without sugar.’

Yasushi Koyama, of the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, and his team looked at more than 25,000 Japanese men and women between age 40 and 64 in making the determination.

They found that men who drank at least one cup of tea a day were 19% less likely to have fewer than 20 teeth than those who did not drink green tea. Tea-drinking women had 13% lower odds.

Catechins have been shown to kill mouth bacteria associated with tooth decay and gum disease, so the researchers suspect this is what gives green tea its dental benefits.

Samuel Low, of the University of Florida College of Dentistry and President of the American Academy of Periodontology, says: ‘Previous research has indicated that regular consumption of green tea may lead to a lower instance of periodontal disease, a leading cause of tooth loss in adults.’

Referring to the systemic association between healthy teeth and gums and a healthy body, he adds: ‘That is why it is so important to find simple ways to boost periodontal health, such as regularly drinking green tea – something already known to possess certain health-related benefits.’

Source: Dentistry.co.uk

via HealthCanal.com

Exposure to the common pathogen causing periodontitis is linked to poor performance on cognitive tasks among older individuals, according to a study offering preliminary evidence that periodontitis is a potential risk factor for dementia. This association has been found in a new research study led by Dr. James Noble, assistant professor of clinical neurology at the Columbia University Medical Center Affiliation at Harlem Hospital, in collaboration with physicians at Columbia University Medical Center. “Studies and research have looked into the correlation between oral health, stroke and shared risk factors between stroke and dementia, but little or no studies have delved into the dental world, specifically periodontitis, as it relates to cognition,” Noble said.  More »

via San Francisco Chronicle
As recently as a decade ago, Vitamin D was mostly thought of as a helper-nutrient — it allowed the body to absorb and use calcium for strong bones. With a diet of fortified foods and a little bit of sunshine every day, most people got plenty of it. Aside from its well-known reputation for building and maintaining strong bones, Vitamin D could be tied to cancer prevention and cardiovascular health, and some researchers are looking into a connection between Vitamin D deficiency and gum disease, said Dr. Mark Ryder, chair of the division of periodontology at the University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry. More »