Many family or general dentist will start providing dental services for children at around age five or six depending on the child. Many family dental office are not set up to handle younger age children.  You may want to consider taking your child to a dentist that specializes in treating young kids.

Pediatric dentist are trained to handle the wide range of issues which are associated with kid’s dental health. Their office tends to be more kid friendly and just like a general or family dentist a pediatric dentist’s primary goals is preventive care and maintenance. Preventive dental care services and maintenance is necessary in order to avoid potential larger dental problems from occurring.

Studying mouth cancer in mice, researchers have found a way to predict the aggressiveness of similar tumors in people, an early step toward a diagnostic test that could guide treatment, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Did you know that even babies can develop tooth decay if good feeding habits are not practiced. More people are learning that even though it many be convenient to let a baby sleep with a baby bottle, it can also harm baby teeth.  When sugars from juice or milk remain on baby teeth for hours it can start to eat away at the tooth enamel, creating a condition know as baby bottle tooth decay or carries.

Sings of BBTD are Pocked, pitted, or discolored front teeth. In severe cases it can result in cavities and early loss of baby teeth.  If you must leave a fussy baby with a baby bottle make sure to only have water in it as water will not hurt baby teeth

Pioneering techniques aiming to grow new teeth from a patient’s own stem cells will be on display at the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition which opens to the public on 1 July 2014. Bioengineered stem cell teeth could challenge the use of artificial dental implants.

Scientists are developing an innovative procedure that would use cells from adult patients to grow full functioning teeth in situ. The treatment could be working in mice in 5 years according to exhibit leader Professor Paul Sharpe, Dickinson Professor of Craniofacial Biology at King’s College London Dental Institute.

Having proper dental care habits is important not only for your oral health but your over all wellness. So when should dental care start?  Proper dental care begins even before a baby’s cuts their first tooth.   Just because you can not see the teeth does not mean you do not have have you provide oral care habits for your baby.

By running a damp washcloth over baby’s gum daily you will help to clear away harmful bacteria. This also helps get your baby used to oral health care habits they will have for a live time.

Parents can start brushing their kid’s teeth as they come in with an infant toothbrush, using water with just a smear of toothpaste until about age two. At around age two most kids will be able to spit while brushing. Use can then use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.  Kids should have adult supervision while bushing their teeth until around the age of five

Patients suffering from osteoporosis or bone fractures might benefit from a new discovery of a protein that plays an important role in bone regeneration made by bioengineers. Normally found in the formation of enamel, which is an important component of teeth, the scientists discovered that a partial segment of the protein statherin can be used to signal bone growth.

Tobacco use and smoking is harmful to both your oral health and over all health care. Many studies have been done show links to smoking and gum disease.  According to recent studies they have shown that tobacco use may be one of the most significant risk factors in the development and progression of periodontal disease. In addition, following periodontal treatment or any type of oral surgery, the chemicals in tobacco can slow down the healing process and make the treatment results less predictable.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham, UK, led by Dr. Ben Scheven, Dr. Wendy Leadbeater and Ben Mead have discovered that stem cells isolated from the teeth, termed dental pulp stem cells (DPSC), can protect retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from death following injury and promote regeneration of their axons along the optic nerve.

You can have gum disease without any clear symptoms.  That is why seeing your dentist at least twice a year for dental checkups and periodontal exams is important in order to maintain good oral health. There are however many warning signs that can signal a problem with the health of your gums. Therefore if your notice any of the below symptoms you should see your dentist right away.

1) Red, Swollen or Tender Gums.
2) Gums that bleed while brushing or flossing your teeth.
3) Consistent bad breath.
4) Loose or separating teeth
5) Gums that have pulled away from your teeth
6) Changes in the way your teeth fit together when you bit.

According to a new study from Colorado School of Public Health shows that despite some modest improvements, poor oral health remains a major problem in the Navajo Nation and among American Indians overall.

Terrence Batliner, DDS, MBA, associate director of the Center for Native Oral Health Research at the School of Public Health, stated that: “The oral health among Native Americans is abysmal with more than three times the disease of the rest of the country and that the number one problem is access to care.”

The study, published recently in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry, showed that 69.5 percent of Navajo children had untreated tooth decay. While that’s better than the 82.9 percent in 1999, it’s still unacceptably high.

The fact is the cost of dentures will very depending on may factors such as what type of dentures, do you have dental insurance, state and where you live etc. Here are some typical cost ranges for dentures.

Basic Denture:  A basic set of denture start at around $300 to $500 per plate (uppers/lowers) or $600 – $1000 for full set (both uppers and Lowers)   Mid Range Denture: Mid range denture start at around $500 – $1500 per plate or $1000 – $3000 per set

Premium Dentures:  Premium Dentures start at around $2000 – $4000 per plant or $4000 – $8000 per set.  If you have dental insurance it may help you with the cost of dentures if dentures are determine to be medically necessary.   Each denture type comes with different benefits and warranties. Talk to your dentist in order to determine which is best for you and your dental care needs.

A retrospective study conducted by researchers at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and colleagues reports that among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the likelihood of having cavities decreased as the number of years receiving dental care increased. The findings, published in the July/August issue of Special Care in Dentistry, may help improve interventions designed to address the oral health of individuals in this population.

There are many factors that can cause your gums to be sore.  Some of these factors include inflammation due to plaque on teeth, Canker sore, Gingivitis, Periodontitis, Dry mouth, and Poor dental hygiene. Other less common causes for sore gums can include a variety of conditions that may irritate the gums such as misaligned teeth, rough edges of fillings, and ill-fitting or unclean mouth appliances Sore Gums.

Inflammatory diseases can occur simultaneously in distinct sites in the same patient, complicating treatment because a medication effective for one disorder may exacerbate the other. One such example is the anti-arthritic medication dexamethasone, which alleviates joint disease but can worsen periodontal bone disease. A study in the August issue of The American Journal of Pathology highlights the effects of a new class of anti-arthritic drugs, specifically DTrp8-ɣMSH (DTrp), that acts via the melanocortin (MC) system to reduce both arthritic joint inflammation and periodontitis.

It is important to be extra vigilant with your oral health over the Christmas holidays. It is not how much sugary food and drink we consume during the holidays but, how often we have these types of treats. If you think about how much is consumed, and how often, particularly over Christmas, your teeth do not really get the chance to recover.

There is nothing good that comes from poor dental hygiene.  By not brushing your teeth or by not brushing regularly, bacteria, plaque and mineral deposits will start to build up on your teeth. This will progress into causing many dental issues such as cavities, gingivitis, gum disease, infections, loss of teeth, and yes even death.

More than 80 per cent of oral health patients are willing to receive rapid HIV-testing in dental settings, which could help reduce the spread of the HIV according to a groundbreaking study revealed at a Sydney University HIV Testing Symposium.

In previous post we talk about what dental tartar was and now it can effect your teeth and gums.  However there are ways to prevent tartar build up and that starts with you at home.

1) Brush your teeth correctly.  Note a quick 30 second brushing in the morning and night is not good enough. You want to brush your teeth for at least two minutes.  Use a soft bristle brush that can easily reach all areas in your mouth. Be sure to brush those are to reach surfaces that are behind your teeth and rear molars.

2) According to some studies electronic or powered toothbrushes may be more effective then manual toothbrushes in removing dental plaque. Though regardless of your choice of toothbrush make sure to choose a toothbrush with the ADA seal of approval.

3) Pick a toothpaste that is tartar-control and with fluoride.

4) Do not forget to FLOSS.  Regardless of how diligent you may brush your teeth brushing if you are not flossing you are only doing half the job needed to keep your teeth and gums healthy.  Flossing daily will remove the plaque between your teeth and prevent tartar formation in these difficult-to-reach areas.

5) No Smoking. According to studies done people who smoke cigarettes or use other tobacco products are more likely to have tartar on their teeth and under their gums.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that stem cells inside the soft tissues of the tooth come from an unexpected source, namely nerves. These findings are now being published in the journal Nature and contribute to brand new knowledge of how teeth are formed, how they grow and how they are able to self-repair.