Their review of these studies showed that improvements in clinical measures were common in all studies but were scientifically significant in two that used a combination of fish oil and aspirin. Although this is not conclusive evidence, intake of fish oil is recommended for health benefits
beyond the teeth.

“I would recommend that people ensure they have a sufficient intake of long chain omega-3 fatty acids in their diet for general health,” said Coates. “In Australia, these types of fatty acids are considered to be essential with ~500 mg recommended as the suggested dietary target. This
equates to approximately 2 fatty fish meals per week.”

There are no serious dangers to consuming fish oil. At high levels of fish oil above the GRAS limit, people may experience a delayed clotting time and at very high doses potential gastric upset. If people are taking blood thinning medication, then they should consult with a doctor.

The group reports that the evidence for fish oil being effective in reducing periodontal symptoms is building but there is a need for more well designed studies that evaluate the supplement both alone and in combination with aspirin to be able to tease out whether fish oil by itself is
effective. It is important that compliance to treatment is considered and that the dose and length of supplementation is appropriate. A clinical trial is underway in Australia that is investigating the effects of fish oil as adjunct therapy for periodontitis.
 

New research from the Yale University School of Medicine discovered changes in mouth bacteria preceded the development of pneumonia in hospital patients. After studying 37 participants over the course of a month, Dr. Samit Joshi, leader of the study, concluded changes in oral bacteria play some role in a person’s risk for developing pneumonia.

The research team discovered patients on ventilators who contracted pneumonia experienced a significant change in their oral bacteria prior to falling ill. While further research is required to definitively link oral bacteria with pneumonia, other studies have affiliated oral health with respiratory diseases.

“Our findings may improve the way we prevent pneumonia in the future by maintaining the bacteria that live within our mouths,” Dr. Joshi said.

Respiratory illnesses and oral health have been linked together for years as bacterial infections in the chest are believed to be caused by breathing droplets from the mouth and throat into the lungs. Previous studies have shown a higher pneumonia mortality rate from people who experience an above average amount of gum problems.

“Simply brushing your teeth two minutes twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste, cleaning in between teeth daily with interdental brushes or floss, cutting down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks, and visiting the dentist regularly, as often as recommended, will be a great starting point,” Dr. Joshi said.

For those in the Nashua, New Hampshire area, Dr. Randall Viola and Dr. Judith Whitcomb offer New Hampshire dentistry services. The best way to prevent against potentially harmful dentistry problems, or general health problems that could turn serious like pneumonia, is to schedule regular dentistry cleanings twice a year, and Nashua Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry offers regular cleaning services. For anyone needing more intensive dental treatments, Dr. Viola and Dr. Whitcomb also offer restorative dentistry procedures such as dental implants, root canals, and even total mouth reconstruction.

So before you brace the winter weather this year, make sure you protect yourself from colds and flus — and schedule a visit to your local dentist’s office.

Fluoride supplements are routinely prescribed to children who don’t live in water fluoridated communities. They are endorsed and encouraged by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The Cochrane research team reports, “We rated 10 trials as being at unclear risk of bias and one at high risk of bias, and therefore the trials provide weak evidence about the efficacy of fluoride supplements.” The team “found limited information on the adverse effects associated with the use of fluoride supplements.”

In the early 1980′s, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation research first revealed fluoride tablets and mouth rinses failed to reduce tooth decay.(2)

But this inconvenient fact is still  ignored by the CDC.

“Obviously, the CDC’s fluoride supplement endorsement cannot be trusted because there is no science to support it,” says attorney Paul Beeber, NYSCOF President. “Further, CDC fails to effectively communicate its own warning to not mix infant formula with fluoridated water (10). Why should we trust CDC’s fluoridation endorsements?” asks Beeber.

Fluoride supplements “have not been found by FDA to be safe or effective,” according to the US National Library of Medicine.(3)

Before testing was required, fluoride supplements slipped into common usage without FDA approval (4) based on the presumed safety and effectiveness of water fluoridation. But, tooth decay crises occur in all fluoridated cities, states and countries. (4a) and fluoridation’s safety is deeply in doubt. (4b)

A 2008 Journal of the American Dental Association systematic review reported that fluoride supplements deliver no benefits to primary teeth but increase dental fluorosis risk – white spotted, yellow, brown and/or pitted teeth (5) now afflicting almost half of adolescents, according to the CDC.

A meta-analysis in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology (2/99) reported: “In non-fluoridated communities, the use of fluoride supplements during the first 6 years of life is associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing dental fluorosis.” (6)

“It is therefore concluded that the risks of using supplements in infants and young children outweigh the benefits…fluoride supplements should no longer be used for young children in North America,” writes Burt (Fall 1999 Journal of Public Health Dentistry). (7)

Belgium stopped selling fluoride supplements in 2002 because documentation revealed that fluoride can cause physical and neurological harm with little evidence of decay reduction.(8)

According to the National Library of Medicine, fluoride’s side effects include: (9)

• staining of teeth
• unusual increase in saliva
• salty or soapy taste
• stomach pain
• upset stomach
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• rash
• weakness
• tremor
• seizures

In a previous study, researchers from the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy and Region Västra Götaland demonstrated that a sparse bone structure in the trabecular bone in the lower jaw is linked to a greater chance of having previously had fractures in other parts of the body.

X-rays investigates bone structure

The Gothenburg researchers have now taken this a step further with a new study that shows that it is possible to use dental X-rays to investigate the bone structure in the lower jaw, and so predict who is at greater risk of fractures in the future. Published in the journal Bone, the results were also mentioned in both Nature Reviews Endocrinology and the Wall Street Journal.

Linked to risk of fractures

“We’ve seen that sparse bone structure in the lower jaw in mid-life is directly linked to the risk of fractures in other parts of the body, later in life,”says Lauren Lissner, a researcher at the Institute of Medicine at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

Study started 1968

The study draws on data from the Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg started in 1968. Given that this has now been running for over 40 years, the material is globally unique. The study included 731 women, who have been examined on several occasions since 1968, when they were 38-60 years old. X-ray images of their jaw bone were analysed in 1968 and 1980 and the results related to the incidence of subsequent fractures.

For the first 12 years fractures were self-reported during followup examinations. It is only since the 1980s that it has been possible to use medical registers to identify fractures. A total of 222 fractures were identified during the whole observation period.

One out of five in higher risk

The study shows that the bone structure of the jaw was sparse in around 20% of the women aged 38-54 when the first examination was carried out, and that these women were at significantly greater risk of fractures.

The study also shows that the older the person, the stronger the link between sparse bone structure in the jaw and fractures in other parts of the body.

Applies for both sexes

Although the study was carried out on women, the researchers believe that the link also applies for men.

“Dental X-rays contain lots of information on bone structure,” says Grethe Jonasson, the researcher at the Research Centre of the Public Dental Service in Västra Götaland who initiated the fractures study. “By analysing these images, dentists can identify people who are at greater risk of fractures long before the first fracture occurs.”

AcceleDent™ is a simple, removable appliance that an orthodontic patient wears in the mouth for 20 minutes daily to accelerate orthodontic tooth movement. A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio under the guidance of Dr. Dubravko Pavlin demonstrated, with statistical significance, that tooth movement could be safely accelerated by 38% to 50% during space closure and even more so during the alignment phase. Dr. Bowman’s background and educational lectures are particularly relevant to OrthoAccel®’s focus as is his experience running 3 busy private practices in Portage, Kalamazoo and Paw Paw, Michigan.

Michael Kaufman, Vice President of Business Development & Marketing of OrthoAccel®, commented, “We are always looking for effective ways to teach other clinicians about the clinical benefits of AcceleDent™ for the patient and the ensuing benefits to the orthodontic practice.  Dr. Bowman is recognized as a preeminent educator among his peers.  His keen understanding of the supporting science and the clinical outcomes associated with AcceleDent™ will help accelerate the educational awareness throughout the orthodontic community.” Dr. Bowman remarked, “For several years, I’ve been intrigued by the concept of vibrational acceleration of tooth movement and specifically, the developments at OrthoAccel®.”

OrthoAccel® has been selling the AcceleDent™ System outside the USA since October 2009.  FDA clearance is pending based on application submitted earlier this year.

“We are pleased to have initiated these two studies with our collaborators in China.  Demonstration of the utility of the PST in Asian populations will be important for expanding the use of our test,” said Lewis H. Bender, Chief Executive Officer of Interleukin Genetics. “Further, we believe that the ongoing clinical study of our PST test being conducted by the University of Michigan has the potential to make a major impact on improving oral health care in the U.S.”

In addition, the Company announced today that Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Kenneth Kornman will present “Impact of Risk Assessment on Diagnosis and Management of Periodontal Disease” on November 15 at the 2011 American Academy of Periodontology’s Annual Meeting in Miami. Dr. Kornman will also present “Risk Factors for Recurrent Periodontitis” at theHarvard University School of Dental Medicine on November 30.

“Presenting improved methods to manage patients using diagnostic and prognostic technologies to the dental and periodontal community is important to advancing the science in this field,” said Dr. Kornman. “We are working with key academic opinion leaders to introduce the benefits of using these new tools.”

Researchers at the University of Leeds have discovered a pain-free way of tackling dental decay that reverses the damage of acid attack and re-builds teeth as new.

The pioneering treatment promises to transform the approach to filling teeth forever.

Tooth decay begins when acid produced by bacteria in plaque dissolves the mineral in the teeth, causing microscopic holes or ‘pores’ to form. As the decay process progresses these micro-pores increase in size and number.  Eventually the damaged tooth may have to be drilled and filled to prevent toothache, or even removed.

The very thought of drilling puts many people off going to see their dentist, whether or not they actually need treatment. This tendency to miss check-ups and ignore niggling aches and pains means that existing problems get worse and early signs of decay in other teeth are overlooked.

It’s a vicious cycle, but one that can be broken, according to researchers at the University of Leeds who have developed a revolutionary new way to treat the first signs of  tooth decay. Their solution is to arm dentists with a peptide-based fluid that is literally painted onto the tooth’s surface. The peptide technology is based on knowledge of how the tooth forms in the first place and stimulates regeneration of the tooth defect.

“This may sound too good to be true, but we are essentially helping acid-damaged teeth to regenerate  themselves. It is a totally natural non-surgical repair process and is entirely pain-free too,” said Professor Jennifer Kirkham, from the University of Leeds Dental Institute, who has led development of the new technique.

The ‘magic’ fluid was designed by researchers in the University of Leeds’ School of Chemistry, led by Dr Amalia Aggeli. It contains a peptide known as P 11-4 that – under certain conditions – will assemble together into fibres. In practice, this means that when applied to the tooth, the fluid seeps into the micro-pores caused by acid attack and then spontaneously forms a gel. This gel then provides a ‘scaffold’ or framework that attracts calcium and regenerates the tooth’s mineral from within, providing a natural and pain-free repair.

The technique was recently taken out of the laboratory and tested on a small group of adults whose dentist had spotted the initial signs of tooth decay. The results from this small trial have shown that P 11-4 can indeed reverse the damage and regenerate the tooth tissue.

“The results of our tests so far are extremely promising,” said Professor Paul Brunton, who is overseeing the patient testing at the University of Leeds Dental Institute. “If these results can be repeated on a larger patient group, then I have no doubt whatsoever that in two to three years time this technique will be available for dentists to use in their daily practice.”

“The main reason that people don’t go to the dentist regularly is fear. If we can offer a treatment that is completely non-invasive, that doesn’t involve a mechanical drill, then we can change that perceived link between dental treatment and pain. This really is more than filling without drilling, this is a novel approach that enables the patients to keep their natural teeth!”

The study is being funded by credentis ag who have licensed the technology and are preparing to introduce P11-4 to dentists worldwide.

Bassin found a 500% to 600% increased risk for young boys, exposed to fluoride in their 6th to 8th years, of later developing osteosarcoma.  Douglass’ study does not address exposure during this critical period because it measured the level of fluoride in bone, which accumulates fluoride over a lifetime.  These bone levels provide no information about when the person was exposed to fluoride.

Not only does Douglass’ study fail to refute Bassin’s main finding, it suffers from other serious weaknesses:

1) Douglass’ study was much smaller and weaker than Bassin’s.  It had only 20 control subjects under age 30, a fifth of Bassin’s.  For this key age group, Douglass’ study was so small it could provide no reliable conclusions. Even Douglass admitted this serious limitation.

2) Douglass’ choice of comparison group is suspect. Douglass compared the bone fluoride level of patients with osteosarcoma to “controls” with other forms of bone cancer. If fluoride also causes these other bone cancer types, then one would not expect to find any difference in bone fluoride between these groups. It is biologically plausible that fluoride could cause other bone cancers because it reaches such high concentrations in bone.  One of the only studies of fluoride and non-osteosarcoma bone cancers did find a link, but this evidence was never mentioned by Douglass.

3) The controls were severely mismatched to the cases. Controls were much older (median 41 yrs) than the cases (18 yrs). The risk of osteosarcoma is highly age-dependent. Also, fluoride builds up in bone with age. Given Douglass’ small sample size, it is unlikely he could have adequately compensated for the gross mismatch in age, especially because of these two simultaneous age dependencies. The groups were also mismatched on sex ratio, and osteosarcoma risk is well known to be sex dependent. Properly adjusting for sex and age would be virtually impossible.

In 2001, Douglass signed off on Elise Bassin‘s Ph.D. dissertation which found the strong association between fluoride and osteosarcoma. When it was later published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal in 2006, Cancer Causes and Control, an accompanying letter from Douglass claimed that his “larger” study would eventually refute Bassin’s findings. But Douglass also told a Fox News reporter that Bassin “… did a good job. She had a good group of people advising her. And it’s a nice—it’s a nice analysis. There’s nothing wrong with that analysis.”

Now that Douglass’ study is finally published, it is clearly incapable of refuting Bassin’s work.  According to FAN director, Paul Connett, Ph.D., “Bassin’s study was a high quality product, Douglass’ study was not.”

Chris Neurath, FAN’s Research Director, points out “Even though Douglass collected extensive fluoride exposure histories from hundreds of other controls, that data was ignored in this paper. FAN is calling for the release of all of the Douglass data. The only way to get to the bottom of Douglass’ two decade’s study is to make the data available for any independent researcher to check and do the analyses which Douglass has failed to provide. The public has paid millions for this data, why is most of it still behind locked doors?”

One reason is suggested in Douglass’ conflict-of-interest declaration where he says he has “… written reviews of the literature for several companies that sell, reimburse for, or do research on preventive dentistry products, most notably GlaxoSmithKline, Colgate-Palmolive, Dentsply, Quintile, Delta Dental Plans….”

Omitted was his paid editorship of Colgate’s promotional dental newsletter, which regularly contains advertisements for Colgate’s fluoride products.

The International Association of Dental Research (IADR), publishers of The Journal of Dental Research, has a history of promoting fluoridation.

Connett says, “In my opinion, it seems that Douglass is more interested in protecting fluoride than investigating this issue objectively. Bassin’s work suggests fluoridation may be causing a frequently fatal cancer in teenage boys. Douglass, after five years of trying, has failed to refute this disturbing evidence. How long will fluoridation promoters be allowed to continue to spin this issue?”

“Why are dentists – especially those who have shown a strong interest in protecting the water fluoridation program – conducting and publishing cancer research, anyway?” asks Connett.

A more detailed critique of Douglass’ paper will be posted soon at http://www.FluorideAction.Net

The study included 200 participants between the ages of 20 and 60 with at least 20 natural teeth. Half of the participants were hospitalized patients with a respiratory disease such as pneumonia, COPD, or acute bronchitis, and the other half were healthy control subjects with no history of respiratory disease. Each participant underwent a comprehensive oral evaluation to measure periodontal health status.

The study found that patients with respiratory diseases had worse periodontal health than the control group, suggesting a relationship between respiratory disease and periodontal disease. Researchers suspect that the presence of oral pathogens associated with periodontal disease may increase a patient’s risk of developing or exacerbating respiratory disease. However, the study authors note that additional studies are needed to more conclusively understand this link.

“Pulmonary diseases can be severely disabling and debilitating,” says Donald S. Clem, DDS, President of the American Academy of Periodontology. “By working with your dentist or periodontist, you may actually be able to prevent or diminish the progression of harmful diseases such as pneumonia or COPD. This study provides yet another example of how periodontal health plays a role in keeping other systems of the body healthy.”

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gum tissue and other structures supporting the teeth. Previous research has associated gum disease with other chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Clem stressed the importance of routine oral care in helping to prevent periodontal disease. “Taking good care of your periodontal health involves daily tooth brushing and flossing. You should also expect to get a comprehensive periodontal evaluation every year,” he advised. A dental professional, such as a periodontist, a specialist in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of gum disease, can conduct a comprehensive exam to assess your periodontal disease status.

Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall joined officials from Los Alamos National Laboratory LANL for a ceremony at EDA Labs in Albuquerque, N.M., to officially start production of a new dental implant that uses stronger alloys that allow it to bond more quickly to human bone. The new implant is made with nanotitanium, a metal that is stronger than conventional alloys and integrates much more quickly with human bone. Created under a three-year partnership between LANL, several Russian institutes and New Mexico-based Manhattan Scientifics, the new implant material is more reliable and longer lasting and should result in faster post-surgery healing. It is the first dental implant made with nanotitanium that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration FDA.

“NNSA’s GIPP program prevents the spread of nuclear materials, technology and expertise by promoting cutting-edge science and technology built using the expertise of former weapons experts,” said NNSA Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Ken Baker. “The program generates peaceful and commercially viable projects while achieving a critical nonproliferation goal.”

To date, the GIPP program has engaged more than 17,000 experts at least 60 percent with experience working with weapons of mass destruction from more than 180 facilities in the former Soviet Union, Libya and Iraq. Since 1994, GIPP has partnered with more than 160 U.S. companies, multinational corporations and small innovative businesses to promote high-tech commercial research and development projects.

Under the program, partners provide financial or in-kind contributions equal in value to the funds NNSA commits to each project. Partnering with U.S. companies increases the likelihood that projects will have attainable and sustainable commercial goals.

Located in New Mexico, New York and Montreal, Manhattan Scientifics owns the exclusive, U.S. license to a family of patents which will enable the manufacture and marketing of super strong, ultra light-weight “nanostructured” metals that have been developed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory LANL and in the former Soviet Union. More information about Manhattan Scientifics can be found at www.mhtx.com.

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Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science in the nation’s national security enterprise. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, reliability, and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing; reduces the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad.