NEW MATERIALS FOR BETTER, STRONGER AND CHEAPER DENTAL IMPLANTS

Experts from the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), in the east coast of Mexico, develop new generation dental implants from mixtures of polymers with ceramic and a light consistency. So far the experts at this university have optimized the performance of those dental tools as they simulated the repetitive force of mastication and considered this factor to ensure that the impact of stress is absorbed by the piece and not by the bone structure.



They have proposed some formulations that allow those teeth to be resistant to the effort of chewing and corrosion as titanium implants (which are often used by dentists), but at a more affordable cost. “By optimizing the geometry and consistency of the implants we can ensure that they remain in place longer, but with a lower cost than the titanium implant,” said Mauricio Paz González, project collaborator in charge of industrial design.



Through mathematical simulations, UABC experts seek to reduce stress levels in patients before the introduction of these auxiliary pieces. Traditional implants are placed with the same dynamics as a screw, and bone structure functions as a base for holding those dental tools.



Meanwhile, Juan Antonio Paz González, head of the manufacturing processes of the pieces, commented that a goal is to have the implants coated with vitamin D, because that chemical stimulates production of bone tissue around the piece. This, he said, adds support; he added that once pilot tests were trough, they will be compared to traditional implant performance.



Luis Villarreal Jesus Gomez, head of research, said that the manufacture of these implants will not only improve the oral health of patients, but also benefit their economy. “Most people who require implants are older adults, who often find it impossible for a transaction of this nature to be affordable,” he said.



So far, the specialist has proposed several possible formulations for achieving the implant. “Additionally we seek to include vitamin D in the composition of dental implants, to achieve a better integration of the piece with the bone structure of the patient,” commented the scientist at UABC.



Source: http://www.eurasiareview.com/04102014-new-materials-better-stronger-cheaper-dental-implants/



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from Affinity Dental Fresno http://affinitydental.livejournal.com/30116.html

The women who spend up to £32,000 on their smiles

Two women tell why they splashed out on fixing their teeth

• 
  


• Sallyann, 49, felt her pearly whites were an embarrassment


• 
  


• She wouldn’t let anyone see them, let alone allow them to be photographed


• 
  


• A support worker at a school, she spent a staggering £32,500 on her teeth


• 
  


• Sallyann, from Kent, had a dentist remove her teeth and put in implants


• 
  


• Judy Murray recently caused a stir with her new dental work


• 
  


• Stephanie Biggin, from Southsea, spent £12,000 on cosmetic dental work


• 
  

As her younger brother walked his new bride down the aisle, Sallyann Hall beamed with delight. She carried on grinning proudly through all the official wedding portraits. In fact, she didn’t stop smiling all day.

But her elation wasn’t just from seeing her brother married. It was also because, for the first time in her life, the 49-year-old felt she had teeth good enough to show off in photographs.

For decades, Sallyann’s pearly whites had been such a source of embarrassment to her that she wouldn’t let anyone see them, let alone allow them to be photographed. As a result of abscesses and infections throughout her adult life, she had lost six teeth, with three gaps visible, and her bottom front ones wobbled.




Sallyann, 49, felt her pearly whites were such an embarrassment that she wouldn’t let anyone see them, let alone allow them to be photographed


The mother-of-three had searched in vain for an answer until a few weeks before her brother Sid’s wedding four years ago.

Sallyann, from Hythe, Kent, discovered a dentist who would remove all her teeth and replace them with implants.

‘I hadn’t planned it that way, but my teeth were perfect for the big day,’ she says. ‘I hogged the camera all day long. Everyone commented on my wonderful smile.’

What they didn’t realise was quite how much her smile had cost, because Sallyann, a pastoral support worker at a school, had spent a staggering £32,500. Far more than most people spend on a new car, or even earn in a year.

But Sallyann is far from alone in the amount she was prepared to spend on cosmetic dental work. It’s estimated that thousands of Britons are shelling out a small fortune every year to achieve perfectly straight white teeth.

While in the past a snaggle-toothed smile was perfectly acceptable for us Brits — and the butt of many a joke abroad — it’s something we’ve become increasingly keen to correct.

A survey last year by a dental website found the number of people requesting expensive cosmetic procedures such as clear braces and tooth whitening had more than doubled in just two years.

And in 2013 an estimated 100,000 people had implants fitted, the most expensive procedure of all and a four-fold increase on the previous five years.

The so-called ‘status smile’ — once something only seen in the mouths of Hollywood stars — has become big business in the UK. Tennis’ most famous mum, Judy Murray, recently caused a stir with her new dental work — her sparkling white teeth outshining her footwork on Strictly Come Dancing.

Given that research has shown good teeth are not just an indicator of wealth, they can also improve people’s employment potential and make them look five years younger, it’s perhaps no wonder.

A 2008 study, for example, discovered we judge people with a missing tooth to be more aggressive and less trustworthy or intelligent than others.

Social scientist Malcolm Gladwell believes those with bad teeth are now held back socially and financially. Like the obese, they’re denied certain jobs because they don’t look appealing.

The subtext is that if you have crooked teeth your parents didn’t care enough to pay for braces, while missing teeth signal a poor diet or a lack of oral hygiene.

Sallyann, married to fellow pastoral support worker Mark, 46, believes she inherited bad teeth from her mother and grandmother. ‘I’ve always taken great pride in my appearance and cleaned my teeth properly, but I was always losing teeth,’ she says.

‘People think if you have rotten teeth, you don’t clean them properly, but it’s not true. No one ever said anything, but I was convinced they were thinking it.’

Sallyann spent years looking for a solution and eventually realised implants were her only hope. They’re small titanium rods that are drilled into the jawbone and protrude through the gum. A false tooth is then attached on top for a natural look.

They traditionally last longer than crowns (caps placed over failing teeth) or bridges (a false tooth held in place by being attached to the surrounding teeth). The implants themselves last for decades while the false teeth may occasionally need to be replaced.

The first dentist Sallyann saw said she wasn’t suitable for implants as she didn’t have enough jawbone to screw them into, and suggested dentures.



DID YOU KNOW?

74 per cent of British adults believe your smile can affect career potential



Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2785718/The-women-spend-32-000-smiles.html



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from Affinity Dental Fresno http://affinitydental.livejournal.com/29895.html

Schools should check kids brush teeth, says NICE

Schools and nurseries need to step in to tackle the worrying trend of tooth decay in children, the advisory body NICE has said.




More than one in 10 three-year-olds in England have rotten teeth.



In some parts of the country, as many as half of five-year-olds have decayed, missing or filled teeth.



NICE's new guidelines for England say nurseries and schools should consider introducing supervised tooth-brushing and fluoride varnishing programmes.



Prof Mike Kelly, director of the Centre for Public Health at NICE, said: "Children, as young as three, are being condemned to a life with rotten teeth, gum disease and poor health going into adulthood.



"Many children have poor diets and poor mouth hygiene because there is misunderstanding about the importance of looking after children's early milk teeth and gums," he added.



School tooth-brushing

Nurseries and primary schools should supervise tooth-brushing in areas with a high level of child tooth decay, the advisory body said.



Tooth decay in children and adults is disproportionately higher in disadvantaged areas, as well for vulnerable people, and in some ethnic minorities, NICE said.



After local authorities identify areas that would benefit, free toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste should be handed out to parents and carers for use at school and at home, it advises.



If a supervised tooth-brushing scheme is not feasible, children's teeth should be painted with fluoride varnish at least twice a year to strengthen teeth, NICE added.



A recent Public Health England survey found that 12% of three-year-olds had suffered from rotten teeth.



In one area - Leicester - 34% of children had tooth decay.



Milk teeth 'don't matter'

Part of the issue is that many parents don't recognise that they should take steps against tooth decay, according to health consultant Mandy Murdoch, who was part of the team that developed the guidelines.



"Many people believe that the health of a child's first teeth does not matter as 'they will fall out anyway'," she said.



"However, severe tooth decay at a young age can have negative consequences in later life."



Rotten teeth, aside from being painful for the child, can lead to higher incidences of oral health problems later in life.



Thousands of children have to undergo general anaesthetic to have teeth out, said Prof Elizabeth Kay, foundation dean for the Peninsula Dental School, Plymouth.



"Around 25,000 young children every year are admitted to hospital to have teeth taken out," she said.



"Given that we know how to prevent dental disease this really should not be happening," Prof Kay added.



Poor oral hygiene in adults has been linked to increased gum disease, tooth loss, and oral cancers.



The British Dental Association said that there were "still unacceptable inequalities which need to be tackled" in people's dental health.



Dr Christopher Allen, chairman of the BDA's dental public health committee, welcomed the NICE guidelines.



However, he added: "It's important that local authorities have access to specialist dental health advice to ensure that the interventions chosen are the most appropriate for the needs of the population."



Dr Allen added that water fluoridation programmes would be a more efficient means of strengthening people's teeth.



Only around six million people in the UK have access to fluoridated water, the BDA said.



Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-29712453



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from Affinity Dental Fresno http://affinitydental.livejournal.com/29440.html

Children as young as three suffering from severe tooth decay

English health officials say schools and nurseries in areas where people are at high risk should help children brush their teeth





There is misunderstanding about the importance of looking after children’s early milk teeth and gums, says Nice. Photograph: Christopher Thomond




Children as young as three are suffering from severe tooth decay and people need to “act now to stop the rot”, health officials have said.



The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has urged local authorities to tackle a growing crisis in the state of people’s teeth in disadvantaged areas of England.



Tooth decay and gum disease are the two most common, largely preventable dental problems. Those most at risk are from the most vulnerable sections of society and who are dependent on others to care for them, such as young children and frail older people who need help to stay independent, Nice said.



The health body said schools and nurseries should help children brush their teeth, adding that severe tooth decay had been reported in children as young as three and in many cases was starting much earlier.



Professor Mike Kelly, the director of the centre for public health at Nice, said: “Children as young as three are being condemned to a life with rotten teeth, gum disease and poor health going into adulthood.



“Many children have poor diets and poor mouth hygiene because there is misunderstanding about the importance of looking after children’s early milk teeth and gums.



“They eat too much sugar and don’t clean their teeth with fluoride toothpaste. As a society we should help parents and carers give their children the best start in life and act now to stop the rot before it starts.”



Prof Kelly said there were wide regional differences in oral health, and said the situation was “bleak for many adults as well as children in disadvantaged areas”.



He added: “Diet, poor oral hygiene, smoking, alcohol and a lack of understanding about oral health are causing tooth decay, gum disease, tooth loss and increasing the risk of mouth cancers. These are also the risk factors causing many chronic conditions, including heart disease and diabetes.”



Nice suggests local authorities consider supervised tooth-brushing and fluoride varnishing programmes in nurseries and primary schools in areas where children are at high risk of poor oral health.



Professor Elizabeth Kay, foundation dean for the Peninsula Dental School in Plymouth, said: “Around 25,000 young children every year are admitted to hospital to have teeth taken out. Given that we know how to prevent dental disease this really should not be happening. If there were a preventable medical condition which caused thousands of young children (mostly around five years old) to end up in hospital to have body parts removed, there would be an outcry.”



Dr Sandra White, director of dental public health at Public Health England, said: “Tooth decay is the most common oral disease affecting children and young people in England, yet it is largely preventable.



“Whilst children’s oral health has improved over the past 40 years, one in eight (12%) three-year-olds have suffered from the disease, which can be very painful and even result in a child having teeth removed under general anaesthetic.



“Oral health is everyone’s responsibility and by expanding oral health education to the wider community so that nurseries, children’s centres and primary schools all play a role, we can reduce dental decay and ultimately improve the oral health of the local population.”



Source: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/22/children-young-three-suffering-severe-tooth-decay



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from Affinity Dental Fresno http://affinitydental.livejournal.com/29337.html

Why sugary sports drinks may be slowing athletes down

Poor oral health could be harming the chances of elite athletes in competition, it has been warned, after experts found sugary sports drinks cause damage to the teeth of one in five




Simple measures such as encouraging better brushing and flossing could provide the same marginal performance gains as expensive physical therapies




Sports drinks and a high carb diet could actually be holding back elite athletes in competition, it has been suggested, as poor oral health affects their performance.

Research has found that almost one in five athletes have suffered in competition because of poor oral health and almost half have not been to the dentist in the past year.

Yet good brushing, flossing and even high fluoride mouthwashes can counter the effects of sugary sports drinks and improve performance, University College London experts said.

A third of the medical visits during the London Olympics was for dental treatment and demand has increased at competitions since, they said.

In a consensus statement published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the authors call for action to tackle poor oral health among athletes.



Athletes with poor dental health are likely to suffer pain, difficulties sleeping and eating, general inflammation, a dent to their confidence and may be generally out of sorts, all of which could be detrimental to their performance, they suggest.

They said that simple measures such as encouraging better brushing and flossing could provide the same marginal performance gains as expensive physical therapies.

The statement came out of the Oral Health and Performance in Sport collaboration led by Professor Ian Needleman of the UCL Eastman Dental Institute and Professor Fares Haddad of the Institute of Sport Exercise and Health (ISEH).

A UCL survey at the London 2012 Olympic Games found that 18 per cent of athletes said that their oral health had a negative impact on their performance and 46.5 per cent had not been to the dentist in the past year.

Professor Needleman said: “Oral health could be an easy win for athletes, as the oral conditions that can affect performance are all easily preventable.

“Professional athletes and their teams spend a lot of time and money on ways to marginally improving performance, as this can make all the difference in elite sports.

"Simple strategies to prevent oral health problems can offer marginal performance gains that require little to no additional time or money. Things like better tooth brushing techniques and higher fluoride toothpastes could prevent the toothache and associated sleeping and training difficulties that can make the crucial difference between gold and silver.”

The intense dietary and training pressures on athletes could put them at high risk of oral health problems for many reasons. Saliva helps to protect teeth from decay and erosion, so dehydration and drying of the mouth could increase the risk of oral health problems, they said.

The amount of energy that athletes need for training often means they have high-carbohydrate diets and regularly use sugary, acidic energy drinks that may contribute to decay and erosion in athletes’ teeth.

Prof Needleman added: “We do not want to demonise energy drinks and are not saying that athletes shouldn’t be using them.

“However, people should be aware of the risks to oral health and can take simple measures to mitigate these. For example, water or hypotonic drinks are likely to be more suitable for simple hydration, and spit don’t rinse after tooth brushing. For sports where athletes need a lot of energy drinks, high fluoride toothpastes and mouthrinses should be seriously considered.”

Dr Mike Loosemoore, Lead Consultant in Sport and Exercise Medicine at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, said: “I think this is an important consensus statement. My experience of instituting a programme of improving oral health in elite sportsman has had a very positive effect.”

The team found 39 studies on elite or professional sports men and women, showed that tooth decay affected up to three quarters of athletes; moderate to severe gum disease up to 15 per cent; enamel erosion between one third and eight in ten; and infected or impacted molars affected between one in 20 and one in three.

Athletes from rich countries were no less likely to be affected than those from poor countries, the data showed. And, overall, the dental health of athletes was on a par with that of non-athletes living in deprived communities.

Sportsmen and women participating in disciplines were aesthetics and weight are important such as boxing, horse riding and gymnastics are also prone to eating disorders which are known to affect oral health.



Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/11158740/Why-sugary-sports-drinks-may-be-slowing-athletes-down.html



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from Affinity Dental Fresno http://affinitydental.livejournal.com/29002.html

Athletes' Poor Oral Health Results From Diet, Eating Disorders, And Sugary Sports Drinks

Researchers explain why some athletes struggle with poor dental health.




Recent evidence has shown that changes in saliva caused by exercise can lead to poor dental health in the form of tooth decay, cavities, and even gum disease. Dental health, sport, and exercise medicine experts from the United Kingdom and North America have released The Consensus Statement to shed light on poor dental health among athletes and how it is impacted by training and performance.



"With clear psychosocial impacts of oral health, it would be surprising if training and performance were not affected in those athletes with poor oral health," the authors of the study said in a statement. "To achieve a sustained effect, oral health should be embedded within other aspects of health promotion, taking into account the structural issues and inter-relationship of athletes within their sport and peer networks. National sport funders and policy organizations should take a lead in integrating such an approach."



Researchers from the UK and North America conducted a thorough review of published evidence, including 39 studies on elite or professional sports men and women. Among the effects of poor dental health experienced by elite or professional athletes, 15 to 75 percent suffer from tooth decay, up to 15 percent are affected by moderate to severe gum disease, 36 to 85 percent deal with enamel erosion, and five to 39 percent are treated for pericoronitis/impacted molars.



Around 14 to 57 percent of athletes in high-risk sports reported dental damage caused by trauma. While it was no surprise that around two-thirds of athletes who sustained trauma to their teeth reported adverse effects, around 40 percent said that their poor dental health “bothered” them and affected their quality of life. Between one in 20 and one in five also said their poor dental health had an effect on their performance. Performance woes experienced by athletes with poor dental health was likely the result of pain, trouble sleeping and eating, systemic inflammation, and a problem with confidence.



As to what causes poor dental health among athletes, the research team cited various contributing factors related to their diet, including a diet high in carbohydrates and acidic sports drinks that break down enamel. The impact of these contributing factors can be exasperated by a dry mouth during performance. Eating disorders, especially among sports where body weight becomes an important part of competition (i.e. boxing, wrestling, gymnastics, and long distance running), can also cause significant damage to an athlete’s teeth.



Source: http://www.medicaldaily.com/athletes-poor-oral-health-results-diet-eating-disorders-and-sugary-sports-drinks-306921



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from Affinity Dental Fresno http://affinitydental.livejournal.com/28824.html

Why sugary sports drinks may be slowing athletes down

Poor oral health could be harming the chances of elite athletes in competition, it has been warned, after experts found sugary sports drinks cause damage to the teeth of one in five




Simple measures such as encouraging better brushing and flossing could provide the same marginal performance gains as expensive physical therapies




Sports drinks and a high carb diet could actually be holding back elite athletes in competition, it has been suggested, as poor oral health affects their performance.

Research has found that almost one in five athletes have suffered in competition because of poor oral health and almost half have not been to the dentist in the past year.

Yet good brushing, flossing and even high fluoride mouthwashes can counter the effects of sugary sports drinks and improve performance, University College London experts said.

A third of the medical visits during the London Olympics was for dental treatment and demand has increased at competitions since, they said.

In a consensus statement published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the authors call for action to tackle poor oral health among athletes.



Athletes with poor dental health are likely to suffer pain, difficulties sleeping and eating, general inflammation, a dent to their confidence and may be generally out of sorts, all of which could be detrimental to their performance, they suggest.

They said that simple measures such as encouraging better brushing and flossing could provide the same marginal performance gains as expensive physical therapies.

The statement came out of the Oral Health and Performance in Sport collaboration led by Professor Ian Needleman of the UCL Eastman Dental Institute and Professor Fares Haddad of the Institute of Sport Exercise and Health (ISEH).

A UCL survey at the London 2012 Olympic Games found that 18 per cent of athletes said that their oral health had a negative impact on their performance and 46.5 per cent had not been to the dentist in the past year.

Professor Needleman said: “Oral health could be an easy win for athletes, as the oral conditions that can affect performance are all easily preventable.

“Professional athletes and their teams spend a lot of time and money on ways to marginally improving performance, as this can make all the difference in elite sports.

"Simple strategies to prevent oral health problems can offer marginal performance gains that require little to no additional time or money. Things like better tooth brushing techniques and higher fluoride toothpastes could prevent the toothache and associated sleeping and training difficulties that can make the crucial difference between gold and silver.”

The intense dietary and training pressures on athletes could put them at high risk of oral health problems for many reasons. Saliva helps to protect teeth from decay and erosion, so dehydration and drying of the mouth could increase the risk of oral health problems, they said.

The amount of energy that athletes need for training often means they have high-carbohydrate diets and regularly use sugary, acidic energy drinks that may contribute to decay and erosion in athletes’ teeth.

Prof Needleman added: “We do not want to demonise energy drinks and are not saying that athletes shouldn’t be using them.

“However, people should be aware of the risks to oral health and can take simple measures to mitigate these. For example, water or hypotonic drinks are likely to be more suitable for simple hydration, and spit don’t rinse after tooth brushing. For sports where athletes need a lot of energy drinks, high fluoride toothpastes and mouthrinses should be seriously considered.”

Dr Mike Loosemoore, Lead Consultant in Sport and Exercise Medicine at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, said: “I think this is an important consensus statement. My experience of instituting a programme of improving oral health in elite sportsman has had a very positive effect.”

The team found 39 studies on elite or professional sports men and women, showed that tooth decay affected up to three quarters of athletes; moderate to severe gum disease up to 15 per cent; enamel erosion between one third and eight in ten; and infected or impacted molars affected between one in 20 and one in three.

Athletes from rich countries were no less likely to be affected than those from poor countries, the data showed. And, overall, the dental health of athletes was on a par with that of non-athletes living in deprived communities.

Sportsmen and women participating in disciplines were aesthetics and weight are important such as boxing, horse riding and gymnastics are also prone to eating disorders which are known to affect oral health.



Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/11158740/Why-sugary-sports-drinks-may-be-slowing-athletes-down.html



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from Affinity Dental Fresno http://affinitydental.livejournal.com/28447.html