＜中間速報＞遼、通算6オーバーで後半へ 平塚哲二が首位を独走

2011年07月29日15時22分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 平塚　哲二 -13
2 K・アフィバーンラト -9
3 井上　忠久 -8
4 キム・ヒョンテ -6
J・チョイ -6
丸山　大輔 -6
池田　勇太 -6
8 片岡　大育 -5
9 海老根　文博 -4
武藤　俊憲 -4


順位の続きを見る


＜サン・クロレラ クラシック　2日目◇29日◇小樽カントリー倶楽部(7,471ヤード・パー72)＞

　北海道にある小樽カントリー倶楽部を舞台に開催中の国内男子ツアー「サン・クロレラ クラシック」2日目。初日、5オーバー123位タイと大きく出遅れた石川遼が前半のプレーを終了した。

　INコーススタートの石川は10番パー5でいきなりバーディを奪取。13番パー5でもスコアを伸ばし、快調な滑り出しを見せる。しかし、14番ではティショットのミスからボギーを叩くと、17番、18番でもボギーと前半でスコアを1つ落としトータル6オーバーで折り返した。

　石川は現在112位。予選通過はかなり厳しい状況となった。首位はすでにホールアウトした平塚哲二が堅守。トータル13アンダーで2位の井上忠久に5打差をつけ独走している。

菊池純がツアー新記録の8連続バーディを奪取！

2011年07月29日18時03分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 平塚　哲二 -13
2 K・アフィバーンラト -9
3 井上　忠久 -8
4 キム・ヒョンテ -6
J・チョイ -6
丸山　大輔 -6
池田　勇太 -6
8 片岡　大育 -5
9 海老根　文博 -4
武藤　俊憲 -4


順位の続きを見る


＜サン・クロレラ クラシック　2日目◇29日◇小樽カントリー倶楽部(7,471ヤード・パー72)＞

　北海道にある小樽カントリー倶楽部で開催されている、国内男子ツアー「サン・クロレラ クラシック」の2日目。菊池純が7番から14番までの8ホール連続でバーディを奪い、これまで中嶋常幸ら8名が記録していた7連続を塗り替え、ツアー新記録を樹立した。

　初日80を叩き8オーバーと出遅れていた菊池はこの日も出だしから連続ボギーを叩く苦しい立ち上がり。しかし、7番で5メートルを沈めてバーディを奪うと、いきなり怒涛のバーディラッシュがスタート。14番までショットを次々とピンに絡め、新記録がかかる8ホール目の14番でも1メートルにつけあっさり記録を塗り替えた。

　しかし、肝心の試合は初日の出遅れがたたり猛追及ばず予選落ち。偉大な記録にも「ぶっちゃけ予選落ちですから」と苦笑いを浮かべるしかなかった。「8ホールだけ面白かった」この記録を足がかりにレギュラーツアー復帰のきっかけをつかめるか。

＜速報＞平塚哲二が首位堅守！遼は今季3度目の予選落ち

2011年07月29日18時16分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 平塚　哲二 -13
2 K・アフィバーンラト -9
3 井上　忠久 -8
4 キム・ヒョンテ -6
J・チョイ -6
丸山　大輔 -6
池田　勇太 -6
8 片岡　大育 -5
9 海老根　文博 -4
武藤　俊憲 -4


順位の続きを見る


＜サン・クロレラ クラシック　2日目◇29日◇小樽カントリー倶楽部(7,471ヤード・パー72)＞

　北海道にある小樽カントリー倶楽部を舞台に開催中の国内男子ツアー「サン・クロレラ クラシック」は2日目の競技を終了。初日首位に立った平塚哲二がこの日もスコアを6つ伸ばす見事なプレーをみせ、トータル13アンダー2位に4打差をつけ首位を堅守した。

　2位にはタイのキラデク・アフィバーンラト（タイ）、5打差の3位には井上忠久が入った。池田勇太は7打差の6位タイにつけている。注目のアマチュア、松山英樹は40位タイで予選を通過した。

　初日、123位タイと大きく出遅れた石川遼は、スコアを2つ落としトータル7オーバーでホールアウト。今季3度目の予選落ちを喫した。

【2日目の順位】
1位：平塚哲二(-13)
2位：キラデク・アフィバーンラト(-9)
3位：井上忠久(-8)
4位T：池田勇太(-6)
4位T：H・T・キム(キム・ヒョンテ)(-6)
4位T：J・チョイ(-6)
4位T：丸山大輔(-6)
8位：片岡大育(-5)
9位T：海老根文博(-4)
9位T：武藤俊憲(-4)
9位T：井上信(-4)

40位T：※松山英樹(E)他15名

3度目予選落ちの遼、スイング改造「1、2か月はかかる」

2011年07月29日19時29分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア1 平塚　哲二 -13
2 K・アフィバーンラト -9
3 井上　忠久 -8
4 キム・ヒョンテ -6
J・チョイ -6
丸山　大輔 -6
池田　勇太 -6
8 片岡　大育 -5
9 海老根　文博 -4
武藤　俊憲 -4


順位の続きを見る





遼、ショットが安定せず無念の予選落ち（撮影：岩井康博）











＜サン・クロレラ クラシック　2日目◇29日◇小樽カントリー倶楽部(7,471ヤード・パー72)＞

　国内男子ツアー「サン・クロレラ クラシック」の2日目。初日5オーバーと大きく出遅れた石川遼はこの日もショットに安定感を欠く苦しいゴルフ。スコアを2つ落としトータル7オーバーで今季3度目の予選落ちを喫した。

【関連リンク】「石川遼1打速報」で全ストロークを振り返る

　スタートの10番、そして13番とバーディを奪い序盤でスコアを伸ばした。しかし、石川の中に手ごたえはなかった。それが現実のものとなってあらわれたのが14番だ。

「13番のティショットとセカンドショットが良いショットが出来ていなかったので、もっと右に体重を乗せようと意識したらタイミングが合わなくなってしまった」。2番アイアンで打ったティショットはアマチュアが打つような低く右に曲がるミスショット。100ヤードほどしか飛ばず林に吸い込まれた。こうなると難コース小樽の攻略は至難の業。「やはりそう簡単にはやらせてもらえないコースだったので、こういう結果になってしまった」曲がるショットに思い悩んでいるうちにホールは消化され、予選カットラインはどんどん遠のいていった。

　ため息ばかりのラウンドだったが、確信はある。「100人いたら99人の方がわからない世界だと思いますけど、今日のほうがスイングは良かった」予選落ちにはなったものの、先週から取り組み始めた新スイングは確かに前進している。結果が出ないことはプロである以上意識しなければならないが、「ミスしたとしても、真っすぐ打とうとばかり考えないで、良いスイングが出来れば良いという気持ちでやっていきたい」と更なる進化のための痛みと覚悟を決めた。

　「(新スイングに取り組み始めて)2週間くらいで良くなると思っていない。1、2か月はかかる気がします。シーズンが一番盛り上がるあたりで、常に優勝争いに絡めるくらいの状態に持っていきたい」今はとにかく1つ1つの良いショットを自分の中に積み重ねていく時期。秋の爆発のためにすべてを成長の糧にしていく。


【2日目の順位】
1位：平塚哲二(-13)
2位：キラデク・アフィバーンラト(-9)
3位：井上忠久(-8)
4位T：池田勇太(-6)
4位T：H・T・キム(キム・ヒョンテ)(-6)
4位T：J・チョイ(-6)
4位T：丸山大輔(-6)
8位：片岡大育(-5)
9位T：海老根文博(-4)
9位T：武藤俊憲(-4)
9位T：井上信(-4)

40位T：※松山英樹(E)他15名

More Patients Visit Emergency Room

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 23 January 2012 08:43



Many Americans are turning to the emergency room for dental care. A lack of dental insurance is the reason.

People without dental insurance are increasingly visiting the emergency room because they don’t have any other options. The issue is not a good one for many local medical services. Since many people don’t have the insurance coverage they once did, this is the result.

Dental care isn’t affordable for many people with low incomes or people who are unemployed. The risk of oral diseases, infections and pain is up dramatically because people don’t receive the regular treatment they had in the past.

The Medicaid provision isn’t very helpful for most people. There are 10 states that don’t even have Medicaid coverage for adults. That’s why many people can’t receive affordable dental care, forcing them to turn to other ways to get the care they need.

Based on this situation, free dental clinics are vital for many people. It’s also the reason the lines and wait times are so long when these events take place. The weather conditions don’t deter these people from waiting for the dental clinics because their care is so urgent.

This problem will likely only get worse in the future.

Lack of Dentists Causes Cancer Risk to Rise in South Africa

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 24 January 2012 11:29



People in South Africa are more at risk for mouth or throat cancer than they were in recent years. The reason is simple: there’s a shortage of dentists in the country.

There are fewer than 3,500 dentists who practicing in the entire country, according to the South African Dental Association. With that low number of dentists, there’s no conceivable way for people to visit the dentist regularly.

Some studies show that there are 500,000 people for each dentist in South Africa. Comparatively speaking, there is a dentist for about every 1,700 people in the United States—or slightly more or less, depending on the specific geography region.

With fewer dentists and dental visits, there are fewer chances to diagnose some type of mouth cancer or oral cancer.

There are some people that are going years between visits to the dentist. That problem, combined with smoking cigarettes and marijuana, are causing many issues for the country’s citizens. These issues are only compounded by unprotected sex and oral sex, which makes a person more susceptible to oral cancer.

The South African Dental Association states that the possibility of dying from some type of oral cancer is high based on the lack of dental visits. The reason is the cancer is diagnosed at a stage in which it’s too late to treat the problem because it has likely spread.

New Jersey Plans Possible Changes for Dental Colleges

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 26 January 2012 08:56



New Jersey will see alterations to the ways its dental schools are set up, according to a new proposal.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced the reorganization on Wednesday. Under the new plan, Rutgers University will add a medical school.

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey will be split up into Rutgers and Rowan universities throughout the state. The remnants of the Newark campus will eventually be called the New Jersey Health Sciences University.

Adding a medical school will enhance Rutgers' prestige and the way it's viewed.

UMDNJ, which currently has eight different schools, three campuses and the largest charity care hospital in New Jersey, had become too big, according to Christie.

There are other changes in the works if this one eventually gets enacted.

Obesity Could Result in Higher Risk of Tooth Loss

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 29 March 2012 07:31



Overweight people have a higher probability of losing their teeth.

But the possible tooth loss has nothing to do with carrying a few extra pounds around. It’s usually their poor diet that adds the pounds, which also happens to be the same problem for their teeth.

A research team from Japan analyzed the eating habits and overall oral health of 800 recent college graduates and determined that the people that needed to lose weight had more of a chance of developing gum disease and losing their teeth when compared to slimmer people.

The combination of eating fatty, greasy foods and a low rate of fruit/vegetable consumption led to poor oral health. It also led to obesity. If the person was overweight but consumed a reasonable amount of vegetables, gum disease was less likely to be part of the person’s future.

Another problem for people in this age range is that they’re more susceptible to a poor diet. With the lack of home-cooked meals and the greater intake of alcohol than other age groups, a healthy diet is just not realistic for many college students.

That’s why it’s important for young people to be educated about the importance of oral health and the fact that poor oral health can easily lead to poor overall health.

Brushing and Flossing May Have Added Benefits

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 29 March 2012 15:26



Brushing and flossing may lead to other things besides good oral health.

There’s research that suggests brushing and flossing can lead to a healthy body and a healthy mind.

It’s proven that by maintaining a daily dental hygiene routine, a person has the ability to fight off serious medical conditions. There are types of bacteria that cause gum disease that have the ability to travel throughout the body via the bloodstream. The chances of heart disease and stroke increase under these circumstances. Poor oral health may also lead to issues for pregnant women before labor and during labor.

By maintaining one’s oral health, these problems are less likely to occur.

Many people don’t heed the advice of their dentists, however. The evidence is supported by the fact that many people only brush once each day and don’t use dental floss. A daily dental hygiene routine can’t be complete without brushing twice. It’s also essential to mix in visits to the dentist.

Patients With Basic Dental Problems Continually Visit ER

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 02 April 2012 07:30



There are about 130 million Americans that feel they have no choice.

Without dental insurance, their only chance for dental treatment is to visit the emergency room. This problem continues to worsen.

Based on the current economy, there are also only about 10 percent of dentists in some states, like Illinois, that will take on Medicaid patients. The problem arises when the dental patients visit the emergency room, and at almost 10 times the cost, according to the Pew Center on the States.

Between the years 2006 and 2009, dental-related visits to the emergency room increased by 16 percent.

In Illinois there were nearly 66,000 residents that visited the emergency room in 2009 with some type of dental problem. About half of the problems could have been prevented, according to a division of the Pew Charitable Trusts.

And there are some dental problems that emergency rooms can't adequately treat. Many emergency rooms don't even have a dentist, and the patient ends up having to visit the dentist any way. But without dental insurance, therein lies the problem for the person.

For comparison's sake, in Illinois, an extraction costs the state $57 while it can cost around $400 in the emergency room. Never mind the fact that the actual problem may not even be fixed in the emergency room.

In some states, like Illinois, the problem lies with Medicaid. The overhead costs take out anywhere from 65 to 70 percent of the every dollar and Medicaid reimburses only about 39 percent of the service. Therefore, treating low-income patients doesn't make much fiscal sense for dentists, so they don't take them on.

Dentists Misleading Patients in United Kingdom

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 30 May 2012 07:31



Nearly 500,000 dental patients in the United Kingdom are given incorrect dental information, according to the Office of Fair Trading.

The wrong information was given to convince dental patients to spend money on unnecessary treatment.

According to the findings of the investigation, more than half of the dentists who were seeking to offer this treatment did not display the charges for the treatment at the reception desk. More than 80 percent of patients were not given a written treatment plan.

Despite the few dentists that tried to take advantage of people, most people in the United Kingdom were content with the service their dentist provided, according to the study.

Roughly £6 billion was spent on dental treatment in the United Kingdom from 2009 through 2010. About 42 percent of that treatment was spent on private treatment.

Lack of Dentists a Problem in Rural Areas of California

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 30 May 2012 15:45



Tooth decay rates in many California areas are rising.

The problem can be traced to one main cause: a lack of dentists.

Many of California’s rural counties don’t have nearly as many dentists and specialists as they need. In fact, there is only one dentist for every 4,500 people in the McKinleyville area of Humbolt County. There’s also only one dentist that will accept Medi-Cal (California’s version of Medicaid) for every 71,000 residents in the county.

According to a 2006 survey, in a four-county span in Northern California, more than a quarter of the people below the poverty level hadn’t visited a dentist in at least five years. Rural counties in Northern California also rank highest in the state for the number of emergency department and urgent care visits for preventable dental conditions.

The problem for dentists is the lower reimbursement rates in places outside of urban areas, which gives them less incentive to open a practice in those areas.

There were some program cuts to Medi-Cal three years ago, which exacerbated the problem. Increasing various telehealth programs could be a boost to dentistry and specialty treatment.

Studies also have indicated that education loan repayment programs are enticing enough to get more students interested in dentistry. Without programs like that, the problem will continue in rural areas of California.

Women’s Hormones May be Related to Gum Disease

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 31 May 2012 15:00



Women’s health issues and gum disease are associated, according to a new study.

Charlene Krejci, associate clinical professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, concluded the link after a thorough study. The research showed that hormonal changes that happen during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause enable bacteria to grow in the mouth. The bacteria can then make health issues like bone loss worse than they already are.

The article containing the research (“Women’s Health: Periodontitis and its Relation to Hormonal Changes, Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Osteoporosis”) appears in the May issue of Oral Health and Preventive Dentistry.

To compile the research, 61 journal articles and about 100 studies were examined to see what the correlation between female hormones/health issues and gum disease actually was.

The best way to combat this problem is for women to visit the dentist at least once every six months or more frequently in the cases of pregnant women and women that suffer from bone loss. Many pregnant women develop some type of gum problem.

Scaling and planing of the roots of the teeth is now a recommended course of treatment for pregnant women. Severe gum disease that could require surgery does not take place until after the child is born.

Gum disease starts when there’s an influx of bacterial plaque on the teeth and under the gums, and it can result in irritation and inflammation when left untreated.

Marine Bacterial Enzyme May Help Fight Tooth Decay

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 05 July 2012 14:15



Seaweed bacterial enzymes could manage to thwart tooth decay.

Scientists at New Castle University in the United Kingdom have isolated an enzyme from the marine bacterium bacillus licheniformis. It has been determined that this seaweed cuts through plaque and cleans the hard-to-reach dental areas.

This bacterial enzyme is generally used to clean the hulls of ships. This information, however, may provide an alternative method for teeth scaling that removes plaque and tartar buildup in the area between the teeth and gumline. Regular brushing can’t always account for this.

While conducting this study, researchers learned that the biofilm created by the bacteria for the adhesion makes it immune to basic oral health treatment. But when the bacterium exits the bacterial colony, it gives off an enzyme that breaks down the external DNA and biofilm. There could soon be various dental products with this enzyme, including toothpaste, mouthwash, and other products.

More research is necessary on this seaweed enzyme. But if it truly does destroy the plaque that contains bacteria, it will soon become widely used.

Study Shows HPV Increases Risk of Periodontitis

Written by Dentistry TodayFriday, 06 July 2012 10:05



Another study indicates that the Human Papilloma Virus increases the risk of developing a form of gum disease, such as periodontitis.

The University of Buffalo study indicated that those infected with HPV tumors showed greater bone loss, something that’s generally associated with periodontitis.

Many other studies have demonstrated the link between poor oral health and the increased risk of cancer. This study pinpoints, the link of HPV and gum disease. Also, periodontitis is now the top cause of tooth loss, even greater than tooth decay.

Bad oral health raises the possibility of developing some type of oral cancer and is a major cause of gum disease.

Many recent studies have shown that the number of HPV-causing cancer cases is going up. The only way to turn back this trend is for people to practice better oral health as a whole.

Diagnosing HPV, gum disease and oral cancer early is one of the main factors in successfully treating the problems. Maintaining solid oral health is the best way to avoid the diseases completely.

UCLA Scientists Make Discovery that May Aid Dentistry

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 09 July 2012 15:38



Cancer scientists at the UCLA School of Dentistry have found two epigenetic regulating genes that impact cell-fate determination of human bone marrow stem cells. Translation: dental researchers may be able to dictate stem-to-cell differentiation to the point where bone diseases can be successfully treated.

The possibility of targeting treatments in craniofacial bone regeneration, bone construction, and osteoporosis could be on the horizon.

This information shows the improvement of the way gene structure is understood during epigenetic regulation of stem cell differentiation and how it’s altered without changing the DNA sequence, according to Dr. Cun-Yu Wang. Gene-activating enzymes serve to eliminate methyl markers from histone proteins, which would improve stem-to-bone cell differentiation.

Gene lineage favoring is the science behind this discovery. Genes that favor certain lineages are activated and genes that favor alternate lineages are deactivated. It’s possible for stem cells to differentiate into bone cells. The point of this research is to create the opportunity to possibly treat osteoporosis and gum disease.

The information appears in the most recent issue of Cell Stem Cell, a publication associated with the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

Oral Bacteria May be Sign of Pancreatic Cancer

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 19 September 2012 15:14



An infectious oral bacterium may be a sign for pancreatic cancer.

According to a new study, researchers claim that people who have high levels of antibodies for an infectious oral bacterium ended up having double the risk for developing pancreatic cancer. If a person has high antibody levels for harmless oral bacteria, there’s a reduced risk of cancer.

This study pinpoints the association between antibodies for multiple oral bacteria and the risk of pancreatic cancer.

The study comes from data involving more than 800 Europeans adults. It was published in the journal Gut.

The data explored the fact that higher antibody levels for at least one of the more infectious strains of bacteria meant a two-fold risk for pancreatic cancer. Conversely, there’s a 45 percent lower risk when there are high levels of antibodies for harmless bacteria.

This could be pivotal information, according to one of the paper’s authors, Brown University epidemiologist Dominique Michaud.

Pancreatic cancer causes 40,000 deaths each year in the United States. It’s difficult to detect and kills most patients within six months after diagnosis.

Dental Records Could Enable Early Diagnosis of Osteoporosis

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 24 September 2012 15:31



It’s conceivable that osteoporosis may be identified many years before a person displays symptoms.

Dental researchers at the University of Manchester are developing a new technique known as Osteodent. This technique would diagnose osteoporosis before a person ever displayed any symptoms. Some dentists are beginning to use Osteodent to analyze scans and dental records to see if a person is at a higher risk for osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis causes one’s bones to become thinner and weaker. There is no way, as of now, to determine if a person is at higher risk for the disease. The condition is only diagnosed after a person shows symptoms and a bone density test is conducted.

Bone scans on the jaw can pinpoint signs of deterioration in other bone tissues. According to research for this method, bone density in women doesn’t change until a person is 42. There were 5,000 patients studied between the ages of 15 and 94.

Dentists are in a prime position to be at the forefront of this because of all of the jaw x-rays they conduct. If the Osteodent method is as effective as the study indicates, many lives could be saved and the lives of others could be greatly improved.

Soda Ban in New York Should Boost Oral Health

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 25 September 2012 14:17



The state of oral health in New York City may soon be on the rise.

City health officials voted, 8-0, in favor of banning 16-oz soft drinks. New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg brought up the legislation earlier this year.

The goal behind this legislation was to lower obesity rates, which have become a major problem in the United States. Without consuming sodas in the same large quantity as in the past, oral health will likely improve. The amount of sugar in soda, especially 16-oz serving sizes, is extremely problematic for one’s dental health.

A standard size soft drink contains 12 teaspoons of sugar on average.

Sugar results in many oral health problems, including gingivitis and decay. Plaque eventually develops from the bacteria, which damages the tooth enamel.

A University of California study has determined that soft drink consumption has continually gotten worse during the last 50 years, which has adversely impacted oral health as a whole. Excessive sugar consumption results on obesity, in addition to various oral health problems.

You can also see this story on this week's The Wednesday Watch.

Study Proves Snuff Users Having Fewer Dental Caries is a Myth

Study Proves Snuff Users Having Fewer Dental Caries is a Myth

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 27 November 2012 12:41

The theory, according to some, was that snuff users were at a lower risk for developing dental caries. But there was never really anything to back that up.

And now a study proves that the notion of snuff users being at a lower risk for dental caries is false. The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden conducted a study that indicated the carbohydrates and starch present in snuff actually increase the risk of developing cavities.

The study also shows that the snuff users weren’t at an increased risk for developing cavities, either. Still, snuff users need to be more careful about their dental health than people who don’t use stuff for all of the obvious reasons. In fact, nicotine-free snuff may be even worse than nicotine-containing snuff because of the increased starch (26 percent) and increased carbohydrates (6.5 percent) in that form.

The results from the study only included information from the snuff products studied. That doesn’t necessarily mean the information about all snuff products is the same.

The study also showed that tobacco use has decreased during the last two decades. Conversely, the number of snuff users has risen during the same time frame.

The study also concluded that single men were more likely to use tobacco than married men. There was no correlation with regards to education level or income.

Saliva Test Capable of Diagnosing Oral Cancer and Diabetes

Saliva Test Capable of Diagnosing Oral Cancer and Diabetes

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 28 November 2012 15:46

A new molecular test has the ability to detect oral cancer and diabetes.

PeriRX, a Pennsylvania start-up company, is conducting clinical trials on this test, which has drawn a large amount of interest.

The test was developed by dentist Neil Gottehrer and David Wong, a leading professor in salivary diagnostics and professor of oral biology at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry.

Wong’s laboratory has been examining salivary diagnostics in regards to other health conditions, including oral cancer, type 2 diabetes, lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. Wong will be heavily involved in the way the product is designed. It will be able to analyze biological markers in saliva.

What separates this test from previous tests that could be considered similar is that there is nothing subjective involved with this one. Also, previous tests haven’t had much of an impact on curbing survival rates of oral cancer.

This test wouldn’t require a complicated testing process. A hygienist or dentist would simply gather a small sample of saliva that would be sent away to be studied. The results would be determined after 48 hours.

Vitamin D May Lower Rate of Tooth Decay

Vitamin D May Lower Rate of Tooth Decay

Written by Dentistry TodayFriday, 30 November 2012 16:23

Vitamin D may benefit dentistry in a major way.

Many recent studies have concluded that vitamin D may be capable of preventing dental caries or tooth decay. Based on 24 clinical trials from the 1920s through the 1980s, 3,000 children were studied in regards to vitamin D and its impact on the teeth. The results from these various studies showed that there was a 50 percent tooth decay reduction from the people who participated in the study.

The information appeared in the December issue of Nutrition Reviews.

The benefits of vitamin D in the area of bone health have never been disputed. Vitamin D’s impact on caries, however, has led to much debate.

The U.S. National Research Council concluded around 1950 that vitamin D aided protection against caries. But around the same time, the American Dental Association disputed this claim. The debate continued into the late 1980s.

Current studies by the Institute of Medicine, the U.S. Department of Human Health and Service and the ADA don’t infer anything about vitamin D and its impact on dental caries.

An ongoing factor lends more credence into the idea that vitamin D lowers the rate of tooth decay: vitamin D levels in many populations are going down while the number of dental caries seen in young children continues to rise. It’s conceivable that this data is purely coincidental.

Despite the years of research on the topic, more is necessary to definitively determine how vitamin D affects a person’s risk of developing tooth decay.

UN Treaty Could Phase Down Amalgam

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 22 January 2013 16:30



Mercury use throughout the world could begin to decrease and eventually be phased out.

The United Nations recently discussed the issue but no date was set to fully phase out dental amalgam.

“This is the beginning of the end of dental amalgam globally,” said Michael T. Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project, a US-based NGO, who is attending the mercury treaty talks. “We applaud the leadership role the US played in jump-starting support for a phase down in 2011 along with the concrete steps of the Nordic countries, Switzerland and Japan in phasing out amalgam.”

There are numerous ways that countries can phase down amalgam use, according to the treaty. Countries can create a national objective to do so, promote mercury-free dental treatment and discourage insurance policies from covering dental amalgam treatments compared to mercury-free options.

It also would be beneficial if dental schools would train students to utilize mercury-free ways to provide dental care.

Several countries throughout the world have already thought about ways to reduce mercury usage based on how destructive it can be. In 2012, the European Commission recommended that it would be best for mercury to be completely eliminated in five years.

The EC BIOS report stated that mercury-free fillings seem more expensive based on the negative external costs. Amalgam, however, adversely impacts the environment after it eventually releases.







The usage of mercury in tooth fillings represents about 10 percent of global mercury consumption, according to the United Nations Environment Program.

Certain Molecule is Necessary for Tooth Root Formation

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 24 January 2013 16:01



The International and American Associations for Dental Research recently made a discovery that could be pivotal for tooth root formation.

The protein called ß-catenin is expressed in odontoblasts and is required for root formation. The Chonbuk National Korea School of Dentistry wrote the research paper and it appeared in the Journal of Dental Research.

The tooth root and the surrounding periodontium maintain the tooth in the jaw. The root develops after the process of morphogenesis. Prior to this study, little was known about the molecular mechanisms that control tooth root formation.

Tissue-specific inactivation of ß-catenin in developing odontoblasts results in molars that lack roots and thin incisors.

Root odontoblast was disrupted in the mutant molars, which preceeded the loss of a subset of Hertwig’s epithelial root sheath. The outer layer of Hertwig’s epithelial root sheath extended without the root, making way for the molars to eventually erupt.

These results show that there is a cell-autonomous requirement for Wnt/ß-catenin, which alerts the dental mesenchyme to start root formation.







Dentist can learn a great deal of information from the tooth phenotypes, how Wnt impacts odontoblasts and the way the root develops.

Dentistry in Australia Headed in Right Direction

Written by Dentistry TodayFriday, 25 January 2013 16:20



The number of Australian dentists is on the rise, according to a recent study.

Dentists in rural areas and females dentists are becoming more prevalent, based on the report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The report indicates that the number of dentists working in areas that would be considered rural has risen 49 percent since 2006. The national average rise has been 22.4 percent during that same time period. In urban areas, dentists have increased by 19 percent and there are now about 64 dentists for every 100,000 patients.

The amount of female dentists in Australia is at an all-time high. At this point, more than one third of dentists are women and that number increased by 7 percent from 2006 to 2011.

Dentists also worked about one hour less per week in 2011 when compared to

Wine After Whitening Nullifies Impact

Wine After Whitening Nullifies Impact

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 07 March 2013 16:49

Drinking wine after having your teeth whitened may be the worst substance one can consume. Even worse than coffee.

A recent study in the February issue of Acta Odontologica Scandinavicashowed this was the case based on a Brazil research team’s findings. The study showed that the stains produced from wine were more damaging than the coffee stains.

The group of researchers from a practice in Sao Paolo, Brazil explored the staining that resulted from red wine and coffee before and after a teeth-whitening treatment. The molars were broken into 11 groups utilizing wine, coffee and a control substance. A spectrophotometer was used to determine color change among the teeth.

The research indicated that there wasn’t much change in the concentration of the carbamide peroxide during the whitening treatment. When the treatment concluded, however, there was a large difference in the concentration involving the groups treated with coffee and red wine.

The research team explained its findings by stating that during remineralization of the enamel, the saliva and bleaching agent thwart the possible staining of the enamel. But after the treatment was finished, the red wine and coffee stained the enamel. The stains from the wine were definitively worse, based on this study.

Gum Cells Utilized to Grow Teeth

Gum Cells Utilized to Grow Teeth

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 11 March 2013 15:50

Gum cells were recently used as a way of growing new teeth—something that could be a major breakthrough in dentistry.

Based on this King’s College (London) research, missing teeth could one day be grown from gum cells.

To successfully grow the teeth, the researchers took epithelial cells from the gums and combined them with mesenchyme cells from mice. The research team then managed to promote the growth of new teeth through the epithelial gum cells.

The researchers later transplanted the combination of cells into the mice, which produced the development of human/mouth teeth that had a working root system.

The information appeared in the Journal of Dental Research.

The research team warned for patience, however. It still may take years before dentists can implement this process with humans.

Researchers will have to find a way to acquire a supply of mesenchyme cells that would result in a feasible way to grow these teeth in humans on a consistent basis. If the right amount of mesenchyme cells is found, the research team can proceed with the next step toward making this practice widespread.

New Study Indicates Fluoride Lowers Tooth Decay

New Study Indicates Fluoride Lowers Tooth Decay

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 12 March 2013 12:05

The debate will continue but a new study recently demonstrated the positive impact fluoride has on dental health.

The researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Adelaide in Australia concluded that when fluoride is placed in drinking water, there are positive results and less tooth decay. This even applies to people who weren’t exposed to fluoridated water as children.

Some previous studies came to the conclusion that only children who consumed fluoride from birth could benefit from it. But this study debunks that notion. This information shows that even more people may benefit from fluoride than most studies would even indicate.

To compile the data, the research team looked at nearly 3,800 people aged 15 and older in Australia from 2004 through 2006. The researchers examined the levels of decay of the people based on where they lived since 1964. The locations were then matched up to see if the people lived in communities with fluoridated water. A determination was then made on how much fluoride each person had been exposed to and if there was any correlation with tooth decay or other oral health problems.

The information also shows that people who spent more than 75 percent of their lifetime living in towns with fluoridated water had as many as 30 percent less instances of tooth decay when compared to their counterparts who lived with fluoridated water for less than 25 percent of their life.

The study appears in the Journal of Dental Research.

The reason for the study is because many Australian cities without fluoridation want to add fluoride to their cities, which is a no-brainer according to Kaye Roberts-Thomson, one of the study’s co-authors. Many of the people against fluoride, however, would beg to differ.

FDA Panel to Review Classification of Blade-Form Implants

FDA Panel to Review Classification of Blade-Form Implants

Written by Dentistry TodayFriday, 24 May 2013 08:09

The Food and Drug Administration may soon lower the risk class of blade-form dental implants.

An advisory panel will meet in July to analyze the case of lowering the blade-form endosseous dental implants from the highest risk category to a lower one.

The FDA will look at reclassifying Class III devices into the Class II category. The FDA believes that certain controls can effectively monitor the risks associated with these types of implants. These devices have been discussed for numerous years.

The devices have displayed a high success rate in regards to staying implanted in the mouth without the necessity for removal. It also appears as though these implants have the ability to hold up over time.

The dental blade-form implant was created to be put in place of tooth roots, in addition to providing support in the gingival tissue through the oral cavity. The goal is to allow the possibility for chewing. These implants are rectangular-shaped with a narrow edge. The implants are often made of titanium.

These implants are one of the few Class III devices left. They were first placed into that category because they are implanted in the body and can cause pain at any moment based on nerve impingement or bone issues in the jaw. There also may be extremely damaging effects if a person with these implants undergoes an MRI. Nerve damage or tissue infections are some of the possibilities stemming from an MRI.

The Dental Products Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee will meet on July 18 to discuss this topic.

Soda, Some Drugs Impact Teeth Same Way

Soda, Some Drugs Impact Teeth Same Way

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 29 May 2013 10:20

Judging by the impact on teeth, it may be difficult to tell the difference between methamphetamine use, crack cocaine use and soda consumption.

At least that’s what a new study says. The study, which was published in the March/April 2013 issue of General Dentistry, says that all of those substances can cause the same amount of teeth erosion.

Tooth erosion stems from acid wearing away at the tooth enamel. The teeth then become more vulnerable to cavities, discoloration or other issues.

To compile the data, three people were studied. One person was a methamphetamine user, another was a longtime cocaine user and the third person consumed large amounts of diet soda. All of the participants had poor oral hygiene and did not often frequent the dentist.

Just like the citric component in soda, the ingredients utilized in methamphetamine are corrosive, including things such as battery acid, drain cleaner or lantern fuel. Cocaine could be considered an acidic substance as well.

The soda drinker of the group consumed 2 liters of diet soda on a daily basis for three to five years. The impact on the teeth was so similar to the drug users that it begs the question of whether or not soda should ever be consumed.

Switching to more water over soda is always a good idea. Rinsing with water or chewing sugarless gum can also minimize the effects of soda by promoting saliva flow.

UAB School of Dentistry Tops in Research Funding

UAB School of Dentistry Tops in Research Funding

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 29 May 2013 15:35

No school receives more funding for dental research than the School of Dentistry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The $12.5 million given to the school in 2012 was No. 1 in the nation.

The school received a grant of $67 million last year, enabling the school to jump from 15th to the top spot on the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Researcher list. The seven-year deal was based on the institute’s three regional research networks, which are combined into a nationally coordinated effort to conduct studies on the best practices in dental care. This effort was given $9.9 million in 2012.

UAB previously reached as high as No. 4 on the list in 2011 when the school received $4.25 million.

The rest of this year’s top five included Forsyth Institute ($9.84 million), the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor ($9.76 million), the University of California San Francisco ($8.52 million) and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill ($8.35 million).

Some Medications May Ruin Teeth

Some Medications May Ruin Teeth

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 13 August 2013 15:45

You may want to be careful about which medications you take.

New information indicates that certain medicines could lead to problems for your teeth.

Oral inhalers are used to aid breathing for asthma patients but the inhalers could have unintended negative effects. Studies from researchers in Australia and Scandinavia show that inhalers may actually raise the risk of developing cavities.

Inhalers with powder—something that supposedly adds flavor—are even worse for teeth because the residual powder may stay in the mouth for a while. That’s why it’s essential for people who use inhalers to maintain good oral hygiene. It’s also pivotal to rinse your mouth with water after utilizing an inhaler.

There are also some antibiotics that could adversely affect oral health. There are some medicines, like tetracycline, that may stain teeth or cause discoloration.

There are other antibiotics that may cause oral thrush, resulting in white spots in the mouth. Excessive usage of mouthwash may result in oral thrush.

Many antihistamines are effective in preventing hay fever, among other issues. The problem is that dry mouth is a common side effect of antihistamines. Swallowing then becomes harder, making it more difficult to rid the mouth of food debris and bacteria. The chances of developing decay or gum disease then go up.

Milk Essential to Fighting Tooth Decay

Milk Essential to Fighting Tooth Decay

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 02 July 2013 15:24

A glass of milk after breakfast may do wonders for your oral health.

A new study shows that when milk is consumed after breakfast in the morning, the risk of developing tooth decay goes way down. The study indicates that drinking a small glass of milk serves to reduce the amount of plaque acids in the mouth by more than 50 percent.

The study was done by the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Illinois. To compile the results, 20 adults were provided with a bowl of cereal that was followed by a glass of milk, a glass of fruit juice or a glass of water. The acid levels were lower among the participants who had a glass of milk. The average pH numbers were 6.48 for milk drinkers, 6.02 for water and 5.83 for apple juice.

These results further stress the importance of one’s eating habits and the impact on his or her oral health. It’s essential to limit snacking because the mouth is exposed to plaque acids each time something is consumed. The bacteria released can attack enamel, making way for tooth decay or other problems.

Dental Implants Can Save Money, Boost Quality of Life

Dental Implants Can Save Money, Boost Quality of Life

Written by Dentistry TodayMonday, 08 July 2013 15:32

Dental implants may provide the best way to avoid emptying one’s bank account.

A new report in the International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implantsdemonstrates the ways in which dental implants are a beneficial alternative when compared to conventional tooth replacement treatment.

The report stems from a comprehensive review of all studies published in the English language from 2000 though 2010. The total ended up being 14 studies on the matter.

There were numerous specific findings that came from the study. The first of which was that for single-tooth replacement, implant-based solutions were cheaper than traditional tooth-borne prostheses.

There were also higher initial costs for implant-borne solutions for patients with full dentures. The consensus, however, based on most studies was that dental implants are a long-term, cost-effective treatment option. For older edentulous patients, they were ok with paying for dental implants. There was also a movement for raising the overall level of quality of life based on oral health, which coincided with lower healthcare costs.

The goal of this study was to put all of the recent information on this matter into one study that could end up being the study of record on this matter. Based on the places in which the study appears, the goal has been achieved.

Dentistry Gets Another Bad Rap, Courtesy of Hollywood

Dentistry Gets Another Bad Rap, Courtesy of Hollywood

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 14 August 2013 12:25

Woody Allen’s new film, Blue Jasmine, may be getting Oscar buzz, but it’s also getting criticism from New York dentists.
Lead actress Cate Blanchett’s character gets a rude awakening when taking a job and a dental office with a dentist who is, for lack of a better word, unprofessional.
Dr. Mark Wolff, of New York University, told the New York Daily News that onscreen, dentists “range from killers to buffoons to sexual harassers.”
This new character, played by Michael Stuhlbarg, joins the ranks of other detestable dentists, such as Sir Laurence Olivier in Marathon Man, Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors, and Jennifer Aniston in Horrible Bosses.

AGD Applauds Congress on Student Loan Bill

AGD Applauds Congress on Student Loan Bill

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 14 August 2013 12:31

The AGD has commended Congress for passing the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013.

The bill rolls back and restructures federal student loan interest rates. Dental student debt has been a top priority for the AGD since 2012.

AGD President Dr. Linda Edgar states that the debt of newly graduated dentists has nearly doubled in less than 10 years. She adds that new practitioners start out with more than $220,000 in debt, which makes them less inclined to provide dentistry to underserved populations.

AGD members have been partnering with American Student Dental Association (ASDA) members, conducting meetings with federal legislators regarding the personal, professional, and societal cost of educational loans.

Several AGD leaders and ASDA members met with policymakers and agency officials to discuss possible solutions to the student debt crisis.

Urine used to create teeth - stem cell success

Featured Article
Main Category: Dentistry
Also Included In: Stem Cell Research
Article Date: 30 Jul 2013 - 6:00 PDT

 email to a friend    printer friendly    opinions   

Current ratings for:
Urine used to create teeth - stem cell success

Patient / Public:		2.84 (19 votes)
Healthcare Prof:		2.83 (6 votes)
Article opinions:	14 posts

Stem cell research is opening up the way for new teeth "grown" from an unlikely source - human urine.

Chinese researchers describe how stem cells derived from urine could be used to generate solid organs and tissues, including teeth. Their study is published this week in the open-access journal Cell Regeneration. The researchers hope the technique might one day help provide new, tailor-made teeth for dental patients.

Previous stem cell research has shown how cells can be generated from urine. It is also known that cells discarded with urea can become induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that can then generate many different cell types, including neurons and heart muscle cells.

Tissue culture breakthrough

Duanqing Pei and his colleagues from Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, and other Chinese universities have developed a novel chimeric tissue culture system that can coax these iPSCs into tiny structures that resemble teeth.

Their system mimics normal tooth development, which results from an interaction between two different cell types: epithelial cells, producing enamel, and mesenchymal cells, which generate the other three main tooth components of dentin, cementum and pulp.

Stem cells could one day be used to 'grow' new teeth


First, the team used chemicals to coax the cultured iPSCs into flat sheets of epithelial cells. They then mixed these cells with mouse embryonic mesenchymal cells, and transplanted them into mice.

Three weeks later, formations had grown that physically and structurally resembled human teeth. They are of roughly the same elasticity, and contain pulp, dentin and enamel-forming cells.

The hope for regenerative medicine

Though these structures are a new achievement, the method involves mouse cells, has a success rate of just 30% and the structures produced are only about one-third as hard as human teeth.


To resolve these issues, the team say human mesenchymal stem cells could be substituted for mouse ones and the tissue culture conditions tweaked. In theory, this revised method could create a bioengineered tooth bud, cultured in a jar and then transplanted into the jawbone of a human patient to form a fully functional tooth.


iPSCs remain a great source of hope for regenerative medicine. Not only do they avoid the controversial use of embryos, but they also come from a more readily accessible source than even cultured skin and blood. Furthermore, cells generated by this method cannot be rejected by the human immune system, being derived from the host's own cellular material.

Written by: Nick Valentine

Copyright: Medical News Today 
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today