Epilepsy, Seizure Meds Have Oral Health Implications May 4, 2008
Posted by Dentist.Com in Uncategorized.Tags: epilepsy, epileptics, seizures
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Acaademy of General Dentistry
Three million Americans suffer from epilepsy, a central nervous system disorder resulting in recurrent seizures, which can be frightening and potentially dangerous. Additionally, seizures may have implications for oral health and dental care, according to an article in the July/August 2003 issue of General Dentistry, the clinical, peer-reviewed journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). If you suffer from seizures, it is crucial that you keep your dentist informed, according to author Eric T. Stoopler, DMD.
“It’s extremely important for patients to give their dentist a thorough history of their seizures and lists of medications and dosages. Dentists also should be updated on patients’ progress with their neurologists and other health care professionals,” says Dr. Stoopler.
Seizures can be treated with medication or, in some instances, surgery; but antiseizure drugs often have side effects that can cause oral health problems or complicate dental procedures. Additionally, drugs commonly used in dentistry could induce seizure activity in epileptics.
Dr. Stoopler urges seizure sufferers to make sure their dentist is aware of their specific conditions. And most important, you should make sure that your dentist knows how to handle a seizure should you have one during a dental treatment, says Dr. Stoopler.
Armed with the full knowledge of a patient’s condition, a dentist can take all the necessary steps to ensure a safe and comfortable visit,” according to AGD spokesperson Mark Ritz, DDS, MAGD.
Drs. Ritz and Stoopler also urge epileptics to visit their dentist frequently, as side effects such as dry mouth and overgrown gums require careful attention to oral hygiene.
Side effects of seizure medications:
Pre-Op Antibiotics Prevent Infection for Wisdom Teeth Surgery May 4, 2008
Posted by Dentist.Com in -GEN. INFO, -GEN. INFO.Tags: antibiotics, third molars, wisdom teeth
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(The following news article is not universally accepted by the dental/medical community… “Dentist.Com”)
Patients who have their wisdom teeth pulled and do not take antibiotics before surgery are twice as likely to get an infection after the surgery than those who take a single dose of antibiotics shortly before surgery, says Eastman Dental Center researchersYan-Fang Ren, DDS, PhD, MPH and Hans Malmstrom, DDS.
Surgical extraction of impacted of wisdom teeth—or third molars—is the procedure carried out most commonly in oral surgery and general dental practices around the world,” said Ren. “Inflammation and infection associated with bacterial contamination are the most common complications after third molar surgery.” Because infection after surgery is usually accompanied by debilitating pain and functional impairment, clinicians have long sought effective ways to prevent complications after third molar surgery.
“Many clinical trials have been conducted in the past to investigate the controversial topic of using antibiotics before wisdom teeth surgery, but most of the published trials involved a sample size too small to support a conclusive outcome,” Ren explained. Through an extensive, meticulous process explained in the Journal, Ren and Malmstrom analyzed 20 published clinical trials involving nearly 3,000 patients.
The findings of this study may serve as a guideline for dentists and oral surgeons for prescribing antibiotics after wisdom teeth surgery. “We do not advocate a universal prescription of antibiotics for every third molar surgery,” Ren explained, “but for patients who have risks for postoperative infections, a single dose of antibiotics before surgery is probably more effective than taking several days of antibiotics after the surgery is completed.” Drs. Ren and Malmstrom hope that this study could help dentists be more purposeful when prescribing antibiotics and to avoid unnecessary antibiotic use.
Overweight Kids Have Fewer Cavities, New Study Shows May 4, 2008
Posted by Dentist.Com in NEWS.Tags: overweight children, cavities
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Contrary to conventional wisdom, overweight children have fewer cavities and healthier teeth compared to their normal weight peers, according to a study published in this month’s issue of Community Dentistry & Oral Epidemiology.
Surprised researchers at the Eastman Dental Center, part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, conducted a secondary analysis of nearly 18,000 children who participated in two separate National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES III and NHANES 99-02).
The study found no differences in rates of caries (tooth decay) among children ages 2-5 in all weight ranges, while children ages 6-18 who were considered overweight and at risk for becoming overweight showed a decreased risk of caries compared to their normal weight peers.
“We expected to find more oral disease in overweight children of all ages, given the similar causal factors that are generally associated with obesity and caries, said Eastman Dental Center’s Dorota Kopycka-Kedzierawski, DDS, MPH, the lead author. “Our findings raise more questions than answers. For example, are overweight children eating foods higher in fat rather than cavity-causing sugars? Are their diets similar to normal weight peers but lead more sedentary lifestyles? Research to analyze both diet and lifestyle is needed to better understand the results.”
The study defined overweight children as being at the 95th or higher percentile for their age and sex; children at the 85th or higher percentile and less than 95th percentile for their age and sex were defined as at risk for becoming overweight.
Winemaking Waste Proves Effective Against Disease-Causing Bacteria in Early Studies May 4, 2008
Posted by Dentist.Com in NEWS.Tags: grape polyphenols, winemaking
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A class of chemicals in red wine grapes may significantly reduce the ability of bacteria to cause cavities, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The findings suggest that specific polyphenols, present in large amounts in fermented seeds and skins cast away after grapes are pressed, interfere with the ability of bacteria to contribute to tooth decay. Beyond cavities, the action of the wine grape-based chemicals may also hold clues for new ways to lessen the ability of bacteria to cause life-threatening, systemic infections.
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| Hydroxyaratite disc act as tooth surogates to study how to block strep germs from forming dental plaque at Dr. Hyun Koo’s lab at the University of Rochester Medical Center. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli) |
Even better, the compounds embody an emerging philosophy in design of drugs against bacteria: take away their ability to cause disease without killing them. Current antibiotics often kill a strain of bacteria responsible for disease, only to create a vacuum quickly filled by related strains. The widespread overprescribing of antibiotics and the speed of bacterial evolution have greatly increased the likelihood that the strains most able to resist antibiotics will thrive and spread. This trend is evident in recent reports that one strain of bacteria has become resistant to all 18 antibiotics approved for use in childhood ear infections, while another now causes more U.S. deaths than AIDS. New approaches seek to take away bacterial capabilities that cause disease (virulence factors) without “selecting for” resistance or killing beneficial bacteria.
“Most foods contain compounds that are both good and bad for dental health, so the message is not ‘drink more wine to fight bacteria,’” said Hyun Koo, DDS, Ph.D., assistant professor of Dentistry within the Eastman Department of Dentistry and Center for Oral Biology at the Medical Center. “We hope to isolate the key compounds within the winemaking waste that render bad bacteria harmless, perhaps in the mouth with a new kind of rinse,” said Koo, an author of the current study.
