Dental Did You Know

Halloween Fun Facts!

Just a few facts about the origins of Halloween!

• Pumpkins don't just come in orange but also in white, blue, and green. Great options for creative monster carvings!

• Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the fall harvest while black is associated with darkness and death

• Bobbing for apples is supposedly originated from a Roman harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees

• The Celts believed that ghosts and spirits roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They wore masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as among the living

• Jack o'Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed out turnips to keep away ghosts on the Samhain holiday.

• Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the U.S.

• Black cats were once believed to be witch's familiars who protected their powers

• Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Source: http://www.halloween-website.com/trivia.htm

R. Eric Emery, DDS

Smile Station Dental

2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400

St. Louis, MO 63122

(314)821-7100

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Best and Worst Halloween Candy Options for Children's Teeth

Halloween is only a couple days away and candy is flying off supermarket shelves.  Candy consumption is unavoidable at this time of year but a recent article released by the Academy of General Dentistry alerts parents to the good and bad candy options

Worst:

• Sticky or Chewy Sweets: Examples are gummy candy, taffy, even dried fruit. These types of candies get stuck in the hard to clean crevices between teeth. It is nearly impossible for saliva to wash them away and toothbrushes might miss them.

• Sour Candies: These types can be highly acidic which breaks down tooth enamel. Saliva can restore the mouth back to it's natural acidity but it is recommended to wait 30 minutes before brushing teeth.  Brushing can force the acid onto the tooth surfaces, causing more erosion 

• Sugary Snacks: Examples include candy corn, cake, cookies. These include high amounts of sugar which factors into tooth decay

Best:

• Sugar-free Lollipops and Hard Candies: These candies stimulate the creation of saliva which helps prevent dry mouth and plaque build up.

• Sugar-free Gum: Prevents tooth decay by dislodging particles between teeth and increasing saliva production

• Dark Chocolate: According to some studies, dark chocolate contains antioxidants that are good for the heart and may lower blood pressure 

As always, children's candy intake should be monitored all year to promote good oral health habits. Kids should also brush their teeth twice a day for two minutes.

Source: http://www.knowyourteeth.com/infobites/abc/article/?abc=b&iid=296&aid=11070

R. Eric Emery, DDS

Smile Station Dental

2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400

St. Louis, MO 63122

(314)821-7100

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A Perfect Body or a Perfect Smile?

In a recent poll, 80% of Americans said they would invest money in hiding or correcting aging flaws. Of those, 62% said they would pay to fix their teeth as opposed to the 48% who said they would invest in weight loss options. 

Almost half (45%) of the adults surveyed claimed a smile could defy aging. Eyes (34%), body shape (10%), hair (6%), and legs (5%) were the other areas of the body mentioned after teeth. 

American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry president Dr. Ron Goodlin commented that "a great smile is always in style, and these results prove it". Over half of the adults over 50 claim a smile can overcome decades of birthdays, making the investment in a beautiful smile more worth it. 

These results came from a survey questioning American adult's attitudes on aging and beauty in observance of Healthy Aging Month that takes place in September. It was conducted on a sample of 1,018 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over. 


Source: http://www.dental-tribune.com/articles/content/scope/news/region/usa/id/10262


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
smilestationdental.com
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Cold Cases Heat Up Through New Approach to Identifying Remains

Dental records have long been used to help detectives identify remains of missing persons for police investigations but at times, this technology was not advanced enough for a full identification. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory research team has come up with a new, interdisciplinary way of identifying remains in hopes of closing thousands of cold cases due to unidentified Jane/John Does. 

New technology called "bomb pulse" radiation, in combination with recently developed anthropological analysis and forensic DNA technologies, better enables scientists to identify remains for cold case investigations. Radiocarbon analysis of the enamel of teeth allows for the exact birth date to be identified DNA analysis and mitochondrial profiles determine the gender and any living relatives of the deceased. 

Using bomb pulse radiation is a new development that allows scientists to test the enamel of teeth and match the carbon in the enamel to the amount of carbon in the atmosphere as a way of identifying the birth year. This technique also aids the scientists in identifying the year of death in the same manner. These techniques alone really help increase the identification of missing persons.

This multidisciplinary analysis recently identified the remains of a cranium found 41 years ago, allowing for the cold case to be reopened and subsequently closed. This new technology may help investigators close hundreds of cold cases by determining the birth date, death date, gender, and possible relatives for cases that are up to 60 years old. The implications of this work are enormous as far as implementing new and better techniques to solving both old and new cases.


Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121010141458.htm


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
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Nature vs. Nurture in Oral Health: Nurture Wins

It is a well-known fact that the mouth contains a variety of microorganisms, some good and some bad. Traditionally, little was known about what dictates which microorganisms live there and which do not. A recent study published by Genome Research investigated whether nature or nurture has more influence in determining oral microbiota and found that environment plays more of a role than genetics.

The oral microbiota (the microorganisms that exist in each person's mouth) starts forming as soon as a baby is born. The differences in oral microbiota influence a person's immunity and therefore change prevention and treatment programs. The researchers did a study comparing the salivary microbiomes of identical twins to further investigate whether the oral microbiota is influenced by genetics or environment.

Identical twins share the same genetic makeup and a common environmental upbringing. Surprisingly, the authors found that the salivary microbiomes of the identical twins were no more similar than those of fraternal twins, who only share half of the same genes. 

Another interesting finding was the fact that the oral microbiomes of the identical twins became even less similar when the twins moved away from each other. These findings suggest that genes do not control the make up of the oral microbiota as much as environment does. 

This study is a great basis for future research. Knowing more about how the oral microbiota is formed will better inform research on oral immunity.


Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/251417.php


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
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Dental Did You Know

Animal Oral Facts

-Rodents' teeth never stop growing

-A chameleon's tongue is twice the length of it's body

-Sharks can grow a new set of teeth in a week

-A crocodile's tongue is attached to the roof of it's mouth so it cannot stick it's tongue out


Answer to the Smile Station Dental Facebook quiz:

-Catfish have the most taste buds of any animal, over 27,000!



R. Eric Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental 
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
smilestationdental.com
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Chewing Ability Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

A new study from the Department of Odontology and the Aging Research Center at the Karolinska Institutet and from Karlstad University found that older adults who maintain their chewing ability are less likely to develop dementia compared to those who have difficulty chewing or cannot chew at all. 

It has already been suggested that the more people chew, the smarter they become. A study published a few years ago showed results that students who chew gum on a regular basis had higher standardized math scores than their counterparts who do not chew as regularly. This new study furthers these results to suggest that chewing not only makes us smarter, but helps us retain cognitive functions later in life.

The theory behind these results is that chewing increases the blood flow to the head, and more specifically, the brain.  Less blood flow to the brain leads to a higher risk of dementia. Older adults who maintain chewing ability will decrease their chances of experiencing the specific cognitive deficits that accompany dementia.

Until this research, a national survey of older adults and their chewing ability had not been performed.  A group in Sweden did just that, gathering data from a representative sample of 577 older adults.  When controlling for confounding factors such as education, sex, age, and mental health, the researchers found that older adults who chew harder substances (like apples) with relative ease had a lower risk of developing dementia. Those who had difficulty chewing or could no longer chew due to tooth loss were more likely to develop dementia. 


Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/251303.php


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
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Dental Did You Know

Handedness Influences Chewing Patterns

Did you know your dominant hand influences your chewing patterns? If you are right handed, you tend to chew your food on the right side of your mouth. If you are left handed, you tend to chew on the left side of the mouth. 


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63017
(314)821-7100
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Researchers Make Strides in Growing  a Tooth

Having all your teeth fall out might be a nightmare to some but new strides in the field of biotechnology may assuage those fears.  Researchers at the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Helsinki in Finland recently identified the marker for dental stem cells in mice. 

Mice incisors grow throughout life due to the stem cells present at the base of their teeth. Humans are not so lucky but the discovery of this marker may provide a great model for human dental stem cell research. How the human body controls and regulates tooth growth in humans is similar to mice. 

The researchers in Finland are excited about what this marker may mean for the dental field. It may lead to the development of the first bioengineered tooth. Someday, it may be possible to replace lost teeth with ones grown from stem cells


Source: http://www.colgate.com/app/CP/US/EN/OC/Information/Articles/ADA/2012/article/ADA-08-Researchers-put-some-teeth-into-growing-a-tooth.cvsp


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
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More Trust in Dentists Than Doctors

Traditionally, the family General Practitioner is widely trusted in the community, always ready and willing to give out advice. New research in this area has revealed that this may not be true anymore. A recent poll found that 88 percent of people indicated that they have a very high trust in their dentist, even greater than their doctor. 

Twice as many people value their relationship with their dentist than their doctor with three out of four people following the advice of their dentist on what procedures need to be done and when to come in for dental checkups.

This research is exciting for all health practitioners as a culture of only seeking health care when there is something wrong has been increasing in past years. This new research on trust in dentists lends to the belief that more people will seek preventative measures than simply waiting for something to go wrong.


Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/250925.php


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
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Dental Did You Know

Dental Facts

100 years ago, about 50% of adults in North America were toothless.

Today, less than 10% of adults over 65 have lost teeth.

What an improvement!


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
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Coconut Oil Could Combat Tooth Decay

A new study from a research team at the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland tested the antibacterial effects of coconut oil and coconut oil treated with enzymes (as if it were going through the digestion process).  The oils were tested against Streptococcus bacteria, a common inhabitant in the mouth and one of the major causes of tooth decay. The oils were also found to be harmful to Candida albicans, or the yeast that causes oral thrush.  

It is suggested that this new discovery of the antibacterial effects of coconut oil could be helpful to the healthcare industry. Considering tooth decay is the most commonly overlooked health problem (effecting 60-90% of children and adults), adding coconut oil to dental hygiene products may be a better addition than chemical additives. Coconut oil also works effectively at smaller doses, making it even more feasible.

Furthermore, the recent increase in antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria are forcing scientists to look for other avenues of fighting microbial infection.  Coconut oil not only aids in keeping dental caries low but has been found to aid in the antimicrobial activity in the gut making it a promising alternative to chemical methods.


Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/249793.php


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
smilestationdental.com
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