Can Beavers Show Us The Way To Improve Our Enamel?

Beavers don’t brush their teeth, and they don’t drink fluoridated water, but a new Northwestern University study reports beavers do have protection against tooth decay built into the chemical structure of their teeth / iron.

Northwestern University Researchers Found That The Pigmented Enamel Of Beavers, Which Contains Iron, Is Both Harder And More Resistant To Acid Than Regular Enamel, Including That Treated With Fluoride

Credit: Michael Graydon, Toronto

This pigmented enamel, the researchers found, is both harder and more resistant to acid than regular enamel, including that treated with fluoride. This discovery is among others that could lead to a better understanding of human tooth decay, earlier detection of the disease and improving on current fluoride treatments.

Layers of well-ordered hydroxylapatite nanowires are the core structure of enamel, but Derk Joester and his team discovered it is the material surrounding the nanowires, where small amounts of amorphous minerals rich in iron and magnesium are located, that controls enamel’s acid resistance and mechanical properties.

Enamel is a very complex structure, making study of it challenging. Joester’s team is the first to show unambiguously that this amorphous, or unstructured, phase exists in enamel, and they are the first to show its exact composition and structure.

We have made a really big step forward in understanding the composition and structure of enamel … the tooth’s protective outer layer … at the smallest length scales.”

… said Joester, lead author of the study and an associate professor of materials science and engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.

He adds …

The unstructured material, which makes up only a small fraction of enamel, likely plays a role in tooth decay. We found it is the minority ions … the ones that provide diversity … that really make the difference in protection. In regular enamel, it’s magnesium, and in the pigmented enamel of beaver and other rodents, it’s iron.”

Dental caries … better known as tooth decay … is the breakdown of teeth due to bacteria. (“Caries” is Latin for “rottenness.”) It is one of the most common chronic diseases and a major public health problem, despite strides made with fluoride treatments.

According to the American Dental Association, $111 billion a year is spent on dental services in the U.S., a significant part of that on cavities and other tooth decay issues. A staggering 60 to 90% of children and nearly 100% of adults worldwide have or have had cavities, according to the World Health Organization.

In a series of experiments of rabbit, mouse, rat and beaver enamel, Joester and his colleagues imaged the never-seen-before amorphous structure that surrounds the nanowires. They used powerful atom-probe tomography and other techniques to map enamel’s structure atom by atom. (Rodent enamel is similar to human enamel).

The researchers subjected the teeth to acid and took images before and after acid exposure. They found the periphery of the nanowires dissolved (the amorphous material), not the nanowires themselves.

The researchers next identified amorphous biominerals in the structure, such as iron and magnesium, and learned how they contribute to both the mechanical hardness and resistance of enamel to acid dissolution.

Of particular interest to Joester and his colleagues was the pigmented enamel of the beaver’s incisors. Their studies showed it to be an improvement over fluoride-treated enamel in resisting acid. (The presence of iron gives the teeth a reddish-brown color).

“A beaver’s teeth are chemically different from our teeth, not structurally different,” Joester said. “Biology has shown us a way to improve on our enamel. The strategy of what we call ‘grain boundary engineering’ — focusing on the area surrounding the nanowires — lights the way in which we could improve our current treatment with fluoride.”

The title of the Science paper is “Amorphous Intergranular Phases Control the Properties of Rodent Tooth Enamel”.

A related paper will be published by the journal Frontiers in Physiology.

 

Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Northwestern University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. L. M. Gordon, M. J. Cohen, K. W. MacRenaris, J. D. Pasteris, T. Seda, D. Joester. Amorphous intergranular phases control the properties of rodent tooth enamel. Science, 2015; 347 (6223): 746 DOI: 10.1126/science.1258950

Another Very Good Reason Not To Smoke!

Smoking significantly changes the mouth’s microbiome, with potential implications for tooth decay and the ability to break down toxins, according to results published in the ISME (International Society for Microbial Ecology) Journal.

It’s Simple … Just Don’t!!!

Smokers’ mouths have lower levels of the bacteria that break down smoking-related toxins.

Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of preventable disease and mortality in the US, leading to 480,000 deaths annually, or 20% of all deaths.

Over 16 million people live with a smoking-related illness in the US, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In 2014, the CDC estimated that 16.8% of Americans aged 18 years and over were cigarette smokers, or around 40 million adults.

Much recent research has focused on imbalances in the gut microbiota and how they relate to immune disorders such as Crohn’s disease and gastrointestinal cancers.

There are around 600 species of bacteria in the human mouth. Over 75% of oral cancers are thought to be linked to smoking, but it remains unclear whether microbial differences in the mouth affect the risk for cancer.

Higher Levels Of Streptococcus In Smokers’ Mouths

Researchers from New York University Langone Medical Center and its Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center have been using precise genetic tests to investigate the impact of smoking on the composition and action of oral microbiota.

Fast facts about quitting smoking

• In the US, there are more former smokers than current smokers, according to the CDC
• In 2010, 68.8% of American smokers wanted to quit
• In 2013, 48% of smokers in high school had tried to quit in the past year.

The team used mouthwash samples from 1,204 American adults who are registered in a large, ongoing study into cancer risk, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Participants were all aged 50 years or over. Among them were 112 smokers and 521 individuals with no history of smoking. There were also 571 people who had quit smoking, 17% of them having stopped within the past 10 years.

Using genetic tests and statistical data, the researchers analyzed the thousands of bacteria residing in the mouths of volunteers.

Results suggest that the oral microbiome of smokers is significantly different from that of people who have never smoked or are no longer smoking. In the mouths of smokers, the levels of 150 bacterial species were significantly higher, while levels of 70 other species were distinctly lower.

Proteobacteria made up 4.6% of overall bacteria in the mouths of smokers, compared with 11.7% in nonsmokers. Proteobacteria are thought to play a part in breaking down the toxic chemicals introduced by smoking.

By contrast, 10% more species of Streptococcus were found in the mouths of smokers, compared with nonsmokers. Streptococcus is known to promote tooth decay.

Recovery Comes After Quitting Smoking

On quitting smoking, however, the oral microbiome appears to return to its previous state. In people who had smoked previously, but not in the last 10 years, the microbial balance was the same as in the mouths of nonsmokers.

Senior investigator and epidemiologist Jiyoung Ahn, PhD, says …

“Further experiments will be needed, however, to prove that these changes weaken the body’s defenses against cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco smoke, or trigger other diseases in the mouth, lungs or gut.”

Co-lead investigator Brandilyn Peters, PhD, points out that the results do not reveal how long it takes former smokers’ microbiome to find its balance after quitting.

The authors are planning further studies to establish the precise timeline for recovery of the bacterial community in the mouth.

They also hope to understand the biological changes that occur in the oral microbiome as a result of smoking, and how these changes might affect the risk for various cancers of the mouth and elsewhere in the body.

Medical News Today recently reported on research suggesting that the effect of some smoking cessation therapies may be limited.

– Yvette Brazier – Medical News Today

What Luck?!

The Motherlode

New Cavity-Fighting Liquid!

Nobody looks forward to having a cavity drilled and filled by a dentist. Now there’s an alternative: an antimicrobial liquid that can be brushed on cavities to stop tooth decay … painlessly!

The liquid is called silver diamine fluoride, or S.D.F. It’s been used for decades in Japan, but it’s been available in the United States, under the brand name Advantage Arrest, for just about a year now.

The Food and Drug Administration cleared silver diamine fluoride for use as a tooth desensitizer for adults 21 and older. But studies show it can halt the progression of cavities and prevent them, and dentists are increasingly using it off-label for those purposes.

Says Dr. Margherita Fontana, a professor of cariology at the University of Michigan …

The upside, the great one, is you don’t need to drill and you don’t need an injection.”

Silver diamine fluoride is already used in hundreds of dental offices. Medicaid patients in Oregon are receiving the treatment, and at least 18 dental schools have started teaching the next generation of pediatric dentists how to use it.

Dr. Jeanette MacLean, left, and a dental assistant, Stacy Serna, with 4-year-old Knox Urschel, before treating a cavity with silver diamine fluoride in Glendale, Ariz.

Credit Caitlin O’Hara for The New York Times

 

Dr. Richard Niederman, the chairman of the epidemiology and health promotion department at the New York University College of Dentistry, says …

Being able to paint it on in 30 seconds with no noise, no drilling, is better, faster, cheaper. I would encourage parents to ask for it. It’s less trauma for the kid.”

The main downside is aesthetic: Silver diamine fluoride blackens the brownish decay on a tooth. That may not matter on a back molar or a baby tooth that will fall out, but some patients are likely to be deterred by the prospect of a dark spot on a visible tooth.

Until more insurers cover it, patients also have to cover the cost. Still, it’s relatively inexpensive. Dr. Michelle Urschel, an anesthesiologist, was happy to pay $25 to have Dr. Jeanette MacLean, a pediatric dentist in Glendale, Arizona., paint over a cavity that her son Knox, 4, had recently developed.

 The noninvasive treatment may be ideal for the indigent, nursing home residents and others who have trouble finding care. And many anxious dental patients want to dodge the drill.

But the liquid may be especially useful for children. Nearly a quarter of 2- to 5-year-olds have cavities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some preschoolers with severe cavities must be treated in a hospital under general anesthesia, even though it may pose risks to the developing brain.

S.D.F. gives us an opportunity to decrease the number of toddlers with cavities going to the O.R.”

said Dr. Arwa Owais, an associate professor of pediatric dentistry at the University of Iowa.

Dr. Laurence Hyacinthe, a pediatric dentist in Harlem, used silver diamine fluoride on eight uncooperative children whose parents wanted to delay a trip to the operating room.

Dr. MacLean said …

People assume that parents will reject it because of poor aesthetics.” But “if it means preventing a child from having to be sedated or having their tooth drilled and filled, there are many parents who choose S.D.F.”

Alejandra Bujeiro, 32, was delighted that her 3-year-old daughter, Natalia, didn’t have to have two cavities filled in the back of her mouth. Instead Dr. Eyal Simchi, a pediatric dentist in Elmwood Park, N.J., brushed silver diamine fluoride on the decay.

Two front teeth, however, were drilled. Next time, Ms. Bujeiro said, she’d opt for silver diamine fluoride.

I would use it in baby teeth even if it’s in front,” she said. As for the discoloration? “You can’t see it too much.”

Silver diamine fluoride has another advantage over traditional treatment: It kills the bacteria that cause decay. A second treatment applied six to 18 months after the first markedly arrests cavities, studies have shown.

S.D.F. reduces the incidence of new caries and progression of current caries by about 80 %.”

… said Dr. Niederman, who is updating an evidence review of silver diamine fluoride published in 2009.

Fillings, by contrast, do not cure an oral infection.

There’s nothing that goes on in an operating room that treats the underlying problem.”

… says Dr. Peter Milgrom, a professor of pediatric dentistry at the University of Washington who was instrumental in receiving F.D.A. clearance for silver diamine fluoride and has a financial stake in Advantage Arrest. This why some children must have dental treatment under anesthesia twice.

Bacterial infections also cause acne, but, says Dr. Jason Hirsch, a paediatric dentist in Royal Palm Beach, Florida …

A dermatologist doesn’t take a scalpel and cut off your pimples. That’s how dentistry has approached cavities.”

Dr. Hirsch has a Facebook page called SDF Action, where dentists can discuss individual cases.

In January, Oregon became the first state to reimburse Medicaid providers for treating cavities with silver diamine fluoride. Adds Dr. Bruce W. Austin, the dental director of the Oregon Health Authority …

It’s a completely new paradigm” that offers “significant savings.”

“You need only a drop to treat five teeth, and it comes out to pennies per tooth,” said Dr. Scott L. Tomar, a University of Florida dentistry professor who treats some Medicaid patients.

Dr. Tomar, the chairman of the oral health section of the American Public Health Association knows that toddlers in low-income families sometimes have to wait a year for fillings in an operating room, saying that the new alternative is a huge deal.

Silver diamine fluoride also may help nursing-home residents, who often experience severe cavities if their teeth aren’t routinely brushed. Transporting and treating frail patients, assuming they can afford to see a dentist, can be difficult. But now some patients can be quickly treated where they live.

Still, silver diamine fluoride is no silver bullet. Patients with mouth sores or a silver allergy can’t use it. Severe cavities … huge holes that trap food and plaque — still require fillings.

At dental conferences, Dr. Tomar and Dr. Fontana lecture about the treatment. They ask audiences if they are using it; so far, just a few hands go up.

Don’t Roll The Dice Where Your Teeth Are Concerned

A Very Clever Ad By Crest

Dentist Sand Sculpture

Not Exactly The Best Representation Of The Dental Profession!

Happy Canada Day Saskatoon!

149 Today!

Dental College Gets Tough With A DIY Homemade Tooth Maker

A private investigator is claiming Matthew Ronald Block offered to make him a tooth out of modelling clay!

Seems Legit Doesn’t It?

A B.C. Supreme Court petition includes this Facebook picture of Matthew Ronald Block and his girlfriend. A private investigator claims Block offered to fit him with an artificial tooth.

B.C.’s dental regulators are going to court in a bid to shut down a DIY denturist who allegedly used Craigslist to sell false teeth made out of craft store modelling clay.

In a petition filed in B.C. Supreme Court, the colleges of dental surgeons, dental technicians and denturists are combining to seek an injunction preventing Matthew Ronald Block from operating out of his Richmond apartment.

According to documents filed in the case, Block came to the authorities’ attention last August after boasting in a Craigslist ad of having invented a temporary flipper type false tooth to help his girlfriend overcome a dental abnormality.

The ad said,

She is able to do everything she would with a normal smile like eat, kiss, sing etc. The idea that others may be in similar situations and would benefit from my assistance has been in the back of my mind for several months.”

The ad, which has since disappeared, offered to sell individually fitted teeth for $100 each.

The court filings include an affidavit from private investigator Michael Lantz, who was hired by the College of Dental Surgeons to follow up on the Craigslist ad.

Lantz claims he made an appointment with someone named Matthew, who promised the artificial tooth would be made to fit snugly without the use of glue or a drill.

The investigator visited Matthew at his apartment, where he claims he was shown impression trays made out of aluminum foil.

Lantz says,

Matthew also confirmed that he is not a dentist. He advised me that he would fill the trays with a clay product and have me bite into them.”

Lantz claims that Matthew told him he used a non-toxic polymer clay called ‘Sculpey’, which he then baked in the shape of a tooth and painted with glaze.

Lantz adds,

After an internet search, I ascertained that this is a modelling clay commonly used in arts and crafts. The clay is not recommended for items that will come into contact with food or beverages. The respondent then put dirty latex gloves on and began kneading the clay.”

At this point, Lantz claims he declined Matthew’s offer to make a partial denture on the spot and then details,

The respondent then advised me that he was working on a full set of dentures that he referred to as a ‘snap on smile. He showed me what appeared to be a full upper set of teeth that could be clipped on to a person’s real teeth.”

Lantz claims Matthew’s girlfriend then entered the room, showing him her artificial tooth and becoming argumentative when the investigator said he wanted to do a little more research.

According to his affidavit, Lantz asked Matthew if he had a lot of response to the Craigslist ad — “to which he replied ‘surprisingly yes’.”

The Supreme Court petition follows several high profile efforts to shut down rogue dentists operating out of suburban settings.

The dental colleges claim the acts governing their professions prevent unqualified people from making or fitting dentures or artificial teeth.

None of the allegations have been proven in court. Block could not be reached for comment.

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Don’t Get Taken!

He Will You Know!

Sharks Have Plenty Of Fluoride

Even More Formidable Then?!