The oral bacteria set to recolonizing and biofilm - the stuff we used to call “plaque” - starts to form. Check it out:

“In vitro simulation of biofilm forming on enamel surface as human saliva is pulsed over an initially clean surface”

In our earlier post on the prevalence of fast food outlets here in the Central Valley - and some of the corresponding health consequences - we provided a link to Fast Food Ads vs. Reality, a gallery of images comparing commercial photos of fast food with what you actually get.

Since then, via Fark, we’ve seen a similar project that includes all sorts of processed foods - frozen dinners, boxed meal kits, snack foods - as well as fast foods. The site is in German, so many of the particular products will be unfamiliar to Americans, but the point remains the same: the picture on the package will most always be more appealing than the actual contents.

HPV Vaccine Adverse Events Worrisome Says Key Investigator (MedScape Today)
Concerns about serious health risks - including neurologic and autoimmune complications - from the use of Gardasil and other human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are being raised by Diane Harper, MD, at Dartmouth Medical School. Once a principal investigator in HPV vaccine clinical trials for Merck and GlaxoSmithKline, Dr. Harper now urges caution, as do a number of other researchers. This article outlines the concerns, risks and some key questions that remain to be answered by research. (Site may require login. Login bypass available via Bugmenot.com.)

Dr. Fortanasce Explains the Alzheimer’s Disease Crisis and a Protocol to Prevent or Delay It - at Any Age (ProHealth)
In this interview about his book The Anti-Alzheimer’s Prescription, Southern California neurologist Vincent Fortanasce, MD, describes important triggering factors for Alzheimer’s - sedentary, stressful lives and poor diets - and how diet, exercise, mental stimulation and rest/relaxation can “prevent Alzheimer’s disease in 70% [of the population] and delay it in the rest.”

Quiet, Please! How Noise Pollution Could Send You to the Hospital (AlterNet)
As Ursula Sautter and Mary Desmond Pinkowish write, “Noise isn’t just a nuisance; it’s positively bad for us.” And the problems aren’t limited to potential ear damage. There are stress factors and mental health effects. Children’s ability to learn may be compromised. This article reviews what we know about these and other effects, and describes how some people are addressing the issue.

Hang Up and Drive (Salon)
While California’s new law against using hand-held mobile phones while driving is a good step forward, its allowing headsets may well limit the effectiveness of the law in preventing accidents. The driver yakking on the phone is still distracted, as well illustrated in this recent article from Salon.

Is Pain All in the Mind? (Times)
An interesting, if cursory, article on the role of the brain in how much - or little - we experience pain, as well as the possible relationships between physical and mental pain.

What’s Lurking in Your Countertop? (NY Times)
As granite countertops have become more popular, some are finding elevated levels of radon in their homes - sometimes at levels far exceeding EPA safety guidelines. On the plus side, this problem appears to be restricted to more “exotic” granite materials. But even after noting the relatively small risk, David Brenner, director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University, adds, “If you can choose another counter that doesn’t elevate your risk, however slightly, why wouldn’t you?”

What’s Wrong with that ‘Viagra for Women’ Study in JAMA? (Jim Edwards’ NRx)

Licking Your Wounds: Scientists Isolate Compound in Human Saliva that Speeds Wound Healing (PhysOrg)

Fresh Scent May Hide Toxic Secret (Seattle P-I)

Exposure to Bad Air Raises Blood Pressure (Science Daily)

‘New Car Smell’ Becoming Less Toxic (CNET News)

Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Multiple Sclerosis (abstract, Multiple Sclerosis)

First, there were the lollipops.

Then there were the mints.

Now come the gummy bears:

dreyboblue/Flickr

ScienceDaily — The tooth-protecting sugar substitute xylitol has been incorporated into gummy bears to produce a sweet snack that may prevent dental problems. Giving children four of the xylitol bears three times a day during school hours results in a decrease in the plaque bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that is frequently used as a sweetener. It has been shown to reduce levels of the harmful mutans streptococci (MS) bacteria that are known to cause tooth decay. While xylitol chewing gums are available, they are not considered to be suitable for younger children. This research was led by Kiet A. Ly from the University of Washington.

He says, “For xylitol to be successfully used in oral health promotion programmes amongst primary-school children, an effective means of delivering xylitol must be identified. Gummy bears would seem to be more ideal than chewing gum.”

Anyone else sense a trend here?

It’s no mystery why “cavity-fighting candy” has such appeal. Most of us are pretty drawn towards sweets - so why not play on that weakness as a way of controlling oral bacteria and minimizing the risk of decay and caries?

Yet young children don’t make the distinction between “good” candy and “bad.” Candy is candy. So by using such sweets, might we inadvertently reinforce a bad habit - eating lots of sweet stuff - and ultimately detract from any clinical good the substances may do?

Why not, instead, instill healthy eating behaviors and good oral hygiene habits in children - brushing, flossing and otherwise disturbing the biofilm that, left to its own devices, can lead to decay, gum disease and a host of other problems? Sure, it’s a lot harder than handing over some candy. But it’s also a more useful approach to helping children develop healthy habits for a lifetime.

A good amount of good research has already shown that the bisphosphonate drugs claimed to prevent osteopenia and  treat osteoporosis can cause bone death in the jaw - a condition known as osteonecrosis. Despite this, as well as the fact that

a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine this year found that Fosamax doubled women’s risk of irregular heartbeat, which can cause clots and strokes, few doubted its primary action of protecting women’s bones.

But now, like hormone replacement therapy, which also exploited women’s fear of aging and social marginalization, Fosamax appears to cause the conditions it’s supposed to prevent.

Since 2006, articles in the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Orthopedic Trauma, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and Aging Clinical and Experimental Research have suggested the anti-bone turnover action of bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax can in some cases cause fractures.

Oops.

Read all of Martha Rosenberg’s excellent AlterNet article on this matter: Big Pharma Pushes Drugs that Cause Conditions They Are Supposed to Prevent

Not long after posting our recent item on the use of lasers in treating TMD, we ran across info on another application of lasers in dentistry:

A new technology that spots tooth decay almost as soon as it’s begun promises to reduce the need for drilling and filling. Drilling is one of the top dental phobias and puts thousands of people off visiting their dentist every year.

*    *    *

It detects decay simply and painlessly by pointing a tiny optical fibre at the tooth to check on its health.

A preliminary study at King’s College London, where the technique is being developed, found that chemical changes in the tooth could be detected by analysing how light is scattered when a laser is fired at the tooth. Researchers were able to tell healthy teeth from carious teeth because bacteria, responsible for the decay, scatter light in a different way to healthy teeth.

Frances Downey, a PhD student working on developing the technique at King’s College London, said: ‘The earlier you spot decay the better as you can remineralise the area so there is no cavitation and therefore no need for a filling.’ (Science Daily)

Dr. Verigin’s opinion?

“These instruments appeal to dentists because they are gadget-driven. They create more revenue by overdiagnosing and overtreating.

“I see clients who have been diagnosed with cavities by other dentists who recommend fillings, when in reality, there are no cavities - just blemishes on the teeth that require no treatment. Now if you have a high-tech instrument that lights up the tooth and declares those blemishes to be cavities, the unsuspecting client may be convinced and go through with unnecessary treatment. A dental practice could generate a lot of revenue in this way.”

As ever, the best dentistry is the least dentistry - true preventive care that, along with the client’s good lifestyle choices and oral hygiene, helps that person keep all of their natural teeth for a lifetime.

MousePlanet is an online guide to Disney theme parks that also posts articles on other Disney-related topics, such as this recent offering that grabbed our attention - on Disney and dentistry:

From April to October 1938, Disney storymen struggled to develop a never-made Disney short titled Mickey’s Toothache. Given laughing gas, poor Mickey Mouse enters a nightmare world inhabited by living teeth, toothbrush monsters, and odd creatures that are half-dental pliers.

In a final courtroom confrontation, there is a judge whose head is in the shape of a wisdom tooth and he charges Mickey with “teeth neglect.” I couldn’t find a reason why this short never developed further other than the fact that over the years there were many Mickey, Donald and Goofy shorts that were started and never made it to production for a variety of reasons.

Since a dentist’s office is a standard springboard for comedy, it is odd that no Disney animated short was ever created for the Disney characters using this premise. After all, even Donald Duck had an impressive set of teeth when it was necessary for a gag. However, Walt did produce several Disney projects related to tooth care.

Read on to learn more about the Disney company’s role in promoting dental hygiene.

Image via Vintage Disney Collectibles

89 Percent of Children’s Food Products Provide Poor Nutritional Quality, Study Finds (Science Daily)

The Productive Diet (Washington Post)

Regular Walking Nearly Halves Elderly Disability Risk (Science Daily)

Active Lifestyle May Prevent Cancer: Japan Study (Reuters)

Prolonged Sitting Turns Off Fat-Burning Enzyme (Natural News)

Weight Watchers Vs. Fitness Centers (Science Daily)