More DIY Dentistry, Metal-Mouth Edition

Once we saw this… …we really felt no need to watch the whole episode of Extreme Cheapskates. Sometimes, a teaser is enough. But it brought to mind another case of DIY dentistry we recently ran across in the British Dental Journal, though here it had nothing to do with being cheap. The individual was in …

Cleanliness Is Next to…Alzheimer’s?

A recent study out of Cambridge University suggests that, in the words of Telegraph title writers, Really?! According to the abstract, Based on our analyses, it appears that hygiene is positively associated with AD [Alzheimer’s disease] risk. Countries with greater degree of sanitation and lower degree of pathogen prevalence have higher age-adjusted AD DALY rates. …

Preventing Alzheimer’s with Lifestyle Changes, & Other News of Note

Study Suggests Lifestyle Linked to Some Alzheimer’s (San Jose Mercury News) A provocative new analysis identifies the biggest risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease – and concludes that more than half of all cases are potentially preventable through simple lifestyle changes, such as exercising, quitting smoking and losing weight. * * * “It’s another brick in …

BPA Saturation in the US & Other News of Note

BPA Levels Highest in the US, Study Finds (Consumer Reports) People in the U.S. have more exposure to bisphenol A (BPA)—a chemical linked to reproductive abnormalities, certain cancers, diabetes, and heart disease—than other studied populations, according to a new report from the Canadian Medical Association. The analysis included prior studies that had measured exposure to …

Mercury Amalgam Fillings & Alzheimer’s: Comment on the New Evidence

Last week, the IAOMT sent its member dentists and physicians an information packet on the recent news coverage of studies showing links between mercury exposure and Alzheimer’s disease. It included a helpful comment on the studies by Jim Dickinson of FDAWebview, with a note that Jim had given permission to share the article – which …

Gum Disease – Alzheimer’s Link & Other News of Note

New Evidence Supports Link Between Gum Inflammation and Alzheimer’s Disease (PhysOrg) NYU dental researchers have found the first long-term evidence that periodontal (gum) disease may increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction associated with Alzheimer’s disease in healthy individuals as well as in those who already are cognitively impaired. * * * “The research suggests that …

Little Evidence Tamiflu Works & Other News of Note

British Researchers: Little Evidence Tamiflu Works (PhysOrg) Researchers at the Cochrane Review, an international nonprofit that reviews health information, looked at previously published papers on Tamiflu as used for seasonal flu. They found insufficient data to prove whether the antiviral reduces complications like pneumonia in otherwise healthy people but concluded the drug shortens flu symptoms …

Pierced Tongue Damage & Other News of Note

Tongue Stud “Brain Fatality Risk” (BBC) Deadly brain abscesses should be added to the list of risks of having a tongue piercing, say doctors. Archives of Neurology reports how a 22-year-old man who died in hospital following multiple brain abscesses weeks after getting his tongue pierced. The man’s Israeli doctors warn infection can spread in …

Gum Disease/Cancer Link & Other News of Note

Gum Disease May Increase Head and Neck Cancer Risk (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Taking good care of your teeth may help cut your risk of developing head or neck cancer, suggests a new study that links a gum disease to such tumors. Having chronic periodontitis, a gum disease involving the progressive loss of the bone and soft …

Pesticide/Parkinson’s Connection and Other News of Note

Pesticide Linked to Disease in Valley (Modesto Bee) For years, researchers have suspected commercial pesticides put people at risk for Parkinson’s disease. Now evidence in the San Joaquin Valley suggests it’s true. Researchers have found a strong connection between the debilitating neurological disease and long-term exposure to pesticides, particularly to a fungicide that is sprayed …