According to a report on Dentistry.co.uk, researchers José Córdoba heralding from Yale University and Erich Astudillo of the University of Chile have developed a molecule, which they’ve called Keep 32 (due to the 32 teeth that humans possess), and they’ve discovered that it has the capacity to eradicate the bacteria that causes cavities in less than 60 seconds.

The exciting aspect of the new molecule is the researcher’s claim that it can be added to existing dental products such as toothpaste, mouthwash and chewing gum, which will make it an accessible cavity prevention solution for the masses. According to the researchers behind the molecule, it will completely eradicate the cavity causing Streptococcus Mutans providing that it is retained within the mouth for a minimum of 60 seconds.

The molecule is now ready for human safety testing trials and the scientists behind the molecule hope to have it on the open market within 14-18 months. If the human testing proves successful, the pair of scientists aim to pitch their Keep 32 molecule to leading dental care companies such as Procter & Gamble and Colgate.

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According to a report in the Telegraph, however, dentists are warning parents that they risk rotting their children’s teeth by “misguidedly” giving their children too much fruit juice, which has a high sugar content. Senior dentists are becoming increasingly concerned on the back of findings that dental problems have become the third most prevalent reason for children to be admitted into hospital.

High Acid Content of Fruit Juices & Smoothies

The biggest problem relating to the drinking of fruit juices and damage to children’s teeth is the acidity level of these types of drinks and, following research from the Sunday Telegraph, some fruit juices available on the market and drunk by millions of households across the UK are actually more acidic than vinegar – a statistic that is highly alarming according to leading dentists.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Dr Kathy Harley, dean of the dental faculty at the Royal College of Surgeons, stated, “Many parents encouraged their children to drink smoothies and juices every day, unaware that the combination of high acid levels and sugar content can destroy young teeth.” It is clear that children need fruit and vegetables in their diet but dentists are questioning whether fruit juice and fruit based smoothies are a suitable means of achieving this.

Dental problems in children are now becoming increasingly common and Dr Harley reveal that some 50% of five-year-olds now exhibit signs of damaged tooth enamel which has been caused by an excess of acid in their diets. Speaking to the Telegraph, Dr Harley states, “The only healthy drinks for teeth are milk and water. Children are having fruit drinks and smoothies several times a day, when they these should be considered as a treat, something to have once a week.

She went on to add, “The dental needs are greatest in areas of social deprivation but there are also a lot of cases in every social group where parents are trying to do the right thing, but are acting misguidedly, thinking that the juices and smoothies are the best thing.”

With all this in mind, it is clear that parents have a difficult job in ensuring that their children have suitable levels of fruit in vegetables in their diet but dentists are suggesting that they err on the side of caution and check the sugar content of fruit juices prior to letting their children drink these types of refreshments with regularity.

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According to a report in Manila Bulletin, problems with permanent teeth may develop as a result of a failure to brush teeth from when they first emerge in babies in the form of milk teeth. It is often thought that there is little requirement to care for baby teeth as routinely as you would permanent teeth as a result of the fact that they child will lose them prior to adulthood.

Expert Advice

Brushing teeth at the earliest available opportunity may be instrumental in improving the condition of permanent teeth in later life and Dietmar Oesterreich of the German Dentist’s Chamber in Berlin states, “Parents should start brushing teeth when the first milk tooth breaks through,” – a belief he bases upon the fact that not enough young children are taken to the dentists and a large number of fillings are carried out on milk teeth each year.

Generally speaking, children’s teeth will begin to emerge at around 6 months and this is when parents should begin to brush their child’s teeth. It is important not to use adult toothpaste, of course, as this will be too strong for children of this age. By the time the child is two, it is a good time to introduce fluoride toothpaste and Dietmar Oesterreich states, “Fluoride is active primarily against caries on the surface of the teeth,” and, with regard to brushing teeth early in a child’s development, goes on to add, “The enamel on permanent teeth is particularly sensitive to bacterial attack during the breaking-through phase. It is still hardening.”

When it comes to your child’s dental care, it is important to discuss things thoroughly with your local dental specialist as they will be able to give help, advice and reassurance on how best to look after the teeth of your children.

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According to a report on Dentistry.co.uk, the vast majority of dentists are experiencing a sharp increase in their operating costs which has made it much more expensive to facilitate the running of their dental practice compared to the same period 12 months ago. There are, of course, a number of factors that have contributed to this increase in running costs but the chief culprits are costs relating to things like staffing, material costs and energy bills.

A Multitude of Factors

It goes without saying that the increased costs associated with running a dental practice cannot be attributed to any one thing and it will vary from dentist to dentist. According to the research conducted by the Forum of Private Business, many of the dentists who took part in the survey believed that the cost of insurance and raising finance had stayed the same or increased and this contributed to their higher running costs year on year.

The heightened cost of running a dental practice has clearly had a detrimental effect on many dentists but David Brewer of Frank Taylor and Associates believes that the findings come as a surprise and states, “In the current financial market, we have actually seen a lot of competition in the finance sector. This is probably due to dentistry being seen as a “green light” sector for lending. There are great opportunities for practices to reduce the cost of finance.”

Dentists offer a pivotal service and the fact that the costs of running a practice are continuing to increase may a cause for concern for many practicing dentists. It is important that the costs associated with running a dental practice don’t spiral out of control to the point that many can no longer afford to continue practicing.

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There are obviously many dental procedures that carry risks to the patient and, because of this fact, many are requesting that patients be supplied with more comprehensive information prior to the commencement of treatment and that they should also be offered a so-called ‘cooling-off’ period which allows them to change their mind about undergoing the treatment without having to pay for it.

According to a report on Dentistry.co.uk, much more attention needs to be paid to the issue of ‘consent’ within the dental industry because, at present, there are those who believe that there is too much ambiguity surrounding the issue. This is something that is notoriously difficult for dentists to navigate due to the considerable increase in elective cosmetic dentistry procedures.

Understanding the Risks

It goes without saying that any dental patient must be made aware of any potential dangers associated with the treatment that they are undertaking and also be given the option of declining the treatment after having previously agreed to it within a specified time period. According to the report on Dentistry.co.uk, one of the biggest problems comes from the fact that a lot of patients don’t want to know the details of their treatment but, conversely, there will be those who wish to know every last detail.

The most important thing for dentists to do is ensure that they have given their patients all the pertinent details of the procedure which will allow them to make an informed decision about whether or not to proceed. Speaking in the latest edition of the DDU Journal, Susan N’Jie, a dento-legal advisor, stated, “It’s important to remember that obtaining consent is not a one-off event. Dental professionals should be confirming at every appointment during the course of the treatment, that the patient understands the risks and benefits and that they can change their mind at any time. It’s also advisable to have consent protocols which help to ensure consistency across the dental team.”

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It is well known that fear of dentists is one of the most common phobias for people all over the world but for some it is so debilitating that they physically can’t compel themselves to make the trip to the dentist even if their need for treatment is great.

According to a report in Worcester News, NHS bosses in Worcestershire are taking steps to help those people who find visiting the dentist too traumatic back into the dentist chair and ensuring that they get the treatment that they require. In order to help people overcome their fears, NHS bosses in Worcestershire are developing improved dental anxiety management services, designed with the intention of helping patients to conquer their fears.

Worcestershire in Fear

The proportion of the population of Worcestershire said to have a dental phobia is 12 per cent (around 67,000 people) according to the report in Worcester News. This is clearly a large percentage and the NHS bosses in the county are planning to teach cognitive behavioural therapy to dental nurses to help them talk to patients in such a way as to put them at ease and make them less afraid of dentists and dental practices in general.

The level of phobia amongst some patients is quite severe and they are genuinely petrified of the prospect of visiting the dentist. Speaking to Worcester News, Nigel Crew, dental commissioning manager at NHS Worcestershire, states, “Most patients experience some anxiety when going to the dentist, and this is perfectly normal.” It is clear that phobia of dentists is far from unusual and the Worcestershire NHS is endeavouring to ensure that by taking about their fears, patients can ultimately overcome them and get the treatment required.

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According to a report on Private Healthcare UK, the numbers of people seeking out and undergoing cosmetic dentistry procedures is on the increase again after experiencing a reduction in the numbers of people who were looking to undergo these types of treatment. There are a number of different treatments which fall beneath the cosmetic dentistry umbrella but the most commonplace remain the likes of tooth whitening, veneers and dental implants, which are used to replace missing teeth.

On the Up

It is the financial situation of the general public in the UK which is behind the increase in those seeking aesthetic dentistry procedures, according to Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation. Speaking to Private Healthcare UK, he states, “I don’t think the new NHS price increases are sufficient that they will particularly slant that or make that worse to be quite honest.”

Dentists are likely to find that the number of patients coming to them requesting cosmetic procedures will increase over the next few months as more find that they have the sort of excess income that facilitates the purchase of aesthetic procedures. It goes without saying, there will be a variety of reasons that people will want or require aesthetic dentistry procedures and if you are thinking of undergoing this type of treatment, it is imperative to find a dental specialist who is qualified to carry out these types of procedures because not all dentists are licensed to carry out cosmetic dentistry procedures such as dental implants.

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With binge drinking becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the UK, dentists are being urged to check for signs of alcohol abuse amongst their patients. Many dentists may begin handing out questionnaires at the start of consultations in order to establish those patients who potentially have a drinking habit that may be hazardous to their health.

According to a report in the Independent, dentists have an overall duty to promote a general health and wellbeing for the public and this can be extended to looking for specific oral or dental problems that pertain to alcohol abuse – such as oral cancer.

Risks of Alcohol

It goes without saying that many dental problems can be linked to the use of alcohol on a regular basis and in the Royal College of Surgeon’s Dental Journal it states, “Alcohol misuse can impact on the oral health of patients attending primary care services in numerous ways. Excessive alcohol consumption is not only a risk factor for sustaining orofacial injury (either through falls, road traffic accidents or interpersonal violence) but also implicated in the aetiology of potentially fatal oral disease, including cancers of the mouth, larynx, pharynx and oesophagus.”

Other, more common, dental problems also have links with the heavy use of alcohol and these problems include cavities and tooth erosion – something which can be attributed to the high sugar content of many alcoholic drinks.

As such, it is clear that dentists can have a big impact in spotting the signs of excessive alcohol consumption amongst their patients and advise them on how they may be able to tackle the problem. Speaking to the Independent, Professor Jonathan Shepard of the University of Cardiff’s School of Dentistry stated, “Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to cancer of the mouth, larynx and oesophagus and dentists may be the first to notice these conditions.”

Oral cancer is something that dentists are trained to be vigilant of and, given that alcohol can be a contributing factor to the disease, it stands to reason that dentists should introduce regimes that help their patients who show signs of excessive alcohol consumption before it causes problems such as oral cancer or other associated dental problems.

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Well, fortunately, an EU court has deemed that this shouldn’t be the case. According to a report on the BBC, dentists who decide to play music to their patients during treatments should not have to pay any royalties due to the fact that they are not broadcasting the music to the public. The case came about after an Italian dentist had a case brought against him by an agency that goes after music royalties.

Why Dentists are Immune

The judges from Luxembourg decided that dentists don’t actually broadcast music in their practices for any form of profit and this fact should make them immune to having to pay royalties on the music that they play for their patients. This is obviously good news for patients who find going to the dentists fairly stressful because the playing of soothing music often has a beneficial effect on soothing the nerves of those who are worried about undergoing dental treatment.

Hotels, on the other hand, weren’t so lucky with the ruling from the EU courts as they decided that hotel operators should have to pay royalties on the music which they play within their establishments – with the exception of hotels in the Republic of Ireland.

Dentists across all 27 EU nations are, thus, free to play music within the dental practices without fear of reprisals from over-zealous royalties agencies banging on their doors demanding money for playing Celine Dion or Cliff Richard to their patients.  So, the next time you’re heading to the dentist for a root canal or a session with the dental hygienist, you can rest assured that you will have a bit of easy-listening to put your mind at ease during the procedure.

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According to a report on Private Healthcare UK, patients could begin treatment for oral cancer
after a visit to the dentists and that the role of dentists in seeing the signs of the disease cannot be underestimated. Dentists are clearly in a position to understand the warning signs associated with oral cancer and they are incredibly important in making sure that patients can receive treatment quickly which may increase the chances of successful treatment and recovery.

Seeking the Right Help

Whilst it is true that dentists play an important role in spotting the signs of oral cancer, it is
necessary to remember that if you are concerned that you may have signs of oral cancer, you should
visit your doctor and not the dentist. Dentists are trained in knowing what to look for when it comes
to signs of mouth cancer but it’s your doctor who will be able to advise on a course of treatment, so
it is their expertise that you should seek if you are worried that you may have the symptoms.

Speaking to Private Healthcare UK, DR Lara Bennett stated, “If someone is worried they may have
oral cancer AICR recommends they visit their GP rather than their dentist.” If you visit the dentists
for actual dental treatment, such as root canals or veneers, and they discover something that they
have concerns about, they will offer advice on what actions you should take when going about
seeking treatment.

Dentists are highly skilled medical professionals and they always vigilant in ensuring the oral health
of their patients and this typically extends to making sure they keep an eye out for signs of oral
cancer or other disease of the mouth. As mentioned, however, if you have concerns about this
disease, it is imperative to book an appointment with your doctor.

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