Posted 6/18/08

Saliva Test to Detect Breast Cancer

Researchers at the University of Texas, UT, Health Science Center at Houston can identify and quantify specific protein markers in human saliva to provide an early, non-invasive diagnosis of breast cancer, according to a new study published in the January 10, 2008 issue of Cancer Investigation.

The study describes how the onset of breast cancer produces a change in the normal type and amount of proteins in glandular secretions from the salivary glands. The protein profile in a healthy person is altered by the presence of cancer.

Dentist will likely perform this test as most folks, especially women and children, visit the dental office way more often than they ever see the physician. Saliva is a non-invasive, quicker way for detection.

In the study, researchers analyzed saliva samples from 30 patients. They found 49 proteins that differentiated healthy patients from those with benign breast tumors and those with malignant breast tumors. These findings suggest that patients can be tested for breast cancer by examining certain protein markers in their saliva during a visit to a dentist's office or other healthcare facilities.

(Inside Dendistry, March 2008)

Posted - 9/26/07    

Oral Sex Linked to Oral Cancer

Researchers are blaming human papilloma virus (HPV) for an increase in cancers of the tonsil and base of the tongue. They are citing promiscuous oral sex as a high-risk behavior and recommend that men, as well as women, be vaccinated against HPV.

Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, report that one strain of HPV, HPV-16, is heavily linked to cancers of the tonsil and base of tongue. They cite an earlier study by Dr. Maura Gillison of Johns Hopkins University and colleagues which compared 100 patients with oral or throat cancer to 200 healthy people. The Hopkins study found HPV-16 in 72 percent of the tumors and noted that people who had six or more oral sex partners face an especially high risk of contracting those types of cancer.

More than one-quarter of women in the U.S. ages 14 to 59 are infected with HPV, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccinating women and girls aged 11 to 26 against HPV to prevent cervical cancer, which kills 300,000 women globally each year.

Men should be vaccinated as well. Head and neck cancers including cancers of the larynx, nose and nasal passages, mouth, pharynx, and salivary glands, are three times more common in men than women. In the U.S., 45,000 new cases are expected in 2007. Two vaccines are already available against HPV: Gardasil, made by Merck & Co., and Cervarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline.

(Dental Tribune, September 24-30, 2007)

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Posted - 12/19/06

Does Flossing really matter?

Dental floss is a bundle of thin nylon filaments or a plastic (teflon or polyethylene) ribbon used to remove food and dental plaque from teeth. The floss is inserted between the teeth and scraped along the teeth sides, especially close to the gums. Dental floss is often flavored and can be waxed or unwaxed.

Levi Spear Parmly, a dentist from New Orleans, is credited with inventing a legendary form of dental floss. He had been recommending that people should clean their teeth with silk floss since 1815.[1]

Dental floss was still unavailable to the consumer until the Codman and Shurtleft company started producing human-usable unwaxed silk floss in 1882. In 1898, the Johnson & Johnson Corporation received the first patent for dental floss. Other early brands included Red Cross, Salter Sill Co. and Brunswick.

The adoption of floss was poor before World War II. It was around this time, however, that Dr. Charles C. Bass developed nylon floss. Nylon floss was found to be better than silk because of its greater abrasion resistance and elasticity.

Dentists and dental hygienists urge the daily oral hygiene regimen of toothbrushing and flossing. Nearly all Americans brush their teeth. However, the ADA indicates that only about 12 percent of Americans floss daily, 39 percent floss less than daily, and 49 percent do not floss at all.

Dental floss is commonly supplied in plastic dispensers that contain 10 to 40 meters of floss. The floss is most often held in the fingers. Some may prefer to employ a device specialized for that purpose. Also, a product that both dispenses and holds the floss is available.

Posted 12/24/06

Drink more coffee

The seaming cup that wakes you up can also keep you healthy. Research show that coffee protects against a variety of ailments--from cavities to colon cancer. And some studies suggest that the more you drink, the better. The beverage lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes and can protect your liver from damage, too. Caffeine gets the credit for some of coffee's magic powers, including protection against Parkinson's disease and gallstones. But coffee's main benefit comes from its wealth of antioxidants. In fact, the coffee bean, which is technically a berry, has one of the highest antioxidant contents of all berries, say Thomas de Paulis, Ph.D., formerly of the Vanderbilt University Institute for Coffee Studies. That's why, drop for drop, coffee has more of these nutrients than even red wine. If you have osteoporosis, be sure to follow your doctor's advice for calcium supplementation, because in some studies, coffee drinking has raised the risk of bone fractures.

(AARP January 2007)