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Treating gum disease may help lower blood pressure

November 14, 2017 Categories: Heart News, Scientific Conferences & Meetings ...Read More

Hidden tooth infections may predispose people to heart disease

Date: August 2, 2016; Source: University of Helsinki;
Summary: An infection of the root tip of a tooth increases the risk of coronary artery disease, even if the infection is symptomless. Hidden dental root tip infections are very common: as many as one in four in Finland suffer from at least one. Such infections are usually detected by chance from X-rays.

According to a study carried out at the University of Helsinki, an infection of the root tip of a tooth increases the risk of coronary artery disease, even if the infection is symptomless. Hidden dental root tip infections are very common: as many as one in four Finns suffers from at least one. Such infections are usually detected by chance from X-rays. ...Read More

Evidence supporting a link between dental amalgams and chronic illness, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and suicide

Janet K. Kern 1, David A. Geier 1, Geir Bjørklund 2, Paul G. King 3, Kristin G. Homme 4, Boyd E. Haley 5, Lisa K. Sykes 3, Mark R. Geier 1
1 Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, USA
2 Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, Mo i Rana, Norway
3 CoMeD, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, USA
4 International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, ChampionsGate, FL, USA
5 University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to examine the evidence for a relationship between mercury (Hg) exposure from dental amalgams and certain idiopathic chronic ill- nesses – chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), depression, anxiety, and suicide. Dental amalgam is a commonly used dental restorative material that contains approximately 50% elemental mercury (Hg0) by weight and releases Hg0 vapor. Studies have shown that chronic Hg exposure from various sources includ- ing dental amalgams is associated with numerous health complaints, including fatigue, anxiety, and depression – and these are among the main symptoms that are associated with CFS and FM. In addition, several studies have shown that the removal of amalgams is associated with improvement in these symptoms. Although the issue of amalgam safety is still under debate, the preponderance of evidence suggests that Hg exposure from dental amalgams may cause or contrib- ute to many chronic conditions. Thus, consideration of Hg toxicity may be central to the effective clinical investigation of many chronic illnesses, particularly those involving fatigue and depression. ...Read More

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25800939
J Clin Neurosci. 2015 May;22(5):800-806. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2014.11.015. Epub 2015 Mar 21.

Intracranial bacterial infections of oral origin.

Abstract

Brain abscesses are rare but potentially deadly complications of odontogenic infections. This phenomenon has been described mainly in the form of case reports, as large-scale studies are difficult to perform. We compiled a total of 60 previously published cases of such a complication to investigate the predisposing factors, microbiology, and clinical outcomes of intracranial abscesses of odontogenic origin. A systematic review of the literature using the PubMed database was performed. Men accounted for 82.1% of cases, and the mean age was 42.1years. Caries with periapical involvement and periodontitis were the two most common intra-oral sources, and wisdom tooth extraction was the most common preceding dental procedure. In 56.4% of cases, there were obvious signs of dental disease prior to development of intracranial infection. Commonly implicated microorganisms included Streptococcus viridans (especially the anginosus group), Actinomyces, Peptostreptococcus, Prevotella, Fusobacterium, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Eikenella corrodens. There was an 8.3% mortality rate. Intracranial abscesses can form anywhere within the brain, and appear unrelated to the side of dental involvement. This suggests that hematogenous spread is the most likely route of dissemination.

It's not just hearts...

Dominique S. Michaud1,2 and Jacques Izard3,4
1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
2 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
3 The Forsyth Institute, 245 First Street, Cambridge MA 02142, USA
4 Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston MA, 02115, USA

Microbiota, Oral Microbiome, and Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract

Only 30% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survive one year post-diagnosis. Progress in understanding the causes of pancreatic cancer has been made, including solidifying the associations with obesity and diabetes, and a proportion of cases should be preventable through lifestyle modifications. Unfortunately, identifying reliable biomarkers of early pancreatic cancer has been extremely challenging, and no effective screening modality is currently available for this devastating form of cancer. Recent data suggest the microbiota may play a role in the disease process, but many questions remain. Future studies focusing on the human microbiome, both etiologically and as a marker of disease susceptibility, should shed light on how to better tackle prevention, early detection, and treatment of this highly fatal disease...Read More