BDS INSIGHTS by Dr Manish Khazane

A Chennai dental hospital has been chosen as one of the nine sites for an international clinical trial on zygoma tooth implants. Zygoma teeth are the new-age permanent implants used instead of dentures by people who have lost their teeth because of various diseases or genetic disorders. Zygoma prosthetics shorten the time taken for a tooth implant procedure from one year to 72 hours. “Many young people lose their teeth to aggressive peritonitis, or gum disease. We do not know what causes the disease, but the sufferer’s teeth become loose and fall off and even his jaw bone is destroyed,” explains Dr R. Gunaseelan, oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Rajan Dental Institute, which will be Asia’s second trial centre after a hospital in Hong Kong. “Surprisingly, 90 per cent of my patients who lose all their teeth are below 40 years of age. It is inconvenient and a social embarrassment for young people, especially those of marriageable age, to wear a set of dentures,” he adds Z...

Not only human beings, but also animals have to deal with toothache once in a while. A team of researchers from the University of Toronto Mississauga went on to examine the jaw of Labidosaurus hamatus, a terrestrial reptile that lived 275 million years ago, and found evidence of bone damage due to oral infection. This is a great finding as it shows the reptile’s susceptibility to oral infections. The team of scientists, led by paleontologist Professor Dr Robert Reisz, found out more about the terrestrial vertebrates that lived around 250 to 315 million years ago and the their jaws. They were able to study this from several well-preserved specimens of Labidosaurus hamatus . The one that they studied showcases missing teeth and associated erosion of the jaw bone. With the aid of a computer tomography scanning the team was able to find enough supportive evidence of a massive infection. This was the cause of the loss of several teeth, bone destruction in the jaw in th...

Anesthetic gel made from a rare plant found deep in the Peruvian rainforest has been found to be so potent that it could potentially replace the uncomfortable anesthetic injections used prior to dental procedures — and provide a natural remedy for aching teeth, scientists say. The remarkable painkilling properties of the Acmella oleracea plant, commonly referred to as Spilanthes Extract, have been used for centuries if not millennia by Incas to treat toothache, ulcers, abscesses and to even clean teeth. Indigenous tribes revealed the secrets of the plant to Cambridge University researcher Dr. Françoise Barbira Freedman, who has spent more than 30 years visiting and living with the Keshwa Lamas tribe of Peru. Freedman said the plant could literally transform western dental practice. Freedman became the first westerner to be accepted into the secretive society in 1975. During one of her trips to the rainforest, she suffered severe pain in her wisdom teeth. She was given ...

You may not have considered the impact prescription medications and even over-the-counter drugs can have on your oral health, and on the dental treatment you receive. Informing us about your medication history and what drugs you are currently taking is essential because of dental health effects, potential side effects and possible interactions with drugs the dentist might use during treatment or prescribe. We sometimes prescribe antibiotics with certain dental procedures. But, if you are taking oral contraceptives, be sure to let our dental staff know. Taking tetracycline or penicillin could reduce the effectiveness of an oral contraceptive. This includes drugs often used in dentistry, such as ampicillin, amoxicillin, oxacillin and penicillin V. If you have heart disease or a special heart condition, it is critical that we know your medical status. During dental treatment, bleeding may occur and cause bacteria from the mouth to enter the bloodstream and work its way...

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Dental Council of India acting chairman Mahesh Verma has said that the Council is doing its best to increase the total number of seats in post-graduate courses from the present 3,000 in tune with the increasing demand for dentists.    “I do agree that PG seats in dental specialities are fewer than those in medicine. PG seats in medicine are almost 40-50 per cent of the total number of MBBS seats. But the advantage in medicine is that there are as many as 35 branches. So, even if only a few seats are sanctioned in each specialisation, it adds up to a good number,” Dr. Verma said, addressing the three-day All India Dental Students Conference that he formally inaugurated at Siddhartha auditorium on Saturday.  The conference, which began on Friday, is being organised by the Indian Dental Association (IDA) in association with Sibar Institute of Dental Sciences, Dr. Sudha and Nageswara Rao Dental College and the Government Dental College. Dr. Verma said that the...