BDS INSIGHTS by Dr Manish Khazane

Having natural pink color gums is very important for good smile. Smile looks beautiful if one has beautiful teeth with natural looking pink gums. But that is not always possible. Generally the gums color is same as the skin color. The people from the west are fair and their gum color is also pink mostly. Dark gums are mostly seen in dark skinned people.  The gum discoloration may be present in patches.  The extent of gum discoloration and the intensity is different for different individuals. Dark pigmented gums don’t mean that they are unhealthy and are not an indication of a disease.   What are the causes of Dark Gums: Racial or physiological gingival pigmentation: It is seen as the genetic trait. The main culprit behind this is the black pigment known as Melanin. The production of melanin increases manifolds in the presence of sunlight. At the same time it is more in the persons having complexion towards darker side. The individuals who are i...

    The trial is being conducted on patients with brain cancer It may be possible to use "stem cell shielding" to protect the body from the damaging effects of chemotherapy, early results from a US trial suggest. Chemotherapy drugs try to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells, but they can also affect other healthy tissues such as bone marrow. A study, in Science Translational Medicine , used genetically modified stem cells to protect the bone marrow. Cancer Research UK said it was a "completely new approach". The body constantly churns out new blood cells in the hollow spaces inside bone. However, bone marrow is incredibly susceptible to chemotherapy. The treatment results in fewer white blood cells being produced, which increases the risk of infection, and fewer red blood cells, which leads to shortness of breath and tiredness. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle, said these effects were "a major barrier...

Martin Jones, a 42-year-old builder, was left blind after an accident at work more than a decade ago. But a remarkable operation - which implants part of his tooth in his eye - has pierced his world of darkness. The procedure, performed fewer than 50 times before in Britain, uses the segment of tooth as a holder for a new lens grafted from his skin. Mr Jones, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, married his wife Gill, 50, four years ago. By that time he had already spent eight years without his sight after a tub of white hot aluminium exploded in his face at work in a scrapyard. He suffered 37 per cent burns and had to wear a special body stocking for 23 hours a day. He also had his left eye removed. But surgeons were able to save the right eye, even though he was unable to see through it. At first specialists in Nottingham tried to save his sight using stem cells from a donor but the attempt failed. It was only when a revolutionary new operation was pioneered at ...

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...

    The Dental Council of India has approved a three-year master of dental surgery (MDS) course in forensic dentistry. Forensic dentistry or forensic odontology is the proper handling, examination and evaluation of dental evidence. "The proposal to have MDS in forensic dentistry has been approved by the Dental Council of India at a meeting on May 14 at Chandigarh. The proposal will now be sent to the central government for an issuance of notification," said Dr Ajit Dinkar, professor at Goa Dental College, who is also a member of Dental Council of India. Dental Council of India is a statutory body incorporated to regulate dental education and the profession of dentistry throughout India. Dr Dinkar explained that forensic dentistry is the need of the hour and there are hardly any qualified forensic dentists in the country. Forensic dentists are responsible for six main areas of practice which include identification of human remains, identification in mass fatalit...

                          Polymer scaffolds guide stem cells growth into customized sizes and shapes. It may be hard to remember what it was like to lose a tooth as a child, but many adults get an unpleasant reminder as they age when their teeth begin to fall out (even those who don’t play hockey) and must consider dentures or dental implants. For years, researchers have investigated stem cells in an effort to grow teeth made for a person’s own cells. Toward this end, endodontics professor Dr. Peter Murray and colleagues from the College of Dental Medicine at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) have developed methods to control adult stem cell growth toward generating dental tissue and “real” replacement teeth. The NSU researchers’ approach is to extract stem cells from oral tissue, such as inside a tooth itself, or from bone marrow. After being harv...

Who is a Candidate for Braces?   Why Do I Need Braces?   These are some of the questions, which we will be answering in this article. Who is a Candidate for Braces? Some  recommend that children should be seen for their first orthodontic consultation no later than age 7. While the age of 7 may seem unusually early to consider braces, this pre-screening will give the orthodontist the opportunity to use preventative measures to possibly correct situations that may lead to braces in the future, and /or advise the parent on future orthodontic treatment planning. Adults seeking orthodontic treatment may consult with their dentist at any time, since it is never too late to consider correcting your teeth. The initial consultation with the orthodontist is typically a visual evaluation of the patient’s teeth and facial structure, with discussion to follow. If the orthodontist requires more in-depth information, or the patient agrees to begin treatment, dia...