Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Award-Winning Smile- Happy Oscar Weekend!


Oscar weekend is here and the winners are in! For best smile, that is. A survey taken by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry reveals which celebrities had the best smiles. Voted on by cosmetic dentists, Natalie Portman was ranked best smile by 91% of survey takers. Closely following with 82% of the votes is “127 Hours” actor, James Franco. Third, fourth and fifth place winners were as follows: Nicole Kidman, Annette Bening, and Colin Firth. Christian Bale bottomed out the list with only 26% of the votes.

Dentists also ranked both male and female actors for the most kissable mouths. Angeline Jolie topped the female list but Natalie Portman was only slightly behind in votes. There was a third-place tie between Halle Berry and Julia Roberts.

For male actors, Jake Gyllenhaal was ranked more kissable than any other star, including Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Denzel Washington.

The same doctors also gave their take on which celebrities could benefit most from smile makeovers. George W. Bush and Katie Couric were among several others who ranked poorly on the smile-odometer. Bush could use “whitening, splint-t­herapy, bonding, and veneers,” while Couric needs a “smile lift.”

If your smile looks like Katie Couric’s or you need help perfecting your smile, we can help. At the office of Bruce B. Wiland, DDS, MSD, we treat gum problems and provide cosmetic periodontal treatment. Our crown lengthening procedure can also correct the problem of excess gingival tissue by exposing more of the tooth structure on teeth that appear too short.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Growing Dental Implants in Place

Growing Dental Implants in Place:



"Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City have developed a method of growing dental implants in place using stem cells. The process can result in a fully formed replacement tooth in less than nine weeks from initial implantation. Unlike current dental implants, these teeth conform to changes that occur to the jaw bone over time, limiting the need for costly and time consuming adjustments or replacement implants."


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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Why People Choose Dental Implants Today



One of the best ways to counter tooth loss is by the use of artificial tooth replacements. This procedure is known as a type of prosthetic dentistry. It is also considered a form of cosmetic dentistry.

Although there are many options for the restoration for missing teeth, implants have proven to be the most functionally durable and effective. Dental implants may be the only reasonable option for the restoration of the teeth functions and supporting structures.

People who have lost teeth may feel all too self conscious to talk or smile. In addition, biting irregularities that are the result of the loss of tooth may have a negative effect on eating habits which can lead to secondary health problems such as malnutrition. Regardless of the problems that are related to the loss of teeth, dental implants can provide a simple remedy that has results that are proven.

Dental implants are more durable and stronger than dentures and bridges. Implants offer a solution that is permanent for tooth loss. In addition, implants can be used along with other restorative techniques for the best results. For instance, an implant can serve to support a dental crown that is used to replace a single tooth that is missing. Implants can also be used to support a dental bridge that is used to replace any number of teeth that are missing. Dentures can be used for the reduction of gum tissue irritation and increase stability.

Advances in procedures means that more people may find themselves a candidate for implantation. However, candidacy for implantation depends on your dentist’s determination of whether you are a better candidate for an alternative restoration. Remember that dentists don’t need a specific license by law in order to perform implant dentistry. A restorative or general dentist may perform the bridge and crown placement for the implant restoration. But, prosthodontist are the specialized dentists who usually complete this crucial procedure. An oral surgeons and periodontists are the ones who usually perform the surgery.

The dental implants of today are virtually indistinguishable from the other teeth. This appearance is aided in part by the functional and structural connection between the living and the dental implant. Implants are usually accomplished during a single sitting but also require osseointegration. The anchoring of a dental implant into the bone and root of the jaw is known as osseointegration. This type of implant is usually the most successful type of dental implant.

Following the surgery, the jawbone will firmly hold the implant in place. Bone can then be attached to the implant and this is fixed right with the jawbone and underneath gum tissues. This type of implant may take as long as 6 months to anchor and heal, at which point your dentist can complete the procedure with the placement of a crown. The metal posts or tiny cylinders that can be seen through a person’s gum line adhere to the implant. Most patients are very happy with the comfort advantages and the look that an implant provides so an implant is well worth the expense.

Toothless no more: team aims to reduce rejection of implants


Don Brunette may well find himself named the patron saint of toothless hockey players.

An oral biologist in the Faculty of Dentistry, Brunette seeks to create a better dental implant by understanding how cells behave around different types of implant surfaces.

Dental implants consist of a titanium screw or cylinder that is inserted into the jaw. The post serves as base onto which the replacement crown or bridge is attached.

For his research, Brunette draws upon sophisticated methods of microfabrication and nanofabrication which can produce precisely characterized surfaces. He can then examine how cells respond to specific features and shapes of the implant’s surface – that is, its topography – at the nanometer and micrometer scales.

Brunette’s current line of inquiry evolved from his breakthrough work with titanium surfaces during the 1980s. At that time, Brunette was the only researcher in the world studying microfabricated surfaces and cell behavior. He observed that microscale grooves could direct cells in desired directions and also encourage bone growth.

A Vancouver-based implant manufacturer marketed implants based on the principles developed in Brunette’s research, and more recently, a U.S. firm is using lasers to produce grooves on dental implants.

Of particular interest to Brunette are cells called macrophages, which in Greek means “big eater.” Macrophages are among the first cells to appear at the site of a wound to clean up bacteria, explains Prof. Brunette. They also orchestrate the body’s response to foreign objects such as implants.

“The intent is to develop surfaces that induce macrophages to stimulate healing rather than destructive inflammation,” says Brunette.

Along with Dentistry Assoc. Prof. Douglas Waterfield, Brunette recently received more than $685,000 from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research for their innovative study.

The investigators will explore cell structure, migration and cell-cell interactions, as well as gene and cell signaling activities. In addition to macrophages, they will examine bone cells, fibroblasts and epithelium, which are other cells that come into contact with implants.

Brunette says their findings could have wide application to other implants including hip joints, catheters and other devices that contact diverse tissues.

“Improved surfaces will enable faster integration of implants with bone or other tissues, as well as enable implants to be used in situations that currently have a high risk of failure.”

Brunette points out that under “more-or-less ideal” conditions, dental implant failure rates can be as low as one or two per cent. However, dental and other implants are now being employed in more challenging situations such as sites with poor bone quality.

“Failure rates can approach 30 per cent depending on risk factors that include smoking, oral hygiene, quality of bone and location within the mouth.”



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Causes of Gum Disease

Causes of Gum Disease: "Causes of Gum Disease
The main cause of periodontal (gum) disease is plaque, but other factors affect the health of your gums.

Periodontal (gum) diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis, are serious infections that, left untreated, can lead to tooth loss. Periodontal disease can affect one tooth or many teeth. The main cause of periodontal disease is bacterial plaque, a sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on your teeth. However, factors like the following also affect the health of your gums."


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Researchers Study Relationship Of Oral Cancers And Periodontal Disease

Researchers Study Relationship Of Oral Cancers And Periodontal Disease
Posted on: Wednesday, 14 July 2010, 15:18 CDT

Today during the 88th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research, in Barcelona, Spain, presenting author J. Meyle, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany, will present an abstract titled "P. gingivalis Infection and Immune Evasion of Oral Carcinomas."

Meyle and his team are investigating the relationship of oral cancers and periodontal disease. They achieved results by infecting cell carcinoma cells SCC-25 with Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g.) W83. After 48h the cells were stained with antibodies against human B7-H1, B7-DC and TLR4 and analysed by flow cytometry. RNA was extracted after 24h and gene expression of B7-H1, B7DC, TLR4, IFN-γ and IL-10 was quantified by real time PCR and analysed by the ΔΔCT method.

Up-regulation of B7-H1 in host cells may contribute to the chronicity of inflammatory disorders which frequently precede the development of human cancers. B7-H1 expression was detected in the majority of human cancers and leads to anergy and apoptosis of activated T cells, which might enable tumors to evade the immune response. TLR4 signalling has been shown to induce B7-H1 in bladder cancer cells.

P.g., a putative periodontal pathogen, is an etiologic agent of periodontitis and expresses a variety of virulence factors. In this study the expression of B7-H1 and B7-DC receptors and TLR4 on squamous cell carcinoma cells SCC-25 was analysed after infection with P.g. in vitro.

The research concludes that P.g. is able to induce the expression of the immune regulating receptors B7-H1 and B7-DC in squamous cell carcinoma which may facilitate immune evasion of oral cancers in patients with periodontal infections.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Dental Implants to Replace Missing Teeth


Dental Implants

Did you know that dental implants are frequently the best treatment option for replacing missing teeth? Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements that your oral and maxillofacial surgeon surgically places in the jawbone.

A Solution of Choice for Replacing Missing Teeth
Statistics show that 69% of adults ages 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal or tooth decay. Furthermore, by age 74, 26% of adults have lost all of their permanent teeth.

Twenty years ago, these patients would have had no alternative but to employ a fixed bridge or removable denture to restore their ability to eat, speak clearly and smile. Fixed bridges and removable dentures, however, are not the perfect solution and often bring with them a number of other problems. Removable dentures may slip or cause embarrassing clicking sounds while eating or speaking. Of even greater concern, fixed bridges often affect adjacent healthy teeth, and removable dentures may lead to bone loss in the area where the tooth or teeth are missing. Recurrent decay, periodontal (gum) disease and other factors often doom fixed bridgework to early failure. For these reasons, fixed bridges and removable dentures usually need to be replaced every seven to 15 years.


Before (left) and after a dental implant



Today there is another option for patients who are missing permanent teeth. Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements that your oral and maxillofacial surgeon surgically places in the jawbone. Composed of titanium metal that "fuses" with the jawbone through a process called "osseointegration," dental implants never slip or make embarrassing noises that advertise the fact that you have "false teeth," and never decay like teeth anchoring fixed bridges. Because dental implants fuse with the jawbone, bone loss is generally not a problem.

After more than 20 years of service, the vast majority of dental implants first placed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the United States continue to still function at peak performance. More importantly, the recipients of those early dental implants are still satisfied they made the right choice. If properly cared for, dental implants can last a lifetime.
Learn more about dental implants at http://www.indyperio.com