Researchers at Tokyo Medical and Dental University have conducted a laboratory work to fabricate an oral stent for prevention and treatment of dental caries. The oral appliance (stent) was entirely made of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer reinforced with silver particles (5,000 ppm) to induce maximum antibacterial effect against a wide range of species that are involved …

Continue reading “Sports’ Guard That Prevents Dental Caries”

Zinc ions are known to exhibit a preventive action against volatile sulfur compounds such as gaseous H2S that cause oral malodor. Oral malodor results from microbial fermentation of food debris in the mouth; so, antimicrobial agents have the potential to reduce oral malodor by chemically neutralizing the fermentation by-products. A combination of zinc ions and …

Continue reading “Fighting Oral Malodor with Zinc Ions”

The oral environment has various microbial communities, and understanding the oral microbiome and the ecological balances inside the mouth is essential for oral health. Oral microbes live in continuous antagonistic/mutualistic interactions, and disrupting this equilibrium leads to overgrowth of particular species that could be pathogenic. Healthy oral cavity can be still colonized by hundreds of …

Continue reading “How Oral Bacteria Become an Enemy!”

Titanium alloys have excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, but their usage as dental implants is compromised by bacterial growth causing infection, inflammation and peri-implantitis. The infection process starts with the formation of bacterial biofilms, that is, bacteria accumulate over the implant’s surfaces and form a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances to protect themselves …

Continue reading “Ready to Use Titanium-Based Nanostructures for Dental Implants”

Topical application of fluoride is the long followed protocol for caries prevention in children even at the time of the highest risk. Food and Drug Administration recognized the application of topical silver diamine fluoride to arrest active carious lesions and as a preventive approach for unaffected teeth with no risk of toxicity. That is, silver …

Continue reading “The Golden Era of Silver in Dental Treatments”

Antibiotic resistance is among the most prominent health threats worldwide in the recent years. About 10% of antibiotics which are prescribed in dental clinics nowadays are considered unnecessary. Worldwide, evidence has shown that 58%–81% of prophylactic dental antibiotic prescriptions are inconsistent with community/international guidelines. Dentists must acknowledge the indications for dental antibiotics, especially when prescribed …

Continue reading “Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Major Dental Surgeries”