Unlocking the potential of stem cells in teeth

When David James, a cosmetic dentist from Chester, Cheshire, first came across the concept of harvesting and storing stem cells from deciduous teeth on the internet, he had no idea that only a short while later, he would become the CEO of BioEDEN Limited, a European stem cell bank.

Retracing the steps: Child oral health linked to maternal vitamin D levels

Canada: Low maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy may affect primary tooth calcification, leading to enamel defects, which are a risk factor for early-childhood caries (ECC). Researchers from the University of Manitoba recently presented results of a study conducted to determine the vitamin D status of pregnant women, the incidence of enamel defects and early-childhood tooth decay among their infants, and the relationship with pre-natal vitamin D levels at the 86th General Session of the IADR, held in Toronto in 2008.

Grant to address early childhood caries

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry has received US$24.4 million from the National Institutes of Health to address socio-economic and cultural disparities in oral health. The seven-year grant, which is funded through the NIH National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, will enable the UCSF Center to Address Disparities in Children's Oral Health (nicknamed CAN DO) to launch new programmes in preventing early childhood tooth decay. The programmes will include new research to compare methods to prevent dental caries in children, as well as efforts to integrate and implement current scientific understanding across a variety of primary care and social service settings.

Clinic brings preventive care to infants

With the dramatic rise in early childhood caries as the most common chronic disease, the need for preventive strategies has become increasingly urgent. To emphasise preventive oral health care for infants, the Chicago College of Dentistry the University of Illinois launched a predoctoral infant dental clinic. The clinic is intended to enhance access to and use of dental services for children with the goal of reducing oral health disparities in underserved populations.

Pattern of dental trauma in Sri Lankan children

Oral health trends of asthmatic preschoolers

A recent study investigated the oral health of 3- and 6-year old children who suffered from asthma. Results showed that these children had a higher caries prevalence than children without the condition. Dental Learning Hub put some questions to Dr Malin Stensson from the department of paediatric dentistry at the Institute for Postgraduate Dental Education in Jönköping, Sweden.

A closer look at periodontal bacterial species in children

An investigation that compared the periodontal bacterial profiles in children and young adolescents over an extended period indicated predictors for periodontal diseases as adults. Professor Kazuhiko Nakano from the Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry in Japan, spoke to Dental Learning Hub and explained the results.

Recognising the problem: MIH phenomenon

Drs David Manton and Felicity Crombie from the School of Dental Science at the University of Melbourne, Australia, recently conducted a study among dentists in Australia and New Zealand on the perceptions and treatment of molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH). They spoke to Dental Learning Hub about the significance of the results.