Today's Dental News

Parents need to be wary about fruit juices, according to dental experts.

Some parents often provide their children with fruit juice, but the acidity and sugar content may lead to many tooth issues later in life.

The British Dental Association wants parents to curtail the amount of fruit juice children have to lower the risk for cavities and acid erosion. About 25 percent of children consume fruit juice regularly and two-thirds of children eat sugary snacks and treats.

Natural fruit juice doesn’t contain added sweeteners but crushing fruit releases sugar. This makes the juice more damaging to the teeth.

Read more: Fruit Juices May Pose Major Problems

Injecting children with anesthesia may have some unintended effects.

Researchers from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine determined that injecting children ages 2 through 6 with anesthesia may result in missing lower wisdom teeth.

The results from the study appear in the April issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association. The study indicates that when some young children are exposed to anesthesia, the development of the lower wisdom tooth may be hindered.

This is the first study of its kind for humans.

People often encounter problems with wisdom teeth because they don’t develop until long after birth. The wisdom teeth start growing in the back four corners of the mouth when a person is between 2 and 6 and don’t emerge until the late teens or even later. The teeth are often impacted or create some other issues.

Read more: Anesthesia May Impact Wisdom Teeth of Children

Just because a dental bib clip appears to have been fully disinfected doesn’t mean it’s bacteria-free.

Bibs have been found to contain potentially dangerous oral bacteria in a recent study by Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were both present.

As part of the study, 20 bib clips were tested. Before and after treatment, the bib clips were thoroughly examined for more than 300 kinds of bacteria using advanced technology.

The results indicated several types of bacteria were found, including bacteria associated with refractory periodontitis. This bacteria were present on a stunning 65 percent of the bib clips even after the disinfection process.

Read more: Eliminating Bacteria from Dental Bib Clips Proves Difficult

New research shows something that should be obvious. A healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle can greatly reduce the risk of oral cancer.

Many studies in recent years have shown that the rate of oral cancer correlates to a person’s diet and lifestyle habits, good or bad.

Tobacco usage and alcohol consumption are two things that adversely impact risk of oral cancer. When smoking, the mouth area is subjected to many carcinogens. When drinking alcohol, the mouth is similarly exposed to other carcinogens.

Read more: Lifestyle, Diet May Prevent Oral Cancer