Is Obesity an Oral Bacterial Disease?

Oral healthcare could hold the key to beating obesity according to new dental research. The UK's leading oral health charity has reminded the public of the importance of good dental hygiene after studies published in the June's Journal of Dental Research revealed further potential systemic links between oral health and overall health.

The British Dental Health Foundation has long campaigned on the importance of oral healthcare. Now scientists have suggested bacteria in our mouths could play a direct part in causing obesity.

Studies of over 500 women, 300 of whom were clinically obese, found that of 40 kinds bacteria tested one species - selenomonas noxia - was present at levels of more than 1% of total bacteria in 98% of the overweight group. This bacteria has previously been linked with the development of gum disease.

Further research will now investigate the importance of these infectionary agents as indicators of and potential causes of obesity.

Foundation chief executive Dr Nigel Carter said: "Though this information represents very early stages of research it is another fascinating example of the potential overall health links related to our oral health.

"It is uncertain whether people may become obese due to changes in the bacteria in their mouths or whether these changes occur as a result of obesity. What impact changing the bacterial make up may have on helping to reduce obesity is certainly worth additional research.

"There are hundreds of bacteria in our mouths at any one time, contributing to the most common dental hygiene issue - gum disease.

"Alongside posing risks of causing tooth loss if left unchecked, gum disease has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and premature births.

"Our advice to the public is to take simple steps to best look after your oral health by brushing twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste, cutting down on sugary snacks and drinks which harm you oral health and visit the dentist regularly, as often as they recommend."

You can read the full text of the article from the Journal of Dental Research here.

Nutrition in Dentistry CD-ROM

We added to the library collection a new CD-ROM entitlted Nutrition in Dentistry, by Linda Lolkus and Mary Cooper.

This interactive CD-ROM provides dental hygiene students with information on nutrition and its dental implications. It can be used for self-study, as an adjunct to a text, and as a review tool for the national board examinations.

The CD-ROM contains numerous illustrations, not available through any other source, of clinical/oral manifestations of nutritional deficiencies. Students can compare and contrast similar symptoms of nutritional deficiencies and their causes. Also included are animations showing processes related to nutrition and dentistry. Each unit begins with a subject outline and ends with board review questions, answers, and rationales.

You can find on Audio-Visual Table in the Library, under the call number RK 281 .L657 2008

Dental Radiographic Errors

These websites will give readers information and images of errors made on dental radiographs:

Fundamentals of Dental Radiology - has a section on faulty radiographs

Oral Radiology course - from Ohio State University. Has PPT lectures on Processing Errors, Bitewing and Parallel Technique Errors, and Bisecting Angle and Panoramic Technique Errors.

Panoramic Technique Errors - PPT, also from Ohio State University

Focusing on the Image - article with images of panoramic errors from Dimensions of Dental Hygiene

The quality of panoramic radiographs in a sample of general dental practices - article from the British Dental Journal - has no images, but some useful information about common errors