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Archive for November, 2009

Periodontitis, oral cancer and overall health – Pt 2

Posted by Dental News Team On November - 24 - 2009

I part one you read all about how defensines affect our overall health, but the connection is even more complex!

Our cells use various substakrebszellences to communicate with each other – the general term being “cytokines“. These cytokines activate signal paths in the cells.

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You can look at it this way: Cell A (an immune cell) tells Cell B (a cell in the mucous membrane of the mouth) – “produce more mucus, since there are bacteria around”. But Cell A does not really speak to Cell B, but pours out signal molecules  – called cytokines.

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Like a key and lock system, these cytokines activate signal paths in Cell B which lead to an increased production of mucus. Think of these signal paths as a factory, in which the boss gives an instruction to the foreman, who then proceeds to shout it into a microphone. The employees hurry up and change into their uniforms, etc. … this is exactly what takes place in the cell – a cascade of signals. When the cascade is over, the organelles in the cell produce more mucus!

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Researchers have discovered that in cases of periodontitis, bacteria in the gum pockets activate the same signal paths as are activated in oral cancer,so there is very likely to be a connection between these illnesses.

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Source: 2009_ Parodontitis Mundkrebs und Allgemeingesundheit (periodontitis, oral cancer and overall health)

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general topics periodontology
general topics, periodontology

Periodontitis, oral cancer and overall health

Posted by Dental News Team On November - 24 - 2009

Are periodontitis, oral cancer and overall health in any way related?

They are!
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krebszelleOur immune system continuously produces substances (loaded proteins, called defensines) which target bacteria, fungi and viruses. Immune cells inject these defensines into bodily fluids, and this “Defensine Cocktail” protects us from attack by bacteria, fungi and/or viruses.
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In evolutionary terms, defensines appeared about the same time as the insects, so they represent a very old component of our immune system, and can be found throughout the animal kingdom. For example, the immune cells make sure a high concentration of these proteins gets into the fluid around the eyes, the saliva, lungs, vaginal fluid etc. Wherever our bodies are faced with invasion, these proteins go!
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But defensine production only runs smoothly in a healthy „household“. This means the well-balanced functioning of our organs, e.g. non-microbial digestion takes place in the small intestine, while microbial digestion takes place in the large intestine. This makes the large intestine an organ of fermentation, and if the small and large intestines don’t „coordinate“ their functions, this can have harmful results on defensine production. The lower the level of defensines, the less protection against micro-organisms.

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What causes an imbalance? Well, a carbohydrate allergy can lead to excessive fermentation in the large intestine. This means an excess of gas, which causes the intestine to blow up like a balloon, to the point where the passage between the large and small intestines no longer closes properly, which enables bacteria to move between the intestines. This results in an inflammation of the small intestine, and along with the reduced production of defensine, years later this can lead to bowel cancer.
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But the connection is even more complex than this – in Part II you will find out just how!

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Source: 2009_ Parodontitis Mundkrebs und Allgemeingesundheit (periodontitis, oral cancer and overall health)

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general topics periodontology
general topics, periodontology

Dental implants and bone reconstruction

Posted by Dental News Team On November - 23 - 2009

Using donor bones for bone reconstruction?

knochenWhen a patient has gone without teeth for a long time or suffered from bouts of inflammation, the part of the upper and lower jaw-bones which support teeth has often been found to recede, leading to a diagnosis of „alveolar atrophy“.

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Dental implants can no longer be inserted into the bone which is left, as this may cause damage to nerves and sinuses. The only solution is bone reconstruction, using either bone from the patient’s own body, or other materials.

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Using bone from other places in the patient’s body involves performing additional operations, which is why many doctors prefer using other materials. As you may have read in the various articles we have written on the subject of „Bone reconstruction“ human bone heals much better than artificial products.
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But where can you get human bone?

Human bone – or tissue in general – is taken either from corpses or is a by-product left over after operations (e.g. a fracture of the neck of the femur). There are strict laws in place for regulating and monitoring the removal of tissue and bone. For example, doctors cannot just take products left over after an operation without the consent of the patient, as legally this is still the „property“ of the patient.

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Each country has its own laws with regard to corpses. Many countries have a donor database, in which people who want to donate have to sign up while they are still alive, so that organs and tissue can be legally removed after they die.
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Other countries (such as Austria), take the opposite tack. They keep a list of objectors, meaning that organs and tissue can be removed from just about anybody after their death, who did NOT put their name on this list while they were alive

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Although this may seem somewhat macabre to you, it should be obvious that this makes for a lot more organs and tissue and human life saved by organ transplants or ailments alleviated by tissue transplants. It should also be pointed out that these „removals“ may only be performed by institutions registered with and monitored by the government!
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Whatever option appeals to you more from an ethical point of view, biological material shows much better results than does artificial material.
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So what’s your opinion on using human bone?

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general topics implantology
general topics, implantology

Root pivots – the x-ray test

Posted by Dental News Team On November - 23 - 2009

Root pivots are one way to get crowns attached to the roots of teeth!

Yesterday you read all about pivot teeth and how they are made, today we’ll show you some examples of pivot operations gone wrong – except of course the first picture, which shows how it should be done!

wurzelstift_roeRoot pivot x-ray Pic 1
This is what a pivot tooth should look like, the roots are thick, evenly filled to the tips. The root pivot is located in the back root (black arrow) and fills more than 1/3 of the root!
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Pic 2
The pivot is too short and the rest of the root has not been filled up with enough of the root-filling compound
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Pic 3
The pivot is too short and the rest of the root has not been filled up with enough of the root-filling compound, moreover the canal was drilled crooked, so the pivot is not actually in the canal
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Pic 4
The pivots are too short and the rest of the roots have not been filled up with enough of the root-filling compound

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Videos on the topics of root treatment, root pivots and dentistry can be found here!

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endodontology prostethics
endodontology, prostethics

Pivot tooth, pivot crown, stump reconstruction

Posted by Dental News Team On November - 20 - 2009

The terms pivot tooth, pivot crown, stump reconstruction or pivot reconstruction all refer to a tooth reinforced by a pivot.

stiftzahn-

If a tooth has suffered extreme cavity damage (1)

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that practically only the root is left (2),

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a pivot (3) can be inserted into the root to

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provide retention for affixing a dental crown (4).

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To succeed, this procedure requires

  • proper treatment of whatever is left of the root (the pink area in picture 2)
  • the root itself to be in good condition

Nowadays, it is common to use fiber-glass pivots, earlier they were made of metal. More on the topic of pivot teeth here!

The cost of a pivot tooth ranges from 100€- 350€ in Europe, depending on the materials and manufacturing methods used. Monday we will show you some examples of badly performed pivot tooth insertions. An x-ray  will show you the status of your pivot teeth – more on the topic of x-rays here.

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endodontology prostethics
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