Dentalnews (en)

Teeth – the daily grind! A gene called Osr2 provides the code for a protein known as „odd-skipped-related 2 protein“, thanks to which your teeth are all lined up in a row. This was discovered by geneticists at the University of Rochester. These results may one day help to find a way to get lost teeth to grow back and prevent the birth defect known as cleft palate. – Activating this gene in mice causes teeth to grow back! Preliminary studies have already shown that this gene is also...

Today the dentist’s team tells all! In answer to our article (24th february) we would like to publish an email, which reached us yesterday… Have you ever found yourself sitting in the chair at the dentist and asking yourself who had those instruments in their mouth before you? Have they been properly disinfected and sterilized? That’s right: you just don’t know. I know, because I’ve been working as a dental assistant and prophylaxis assistant for several years. Recently,...

It goes from being unpleasant to downright disgusting and keeps you from making friends or finding a partner. Strangely though, estimates say that every fourth adult in Europe has bad breath every once in a while. One in fifteen has it all the time. It might not be a bad idea to let the affected know, but most find this embarassing. But why? Well, it’s like foot or underarm odor: lots of people have it, but nobody likes to talk about it. – If you have this problem, you should see a doctor. Treating...

A placebo is a substance which a patient is told is medicine, but which actually contains no medicinal properties and thus has no real pharmacological effect! Even surgical procedures can be placebos, for example ‘pretend’ operations. – Researchers have discovered that the sensation of pain is blocked on the way from the skin to the spinal cord if the patient expects little or no pain. – There are many different ways in which psychological factors can affect the way we perceive...

We all make mistakes, you can’t make an omelette without cracking some eggs – and your dentist is no different. Good dentists always admit their mistakes and correct them. It’s not that people make mistakes, it’s that they refuse to admit, and of course correct, them. – Should you require really complicated dental work, it is always good to get a second opinion, so you can be sure that you’re getting quality work. Don’t feel guilty or hesitate to do this: better...