Jaw Pain Seen As One “Odd Symptom” Women Over 40 Should Not Ignore

Today Show Online stated that turning 40 is when women may “start experiencing body changes and new aches and pains,” changes that women may not “pay enough attention to.” Although many changes are “nothing to worry about,” TODAY includes jaw pain among four “odd symptoms” women shouldn’t ignore. The article stated jaw pain most likely results from “a gum or tooth infection,” a “condition called temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction,” or moving the “jaw awkwardly,” recommending people visit a dentist “if the pain lingers for more than a few days or becomes worse.” The article added, “However, in some cases, jaw pain can signal a heart attack, especially in women,” in which case seeking immediate help is necessary. TODAY also discussed belly bloat, fatigue, and new skin growths.

Study Finds Association Between Good Oral Hygiene, Reduced Risk Of Some Cancers

Daily tooth brushing and regular dental visits “may reduce the risk of some head and neck cancers by a small margin,” according to a study published in the Annals of Oncology. The researchers examined “data from 13 studies including a total of almost 9,000 mouth, pharynx or similar tumor patients and more than 12,000 comparison subjects without cancer,” finding “people with fewer than five missing teeth, annual dentist visits, daily tooth brushing and no gum disease had lower odds than others of having head and neck cancer.” Lead author Dr. Dana Hashim of the department of preventive medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, said, “I would argue that it is appropriate to say that this is a causal relationship because this study uses incident – that is, newly diagnosed cases of cancer, after oral hygiene indicator data was collected.”

New HPI Report Details Troubling State of Oral Health in U.S.

A new study published by the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute (HPI), released in conjunction with Families USA on June 8, reports large numbers of adults suffer from dental problems that affect their quality of life. The report, “Oral Health & Well-being in the United States,” found across all income levels, nearly 30 percent of those surveyed said life is “very often” or “occasionally” less satisfying because of the condition of their mouth or teeth. The full report includes data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and is based on the responses of nearly 15,000 adults nationwide.

Inexpensive Oral Rinse Test May Distinguish Head And Neck Cancer Patients From People Who Are At High Risk For The Disease

Medscape (6/7, Harrison) reports that “an inexpensive oral rinse test has been shown to distinguish head and neck cancer patients from people who are at high risk for the disease, and offers hope that the diagnosis of oral cancer could be made at a much earlier stage than it is currently.” According to Medscape, “the test, OraMark, measures levels of a specific biomarker and total protein in a sample of saliva and has just become commercially available.”

Coverage Continues: Nearly A Third Of Americans Never Floss Their Teeth, CDC Study Finds

Newser reports in continuing coverage that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers surveyed “more than 9,000 Americans aged 30 and over” about how often they floss, finding “32.4% said they didn’t floss their teeth at all, in contrast to the 30.3% who said they flossed daily.” Discussing the oral health benefits of regular flossing, the article notes that the American Dental Association recommends flossing daily.

Muhammad Ali “Battled Child Tooth Decay” In 1976 Album

Rolling Stone reported that by 1976 Muhammad Ali was “a household name, a superstar, an icon,” and adding to his list of accomplishments, he also “battled child tooth decay” in a children’s album. Released in 1976, The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay featured “the voice talents of Ali,” Frank Sinatra, Howard Cosell, and Ossie Davis, combining “music, narration and PSA preachiness.” According to the article, not only did the album receive an endorsement from the American Dental Association, “it was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Recording for Children category.” The ADA endorsement from the album cover reads: “The information on dental health contained in this children’s record is considered by the American Dental Association to be in accord with current scientific knowledge—1976.” The article added, “The album’s heart is in the right and noble place, something that could always be said of the late champ himself.”

        An article in the ADA News from December 10, 1979, Ali KOs Tooth Decay, featured a story regarding the promotional event presented in connection with this recording, which took place in Washington, DC and included Muhammad Ali boxing with another heavyweight boxing champion Chuck Wepner masquerading as Mr. Tooth Decay.

Fun Fact Friday

The excavated skeleton of a 25- to 35-year-old woman who was believed to have lived between 13,000 to 15,000 years ago may be one of the oldest recorded cases of impacted wisdom teeth. Take a look at this historic case study.

Smart Toothbrush Wins Intel’s Maker-Themed Reality Show

In an article in Entrepreneur Magazine, entrepreneur and author Carol Roth states that Team Grush, creator of the Grush Brush, won “the $1 million dollar prize” on America’s Greatest Makers, Mark Burnett and Intel’s technology reality competition show. Roth, who served as one of the judges for the show, said the toothbrush aims to address the problem of dental decay by encouraging “kids to want to brush their teeth” and by providing “data to their parents and dentist so they know the kids’ brushing habits and deficiencies.”

        Engadget reports that Grush’s smart toothbrush is the “brainchild” of a pediatric dentist, futurist, and inventor. The toothbrush and its mobile game aim to ensure children properly brush their teeth, using built-in sensors to determine how children are holding the toothbrush and what areas of their mouth that they may be missing.

        The Chicago Tribune reports that “the $59 toothbrush is among several connected toothbrushes about to hit the market, including the $400 Bluetooth-enabled Prophix developed by a Wilmette dentist and the $200 Oral-B Genius from Proctor & Gamble.”

ADA Provides Healthy Habits To Follow During Pregnancy

US News & World Report carries a HealthDay News article noting that during pregnancy the American Dental Association recommends women care for their teeth by brushing and flossing them daily, visiting the dentist regularly, eating a balanced diet, and rinsing “with a teaspoon of baking soda diluted in water” to help with morning sickness and vomiting.

        MouthHealthy.org provides additional information on pregnancy and oral health.

Studies Examine How Triclosan Affects The Body

The ADA reports that a “study by Poole et al. in the May 2016 issue of mSphere...was designed to examine whether use of consumer products,” including toothpaste, “would alter gut microbiome composition, endocrine function, and markers for obesity, diabetes, and inflammation.” The ADA says the study does not provide insight as to how fluoride toothpaste containing triclosan “[reduces] plaque and gingivitis more than toothpaste containing fluoride alone,” as was demonstrated in a 2013 Cochrane review. Moreover, the results of the mSphere study “are not consistent with the hypotheses that use of triclosan at physiologic levels achieved through the use of consumer products has a major impact on human gut or oral microbiome composition.”

        Regarding the mSphere study specifically, HealthDay also reports that “triclosan doesn’t dramatically alter the microbiome of the gut or the mouth, or significantly affect the endocrine system.” After randomizing “13 healthy people to use household and personal care products with or without the ingredient,” researchers found “little effect on the endocrine system” and “now major blow to oral flora or gut flora.”

        TIME reports that “in light of new evidence” that the antibacterial triclosan may be linked to “bacteria resistance, hormone disruption, and possibly even liver cancer,” the Food and Drug Administration is “currently reviewing” those studies.

New Toothbrush Shows Inside Of Mouth While Brushing

CNBC reported on its website that a new toothbrush debuted on Thursday that lets users “watch a live video feed of the inside of their mouth as they brush their teeth.” The WiFi- and Bluetooth-enabled brush, called Prophix, is used with an iPhone app, letting “users stream the feed to a mobile device and track their oral health with photo albums to share with their dentist.”