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Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition

DENTALTRIBUNE Middle East & Africa Edition Dental Cafe 11 A recent study, published by the European Academy of Pedi- atric Dentistry, demonstrated that sugar-free lollipops contain- ing licorice root extract signifi- cantly reduced the bacteria that causes tooth decay, specifically inpre-schoolchildrenwithhigh- risk of tooth decay. The study, funded by the Re- search and Data Institute of the affiliated companies of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indi- ana, Tennessee, Kentucky, New Mexico and North Carolina, ana- lyzed 66 preschool students ages 2 to 5 enrolled in the Greater Lansing Area Head Start Pro- gram. Each student received a lollipop for 10 minutes twice daily for three weeks. “Dental decay is one of the most common childhood diseases with more than half of children ages 5 to 17 having had at least one cavity or filling,” said Jed J. Jacobson, D.D.S., M.S., M.P.H., chief science officer at Delta Dental. “We are working to find simple, effective regimens that will encourage prevention and control of dental disease. While the results of this pilot clinical trial are encouraging, more re- searchisneededtoconfirmthese early findings.” Results showed a significant re- duction in Streptococcus mutans (S.mutans),theprimarybacteria responsible for tooth decay, dur- ing the three-week period when thelollipopswerebeingusedand lasting for an additional 22 days before beginning to rebound. Using a saliva test, the amount of S. mutans in the patient’s mouth was measured before and during thethree-weekperiodwherelol- lipops were used, as well as for several weeks thereafter. “The use of the licorice root lol- lipops is an ideal approach as it willstopthetransferandimplan- tation of the bacteria that cause dental decay from mothers to their infants and toddlers,” said Martin Curzon, editor-in-chief, European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. “It also has the merit of being a low cost-high impact public dental health measure.” The lollipops, manufactured by Dr. John’s Candies of Grand Rapids, Mich., were developed using FDA-approved materials by Dr. Wenyuan Shi, a microbiol- ogist at the University of Califor- nia Los Angeles (UCLA), and C3 Jian, Inc., a research and devel- opment company in California. The orange-flavored, sugarless lollipops contain extract of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis), which targets and is thought to kill the primary bacte- ria (Streptococcus mutans or S. mutans)responsiblefortoothde- cay. More precise than the eye: digital determination and verification of all tooth shades VITA Easyshade® Advance – To err was human! 3421E VITA Easyshade Advance features cutting-edge spectro- photometric shade measurement technology with an inte- grated light source. As a result, it is entirely independent of ambient conditions and delivers shade results in VITA SYSTEM 3D-MASTER, VITA classical A1–D4 and VITABLOC shades in a matter of seconds. Increase your reliability and profitability – very easily and entirely digitally with Easyshade Advance. / www.vita-zahnfabrik.com AD Lollipops May Reduce Tooth Decay Page 10DT helps remove food particles that stain. Nix these You can also try to avoid stain- causing foods. Any food that causes a stubborn laundry stain can discolor teeth, too. If you look at a tooth under a microscope, it looks like a kitchen sponge with many little nooks, crannies and holes. When stain-causing foods and beverages get stuck in those nooks and crannies, especially over time, dark stains develop. While we hear a lot about coffee, tea and red wine, soda is actually one of the worst offenders. It not only contains acids that open up those nooks but then stains them with cola colour.