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DT Middle East and Africa

Page 6 Media CME The role of biology in the orthodontic practice Page 11 Dental Cafe Pair hospitalised after ‘world’s hottest curry con- test’Page 2 News & Opinions 1,800 heart attack cases re- ported in Dubai yearly 2 Hours DENTALTRIBUNE The World’s Dental Newspaper · Middle East & Africa Edition PUBLISHED IN DUBAI October, 2011 NO. 9 VOL. 9 LONDON, UK: Eating fruit such as apples could do up to four times the damage to teeth than carbonated drinks, new research has found. In a study ledbyProfDavidBartlettatthe DentalInstitute,King’sCollege London, scientists looked at links between diet and tooth wear at several sites in the mouth, in more than 1,000 men and women aged 18 to 30. The researchers looked for damage to the 2 mm surface enamel of volunteers’ teeth and at the dentine, the main support- ingstructureofthetoothbeneath the enamel, and compared what they saw with the results of a questionnaire on the partici- pants’ diet. The findings showed that people who ate apples were 3.7 timesmorelikelytohavedentine damage, while those who con- sumed carbonated drinks had no additional risk. Drinks most of- ten associated with dietary ero- sion, particularly cola, showed no increased risk in this study. Fruit juice increased the like- lihood of damage to the enamel around the top of the teeth near the gums fourfold, and lager, which is acidic, raised the chancesofdentinedamagebyup to three times. Bartlett, Head of Prosthodon- tics at the Dental Institute, said: “Apples are probably worse for erosion than fizzy drinks since they are strongly acidic. How- ever, it would really depend on how you consumed them. What is important is the frequency of consumption—if you took all day to eat the apple then it’s likely to cause erosion, but if eaten within afewmomentsthenitisunlikely. Some people drink fizzy drinks quickly too and these will not cause damage, but if sipped over long periods then they are more damaging.” According to Bartlett, the re- sults emphasise that dietary ad- vice should be targeted at strong acids rather than some of the commonly consumed soft drinks. The researchers say that theydonotwantthesefindingsto deter people from consuming fruitandfruitjuicesbecausethey are important for overall health and well-being. “The underlying message is that acids in your diet can dam- Fruits significantly more dangerous for teeth than carbonated drinks high quality glass ionomer cements first class composites innovative compomers modern bonding systems materials for long-term prophylaxis temporary solutions bleaching products… All our products convince by excellent physical properties perfect aesthetical results Highest quality made in Germany PROMEDICA Dental Material GmbH Tel. + 49 43 21 / 5 4173 · Fax + 49 43 21 / 519 08 Internet: http://www.promedica.de · eMail: info@promedica.de Innovative luting system Dental desensitizing varnish Glass ionomer cement packable consistency durable aesthetics also available as application capsules NEW SHADE at Meet us several exhibitions – www.promedica.de AD BRUSSELS — The European Union is investigating whether drug companies Novartis and Johnson & Johnson colluded to keep a generic painkiller out of the Dutch market, the bloc’s antitrustwatchdogsaidFriday. TheEuropeanCommissionis assessing whether contractual arrangements between the two companies “may have had the object or effect of hindering the entry on to the market of generic versions of Fentanyl.” Fentanylisastrongpainkiller for chronic pain. Novartis spokesman Eric Al- thoff confirmed the probe, but added “we don’t comment on on- going procedures.” The Basel- based company reports its third- quarter results Tuesday. The Commission said the in- vestigation was triggered by its own inquiry into the ability of generics — cheaper versions of medications that are no longer protected by patents — to enter the market EU opens antitrust probe into Novartis, J&J age teeth if consumed through- out the day. These acids can dis- solve the teeth if the mouth is not given sufficient time to counter- act the effect. Snacking on acidic foods throughout the day is the most damaging, whilst eating them at meal times is much safer,” Bartlett said. “The results of this study con- firm previous clinical observa- tions and add to our understand- ingoftoothwearandprovidefur- ther evidence that drinking be- haviour and the consumption of foods with strong acidity are im- portant factors in tooth erosion,” he concluded. DT