Please activate JavaScript!
Please install Adobe Flash Player, click here for download
ePaper created 2016-01-08, 09:25:11 | version 1.38.0
In order to gain insights into women’s dental visit- ing patterns and knowledge about the impact of oral health on their own and their babies’ well-be- ing, Cigna Corp., a global health service company, conducted an online survey in August among 801 pregnant women and new mothers aged 21–45. Only 55 per cent of the survey participants rated their oral health as very good or excellent, and 76 per cent reported oral health problems during pregnancy,includingbleedinggingivae,increased tooth sensitivity and tooth pain. However, only 43 per cent of pregnant women stated that they had gone for dental check-ups during pregnancy, and 36 per cent said that they had not seen a den- tist for more than a year. Overall, 33 per cent of women surveyed said that they had skipped den- talcheckupsduringpregnancybecausetheywere concerned it would be too expensive. In addition, the survey indicated that targeted in- terventions by medical professionals could sig- nificantlyimprovetheoralhealthhabitsofpregnant women and new mothers.With regard to the daily oral hygiene habits of new mothers, the investiga- tors found that 36 per cent have brushed and flossedlessfrequentlysincedelivery,67percentof whom stated that they do not have time to keep up on their hygiene. The full report can be accessed and downloaded at www.cigna.com. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,2.3 millionAmericans smoke tobacco frompipes,manyofwhomsmokewaterpipes,be- lieving it is less harmful than cigarettes. A recent study,however,has shown that water pipe smok- ing is also associated with various head and neck conditions,including periodontal disease and oral cancer. In the study, researchers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, reviewed 20 published articles to identify potential health effects of waterpipesmokingontheheadandneckregion. According to the World Health Organization, water pipe smoking sessions may expose the smoker to more smoke over a longer period than occurs when smoking a cigarette. Water pipe smokers may therefore inhale the equivalent of 100 or more cigarettes during one session, dependingonthedurationandnumberofpuffsin a smoking session. The study, titled “Association between tobacco waterpipe smoking and head and neck condi- tions,” was published in the October issue of the Journal of theAmerican DentalAssociation. Water pipe smoking can lead to Serious oral conditions I 39laser4_2015 Researchers at University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht have identi- fied a gene that may cause oligodontia, the agenesis of six or moreteeth.Thediscoveryoftheso- calledLPR6genemakesitpossible to diagnose patients more effec- tively, provide them with better in- formation and develop customized treatment.The results were published today in The American Journal of Human Genetics. Oligodontia greatlyimpactsqualityoflifeandmayleadtoeating and speaking problems, among other things. Dr Marijn Créton, dentist and maxillofacial pros- thetist at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeryandSpecialDentalCareatUMCUtrecht,en- sures—in consultation with patients—that ulti- mately they have a good set of teeth both at a young and adult age. This requires a treatment of many years,duringwhichpatientsaretreatedbyadentist, oral surgeon and orthodontist. “Moreover, adoles- cents with oligodontia often have psychosocial is- sues,”saysCréton.“Missingmanyteethisconspic- uous. Children, teenagers and young adults are sometimesbulliedandregularlyexperiencefeelings of low self-esteem and shame.” Reference: Massink MPG, Créton MA, Spanevello F, et al.Loss-of-Function Mutations in theWNT co-re- ceptor LRP6 CauseAutosomal-Dominant Oligodon- tia, The American Journal of Human Genetics, in press 2015. UMC Utrecht discovers genetic Cause of disturbed dental development Pregnancy: Majority avoids Dental check-ups [PICTURE:©ELENAVASILCHENKO] [PICTURE:©ROMANRYBALEOV] [PICTURE: ©KNINWONG]