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Hygiene Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition No.2, 2016

Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 2/2016 hygiene tribune 4 New toothpaste removes four times more plaque than other toothpastes ByDTI CHICAGO, USA: Microbial biofilms, or dental plaque, on teeth signifi- cantly contribute to the develop- ment of dental caries, gingivitis and periodontitis, and should therefore be managed through daily brushing and flossing. A recently published study has now shown that a new toothpaste, which contains teal dis- closing agents to color and identify plaque build-up on teeth, helps us- ers remove up to four times more plaque than a standard toothpaste does. In the study, 35 healthy patients aged 18–64 who had all 12 anterior teeth were divided into two groups. At two visits to the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Den- tistry over the course of seven to ten Study finds high urinary mercury levels in children with amalgam fillings ByDTI DAEGU, South Korea: Although equivalent alternatives have be- come available over the past decade, dental amalgam remains in use as a restorative material for dental caries in children in many countries. The safety of dental amalgam, however, is still a controversial issue among experts, as it has been associated with developmental disorders and systemic conditions. A Korean study has recently provided evidence that dental amalgam exposure can affect systemic mercury concentration in children. In order to assess chronic ex- posure to elemental mercury, re- searchers at Kyungpook National University in South Korea evaluated mercury concentrations in urine samples from more than 1,000 chil- dren aged 8–11, who also underwent oralexamination. They found that children with morethanoneamalgam-filledtooth surface exhibited significantly high- er urinary mercury concentrations than those with none. The research- ers thus concluded that dental amal- gam exposure could affect systemic mercuryconcentrationinchildren. A number of studies have indi- cated that mercury exposure could be involved in problems in early brain development. Mercury has also been associated with adverse health effects relating to the diges- tive and immune systems, as well as the lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes. Awareness and recognition of these health and environmental implica- tions have led to a ban on the use of dental amalgam in some high- income countries. However, dental amalgamrestorationsarestilltaught in the dental curriculum in South- East Asia. In Myanmar, for example, about 50 per cent of fillings placed areofamalgam. The study, titled “Dental amalgam exposure can elevate urinary mer- curyconcentrationsinchildren”,was publishedonlineon1Februaryinthe InternationalDentalJournal. The use and toxic risk of dental amalgam fillings in children is a controversial ssueamonghealthcareexperts.(Photograph:Pixabay/jarmoluk) days, participants in the first group brushed their teeth with a control toothpaste only. Participants in the experimental group used the con- trol toothpaste at one visit and the Plaque HD toothpaste, which con- tains an FDA-registered annatto seed extract dye, as well as FD&C Blue No. 1, giving the toothpaste a green color that adheres to intra-oral plaque, at thesecondvisit. After brushing, participants rinsed with fluorescein solution. The presence of plaque on tooth surfaces was visualized by plaque-bound fluorescein, photographed and digi- tally quantified to calculate the per- centage of remaining plaque. The data analysis showed a statistically significant mean plaque reduction between the initial baseline appoint- ment and the second appointment for the experimental group. While participants in the control group were only able to eliminate about 8 percent more plaque, participants in the experimental group removed over 50 percent more dental plaque comparedwiththefirstvisit. “This study demonstrates that brushing with a toothpaste with plaque-indicating dye, combined with proper use instructions, sig- nificantly increases plaque removal efficacy,”theresearchersconcluded. According to the manufacturer of Plaque HD, the toothpaste incor- porates Targetol Technology, which contains all-natural, plant-based disclosing agents, and colors any plaque. Currently Plaque HD is sold through dental and orthodontic of- fices across the U.S. and on Amazon. It is available in a professional ver- sion for $21.00 and a retail version for$14.95. The study, titled “Evaluation of plaque removal efficacy of a novel dye-containing toothpaste: A clinical trial,” was published on Jan. 13 in the International Journal of Dentistry andOralScience.

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