June 15, 2007

The Best Wealth is Your Health

The future of oral health

By Dr. Douglas Vierra, D.D.S.
Special to the Times

Maintaining a healthy mouth is proving increasingly important. The mouth is becoming a barometer for overall health. Poor dental care can lead to gum disease, which has been linked to heart disease, stroke, and possibly pancreatic cancer. Regular dental visits are becoming ever more critical, and in the future will involve more than cleaning and x-rays. New research focuses both on new technology and the link between oral health and other diseases.

The link between oral health and general health has resulted in research aimed at disease detection in the mouth. Scientists at UCLA are working to transform saliva into clinically useful diagnostic fluid. Saliva contains biomarkers for certain diseases, and in the near future dentist may be able to place a drop of your saliva onto a microchip and detect the early presence of oral, breast, and other cancers, as well as metabolic and neurological disorders. The hope is that this technology will be available by 2011.

According to the Surgeon General’s report on oral health released in 2000, “the mouth can function as an early warning system for some diseases, and can provide a useful means to understanding organs and systems in other parts of the body.” Studies have shown a link between oral disease and general health, suggesting there may be an association between the two, specifically for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and pregnancy.

At the University of Alberta in Canada, scientists have found a way to regenerate human dental tissue. The treatment, which has been tested on humans, uses low-intensity pulsed ultrasound in the form of a computer chip that fits directly into the mouth to stimulate the formation of new dental matter. This technology will benefit people with chipped teeth or teeth that are knocked out in an accident. It may be available in two years.

Perhaps the most exciting technology being worked on is the development of a vaccine that will prevent cavities. The vaccine is aimed at creating an immune response in the mouth at a young age to prevent the cavity forming bacteria from attaching to the tooth or accumulating on the tooth surface. The vaccine already has been shown to be effective in rats. FDA approval will be needed to test the vaccine on young children. The vaccine should become available in some form within a decade.

With technological advances and links between oral and general health preventive dental care takes on new importance. Regular dental check ups and proper hygiene is essential to maintaining both oral and general health.

Douglas W. Vierra, D.D.S., is the owner of Plaza Dental Group, 1654 E. Capitol Expressway, San Jose, California, 95121. Call (408) 270-4333 with questions or to schedule an appointment.