The goal of esthetic dentistry is to transform an average smile into a terrific smile. To accomplish this goal, we analyze every aspect of a smile and then correct the problem. (reading…)

Dental pulp from wisdom teeth could be a new source of therapeutic stem cells, Japanese researchers announced recently.

Like embryonic stem cells, the new cells—known as mesenchymal stem cells—are capable of developing into a variety of tissues, including bone, cartilage, and fat. These new lines of stem cells can be created without the use of an embryo—possibly sidestepping controversy.

In many countries adults routinely get minor surgeries to remove wisdom teeth.

“The [wisdom] tooth is usually discarded into trash, so there are no ethical concerns,” said Hajime Ohgushi, principal research scientist at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in the Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.

However, unlike embryonic stem cells, the newfound cells cannot morph into almost any type of cell in the body.

The new research has also not been published or vetted by other scientists in the field. (reading…)

Emails into the ABC-7 newsroom prompted a look into whether radiation from dental X-rays and mammograms can actually put patients at risk.

The emails quote “The Dr. Oz Show” in which Dr. Mehmet Oz tells his viewers to request neck aprons and thyroid guards when at the dentist and a mammography appointment, respectively.

In the emails, which are identical forwards, it reads, “He demonstrated that on the apron the dentist puts on you for your dental X-rays there is a little flap that can be lifted up and wrapped around your neck. Many dentists don’t bother to use it.”

In the episode which aired in December, Oz said, “Never go into a dentist’s office for any X-ray – whether it be digital or not – and not put the thyroid guard on because this protects your neck.”

(reading…)