Did You Know??

Scientists recover ancient plague’s DNA from 1,500-year-old-tooth

Submitted by Editor on February 5, 2014    

You may remember having learned about the Black Death in high school—a plague that ravaged medieval Europe during the 14th century, decimating between 30-60% of the continent. But did you know that that the Black Death had an equally malicious predecessor during the Roman Empire? In the year 541, the Justinian plague (named after the Roman emperor who ruled at the time) struck, killing an estimated 50 million people and leading partially to the downfall of the Roman Empire. No joke.
Now, let’s fast forward to modern day: Housing developers digging up farmland outside of Munich were shocked to say the least, when they uncovered a burial site with graves dating back to the Byzantine Empire. Skeletons were all that were left of the plague victims—but inside their teeth was dental pulp that still contained traces of blood, which in turn contained the DNA of the plague bacteria. By decoding the bacteria’s DNA, scientists at the Northern Arizona University and the Ancient DNA Centre at McMaster University in Ontario, have reconstructed the genome and concluded that the Justinian plague was caused by a strain of Yersina Pestis—the same microbe that later caused Europe’s black death.
Besides it being super cool and future-y that we live in an age where scientists have such a nuanced understanding of human genetics that they’re actually able to decode the DNA OF THE BLACK PLAGUE (right?), it also gives us future insight on how to battle potentially life threatening bacteria. Go science!
And if you’re a flea who’s somehow gained the wherewithal and access to use a computer: you did a terrible thing.

Under Armour Mouth Guards @ Ballas Dental Care

ArmourBite Technology

The team at Ballas Dental Care, your leading St. Louis dentist office would like to inform our patients that we've just begun using a new technology for mouth guards called ArmourBite. We encourage all of our patients to wear protective mouth guards when playing contact sports of all types including football, soccer, basketball, lacrosse and hockey. We also encourage the wearing of mouth guards for anyone who partakes in any injury-prone activity such as skateboarding, running, skiing or weight lifting.

 

Of the great many sports-related injuries that occur every year in the U.S., 34% are injuries to teeth. Mouth guards can even prevent other injuries such as concussions. While we know that it's very fun to play sports and to be active, we want to remind our patients and their families that it's also important to take all necessary precautions to stay safe which includes wearing mouth guards.

What is AmourBite?

ArmourBite is a revolutionary, entirely new category of sports equipment. An ArmourBite mouth guard makes you stronger so you can perform better when playing sports. How? When you are competing or training, you clench your teeth together instinctively. This restricts your airways and releases cortisol, a hormone that causes fatigue and stress. When you're wearing an ArmourBite mouth guard with a patented wedged edge, your airways will remain open and the effects of clenching your teeth are combated. The mouth guard will maintain an optimal space between your upper and lower teeth to provide you with the safety you need against injuries. Wearing this mouth will also result in you producing less lactic acid which equates to more endurance and better overall performance.

 

The ArmourBite mouth guard fits on the upper teeth and is designed for those playing contact sports as it provides superior impact protection and an ArchFit System for a good grip. This mouth guard is antimicrobial which helps prevent the growth and spread of germs. An ArmourBite mouth guard is much more comfortable than other mouth guards on the market which means you can wear it for hours without even thinking about it. 

We can custom fit you or your child for an ArmourBite mouth guard. If you are interested in this innovative technology and would like to set up an appointment with us so we can fit you for a custom-made ArmourBite mouth guard designed to provide you with the optimal level of protection while playing sports, please click on the 'Book an Appointment' tab on our home page to schedule an appointment time.

For oral cancer, early detection is key

 

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2013-05-09T00:00:00ZFor oral cancer, early detection is key By Steven Perlberg sperlberg@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8349stltoday.com

May 09, 2013 12:00 am • By Steven Perlberg sperlberg@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8349

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For Patrick Click, oral cancer only meant a weeklong scare. For one American every hour of every day this year, it will mean death.
Get your mouth checked — because you never know. That’s what Click, 73, advises.
When he went in for a routine teeth cleaning last month, Click mentioned to the hygienist a sore spot he had in his mouth.
His dentist shined an infrared light in his mouth. Something looked wrong, so he referred Click to an oral surgeon at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. When the biopsy came back, it showed a small cancerous tumor.
That tiny sore? Click was shocked and concerned. Both of his parents died of cancer.
As with most cancers, earlier detection yields better outcomes. But with oral cancer, which in the latter stages often metastasizes in the surrounding lymph nodes, the difference between catching it sooner rather than later is especially stark.
“The doctor said I caught it in time,” Click said. “We could just cut it out and that would be the end.”
Click, who owns an air conditioning business in Florissant, only missed a few days of work for the surgery. Now it’s like nothing ever happened.
“Going to the dentist saved a serious thing from happening,” Click said.
Just how serious? About 8,000 people a year in the United States die from oral cancer, and there will be 42,000 new cases this year.
But it’s the survival rate that is the truly scary part: only 30 to 40 percent if discovered in the later stages.
The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of other higher profile cancers such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma, testicular, thyroid and skin cancer.
“The biggest factor in the survival rate is when the cancer is found or caught,” said Dr. Chip Haines of Ballas Dental Care. “If we can find it early before the symptoms develop, the survival rate is a lot higher — in the 80s.”
Haines says dentists nowadays are trained to conduct oral cancer screenings for every patient.
They look in the mouth, check under the chin, feel the lymph nodes and use advance screening tools like the infrared light that can see changes in the tissue invisible to the naked eye.
Patients need to be vigilant too. Early indicators for oral cancer include red or white discoloration in the soft tissue of the mouth, sores that do not heal within two weeks and long-lasting hoarseness.
Those symptoms can develop into advanced indicators such as the sensation that something is stuck in the throat, numbness and difficulty swallowing or moving the jaw or tongue.
Tobacco use is the biggest risk factor for oral cancer. Alcohol consumption can also lead to the disease.
Haines says that research also suggests an increased link between Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and oral cancer in nonsmoking individuals.
The best thing patients can do for themselves is visit the dentist regularly throughout the year, according to Haines.
“Many, many people die from oral cancer because they’re not looked at,” said Dr. Steven Goldberg, a dentist in Boca Raton, Fla., and the creator of Dental Vibe, a painless injection device.
“Anything we can do to make early detection easier is really the key,” Goldberg said. “For some reason a lot of people don’t take oral cancer all that seriously, but there’s more oral cancer than cervical cancer.”
“If we gave more oral cancer screenings, there would be less oral cancer. It’s a simple thing,” he said.
Click, who gets his teeth cleaned every four months, says he was happy to have caught the tumor so early, especially after learning about oral cancer’s severity in the later stages.
“It came as a big surprise,” he said. “I never considered something like that.”

Symptoms of oral cancer

• Swelling, lumps or rough spots on the lips or gums
• Red or white patches in the mouth
• Unexplained bleeding in the mouth
• Numbness, loss of feeling or tenderness in the face, mouth or neck
• Sores that do not heal within two weeks
• Difficulty chewing, swallowing or moving the jaw or tongue
• Chronic hoarseness, ear pain or dramatic weight loss

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/for-oral-cancer-early-detection-is-key/article_f4c0f6c9-4456-5754-91a8-f4318b28c0bc.html

Do you have Bleeding Gums? We can Help

Do you have bleeding gums!?

Bleeding gums is a common disorder that affects the oral cavity. This is mainly caused by any irregularity in the soft tissues that surround the teeth. Though much advancement has been made in oral care, gum bleeding continues to be a major menace that affects dental health.
Gum disease owes its origin to the accumulation of plaque, which is the sticky film of food particles, germs and saliva that is formed on the tooth enamel. If not removed properly, plaque often settles at the gum line. The toxins produced by germs redden the gum and makes it tender. That is why the gums bleed as you brush hard.
Certain medications are also found to trigger the accumulation of plaque on the tooth surface. In case of gums, that are brushed and flossed regularly, plaque gets removed regularly leaving no scope for decay. Plaque, left on the teeth gets hardened and form tartar along the gum line. This serves as the breeding ground of infectious germs.
Gingivitis is the most common and mildest of all gum disorders.The primary cause of gingivitis is the bacteria that thrive on the accumulated plaque. Gradually, the tissues that connect the gum to the tooth get battered.
Slowly the connection between the bone and tooth is also detached. The deep pocket formed as a consequence of this process indicates that the disease has progressed into more severe periodontitis, which is considered as an irreversible form of gum disease.
Though poor dental hygiene is found to be the root cause of gum disease, certain other factors are also considered as contributors.
These ballasdentalcare.com

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Call us today to get these great offers!! 314-432-5544

What Ballas Dental Care Offers Our Patients!!

Sedation Dentistry - Sedation is most commonly used during extensive procedures, for patients with dental phobia or for patients who find it difficult to sit still. There are different types of sedation, including nitrous oxide ("laughing gas"), IV sedation, oral sedatives and general anesthetic. These safe methods of oral sedation mean you can experience the benefits of dental treatments done quickly, with little or no discomfort.
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Cosmetic Dentistry - Want to drastically change your look and achieve the bright, beautiful, movie star quality smile you have always wanted? Using porcelain restorations, veneers, crowns, bridges, whitening techniques and other state-of-the-art treatments, we can totally transform your smile!
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Dental Implants – Not interested in the bulky, ill-fitting dentures of the past? Well, since the advent of the implant, engineering and enhancements to the implant now enable dentists to expand the implant’s usefulness, including the permanent, fixed replacement of missing or lost teeth.
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Dentures – Due to advances in technology, new removable Prosthodontics are not like the dentures you envision when you think about your grandpa’s dentures! Dentures are now more natural looking for an all-around more aesthetic look!
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