Researchers also are finding strong links to dental care and other chronic health problems, particularly periodontal disease and heart disease.

A recent review of earlier studies by scientists at Howard University found that patients with periodontal disease who showed signs of increased bacterial exposure were more likely to develop heart disease or plaque formation in the arteries.

While there have been a number of studies linking infection of gums and structures that support the teeth with heart disease, the new report, published in the Journal of Periodontology in December, is the most specific yet about how the connection is made.

Another study, this one at the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston, found that women with breast tumors secrete particular proteins into their saliva that, at least theoretically, could be identified during a routine dental visit.

The research analyzed saliva from 30 women, 10 with breast cancer, and found 49 proteins that were different in the women with cancer than in the rest. The next step is to set up a simple - and relatively cheap - "lab on a chip" test that could be done in a dentist's office - or even left in the mouth over time and periodically checked.

"Most folks visit the dental office way more often than they ever see a physician," said Dr. Charles Streckfus, a professor of diagnostic sciences at the University of Texas and lead author of the study, published in the journal Cancer Investigation.

Scientists said the protein diagnostic approach could well prove to be more sensitive than existing tools to detect breast cancer and perhaps other types of cancer, although many more studies will have to be done on additional patients to confirm the initial findings.

Full Article: http://www.saukvalley.com/articles/2008/01/22/features/health_and_medical/336795254805240.txt

 

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