https://medicalxpress.com/dentistry-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Dentistry Supervised toothbrushing in schools is making positive progress in a bid to overcome health inequalities in pediatric dental health. A significant expansion in the BRUSH supervised toothbrushing project, which is now delivered in 81% of local authorities, has been welcomed by the British Society of Pediatric Dentistry (BSPD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-expansion-toothbrushing-schools-children-poor.html Fri, 15 May 2026 08:43:48 EDT news698053382 Jeffrey Stansbury, Ph.D., senior associate dean for research and professor at the CU Anschutz School of Dental Medicine, has four properties he wants the next generation of dentures to include: that they are cheaper, faster to make, and more durable than current dentures; and that they are potentially able to combat bacteria and fungus. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-qa-3d-revolutionize-dentures.html Tue, 05 May 2026 16:40:06 EDT news697215721 Treating patients who have spent years—sometimes decades—avoiding dental care because of fear, disability, trauma or painful past experiences can be challenging. "They are afraid and don't want to be treated," said Adela Planerova, DDS, MS, chair Special Needs Dentistry at University of Rochester Medicine Eastman Institute for Oral Health. "Some are even afraid to enter the room. When they eventually sit in the chair, they often try to push the provider away. Many of our patients move constantly, while others have persistent involuntary movements because of their condition, such as cerebral palsy." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-music-dental.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:20:01 EDT news696763741 A study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has identified a significant link between maternal care and lifelong oral health. Led by Prof. Avi-Hai Hovav and the DMD/Ph.D. student Reem Naamneh from the Faculty of Dental Medicine at Hebrew University, the team discovered that maternal antibodies do not just offer a temporary shield for newborns but actually program the offspring's immune system to fight oral diseases well into adult life. The research is published in the journal Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-maternal-antibodies-pregnancy-lifelong-defenses.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:20:08 EDT news696697202 People who experienced early socioeconomic disadvantage (SED) were 12–16% less likely to go for preventive dental visits during both adolescence and adulthood, a new University of Bristol study has found. The findings, published in BMC Oral Health, analyzed data from over 1,600 participants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-early-disadvantage-linked-dental-adulthood.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:00:13 EDT news696693582 Many young Australians are beginning their winter sports season, gearing up for sports such as football, hockey, and rugby. Apart from the training sessions, weekend games, and oranges at halftime, these contact sports also involve mouthguards. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-bacteria-kids-sports-mouthguards-results.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 22:00:03 EDT news696506444 People getting their teeth pulled or drilled by dentists in the United States are still much more likely to get powerful opioid medications than dental patients in other developed countries or even the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, a new study finds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-dentists-opioids-pain-peer-nations.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news696245402 Injecting nivolumab (Opdivo) directly into precancerous oral lesions led to a reduction in lesion size and allowed some patients to avoid surgery, according to research from a Phase I clinical trial presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17–22. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-intralesional-nivolumab-effective-precancerous-oral.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:00:05 EDT news695977456 Researchers led by Henry Daniell of the School of Dental Medicine have shown that extracts from bioengineered chewing gum reduce the levels of three microbes known to be associated with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC), paving the way for more effective and affordable therapies. Their findings are published in Scientific Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-bioengineered-gum-cancer-linked-mouth.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:04:34 EDT news695977339 For millions of Americans living in rural communities, getting specialized dental care can mean driving an hour, or more, just to sit in the dental chair. A patient in rural Wyoming needing a root canal may travel over an hour to see an endodontist. A child in South Dakota who needs specialty pediatric dental care may face an 80-minute drive. For some families, that distance means delayed care. For others, it means no care at all. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-rural-patients-triple-dental-specialists.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news695898841 Social media videos are claiming that mouthwash can raise the risk of blood pressure—and potentially damage heart health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-mouthwash-bad-heart.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:40:11 EDT news695561282 A study led by the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS), in collaboration with researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School, has found that maintaining more natural teeth is associated with significantly more years of independent living among older adults, especially among those who do not use removable dental prostheses. The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, assessed how tooth retention influences the number of years lived with and without limitations in daily activities (Activities of Daily Living [ADLs], such as bathing, dressing and eating and physical function such as walking and climbing stairs). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-teeth-years-independent.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:40:08 EDT news695476873 Recent advancements in digital and immersive technologies underscore the need for transformation in dental education; however, a new international study reveals that their adoption remains strikingly limited. Traditional simulations, such as phantom heads and benchtop exercises, still dominate about 80% of clinical training time, while haptic virtual reality (HVR) and mixed reality together account for only about 14% and are used in just a small minority of postgraduate programs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-immersive-technologies-dental-limited-global.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news695397541 Losing teeth might cause you to gain weight, a new study says. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-teeth-weight-gain.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:00:01 EDT news695295963 Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that has been shown to strengthen teeth and reduce cavities. Many municipalities add fluoride to their drinking water—a process called community water fluoridation—as a public health measure to support dental health. In recent years, however, some have claimed that ingesting fluoride can harm children's IQ. Now researchers at the University of Minnesota have led a team that investigated the connection between fluoride in drinking water and children's IQ to see if these claims had merit. The work is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-fluoride-kids-iq-decades-analysis.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:20:06 EDT news695316481 The human body is often described as a marvel of "perfect design": elegant, efficient and finely tuned for its purpose. Yet, when we look closer, a rather different picture emerges. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-human-body-isnt-masterpiece-patchwork.html Sat, 11 Apr 2026 15:30:01 EDT news694958813 Facial pain is one of the most common forms of chronic pain. Despite this, there has previously been no standardized burden measurements, such as impact on the individual and health care costs across countries and in relation to other diseases. A new international research collaboration, led by researchers at Umeå University, has now developed lay descriptions that make it possible to visualize the global burden of disease caused by facial pain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-visualizing-global-burden-facial-pain.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:00:01 EDT news694972021 Children who don't go to the dentist are less likely to participate in school-based cavity prevention programs, according to research published in JAMA Network Open. The paper is titled "School-Based Caries Prevention Programs and Recruitment of High-Risk Pediatric Medicaid Populations." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-kids-dental-benefit-school.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:00:02 EDT news694880221 Being unable to afford dental care may increase a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease or dementia, according to a new study led by researchers at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-people-dental-higher-cardiovascular-disease.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:10:01 EDT news694337522 Periodontitis is a serious chronic inflammatory form of gum disease that affects millions worldwide. It can lead to tooth loss and the destruction of supporting bone. This disease has also been linked to other health problems, including diabetes, respiratory infections, and heart disease, impacting quality of life and increasing health care costs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-stiff-defense-physical-rigidity-healthy.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news694258168 Oral Cancer Awareness Month is observed every April, and it highlights the urgent need for early detection. According to the American Cancer Society, oral and oropharyngeal cancers still claim about one life every hour in the U.S. This year, 59,600 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or oropharyngeal cancer. Many people are unaware of symptoms because early stages often cause no pain and may be inconspicuous. Most cases are diagnosed late, when treatment is harder and survival drops. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hidden-dangers-oral-cancer.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:30:05 EDT news694274708 A healthy mouth is key to protecting the well-being of people battling liver disease, a new study reports. Veterans with early-stage cirrhosis had fewer health problems and complications—including a lower risk of liver cancer—if they received routine dental cleanings, according to findings published in the Journal of Hepatology Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-dental-cirrhosis-patients-liver-cancer.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:20:02 EDT news694168370 Recently analyzed evidence points to a connection between oral health and kidney health, according to work led by University of Cincinnati College of Medicine researchers. Their article, published in BMC Nephrology, combined evidence from more than 150 previously published papers, including observational studies, meta-analyses and interventional trials, and identified growing evidence of oral-renal interactions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-link-chronic-kidney-disease-periodontal.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:40:06 EDT news694175297 In a new study, orthodontics researchers at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine recently discovered how synthetic polymers, including clear aligners, retainers and sleep devices, may affect the immune system. Thikriat Al-Jewair, DDS, L.B. Badgero Endowed Chair and associate professor, and Stephen Warunek, DDS, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Orthodontics, collaborated with medical researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute to explore how plastic orthodontic devices could affect the oral cavity and the overall health of users. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-orthodontics-microplastics-effect-immune.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:00:09 EDT news694168947 Folks residing in Birmingham, Alabama, recently learned that their drinking water would no longer contain fluoride. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-fluoride-quietly-birmingham-years-backlash.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:20:01 EDT news694089735 Researchers at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) have identified a bacterium strongly associated with noma disease, marking a major step toward earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment. In a new study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, a research team from LSTM, working with partners at the University of Liverpool, Médecins Sans Frontières and the Noma Children's Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria, used metagenomic sequencing and machine learning algorithms to analyze saliva samples from children with acute noma. They uncovered a previously undescribed species of Treponema bacteria, which may be responsible for the disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-discovery-noma-linked-bacteria-path.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:20:05 EDT news694093922 If the dental bill has ever made you gulp, you're far from alone. Around three in 10 Australian adults say they avoid or delay dental care due to costs. In Aotearoa New Zealand, almost half of adults overall have unmet dental needs due to cost. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-dental-treatment-opinion.html Sat, 28 Mar 2026 11:00:06 EDT news693483491 Alzheimer's disease is most commonly associated with memory impairment, disorientation, and irreversible neurodegenerative changes in the brain. We rarely think of it in the context of… a toothbrush. Meanwhile, an increasing number of studies suggest that oral inflammatory processes may be far more important for overall health, especially brain health, than previously assumed. A new study conducted by a team of researchers from the Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IITD PAN) in Wroclaw, Wroclaw Medical University (UMW), and the University of Connecticut, U.S. (UConn), shows that periodontal tissue status, peripheral immune response, and cognitive functions are closely interconnected. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-oral-cavity-vestibule-brain-links.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:10:08 EDT news693759661 Removing fluoride from drinking water could lead to more cavities in kids and higher health care costs, a new analysis suggests. Researchers estimate that if five states stop adding fluoride to public water, more than 132,000 additional kids could need dental treatment within three years. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-fluoride-tooth-decay-children.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:10:01 EDT news693564393 Researchers at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center are leading an international study that advances the understanding of the immunoregulatory nature of human tissues, offering breakthrough insights into how fibroblasts serve as the core regulators of structural immunity in the mouth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-ai-driven-atlas-reveals-fibroblasts.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:40:06 EDT news693505502