Author: savannadental

Mental health conditions continue to cause difficulty and misery to millions of people around the world. It has proven difficult to predict whether or not certain individuals are likely to develop a mental disorder. However, new research suggests that factors relating to oral health may actually be a useful tool in predicting children at risk of mental disorders.

Recent research has found that the thickness of growth marks in deciduous (baby) teeth could potentially help to identify children at risk of mental health conditions.

Mental health disorders are difficult to live with. Treating disorders can be challenging. But the general consensus is that the earlier treatment begins, the better the chances are of successful treatment [1]. As a result, early identification is crucial.

The research argues for the creation of a tool to recognize children that have been exposed to adversity or trauma. These areas are a risk factor for psychological problems. The tool involves analyzing teeth.

Mental Health

Mental health disorders are very common. For instance, in the US, around 1 in 4 adults suffer from a mental disorder in any given year [2]. This shows the sheer level of numbers that mental health services need to treat.

Mental health conditions include Depression, Anxiety and eating disorders. More severe conditions include Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.

These conditions can be debilitating. One of the main issues behind mental health disorders is that the causes are unknown. Therefore, any study that involves potential causes of mental health disorders can be very valuable.

The onset of mental health conditions appear to be linked to several factors. These include genetics, environmental factors and childhood trauma. However, further research is required to determine this.

Background: Growth Lines

This research involves “growth lines” on teeth. Also known as the striae of Reitzus, these are lines or bands that are present for some people in tooth enamel [3]. They can appear on both adult and baby teeth.

The research compiled is the result of years of work. The research was led by Erin C. Dunn. She works as a Social and Psychiatric Epidemiologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital unit.

Dunn has a special interest in childhood trauma, which is known to be a major risk factor for mental health conditions [4]. She is particularly interested in the timing of adverse events and the subsequent impact they have. For instance, if trauma during a particular time of childhood has a very harmful effect [5].

Explaining the science of growth lines, Dunn has spoken about how “teeth create a permanent record of different kinds of life experiences” [5]. Dunn continued, “this includes exposure to sources of physical stress” [5].

This physical stress affects dental enamel and results in “growth lines” within the teeth. These lines will form based on childhood experiences. The thicker the growth lines are, the more stressful life the child appears to have had [5].

Dunn has developed a hypothesis that proposes the width of one specific variety of growth line, called the neonatal line, could indicate whether or not a child’s mother experienced psychological stress during pregnancy or the early life of the child.

The Research

The research was published in the JAMA Network Open by researchers at the Harvard University-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital [6].

To test her hypothesis, Dunn led a team that analyzed 70 canine baby teeth from 70 different children from the United Kingdom [6]. Moreover, these teeth had naturally fallen out between the ages of 5 and 7.

The mothers of the 70 children had been issued with a questionnaire during their pregnancy and soon after the birth of their child [6]. They were questioned on four factors that are known to affect child development. These were stressful pre-birth events, a history of psychological problems in the mother, neighborhood quality (for instance, poverty level, crime and safety) and the level of social support [6].

The results of these questionnaires were compiled. A microscope was then used to measure the width of the neonatal line [6]. The size of these lines were then correlated against the answers to the questionnaires to reach conclusions.

The results showed that Dunn’s hypothesis was correct. Mothers that had severe psychiatric problems, and those that experienced even mild psychological symptoms in the later stages of pregnancy were likelier to have children with thicker neonatal lines [6].

Conversely, mothers that received strong social support in the immediate aftermath of pregnancy resulted in thinner neonatal lines [6]. Similarly, children from “safe” neighborhoods had thinner neonatal lines [6].

What this research means

This research suggests that there is a clear link between childhood adversity and thick neonatal lines. Therefore, oral health can be a key indicator of potential psychological problems in the future.

Dunn said that the cause of neonatal lines isn’t entirely known. But she believed it was due to how high levels of the stress hormone cortisol is created when a mother is experiencing psychological symptoms [5]. As a result, this may interfere with the cells that create enamel.

Dunn also proposed that systemic inflammation is another candidate for causing growth lines [5]. It does appear that one consistency is psychological problems, and the impact they have on the lines.

In regards to next steps, Dunn is looking to further her research. Therefore, Dunn is hoping to replicate these findings in a bigger study [5]. Consequently, she has the long-term aim of introducing her hypothesis into a clinical setting [5].

Such an approach would have oral benefits for many, with growth lines becoming less common. Moreover, it could also have mental health benefits. In conclusion, this research serves as a reminder of the importance of looking after children, including their oral health.

What we offer at Savanna Dental

Savanna Dental is a Calgary dental clinic that provides a warm, welcome, and comfortable experience to their patients.

We recommend that our patients attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a regular dental check-up. When problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals.

Importantly, we recommend brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing regularly. Moreover, eating healthily and trying to avoid sugary foods and drink is helpful.

In addition, all of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.

We would love you to visit our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca.

• [1] Jurewicz, I. (2015). Mental health in young adults and adolescents – supporting general physicians to provide holistic care. Clinical Medicine. 15 (2): p151-154.
• [2] Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2021). Mental Health Disorder Statistics. Available: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/mental-health-disorder-statistics. Last accessed: 11th November 2021.
• [3] Brand, R. W., & Isselheard, S.E. (2018). Anatomy of Orofacial Structures. 8th ed. New York: Elsevier Health Sciences.
• [4] Cuellar, A. (2021). Preventing and Treating Child Mental Health Problems. Policies to Promote Child Health. 25 (1): p111-134.
• [5] Gower, T. (2021). Baby teeth may be window to child’s risk of mental health disorders. Available: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/11/baby-teeth-may-help-identify-kids-at-risk-for-mental-disorders/. Last accessed: 11th November 2021.
• [6] Mountain, R. V., Zhu, Y., Pickett, O. R., Lussier, A. A., Goldstein, J. M., Roffman, J. L., Bidlack, F. B., & Dunn, E. C. (2021). Association of Maternal Stress and Social Support During Pregnancy With Growth Marks in Children’s Primary Tooth Enamel. JAMA Network Open. 4 (11): e2129129.

Researchers from the University of Utah are planning a study that will look at how the salivary glands impact Covid-19 reinfection. Reinfection of Covid-19 has proven to be a controversial subject. However, reinfection does seem to involve the salivary glands. As a result, researchers are focusing on their role in the contraction of Covid-19.

Covid-19 continues to cause havoc around the world, though research into this virus is gradually helping the overall recovery of humans around the world.

Now, researchers from the University of Utah are leading an investigation that will analyse whether or not salivary glands infected with Covid-19 could actually lessen a person’s long-term immunity to the virus post-vaccination, or even after recovery.

This research is part of the ongoing effort to analyse the factors involved in potential reinfection of Covid-19. This concept has already proven controversial, and has resulted in a lot of confusion and debate.

The salivary glands play an important role in Covid-19 research. Due to their interaction with proteins and the immune system, they are an area that many researchers are focusing on.

Covid-19: The Current State

Covid-19 remains a big threat to humanity. At the time of writing, around the world, there have been almost 250million cumulative cases reported [1]. In addition, there have been almost 5million deaths worldwide [1].

The attempt to vaccinate billions of people has made progress. Furthermore, the latest statistics show that 6billion vaccine doses have been administered [1].

The scientific community have been researching every aspect of Covid-19. This includes the Covid-19 vaccine efforts, tracing the origin of the virus, aggravating factors in recovery and in this case, reinfection.

Is it possible to catch Covid-19 twice?

Reinfection of Covid-19 has proven to be a contentious issue. The general consensus is that reinfection is possible, though it is rare. Many academics are “uncertain” [2]. Meanwhile, some have dismissed reinfection as a “myth” [3].

Some have attributed supposed reinfection to faulty PCR tests [4]. However, a widescale study in the United Kingdom found that reinfection was possible. But, less than 1% of participants in the study became reinfected with Covid-19 [5]. This suggested that reinfection was unlikely, but possible.

Where are the Salivary Glands and what do they do?

The Salivary Glands refer to the composition of three main glands and hundreds of smaller glands. They are located in the mouth. The salivary glands make saliva, which helps to keep the mouth moist, whilst aiding key functions of the mouth, such as chewing, tasting and swallowing food.

The salivary glands assist in food digestion through creating the enzymes that break down food. They are also connected to the immune system, and its antibodies are sometimes able to prevent infections in the mouth and throat.

Therefore, the salivary glands are a crucial area in the human body. As a result of their position in the body, they play a serious role in the contraction of Covid-19.

The upcoming research

The upcoming research will be focusing on the salivary glands and their role in the potential diminishing of a person’s long-term immunity to reinfection of Covid-19 [6]. This is even in the case of if a person has been vaccinated.

The research will look at whether the body’s ability to make antibodies is affected by when the salivary glands that have SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) [6]. Therefore, if this is affected, reinfection could be more likely. Viruses like SARS-CoV-2 are often found in the salivary glands. However, it isn’t entirely known how the virus gets there. It is believed that the most inner lining of the oral cavity, called mucosa, is usually the entry point for any virus [6].

Assistant Professor Melodie Weller, of University of Utah, has been commenting on the upcoming study. Weller explained that proteins that emanate from the food we eat, are released into the saliva [6].

Weller says “we swallow a lot of saliva every day” [6]. But a problem is that viruses also contain proteins. Therefore, our immune system cannot always detect the difference in proteins. As a result, viruses can bypass the salivary glands and attack our immune system.

Consequently, this can affect how long immunity will last, even after inoculation. As a result, Weller states that it is crucial to “understand the role of SARS-CoV-2 in the salivary glands” [6].

Moreover, an increase in the understanding of this area can result in improved knowledge of how “reinfection and breakthrough infections after immunization are occurring during this pandemic”, Weller says [6].

Based on the above, the researchers believe that the SARS-CoV-2 released from the salivary glands could impede the production of antibodies. Because of this, the risk of relapse or reinfection appears to increase. Therefore, this may limit the long-term effectiveness of vaccines.

The next steps

This research will continue the scientific community’s efforts to understand more about Covid-19. The University of Utah’s research will aim to build on pre-existing research that has found SARS-CoV-2 infects and replicates in the salivary glands [7].

The researchers will be testing their theory on mice. They will be administering protein to the salivary glands of the mice. The Covid-19 vaccine will then be applied, and researchers will wait to see how they respond.

Their findings will be important in analyzing the effectiveness of the vaccines in the long-term, and the role of the salivary glands. Finally, either way, it will add to the ongoing body of research into Covid-19.

What we offer at Savanna Dental

Savanna Dental is a dental clinic based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.We provide our patients with a warm welcome, a comfortable experience and advice whenever needed.

We recommend that our patients attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a regular dental check-up. When problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals.

In addition, all of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.

We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca.

• [1] World Health Organization. (2021). WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard. Available: https://covid19.who.int/. Last accessed: 30th October 2021.
• [2] Hanrath, A. T., Payne, B. A. I., & Duncan, C. J. A. (2020). Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with protection against symptomatic reinfection. The Journal of Infection. 82 (4): p29-30.
• [3] Roy, S. (2020). COVID-19 Reinfection: Myth or Truth?. SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine. 2 (1): p710-713.
• [4] Krishna, E., Pathak, V. K., Prasad, R., Jose, H., & Mumar, M. M. (2020). COVID-19 reinfection: Linked Possibilities and future outlook. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. 9 (11): p5445-5449.
• [5] Hall, V., Foulkes, S., Charlett, A., Atti, A., Monk, E. J. M.., Simmons, R., Wellington, E., Cole, M. J., Saei, A., Oguti, B., Munro, K., Wallace, S., Kirwan, P. D., Shrotri, M., Vusirikala, A., Rokadiya, M., Kall, Zambon, M., Ramsay, M., Brooks, T., Brown, C. S., Chand, M. A., Hopkins, S. (2020). Do antibody positive healthcare workers have lower SARS-CoV-2 infection rates than antibody negative healthcare workers? Large multi-centre prospective cohort study (the SIREN study), England: June to November 2020. SIREN Study Group. Available: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.13.21249642. Last accessed: 30th October 2021.
• [6] University of Utah Health Sciences. (2021). Can salivary glands infected with COVID-19 increase risk for relapse or reinfection?. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-10-salivary-glands-infected-covid-relapse.html. Last accessed: 30th October 2021.
• [7] Matuck, B. F., Dolhnikoff, M., Duarte-Neto, A. N., Maia, G., Gomes, S. C., Sendyk, D. I. & Zarpellon, A. (2021). Salivary glands are a target for SARS-CoV-2: a source for saliva contamination. The Journal of Pathology. 254 (3): p239-243.

The state of our oral health depends on a huge number of factors. While some, like diet and dental hygiene, may seem obvious, there are other areas too. One unexpected area is the wealth of a child’s parents. Now, researchers have looked to reach conclusions about this potential link. They found that having wealthy parents actually results in poorer oral health for children.

The oral health of a child depends on a huge number of areas. For instance, genetics, diet and the environment in which they grow up in.

Now, research has shown that another factor is the wealth of a child’s family. This unexpected factor has been researched comprehensively by Australian researchers, who used global data to carry out their study.

In a somewhat surprising result, the researchers found that children that came from a wealthy background were more likely to have poor oral health [1].

It was found that among the biggest causes of this was easy access to soft drinks, energy drinks and packaged juices [1].

Background

Many factors affect a child’s oral health. The modern-day diet is typically high in sugar, which is an important factor. The link between sugar and dental health is clear. Many studies show a direct link between sugar consumption and the number of decayed, missing or filled teeth [2].

Existing research also shows that the dental habits of parents has a big influence on their children’s oral health [3]. For example, this includes brushing habits and the number of trips to the dentist for check-ups each year [3].

Researchers are always looking for other factors that impact oral health. This can help them to identify potential solutions to problems. A new area that researchers have now considered is the link between a child’s financial background and their oral health.

Research shows that in a 12-month period, just 75% of Canadians visited a dentist, with 23% being put off from visiting a dental clinic due to cost [4]. Therefore, it could be expected that those from poorer backgrounds would have worse dental health.

The Research

Now, researchers from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia have carried out a study into this area. The researchers partnered with the National Dental Research Institute of Singapore.

The research involved a global study of 30 countries [1]. It was a meta-analysis, which involved analysing 54 relevant studies, with over 64,000 participants [1]. Therefore, this study provided a comprehensive overview of children’s oral health around the world.

The aim of the research was to identify a link between socio-economic status and oral health, with their findings published in the Journal of Dentistry [1].

The study found that children whose parents had higher levels of education and wealth, and who had attended private schools had poorer oral health than those whose parents did not [1].

The researchers explained that these results were caused by many factors. Because of easy access to soft drinks, energy drinks and packaged juices, the risks increase [1]. The high sugar content causes this. Once sugar is consumed, it combines with bacteria to create acid. Subsequently, it gradually dissolves enamel. Finally, this leads to cavities that need to be filled.

The study also found that in certain countries, traditional foods and drink were another cause [1]. This included tamarind, hibiscus and citrus teas. The strong acid content caused this.

Yet the study also found that higher-educated adults had a lower risk of developing tooth problems [1]. Therefore, while those who are highly-educated typically have poorer oral health as they grow up, they will then typically have better oral health as an adult.

Consequently, this is an important consideration, and shows that those with strong oral health at a young age cannot get complacent.

What does this study show us?

Because this study had so many participants, the conclusions are very important. We must all consider the impact that our purchases and habits have on dental health.

Dr. Ahmed, the lead researcher, commented on the findings. He said that “fizzy drinks, energy drinks and packaged juices are in many countries available to the affluent” [5].

Such dietary habits can cause “progressive and irreversible wearing down of teeth over time, making them unsightly [and] more sensitive” [5].

Dr. Ahmed recommended that “early screening of individuals at risk” will help to “enhance the cost-effectiveness and success of dental treatments” [5].

These findings back up previous research. In addition, one study concluded that soft drinks were the “crucial link” between good and bad oral health [6].

In conclusion, this study acts as further confirmation of the importance of habit. But it also shows that there are many different factors affecting oral health, including some that we wouldn’t automatically think of. Because of this, having strong oral hygiene is crucial.

What we offer at Savanna Dental

Savanna Dental is a dental clinic based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We provide our patients with a warm welcome, a comfortable experience and advice whenever needed.

We recommend that our patients attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a regular dental check-up. When problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals.

Importantly, we recommend brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing regularly. Moreover, eating healthily and trying to avoid sugary foods and drink is helpful.

In addition, all of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.

We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca.

• [1] Entezami, S., Glazer Peres, K., Li, H., Albarki, Z., Hijazi, M., & Ahmed, K. E. (2021). Tooth wear and socioeconomic status in childhood and adulthood: findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Journal of Dentistry. 103827. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2021.103827.
• [2] Battellino, L. J., Corneho, L. S., Dorronsoro de Cattoni, S. T., Luna Maldonado de Yankilevich, E. R., Calamari, S. E., & Aczura, A. (1997). Oral health status evaluation of pre-school children: longitudinal epidemiologic study. (1993–1994). Revista de Saúde Pública. 31(1), p272-281.
• [3] Freire de Castilho, A. R., Mialhe, F. L., de Souza Barbosa, T., & Puppin-Rontani, R. M. (2013). Influence of family environment on cjildren’s oral health: a systematic review. Jornal de Pediatria. 89 (2): p116-123.
• [4] Statistics Canada. (2019). Dental Care, 2018. Available: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-625-x/2019001/article/00010-eng.htm. Last accessed: 24 September 2021.
• [5] Griffith University. (2021). Children from wealthy backgrounds at greater risk of tooth wear. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-10-children-wealthy-backgrounds-greater-tooth.html. Last accessed: 15th October 2021.
• [6] Kamal, Y., O’Toole, S., & Bernabé, E. (2019). Obesity and tooth wear among American adults: the role of sugar-sweetened acidic drinks. Journal of Clinical Oral Investigations. 24: p1379-1385.