Current Areas of Research Within Dentistry University of Buffalo researchers discovered that nine of 13 pathogens collected from the lungs of nursing home patients with pneumonia were genetically identical to pathogens retrieved from their dental plaque. "This is the first study to establish unequivocally a link betweeen dental hygiene and respiratory infection", said Ali A. El-Sohl, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and lead author of the study. Although more research is needed to determine the appropriate interventions, improved oral health regimens may help patients from contracting pneumonia. The full study "A reservoir of respiratory pathogens for hospital acquired pneumonia in institutionalized elders," (Chest, 2004;126:1575-1582.) can be accessed at www.chestjournal.org. Could stem cells from baby teeth become a vital source for stem cells to treat severe illnesses and injuries? BioEDEN, Inc. is banking on the idea that parents will want to preserve these cells in case they are needed for a future debilitating disease or disorder. The company will provide preservation services- sending out a kit with processing instructions to collect the specimen- and will make arrangements for transportation of the specimens to the Austin, TX facility. However, some scientists caution that the science has not yet caught up to this practice and advise patients to consider the costs before paying to freeze and store their baby's teeth. Whole grains may reduce periodontitis. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (June 2006), consuming whole grains may decrease the likelihood of developing periodontitis. Study participants who ate an average of three servings of whole grains daily were 23 percent less likely to develop periodontitis than those who reported eating less than one daily serving of whole grains. Research published in the February 2005 journal Circulation, document studies at Columbia University that showed a clear link between the bacteria that cause serious gum disease and thicker carotid arteries. To view details of how brushing, flossing or using a Water Pik might reduce your chances of a heart attack or stroke, click here. Slightly older studies at the University of Alabama Birmingham show that periodontal diseases may play a role in many ailments, ranging from diabetes to heart disease to stroke to preterm birth and osteoporosis. 2002 studies show that 70% of the fatty deposits of stroke sufferers contain bacteria, of which, 40% comes from the mouth. A related study conducted in Arizona showed that diabetics with gum disease were three times more likely to have heart attacks. Researchers have revealed that periodontal infection in the mouth my play a role in the development of preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder which affects between 5 and 8 percent of all pregnancies. While studying pregnant women with and without preeclampsia, the researchers sampled oral fluids from around the teeth and found that the protein levels, known as cytokines, in the preeclamptic group were nearly three times greater than the healthy group. In a breakthrough study at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, gene transfer technology may be possible to repair salivary gland tissue. By allowing a pathway for saliva to flow in patients undergoing radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, there is a realistic opportunity to develop a first-generation artificial saliva gland. Studies are underway at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio on how biological, self-regenerated teeth may one day replace dentures and dental implants. The laboratory research is searching for ways grow human teeth. So far whole tooth tissue cultures have been established to grow mice teeth in a dish. In a related study, researchers at the University of Illinois School of Dentistry have used stem cells from a rat to make a human-shaped mandibular condyle. This experiment shows that someday tissue-engineering procedures could help regenerate and repair temporomandibular joints ravaged by disease or trauma. Enormous strides in the study of molecular biology of cancer have revealed the genetic changes that occur when a benign cell transforms to oral cancer. The accumulated molecular abnormalities (molecular markers) that occur in oral cancer may provide prognostic data, allowing for selection of the most useful therapies. Among them: Trials have been conducted of injecting mutant p53 adenovirus genes into head and neck carcinomas, causing death of the cancer cells. Another area of experimental interest is in the use of immunotherapy. Interleukin-2 has been used with some success in treating cancers in other areas of the body. Researchers at the University of Mississippi, Jackson, have found significant correlations between concentrations of osteocalcin and deoxypyridinium in the saliva, and mineral bone density. This data suggests that biomarkers for osteoporosis can be found in saliva, and that saliva could some day be used for assessment of bone mineral density and as an adjunct for diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.