Tag: mouth

Good dental health may help prevent heart infection from mouth bacteria

Maintenance of good oral health is more important than use of antibiotics in dental procedures for some heart patients to prevent a heart infection caused by bacteria around the teeth, according to a new American Heart Association (AHA) scientific statement published today in the association’s flagship journal, Circulation. Infective endocarditis (IE), also called bacterial endocarditis,

Air pollution may be linked to heightened mouth cancer risk

High levels of air pollutants, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and to a lesser extent, ozone, may be linked to a heightened risk of developing mouth cancer, suggests the first study of its kind, published online in the Journal of Investigative Medicine. The number of new cases, and deaths from, mouth cancer is increasing in

Cancer biology graduate student travels ‘ROCKy’ road toward a cure for post-radiation dry mouth

The United States is in the midst of a head-and-neck cancer epidemic. Although survival rates are relatively high—after treatment with chemotherapy and radiation—survivors can suffer permanent loss of salivary function, potentially leading to decades of health problems and difficulties eating. It is unknown why the salivary gland sometimes cannot heal after radiation damage, but Wen

Hand, foot, mouth disease: What you need to know right now

Hand, foot and mouth disease is in the news with Yankees pitcher J.A. Happ becoming the second Major League Baseball pitcher afflicted in recent weeks. Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard was the first player to get felled by the ailment, reportedly after visiting a children’s camp. But doctors say it’s vital to understand that the group

Drinking affects mouth bacteria linked to diseases

When compared with nondrinkers, men and women who had one or more alcoholic drinks per day had an overabundance of oral bacteria linked to gum disease, some cancers, and heart disease. By contrast, drinkers had fewer bacteria known to check the growth of other, harmful germs. These are the main findings of a study published