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As if prostate cancer, lower testosterone and erectile dysfunction weren't enough, now men have new health concern to worry about; early death due to bad oral health.
Appearing in the May issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the study done by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, University College London and University of Oregon concluded that poor oral health is indicated for early death in men.
It examined just under 4200 men who entered military service between January 1965 and December 1971.
Even after adjusting the study to take into account income, education and other early indicators of death such as smoking, alcohol use and chronic illnesses, the study found that men who had that oral health had almost twice the risk of dying than men in good oral health.
Other studies that have connected bad oral health to increased mortality rates suggested that underlying reason was becausen people who have lost all of their natural teeth are more likely to die is due to the fact that they have to change their diets to compensate for their lack of teeth and thus did not get the proper nutrition they need to stay healthy.
Some researchers suggest that periodontal disease and other oral diseases cause the body's immune system to produce inflammation in the gums. This inflammation increases production of a certain protein that spreads throughout the body in the blood stream leading to an increased risk of other health-threatening conditions, such as heart disease.
Well, no, at least not yet. However, a recent article in the Journal of Dental Research noted that scientists are currently developing a method of replacing teeth from bioengineered materials from the person's own gum cells.
Previously, research into bioengineered teeth (a.k.a. bioteeth) has focused on generating immature teeth (a.k.a. teeth primordia) which mimic those in an embryonic state which can then be transferred into small sections of the adult jawbone in the hope that they will develop into functional teeth. This implant-based method of whole tooth replacement currently fails to reproduce a natural root structure and as a consequence of the friction from eating and other jaw movement, loss of jaw bone can occur around the implant.
However, Professor Paul Sharpe, an expert in craniofacial development and stem cell biology at King's College London, believes that there is a realistic prospect bioteeth can become a clinical reality. "What is required is the identification of adult sources of human epithelial and mesenchymal cells that can be obtained in sufficient numbers to make biotooth formation a viable alternative to dental implants", says Prof. Sharpe.
With this newer method of growing teeth, researchers isolated adult human gum tissue from patients at the Dental Institute at King's College London, grew more of it in the lab, and then combined it with the cells of mice that form teeth. By transplanting this combination of cells into mice the researchers were able to grow hybrid human/mouse teeth containing dentine and enamel, as well as viable roots.
