News Australia & New Zealand

Study demonstrates that shift to modern diet affected oral health

ADELAIDE – A new study of human teeth over the last 7,500 years has revealed that oral bacteria diversity dropped markedly with the introduction of farming and manufactured food, and processed sugar in particular. The scientists believe that this contributed significantly to the development of chronic oral diseases in post-industrial lifestyles.

Australian man loses all teeth owing to soft drinks

ADELAIDE – According to recent news reports, Australian dentists have had to remove all the teeth from the mouth of a 25-year-old owing to overindulgence in soft drinks. The man had apparently drunk up to eight litres of soft drink each day for the last three years.

Reptile doctor fixes turtle shell with dental filling material

FRANKSTON – A veterinarian specialised in treating reptiles has used dental glass ionomer cement to stabilise the shell of a wild turtle. The shell was fractured when the animal was hit by a car. The material usually used in restorative dentistry provides a watertight seal so that the turtle can be released back into water.

Experts demand that warnings on soft drinks include caries risk

ADELAIDE – A new study has revealed that more than half of Australian children consume sugared drinks, which contribute significantly to tooth decay, on a daily basis. Therefore, warning labels on these drinks should include the risk to dental health in order to raise awareness of their impact on children’s teeth, the researchers said.

Number of Australian dentists increases by over 20 per cent

CANBERRA – According to a report on the dental workforce in Australia, the number of dental practitioners in the country has improved significantly. Among others, it found a growing number of dentists in remote areas and female dentists.

Safe sex message could reduce cancer

According to Professor Newell Johnson from the Population and Social Health Research Program at the Griffith Health Institute, Cancer of the oropharynx is increasing in Australia and could be due to sexual transmission of the human papilloma virus (HPV).