An adequate supply of saliva is critical to the preservation and maintenance of oral tissue. Clinicians often do not value the many benefits of saliva until quantities are decreased. Much is written on the subject of salivary hypofunction, but little attention is paid to normal salivary flow and function...

Lessons in Muscle Fitness From Hibernating Bears - Yahoo/Reuters

"We found that bears lose about 22% of their muscle strength while hibernating for about 130 days, and humans that are bedridden lose over 80% during a comparable period--so these guys are doing something which is unique and unusual," said Dr. Henry Harlow, a professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming...

February 16, 2001
Local Vibrotactile and Pain Sensitivities Are Negatively Related in Temporomandibular Disorders- Journal of Pain

Earlier research has shown that cutaneous experimental pain can elevate the vibrotactile threshold at the same skin locus. The purpose of this study was to determine whether vibrotactile and pain thresholds in a clinical (temporomandibular disorders [TMD]) population are consistent with the hypothesis that chronic pain causes a similar elevation...

Congenital and late-onset primary haemangiomas of the temporalis muscle: case report
- British Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

We report on two patients with haemangiomas of the temporalis muscle, one congenital and one of late onset, which were diagnosed on computed tomography. Both were resected successfully and both patients are well with no signs of recurrence 3½ years and 18 months later, respectively...

Internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint treated by discectomy and hemi-arthroplasty with a Christensen fossa-eminence prosthesis
- British Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

Patients with internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) who have failed to respond to conservative treatment can be treated by discectomy and insertion of a Christensen fossa-eminence prosthesis, provided there is no clinical or radiological evidence of condylar disease (such as avascular necrosis)...

Temporomandibular joint replacement in rheumatoid-induced disease
- British Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

We report a series of seven patients with rheumatoid arthritis whose temporomandibular joints were replaced using the Christensen joint system. Patients were assessed before and after operation both subjectively (pain and dietary interference) and objectively (interincisal distance)...

Human Error Needs Consideration in Device Design - Yahoo/Reuters

The large number of medical device errors could be reduced if manufacturers employed more "creative mischief-makers" to spot medical errors before they happen, according to John W. Senders, professor emeritus of industrial engineering at the University of Toronto in Canada...

February 20, 2001
Link May Exist Between Passive Smoking And Periodontal Disease, Researchers Say - ScienceDaily

Among U.S. residents who have never used tobacco products, those exposed regularly to environmental tobacco smoke are more likely to develop gum disease than others not exposed to such second-hand smoke, a new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study suggests

February 13, 2001
Ortho cubic super-high resolution computed tomography: A new radiographic technique with application to the temporomandibular joint
- Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontics

The purpose of this study was to present a newly developed ortho cubic super-high resolution computerized radiographic technique (Ortho-CT) and its application to the temporomandibular joint. A prototype was assembled on a Scanora (Soredex Findent Co) with the use of a 4-inch image intensifier instead of film...

February 08, 2001
Temporomandibular Joint Disk Displacement: Comparison in Asymptomatic Volunteers and Patients - Radiology

Purpose: To compare the prevalence and type of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disk displacement in asymptomatic volunteers with those in patients. Bilateral oblique sagittal and oblique coronal intermediate-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images of the TMJs in 58 patients with pain and dysfunction were analyzed and compared with corresponding MR images of 62 asymptomatic volunteers...

February 01, 2001
Atypical odontalgia - a little known phantom pain - Der Schmerz

Atypical odontalgia (AO) was described in the dental literature more than 200 years ago, and it is included in most taxonomies and textbooks of pain...

What's new in oral appliances for snoring and sleep apnea: an update
- Sleep Medicine Reviews

The number and kind of oral appliances have proliferated in recent years as dentists have responded to the challenge to develop more sophisticated devices for the control of socially disruptive snoring and obstructive sleep apnea...