Sweet taste perception is an innate capacity that depends on two G-protein-coupled subunit receptors, T1R2 and T1R3, located on the tongue [1], [2]. The stimulation of these receptors by diets rich in sweet tastants, such as, for instance, sugar-sweetened beverages (soft drinks, colas, fruit beverages), generates a sensation that most humans and other mammals, including rodents, find intensely rewarding [3]–[6]. Once reserved to a small elite, the consumption of highly sweetened diets is now highly prevalent in developed countries and is escalating elsewhere [7], [8]. Though difficult to estimate, sweet sensations evoked by sugar-sweetened foods and drinks are probably one of the most precocious, frequent and intense sensory pleasures of modern humans [7], [9]. However, the current pursuit of sweet sensations far exceeds metabolic needs and is thought to contribute, together with several other factors [10]–[13], to drive the current obesity epidemic [7], [14].

The passive overconsumption of sugar-sweetened diets has often been compared to drug addiction, though this parallel was based until very recently more on anecdotal evidence than on solid scientific grounds. More recently, mounting evidence from experimental research on animals, especially rats, have unearthed deep commonalities between overconsumption of sugars and drug addiction [15]–[17]. First, both sweet tastants [18], [19] and drugs of abuse [20], [21] stimulate dopamine signaling in the ventral striatum, a brain signaling pathway critically involved in reward processing and learning [22], [23]. Second, both cross-tolerance [24], [25] and cross-dependence [26]–[28] have been observed between sugars and drugs of abuse. For instance, animals with a long history of sucrose consumption become tolerant to the analgesic effects of morphine [25]. In addition, naloxone–an opiate antagonist–precipitates in rats with sugar overconsumption some of the behavioral and neurochemical signs of opiate withdrawal [28]. This latter observation is important because it shows that overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages may induce a dependence-like state. Finally, recent neuroimaging studies in humans have recently discovered neuroadaptations in the brain of obese individuals that mimic those previously observed in individuals addicted to cocaine and other drugs of abuse [29], [30].

Overall, there are many behavioral and biological commonalities between sugar-sweetened beverages and drugs of abuse. However, the addictive potential of the former relative to the latter is much less clear. Previous research showed that concurrent access to highly sweetened water (saccharin plus glucose) can reduce self-administration of low doses of cocaine in non-dependent rats [31], [32], suggesting that sweetened water may surpass cocaine reward–one of the most addictive and harmful substance currently known [33]. Whether this effect results from a genuine preference for intense sweetness or other factors (e.g., use of a suboptimal dose of cocaine and/or lack of cocaine dependence) has not been established yet, however. The present series of experiments was designed to directly address this question. We developed a discrete-trials choice procedure to measure the reward value of an intense sweet taste relative to intravenous cocaine. This procedure was first tested in non-restricted, naïve rats to determine how, without any prior experience with cocaine or intense sweetness, animals learn to differentially value both types of reward. Then, the same procedure was applied to rats following an extended access to cocaine self-administration. Previous research showed that with prolonged access to cocaine, most rats develop the major signs of addiction, including drug intake escalation [34], compromised brain reward processing [35]and difficulty to stop drug seeking despite negative consequences [36].

Original article in its entirety can be found here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1931610/?fbclid=IwAR3bFnXDmOP3Qgnl2vmd0zcy5ZajKOCTLizr_epH-M2D1O28hTVlzcmyggc
Original article was published from the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health
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It is with great pleasure that we announce the addition of Dr. Susan DeWood to the Dugas Dental Team! Dr. DeWood comes with the highest recommendations, great enthusiasm, and extreme compassion for patients. She has a wonderful chair-side manner and will bring a vibrant new energy to our team.  We are positive our patients will receive excellent dental care from her. 

Dr. DeWood will be providing clinical care in our office on Tuesdays 8-5pm, Wednesdays 10-7pm and Fridays 8-2pm as well as one Saturday per month 8-1pm. 

She is originally from Seoul, South Korea, and spent some of her childhood in Tianjin, China. She attended high school in Dayton, Ohio, and graduated from the Ohio State University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology. From there, she went on to the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, where she earned her doctorate of dental surgery. 

In her free time, Dr. DeWood loves spending time with her husband, Mark, a fellow Ohio State alumnus. She and Mark are the proud dog parents of a Cavapoo named Komi. She is a huge foodie and enjoys trying new restaurants and coffee shops, reading, as well as traveling. 

She is very excited to be back in Columbus, and looks forward to helping her patients feel great about themselves through their beautiful smiles!

A new study suggests that psycho-social factors, such as depression, stress, emotional vulnerability and Type A personality are associated with more severe periodontal injuries.

This, its authors suggest, indicates the need for psychological evaluation and support for patients presenting with aggressive or chronic periodontitis (gum disease).

Previous studies suggesting a link between periodontitis and psychosocial factors presented very mixed results, making it difficult to identify the interaction between specific psychological characteristics and severe gum disease.

Lead author Dr Sébastien Jungo, DDS, Department of Periodontology at Paris Descartes University, said: ‘Our aim was to explore the association between clinical variables in patients suffering from aggressive (AP) or chronic periodontitis (CP) and some psychological traits, especially depression, stress, Type A Behaviour Pattern (TABP) and Locus of Control (LOC). We hoped to identify patients at risk for more severe periodontal disease.’

The study included 79 patients with periodontitis who attended the Periodontology Clinic of the Descartes University Hospital in Paris, France. ‘Our patients completed some short questionnaires to help us determine certain psychological traits. They also underwent periodontal examinations where we measured probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL),’ explained Dr Jungo.

Commenting on the results, Dr Jungo said: ‘After controlling for age, tobacco consumption and the form of periodontitis, we found that a clinical attachment loss of over 5mm was associated with “emotional vulnerability” for all patients, and with stress and Type A personality in patients presenting aggressive periodontitis.’

Regarding the possible causes for the association between severe periodontal injuries and psychological traits, Dr Jungo said that more research was needed: ‘This is a small study but it is representative of what periodontists see in their clinics. In the future there is a need for wider interventional studies, as well as research into inflammatory markers in addition to psychological assessment.

‘At this stage we can say that the psychological evaluation of patients presenting with particularly aggressive periodontal disease is important. For patients presenting Type A personality, depression, perceived stress or emotional vulnerability, the oral healthcare team should recommend psychosocial support,’ concluded Dr Jungo.

The original article can be found here.   https://www.dental-nursing.co.uk/news/depression-and-gum-disease?fbclid=IwAR2nBb3sGVqA8XFsSnEgxWukYafs19K_dPhAisiSAo1H_BqqWNKLu2ge1HE

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Once seen as a treatment for teenagers, more and more adults are now wearing braces. Orthodontists say grown-ups are flocking through their doors for teeth-straightening despite it often costing thousands and taking months or years to complete. So what’s motivating people to chase the perfect smile?

Braces are big business.

According to the British Orthodontic Society (BOS), three quarters of their members say they’re seeing more grown-ups coming through their doors.

Amid the rush to keep pace with demand, many have been expanding and buying new equipment – a trend that saw Barclays bank almost double its loans to dentists in two years.

Some say the gleaming smiles seen on Instagram feeds and reality TV shows are behind the rise, while others say it’s just become more socially acceptable for adults to wear them.

But what do the people wearing them say?

Lucy Setter was 27 when she had her braces fitted.

She had just given birth for the second time, and wanted to focus on herself after “being a mum all the time”.

“It was just something for me,” she said.

She said she first visited an orthodontist aged 14, but was scared off when told she would need a head brace.

“I used to watch [the Nickelodeon cartoon] Hey Arnold! as a child and there was a kid on there with a head brace. I was thinking: ‘Oh my god, I’m never going to have any friends again’.”

Aged 19, she returned, having grown in self-confidence, but discovered that, in most cases, treatment is not covered by the NHS for over-18s .

Lucy, from Torquay, Devon, said watching a wave of flawless selfies scroll across her Instagram feed helped to persuade her to take the plunge.

“Perfect pictures of people are being put up all the time and I thought: ‘I can’t smile because of my teeth’.”

She found an orthodontist who offered an interest-free payment plan and, in November 2016, put down an £800 deposit, followed by £135 monthly payments.

Now 29 and a mum-of-four (she gave birth to twins shortly before the braces were removed in October 2018) Lucy said she was “a lot more confident now”.

“I used to smile with my mouth shut. I’m a lot more confident now. It’s in all aspects of my life. In an interview, or something like that, it makes me confident.”

It helped that celebrities such as presenter Fearne Cotton, who posted about her own braces in 2016 , had “made it more cool” she said.

“Back in my day, it wasn’t cool at all.”

‘It’s not a vanity thing’

Hannah Bailey, 31, has wanted to straighten her teeth since she was a child, but said she could only now afford the £3,400 fees.

“I wasn’t bullied, but people would say things like horse teeth.

“That always stayed with me,” she said.

“I avoid smiling, I hold my hand up to my mouth when I laugh, so it will be quite life-changing.”

The self-employed childminder, from Maidstone in Kent, is part-way through a six-month treatment.

Despite being self-conscious about her teeth as a teenager, the fear of braces drawing unwanted attention turned her off, she said.

Since having them fitted, the response from friends and family had been overwhelmingly positive, she said.

However, she fears some people will view her decision as vain and similar to having plastic surgery.

“It’s strange. As children you are encouraged by dentists [to have your teeth straightened], but when you are an adult people think it’s a vanity thing.”

While she understands how “textbook perfect” celebrity smiles can inspire self-consciousness, Hannah says they did not influence her.

“What I’m going for is straight teeth, not the Hollywood smile.”

‘Rare to see a man with braces’

Neil Hillyard, 52, was in his mid-forties when he had braces fitted.

After getting fed up with crowded teeth that had been “bugging him for a while”, in 2013 he decided: “If I don’t do it now, I’m never going to do it”.

Neil, from Inverness, Scotland, had considered getting braces in his early twenties, but found treatment inaccessible “unless you were a particularly bad case”.

“Now you can walk into an orthodontic practice and it’s very accessible and very socially acceptable. There’s a lot more opportunities than there was twenty years ago.”

According to the BOS survey, he is not alone in having treatment in his forties.

It said 80% per cent of adults with braces are aged between 26 and 55, although women make up the vast majority – 80% – of cases

Mr Hillyard said he had been “well aware that it was very unusual” for men to have braces and felt “terrified” beforehand.

“But once I got over that, it wasn’t a barrier at all,” he said.

“Living in the Highlands of Scotland, it was a rarity to see another man [with braces], I can’t recall ever seeing anyone else.”

Mr Hillyard, who went on to start the UK Adult Braces blog, said having orthodontic treatment was “one of the best decisions he had ever made”.

“The thing that really surprised me is: no one cared less. I thought everyone would notice. No one really mentioned it, but when you brought it up they chatted quite happily and said they wish they had the confidence.”

Is teeth straightening safe?

While orthodontic treatment “usually works very well”, patients will need to wear a retainer for years afterwards to stop teeth moving back to their original position, according to the NHS.

It also says that braces are only suitable for people with healthy teeth and gums, and warns that they can trap food and cause more plaque to build up.

They can also be expensive. The BOS says prices can “vary widely”, while the NHS says private fees are usually about £2,500 but can be much higher.

There are concerns that the high cost and increased demand is causing people to seek out less reputable providers.

So far this year, the General Dental Council has successfully prosecuted five people for illegally offering teeth whitening without the necessary qualifications.

Meanwhile, the BOS said it was “extremely concerned” about the advent of DIY braces, where patients are sent devices in the post based upon scans of their teeth.

Peter McCallum, an orthodontist of 30 years, said: “There is a very good reason why you go to see your doctor if you have a problem.

“Equally there’s a good reason you go to see your dentist if you want a problem fixed with your teeth.”

Last year, the Advertising Standards Agency said businesses offering teeth straightening must not claim their techniques were “less painful” or had a “faster effect” than traditional braces.

It took action against three websites offering procedures.

Many orthodontists offer fixed-term payment plans, but patients are advised to check the small print.

Any practice charging interest or offering payment plans of more than 12 months must be registered with the Financial Conduct Authority.

Original article can be found here. https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-england-49183879?fbclid=IwAR0fSEHyMRuYpzw-8vAXnMjrf5hsOktoLyq9NbiUjKT1znwsk6XVrL3cxjE

This article was shared for educational and informative purposes.  No copyright infringement was intended with the sharing of this article.