Dr. Bob's Mouthly Report

FDA Clears Heat-Not-Burn Tobacco Device

by Robert Glisci, DDS, PC on 05/08/19

FDA clears Philip Morris’s heat-not-burn IQOS tobacco device for sale

The Food and Drug Administration cleared Philip Morris International’s IQOS — a heat-not-burn tobacco device designed as an alternative to conventional cigarettes — for sale in the United States.

The product consists of a tube that gently heats up sticks of tobacco instead of burning them, making what’s inhaled less harmful than conventional cigarette smoke. Philip Morris has made the device a key part of its plans for growth. The device is already sold in dozens of other countries with varying success, but it has triggered debate among U.S. health experts over whether IQOS would help or hurt overall public health.

People Taking Statins May Be At Higher Risk for High Blood Sugar Levels, Study Indicates

by Robert Glisci, DDS, PC on 05/08/19

“Individuals who take statins may be at higher risk for developing high blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and eventually type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

Compared with participants who never used statins, those who used statins tended to have higher concentrations of serum fasting insulin and insulin resistance. Participants who ever used statins had a 38 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the study. This risk was more prominent in individuals with impaired glucose balance and in overweight/obese individuals.

Based on these findings, the authors conclude: “Individuals using statins may be at higher risk for hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes. Rigorous preventive strategies such as glucose control and weight reduction in patients when initiating statin therapy might help minimizing the risk of diabetes.”

“The findings suggest that in patients who initiate statin therapy, preventive strategies such as blood sugar control and weight loss may be warranted for minimizing the risk of diabetes,” Stricker says.”

Dental Infections in Kids Tied to Heart Disease Risk in Adulthood

by Robert Glisci, DDS, PC on 05/08/19

Children who develop cavities and gum disease may be more likely to develop risk factors for heart attacks and strokes decades later than kids who have good oral health, a recent study suggests.

Researchers did dental exams for 755 children in 1980, when they were eight years old on average, then followed them through 2007 to see how many of them developed risk factors for heart attacks and strokes like high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, high blood sugar, and hardening of the arteries.

Overall, just 33 kids, or 4.5 percent, had no signs of bleeding, cavities, fillings, or pockets around teeth that can signal gum disease. Almost six percent of the kids had one of these four signs of oral infections, while 17 percent had two signs, 38 percent had three signs, and 34 percent had all four signs.

Kids who had even one sign of oral infection were 87 percent more likely to develop what’s known as subclinical atherosclerosis: structural changes and thickening in the artery walls that isn’t yet serious enough to cause complications.

Children with all four signs of poor oral health were 95 percent more likely to develop this type of artery damage.

Oral infections are among the most common causes of inflammation-induced diseases worldwide, and periodontal disease in adults have long been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, researchers note in JAMA Network Open.

It's Not Vaping Now, It's "Juuling"

by Robert Glisci, DDS, PC on 05/01/19

But no matter what you call it, it's bad news.

Should You Use a Soft or Hard Toothbrush?

by Robert Glisci, DDS, PC on 05/01/19

It can make a big difference on your oral health.