It might be harder to get your teeth cleaned this year, with a new study showing a shortage of dental hygienists in the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Not unlike many other professions in the United States, challenges persist in dental hygienist employment," said study first author Rachel Morrissey, a senior research analyst with the American Dental Association.

"The ...

Cigarette smoking is infamous for promoting gum disease, and now a new study adds to evidence that vaping also exacts a toll on the teeth and gums.

Researchers found that people who use e-cigarettes have a unique bacterial composition in their mouths that likely spells trouble for their dental health. In fact, their oral microbes were more similar to that of cigarette smokers than to nons...

Kids with heart conditions are more likely than their peers to have frequent cavities, toothaches or bleeding gums, a new U.S. government study finds.

Researchers found that of U.S. children and teenagers with heart conditions, 10% had only "poor" to "fair" dental health, as rated by their parents. That was twice the figure of kids without heart problems.

It's a concern in part, the...

The type of drill your dentist uses just might determine your chances of catching COVID-19 while in the chair.

So claims new research that suggests dentists can significantly improve patient safety during the pandemic by switching the type of drill they use.

British researchers used a harmless virus s...

Gum disease has been linked to an increased risk for preterm birth, and now new research suggests that chewing sugar-free gum with xylitol during pregnancy may lower this risk.

The study took place in Malawi, Africa, which has one of the world's highest rates of preterm delivery. Experts are quick t...

Worried your kid isn't brushing his or her teeth properly? You might want to try the Oreo test.

"If the child eats an Oreo and brushes their teeth and the parent can still see the Oreos, they need to be checking and helping them brush," said Elise Sarvas, a clinical associate professor of pediatric dentistry with the University of Minnesota.

Sarvas offers up the Oreo test and other ...

If the sound of a dental drill sends shivers up your spine, you're likely in good company: Finnish researchers say that one of every two adults fear the dentist at least a little, while one in 10 are very afraid.

But the researchers added that a local dentistry program has found a novel way to turn screams into smiles, by exposing patients as young as 2 to a series of desensitizing exams ...

Gum disease isn't just a threat to your teeth. It also increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, mental woes and more, British researchers report.

"The study reinforces the importance of prevention, early identification and treatment of periodontal disease, and the need for members of th...

Researchers who say they have discovered what causes kids to have "chalky teeth" predict it could lead to new ways to fight it and cut cavities by half.

One in five children have chalky teeth -- visible as discolored enamel spots -- which can cause severe toothache and decay, sometimes resulting in abscesses, extractions and other problems.

"We can't yet prevent chalky teeth from de...

It is likely a connection few have considered, but new research in mice suggests that obesity may up your risk of gum disease.

Specifically, chronic inflammation caused by obesity may trigger the development of cells called osteoclasts that break down bone tissue -- including alveolar bone that holds teeth in place.

“Although there is a clear relationship between the degree of obe...

Most people who've had a root canal say they don't regret it, even though many still have pain and discomfort in the affected tooth, a new Swedish study finds.

Root canals are commonly done when the soft tissue (pulp) inside the tooth is inflamed or infected. The soft parts are removed and replaced with a rubber-like material and a kind of cement.

"The studies show that the patients...

Though most U.S. dentists say non-opioid painkillers effectively manage dental pain, nearly half still prescribe potentially addictive opioid painkillers, a new survey reveals.

In all, 84% of the 269 respondents said NSAID-acetaminophen combos are as effective as opioids or even more so, but 43% also said they regularly prescribe opioid medications.

The findings were published Oct. ...

While they're helping to ease reflux, some heartburn drugs may also be reducing the severity of gum disease, new research suggests.

For the study, researchers assessed probing depth in the gums (the gap between teeth and gums) in more than 1,000 patients with gum disease who were or weren't using drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a class of drugs widely prescribed to treat heart...

Good dental hygiene may well be a weapon against severe COVID-19: A new study shows that taking care of your teeth and gums may lower your risk of serious infection, especially if you have heart disease.

Previous research has found an association between poor oral hygiene and increased inflammation and heart disease, and COVID-19 severity has also been linked to an inflammatory response, ...

Very few privately insured young children get recommended dental fluoride treatments at health wellness visits, even though insurance typically covers them, a new study finds.

"Medical providers are not required to do this; it's like a mammogram," said lead author Kimberley Geissler, an associate professor of health policy and management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. "It's r...

A lost or altered sense of taste, dry mouth and sores are common among COVID-19 patients and those symptoms may last long after others disappear, Brazilian researchers report.

Nearly 4 in 10 COVID patients experience impaired taste or total loss of taste, but dry mouth affects even more -- up to 43%, according to their broad review of more than 180 published studies.

It looked at or...

New research offers further evidence of a link between gum disease and heart disease.

The ongoing Swedish study previously found that gum disease ("periodontitis") was much more common in first-time heart attack patients than in a group of healthy people.

In this follow-up study, the researchers examined whether gum disease was associated with an increased risk of new heart problems...

Dental care should be a required part of Medicaid coverage for adults in every state, the American Dental Association and nearly 130 other organizations urge in a letter to Congress.

The groups called on lawmakers to support and advance a bill called the Medicaid Dental Benefit Act.

"Poor oral health hurts more than our mouths," the