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Something to chew on!


Learning. Professors share knowledge at scientific exchange


There was plenty of food for thought dished up for delegates at the final scientific exchange seminar of the season, spon- sored by Oral-B and held at the Conference Centre at Herriot- Watt University in Edinburgh. About 200 dentists, hygienists


and therapists heard lectures by two of the UK’s leading researchers – Professors Iain Chapple of Birmingham Dental School and Philip Preshaw of Newcastle University. Prof. Chapple engaged his


audience with a talk on the importance of periodontal


health to general health and wellbeing. He presented new evidence


from a large and unique cohort of more than 1200 patients who have been monitored for over 40 years, and illus- trated how our lifestyles impact upon longevity and how our day-to-day behaviours drive inflammation in our bodies. He said: “We need to start looking at our patients’ lifestyles in relation to their periodontal status, and trying to give them general lifestyle advice, particu- larly in relation to nutrition, exercise and weight loss. We must also start thinking more about our patients’ general health and how oral health can reflect that.”


Iain Chapple Prof. Preshaw’s talk also


focused on patients’ lifestyles – particularly the worldwide epidemic of obesity, which increases the risk for condi- tions such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. There is emerging evidence, he said, that obesity may increase the risk for periodontitis. Both are pro-inflammatory conditions, and inflammation is at the heart of the links between them. Later, he said: “As dentists,


we’ve carried out root planing for years, but the responses aren’t always optimal. It’s not just about the plaque, it’s about


Philip Preshaw


the inflammatory response as well. The difficulty is in getting an effective treatment that also manages inflammation. I think in future, we’ll move towards reducing inflammation as a target outcome rather than just reducing plaque levels. “Biochemical markers of


information, perhaps in saliva, may hold the answer. We’re doing studies in the area and trying to identify key molecules. Once we know what those are, we can incorporate the find- ings into some kind of reliable chairside device that dentists can use.”


Scottish Dental magazine 21


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