3 Topic Commentaries

Inflammatory signatures may distinguish dental caries

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  Aurea Simon-Soro, PhD

  Microbiome–host response in dental caries; salivary biomarkers

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  University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine

  “Understanding the triad of host response, microbiome, and disease status is potentially informative for disease prediction, prevention, early intervention and treatment,” explains Dr. Simon-Soro.

  Source
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  Jin Xiao, DDS, PhD

  Perinatal oral health; cariology; saliva-based risk prediction

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  Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester Medical Center

  “If we learn that infants in underserved communities have a higher amount of bacteria and yeast in early life, we could predict sooner and with more accuracy who is at increased risk of developing ECC and then work to prevent it,” said Dr. Xiao. “For example, we could generate chair-side risk detection and intervention, such as detecting certain bacteria and fungi in mothers’ and babies’ mouths during OB visits and check-ups, provide interventions and subsequently prevent tooth decay.”

  Source
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  Beverly A. Dale, PhD

  Oral biology; innate immune peptides; salivary defenses

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  University of Washington School of Dentistry

  “We know that sometimes children who take good care of their teeth still get cavities, and that other children, who don’t take care of their teeth, don’t get cavities, so dental researchers think that some people have better natural defenses against tooth decay than others,”

  Source