Patient power lives!

A determination for the "best mouth possible" has led to changes in the type of fillings dentists provide. Research has shown a decreased use of amalgam fillings but an increase in white composite fillings over the past five years. "This is not always a good thing," says Dr Peter Mantel, "the choice should be made on an individual basis and in consultation with the dentist."
Further research indicates that 80 percent of today's children are not scared of visiting the dentist. Irregular dental visits and fear passed on by anxious parents were highlighted as causes for child fear.

Turkey's Ankara University tested the taste buds of men and women aged 60 and found that 45 percent of postmenopausal women craved sweet food, leading to an alteration in their diets and raising health concerns.

The appointment of a minister for dentistry is seen as a boost for the profession. Rosie Winterton has been given responsibility for dentistry, previously the dental portfolio was the responsibility of a junior minister.

Recipes for fizzy drinks should be changed to stem the tide of worsening tooth erosion, according to the British Dental Journal which also notes that there has been a trend towards adding citric acid to soft drinks.

Thirty years ago fluoride was introduced to the south Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha where almost a third of the population between the ages of six and 16 suffered from decayed, missing or filled teeth.

Now fewer than eight percent were found to be suffering.