Fluoride may have found its match in preventing cavities. New research shows that toothpaste containing hydroxyapatite, one of the main mineral components in teeth, can prevent cavities as effectively as fluoride, which has been used in toothpaste since 1956. The findings were published July 18 in Frontiers in Public Health. “If the article is correct based on the data, one might choose the hydroxyapatite over the fluoride, because the hydroxyapatite itself is safer than fluoride,” said Dr. Leonard Patella, a dentist with Northwell Health in Glen Cove, N.Y., who was not involved with the study. “If you give too much fluoride, it can be toxic. And too much fluoride, if ingested, can cause damage to teeth. It can cause something called fluorosis.” Dental fluorosis is a condition that changes the appearance of tooth enamel and can happen when children consume fluoride during their teeth-forming years. In places like the United States, cases are typically fairly mild and usually result in white or brown spots on the teeth. In more severe cases, however, pits can form. “This is a very important issue,” said researcher Dr. Elżbieta Paszyńska, head of the department of integrated dentistry at Poznań University of Medical Sciences in Poland. “Unlike fluorides, hydroxyapatite has a high remineralization effect, biocompatibility, and is safe if accidentally swallowed. Dentists worldwide should be informed about hydroxyapatite to be…  read on >  read on >

If your child has ever taken a knock to the head on the playing field, a new study has some reassuring news: There’s no evidence that a concussion shaves points from a kid’s IQ. Researchers found that compared with children and teens who’d suffered broken bones or sprained ankles, those with a recent concussion did just as well on IQ tests up to three months after the head injury. The study — published July 17 in Pediatrics — should ease the worries of many parents, as well as young people who’ve taken a knock to the head in sports, play or accidents. They often ask whether the injury will dull their mental sharpness, noted lead researcher Ashley Ware, an assistant professor of psychology at Georgia State University. “This study is good news,” she said. Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury, occurring when the brain gets jostled around in the skull. That can cause various immediate symptoms, such as headache, confusion, dizziness and a general sense of feeling unwell. It’s well known that more severe brain trauma can harm kids’ long-term intellectual functioning, but studies have come to mixed conclusions when it comes to concussions. Those studies, however, have been hampered by various shortcomings, Ware said. Many have been small, or compared concussed kids with peers who were perfectly healthy. That’s an issue because…  read on >  read on >

Using skin lightening products can be dangerous without a doctor’s supervision because they may contain harmful ingredients. Still, nearly a quarter of people in a recent survey said they used the products not for a medical issue, but for overall skin lightening. It’s an issue that relates back to colorism, the system of inequality that considers lighter skin more beautiful, researchers say. “The most surprising finding was the lack of awareness of ingredients in products being purchased over the counter and their potential detrimental effects,” said lead investigator Dr. Roopal Kundu, a professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “These products are bought from chain grocery stores, community-based stores or even online and do not undergo the same type of regulation as large-chain store or prescription products,” she said in a university news release. While doctors prescribe lighteners for some skin conditions, including melasma, many people who use these products do not consult a medical provider before use, said Kundu, who is also founder and director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Ethnic Skin and Hair in Chicago. Research has shown these products are often contaminated with other things such as steroids and mercury that could be toxic to the skin. To study what was happening with skin lighteners, researchers sent an anonymous 19-question survey to individuals of color in the United…  read on >  read on >

Dermatologist Dr. Caroline Opene is often asked if certain types of sun blocks are better for people with darker skin. Not necessarily, says the director of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Health Skin of Color clinic. “In general, the best sunscreen is the one you put on consistently,” Opene said in a UCLA Health news release. “While I recommend a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher for everyone, there are options: mineral sunscreens made with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide may be better for those with sensitive skin, and young children. Zinc oxide also provides good UVA protection, so I tend to recommend it to those prone to hyperpigmentation,” she added. But these mineral sunscreens can sometimes leave an undesirable white cast on people with darker skin tones, Opene noted. “While chemical sunscreens usually don’t leave a cast, they can be irritating to those with sensitive skin or allergies. So for my patients with darker skin tones, I frequently recommend hybrid sunscreens, with both chemical and mineral filters for protection and improved blendability,” Opene said. Melanin, the dark pigment in skin, provides some protection against the sun’s harmful rays, but not as much as people tend to think, Opene said. “Those with medium to darker skin tones usually develop fewer pre-cancerous growths and have later onset of wrinkles that are due to…  read on >  read on >

Treatment can control the symptoms of the most common type of glaucoma and save someone’s vision. The catch is that a person can’t feel the changes in eye pressure that can damage vision, so they often won’t know they even have it before it’s too late. That is, unless they’ve been seeing an eye doctor regularly. One vision expert encourages people to not wait for that pressure to damage the optic nerve, but rather to preserve vision with regular health care. “Some people say they don’t need glasses, so they don’t need to see an eye doctor,” said Dr. Tara O’Rourke, an optometrist at Penn State Health Eye Center. “It’s important for everyone to have yearly eye exams to monitor the health of the eye, especially for patients over the age of 50.” About 3 million Americans have glaucoma, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition is the second leading cause of blindness in the world. Half of those who have the most common type, open-angle glaucoma, don’t know they have it. In open angle glaucoma, the tiny canals that naturally drain away eye fluid become clogged. “The exact cause or mechanism of open angle glaucoma is unknown at this time. We can manage the eye pressure, but do not have a cure for the disease,” O’Rourke said in a…  read on >  read on >

More than one-third of coupled Americans who want better sleep are opting for a “sleep divorce.” They’re not actually divorcing, but sleeping in another room so that they each sleep better. “We know that poor sleep can worsen your mood, and those who are sleep deprived are more likely to argue with their partners. There may be some resentment toward the person causing the sleep disruption, which can negatively impact relationships,” said Dr. Seema Khosla, a pulmonologist in North Dakota and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). “Getting a good night’s sleep is important for both health and happiness, so it’s no surprise that some couples choose to sleep apart for their overall well-being,” Khosla said in an academy news release. In a recent survey by the AASM, 20% of people said they occasionally slept in another room to accommodate a bed partner; 15% said they did so consistently. About 45% of men reported sleeping in another room occasionally or consistently. About 25% of women did this. Generational differences emerged, too. For example, 43% of millennials occasionally or consistently sleep in another room to appease a bed partner. About 33% of those in Generation X did this, 28% in Generation Z and 22% of baby boomers. “Although the term ‘sleep divorce’ seems harsh, it really just means that people are prioritizing sleep…  read on >  read on >

A targeted treatment has had unprecedented success in shrinking a rare brain tumor, according to clinical trial results. These tumors are papillary craniopharyngiomas (PCPs), and the drug combo is called vemurafenib/cobimetinib. Each of 15 patients who received one or more cycles of targeted therapy responded to treatment, with an average 91% reduction in tumor size, Mass General Cancer Center researchers reported. PCPs can cause substantial health problems. They are typically treated with surgery and radiation, but incomplete removal of the tumor and toxicity from radiation can leave patients with lifelong health challenges after treatment. This can include neuroendocrine dysfunction, as well as vision or memory loss. “All patients who completed one or more cycles of therapy responded to treatment, which is the highest response rate to date of any medical therapy for brain tumors,” said study co-author Dr. Priscilla Brastianos, director of the cancer center’s Central Nervous System Metastasis Center. “These unprecedented results signal a paradigm shift for targeting brain tumors because they show that, with the right target and the right drugs, precision medicine can have a dramatic impact on brain tumors,” Brastianos added in a hospital news release. This was the first multicenter treatment protocol in this rare tumor, according to Mass General Cancer Center, which led the study. The findings were based on laboratory discoveries by researchers who studied the genetic drivers…  read on >  read on >