Section: Salivary Antioxidants

Following surgical or periodontal procedures, the oral surgeon and dental hygiene team — not to mention the patient — turn their focus to wound healing. During the healing process, we address infection by using antibacterial agents. But healing also depends on controlling inflammation, and in the fight against inflammation, antibacterials are only one weapon in ... Read more

Oral cancer’s much higher prevalence among older people may be due to an age-related reduction in protective salivary antioxidant mechanisms and/or an age-related increase in the magnitude of oral carcinogen attack, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), causing DNA aberrations. This study found a significantly reduced total value of salivary antioxidant ... Read more

Curcumin is a plant-derived dietary spice with various biological activities, including anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects. Conclusion: Curcumin did not prevent alveolar bone resorption, but its potent anti-inflammatory effect suggests that it may have a therapeutic potential in periodontal diseases.

Antioxidants (AO) are the first line of defence against free radical damage and are critical for maintaining optimum health and well being. The need for AOs becomes even more critical with increased exposure to free radicals generated by pollution, cigarette smoke, drugs, illness, stress and exercise. Antioxidant supplementation is an excellent way of improving free ... Read more

Dietary vitamin D supplementation may be a simple, safe and inexpensive means by which to reduce gingivitis, as well as to reduce overall oral disease. The burden of chronic gingivitis and periodontitis in the US is disproportionately high among Non-Hispanic Blacks compared to Non-Hispanic Whites. Data from in-vitro and animal studies suggest anti-inflammatory effects of ... Read more

Consistent, well-designed, epidemiological, animal and in vitro studies directly and indirectly support the preventive polyphenol effect against oral cancer with good evidence.

Dysfunction of salivary glands is often associated with aging and cancer therapy. Green tea polyphenols were previously found to protect normal epithelial cells from reactive oxygen species, and to induce apoptosis in tumor cells. The current study investigated whether -(-) epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major green tea polyphenol, protects normal salivary gland cells from the effects of ... Read more

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1 participates in cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. p21WAF1 can be induced by green tea polyphenol EGCG in several cancer cell types...

There is evidence of reduced antioxidant (AO) defense in periodontitis and pregnancy and adverse interactions between periodontitis and pregnancy.

Polyphenols are antibacterial and anti-oxidative natural agents. The present in situ study aimed to investigate the effect of different polyphenolic beverages on initial bacterial adherence to enamel in the oral cavity. Rinses with all beverages reduced the amount of detectable bacteria. Lowest number of adherent bacteria was found following rinses with red wine, Cistus tea ... Read more