Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

Lollipops for Sr. Health

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Lollipop For Senior Oral Health!

A great concern among the elderly in nursing homes is oral infections. There are many reasons for the susceptibility. Nevertheless, poor oral health often leads an over-growth of the bacteria in the mouth, which cause disease such as tooth decay and gum disease. Some help in this area could be on the way soon.
Researchers at the University of Florida College of Dentistry and University of California at Los Angeles have created an herbal lollipop that could potentially have an impact on helping to prevent oral infections among elderly nursing home patients. It has been discovered that "glycyhizol", an antimicrobial compound form licorice root, has the ability to kill several major oral pathogens.
The "secret sauce" is blended into a sugarless lollipop to help reduce the incidence of these oral infections. The lollipops are being heralded as a potential low cost and simple means of providing preventative dentistry to the elderly.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.