Brain :: Brains reflect sex differences

When male primates tussle and females develop their social skills it leaves a permanent mark — on their brains. According to research published in the online open access journal BMC Biology, brain structures have developed due to different pressures on males and females to keep up with social or competitive demands.

Dental :: Molecule that destroys bone also protects it, new research shows

An immune system component that is a primary cause of bone destruction and inflammation in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis actually protects bone in the oral cavity from infectious pathogens that play a major role in periodontal disease in humans, research at the University at Buffalo has shown.

Diet :: Research team sheds light on diet of early human ancestors

Eight years ago, the field of anthropology was rocked by isotopic evidence that suggested one-third of the diet of early human ancestors consisted of grasses and sedges, or the tissue of animals that ate such plants. The news puzzled scientists, who were unable to reconcile the results with what they knew about the teeth of human ancestors who lived more than 2 million years ago.

Dental Health :: AAPD suggests ways to prevent risk for children’s tooth decay

Proper preventive care, fluoridation use and a balanced diet are key to the oral and overall health of every child. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) continues to emphasize that the way to decrease children’s tooth decay is by visiting a dentist early on. The AAPD recommends that each child should have a dental home by his/her first birthday.

Dental :: Fewer heart patients need antibiotics before dental procedures

Based on a review of new and existing scientific evidence, most dental patients with heart disease do not need antibiotics before dental procedures to prevent infective endocarditis (IE), a rare, but life-threatening heart infection.

Disabilities :: Disabled hit huge roadblocks in routine health care

People with physical disabilities endure substandard health care and a pervasive sense that they are a burden to doctors, according to a Northwestern University physician who is lead author of a commentary in JAMA. These patients often ram into roadblocks when they try to obtain basic care and life-saving diagnostic tests, reports Kristi Kirschner, M.D. Patients and health care workers have been injured because of inadequate facilities. Kirschner offers an overdue blueprint for change.