Dental caries (tooth decay) is caused by a specific group of cariogenic bacteria, like Streptococcus mutans, which convert dietary sugars into acids that dissolve the mineral in tooth structure. Killing cariogenic bacteria is an effective way to control or prevent tooth decay. In a previous study, we discovered a novel compound (Glycyrrhizol A), from the extraction of licorice roots, with strong antimicrobial activity against cariogenic bacteria. In the current study, we developed a method to produce these specific herbal extracts in large quantities, and then used these extracts to develop a sugar-free lollipop that effectively kills cariogenic bacteria like Streptococcus mutans. Further studies showed that these sugar-free lollipops are safe and their antimicrobial activity is stable. Two pilot human studies indicate that a brief application of these lollipops (twice a day for ten days) led to a marked reduction of cariogenic bacteria in oral cavity among most human subjects tested. This herbal lollipop could be a novel tool to promote oral health through functional foods.

Measures of ability, or function, are used in the health field to determine the level of performance of a specific task, assess the loss of function, and to measure the return to function as a result of rehabilitation or interventions. While these measures are important to all age groups, it is the elderly and chronically ill who are at most risk for adverse changes in their health and functional status. The Index of the Activities of Daily Oral Hygiene (ADOH) is an instrument to assess and monitor functional dependency in manipulating aids used in oral self-care. It is part of the overall concept of oral self-care which subsumes function, education and training, and compliance in achieving and maintaining oral health. The purpose of the Index of ADOH is two-fold: to assess a subject for the progressive loss of the physical ability to manipulate the aids used in oral self-care, and to measure the return to function in response to care intervention and rehabilitative services. These manipulative tasks are associated with flossing, brushing, topical fluoride application, and the use of oral rinses. Aside from changes in function, the Index of ADOH can be used by health care providers and administrators to project the need for services or support for home care.

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Rheumatoid arthritis involves psychoneuroendocrine-immunopathological comorbidities. In the stoma, patients with rheumatoid arthritis frequently show signs of periondontal disease consequent to elevated levels of crevicular proinflammatory cytokines. It is not clear whether rheumatoid arthritis may manifest in association with immunopathological manifestations of the oral soft mucosa. Oral lichen planus (OLP), first described by E. Wilson in 1859, is a T-cell-mediated inflammatory disease whose lesions characteristically lack B cells, plasma cells, immunoglobulin. or complement. It is increasingly well characterized and recognized as a model for psychoneuroimmunology research in oral biology and medicine. To date, we have shown an association between changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) regulation, systemic markers of cellular immunity and mood states, with clinical stages of OLP (i.e., atrophic vs. erosive vs. bullous lesions). We report significant associations (p < 0.05) between the stage of OLP, HPA deregulation, and altered distribution and functional responses of naïve CD4(+) cells. We emphasize the need to study in greater details the psychoneuroendocrine-immune inter-relationships in OLP, and we propose a novel neuroimmune hypothesis for OLP.

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