Bruce Lilly DDS

First nylon toothbrush, 1941!

Yep... "Tiger Lilly"! At the LA Zoo for Family Promise gala. :-D

National Geographic: A change in our diets may have changed the way we speak For much of the history of various human species, wear from chewing food caused teeth and jaws to align edge-to-edge, as seen in this skull of a Neanderthal male. (Photograph by LIGHTREIGN, Alamy)

Science & Innovation A change in our diets may have changed the way we speak You might be able to thank agriculture for a rise in the use of "f" and "v" sounds, a controversial new study suggests. 6 Minute Read By Michael Greshko...Continue reading

Winter in SoCal. Beautiful!

A smile in our skies! Or maybe the Cheshire Cat?!

A very happy, fun Halloween!!

12 Tips for a Healthy Halloween Halloween is around the corner, which for most children means bags of free candy and a chance to build a stockpile of sweets for the winter. No surprise, Halloween can also present parents with a variety of health and safety challenges. It’s OK to eat that candy on Halloween but it’s important to have a plan, says ADA dentist Dr. Ana Paula Ferraz. Here's how you can help your family stay MouthHealthy on Halloween and year-round....Continue reading

This Sunday. :-D

Is Vaping Safer Than Smoking? Threats From Smokeless Nicotine Are Many Growing Number Of Studies Point To Negative Health Consequences Of E-Cigarettes. Medical Daily (3/14, Bharanidharan) states that when e-cigarettes first emerged in 2004, they quickly became a popular, ‘healthier’ alternative for those who wanted the feeling of smoking tobacco. However, a growing number of studies are suggesting e-cigarettes are associated with negative health consequences. The ar...ticle highlights some of these studies, noting, for example, that Dr. Irfan Rahman, professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester, studied how e-cigarettes may affect oral health. We showed that when the vapors from an e-cigarette are burned, it causes cells to release inflammatory proteins, which in turn aggravate stress within cells, resulting in damage that could lead to various oral diseases, he said. In addition, Dr. Rahman co-authored a study that examined artificial flavors for inducing tissue damage and having a toxic effect on white blood cells, with the worst impact coming from cinnamon, vanilla, and buttery flavored e-juices. The article noted that the Food and Drug Administration has not approved e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid. The ADA Foundation offers a resource on e-cigarettes. Ongoing investigations at the ADA Foundation Volpe Research Center document the toxic substances and irritants found in e-cigarette aerosol.

Spring in Burbank hills. Hiking today from the Burbank Nature Center. Wild flowers and recovering from the fire. :-)

Not exactly a Sweet Tooth! Dietary Sensor Fits Right on a Tooth 26 Mar 2018 Dentistry Today Industry News... Researchers at the Tufts University School of Engineering have developed miniaturized sensors that, when mounted directly on a tooth and communicating wirelessly with a mobile device, can transmit information about glucose, salt, and alcohol intake. Potential applications, the researchers note, could include the detection and recording of a wide range of nutrient and chemical intake and physiological status monitoring. Previously developed wearable monitors require mouth guards, bulky wiring, or frequent replacement. Tufts’ engineers sought a more adoptable technology and developed a sensor measuring 2 x 2 mm that can flexibly conform with and bond to the irregular surface of a tooth. Just as a toll is collected on a highway, the researchers said, the sensors transmit their data wirelessly in response to an incoming radiofrequency (RF) signal. The sensors comprise three layers. A central bioresponsive layer absorbs the nutrient or chemical to be detected. The outer layers consist of two square-shaped gold rings. Together, the layers act like a tiny antenna, collecting and transmitting waves in the RF spectrum. As an incoming wave hits the sensor, some of it is cancelled out and the rest transmitted back, just as blue paint absorbs redder wavelengths and reflects blue back to our eyes. However, the sensor can change its color. If the central layer takes on salt, or ethanol, its electrical properties will shift, causing the sensor to absorb and transmit a different spectrum of radiofrequency waves with varying intensity. That is how nutrients and other analytes can be detected and measured. In theory, we can modify the bioresponsive layer in these sensors to target other chemicals. We are really limited only by our creativity, said Fiorenzo Omenetto, PhD, corresponding author and Frank C. Doble Professor of Engineering at Tufts. We have common RFID technology to a sensor package that can dynamically read and transmit information on its environment, whether it is affixed to a tooth, to skin, or any other surface. The study, Functional, RF-trilayer sensors for tooth-mounted, wireless monitoring of the oral cavity and food consumption, was published by Advanced Materials.