Wagner Oral Surgeon & Dental Implant Specialists
Five Genes For Face Shape Identified
Researchers have discovered five genes that determine our facial shape and this could one day provide valuable information for both doctors and crime fighters.
Image published in the journal PLoS Genetics shows MRI scans of subject faces and the five identified genes.
A study involving almost 10,000 individuals was recently published in the journal PloS Genetics and could open the door to a variety of uses. In the past virtually nothing was known about the genes responsible for our dimples, foreheads and ears and how they come together.
Lead author from the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, Manfred Kayser said, “There are exciting first results that mark the beginning of the genetic understanding of human facial morphology. Perhaps some time it will be possible to draw a phantom portrait solely from his or her DNA.”
Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of subjects together with portrait photographs to map the various facial landmarks to extrapolate facial distances.
This was followed by what is known as a genome-wide association study, which is designed to search for genetic variations that occur more commonly in people with certain facial types.
As the research progressed Kayser and his colleagues were able to indentify five candidate genes associated with different facial shapes. These associations increase the liklihood that a certain face shape can be estimated.
The research is still in its infancy and actual projections of what someone looks like simply from a DNA sample is a long way off. But the research may eventually lead to advancements in forensics as biological evidence left behind by the perpetrator could presumably lead to a reconstruction of his or her face.
But maybe even more promising is the possibility that we may eventually understand and perhaps prevent facial birth defects, growth abnormalities, and disfigurements. For now we continue to provide orthognathic surgical care and compensate for these issues surgically.
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Oct 8th, 2012
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Tags: disfigurement, DNA, genetics
Promising New Medical Technology For Facial Trauma
We’ve talked before about facial disfigurement and how we react to it. Humans tend to classify who and what they see to bring order to our world and we tend to shy away from anything that doesn’t fit our idea of “normal”.
Soldiers with battlefield facial trauma have new hope.
Soldiers returning from war often come home with facial disfigurement resulting from injuries sustained while deployed. Defense technology combined with medical advances mean that what once may have been a mortal head wound is now survivable but with major trauma to the face.
An article in Science Blog highlights new research from biomedical engineers at Johns Hopkins University who are developing a new liquid material that is showing tremendous promise in restoring damaged soft tissue. The material is a composite of biological and synthetic molecules that is injected under the skin and then “set” using light to form a more solid structure. Researchers are hopeful that one day the product could be used to reconstruct a soldier’s face damaged by blasts, bullets, or other injuries.
It contrasts with biological materials used in the past that were broken down by the body too quickly. Other synthetic products were rejected by the immune system and also didn’t bond well with surrounding organic material. This material has a biological component more readily accepted by the body with a synthetic element for durability.
The research team also has high hopes for the composite’s use for people with facial deformities as it may help avoid repeated surgeries that often result in scarring. The multiple uses for abnormalities as well as accidents or injuries from war keep the team at Johns Hopkins working for a future where this component will be an everyday tool for maxillofacial surgical practices like ours.
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Oct 1st, 2012
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Unused Medications Get A Second Life
Every year hundreds of millions of prescriptions are written for hundreds of millions of Americans. We are a nation of medication. Fortunately, medical care in the United States is the best in the world and we have access to the remedies that will make us better.
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Sep 20th, 2012
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Promising Advance In Dental Implants
At Wagner Oral Surgery we’ve been performing dental implants for years so we’re always excited when potential improvements appear in the industry.
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Sep 14th, 2012
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Tags: bone loss, dental implants, tooth loss
The Importance Of Oral Biopsies
A small sore on the inside of your mouth may just seem like an minor annoyance. But if it persists it may be a good idea to see a specialist like Lakeside Oral Surgery & Implant Solutions. Many disease processes, conditions and even cancer can present with oral findings, like a little sore, and a simple tissue biopsy may help with a diagnosis.
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Sep 10th, 2012
12:36 pm
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Tags: cancer, in, oral biopsy, oral cancer, oral surgery
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For Oral Surgery
If you’ve ever heard of hyperbaric oxygen treatment you probably thought of divers who get the “bends”, excess nitrogen that forms bubbles in the blood during decompression. A hyperbaric chamber supplies pure oxygen to eliminate them and the diver can safely return to the surface.
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Aug 28th, 2012
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Tags: hbo, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, oral, oral surgery, therapy
Gunshot Trauma Can Last A Lifetime
No one plans on getting shot. Whether you’re the intended victim or a victim of circumstance it’s a shattering experience. It’s especially traumatic if you’re hit in the head or the face. The disfigurement may be lifelong and you will likely never be treated like a normal person ever again.
For some victims medical treatment is slow and may take years before they can walk down the street without drawing stares. For others, stares will be their new normal for the rest of their lives. Some victims find solace in their faith, allowing God to help and heal them.
Medical technology has come a long way in the treatment of gun trauma to the head and face. Dr. Wagner at Wagner Oral Surgery performed his residency in Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery and Anesthesia at the Cleveland Metro Health Center in Cleveland, Ohio and has experience treating these types of injuries, “Fortunately, we do not have to see as much of these types of injuries here. Where I trained at Cleveland Metro Health Center, severe trauma was a regular occurrence and we were regularly exposed to it.”
Advances in surgery come every day and victim’s stories become more and more inspiring. Dr. Wagner was especially moved by a recent article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and hopes you find the stories of gun trauma victims and their faith and strength an inspiration to you as well.
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Aug 22nd, 2012
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Tags: facial trauma, gunshot, injury, oral and maxillofacial surgery
Avoidance Of Facial Disfigurements Linked To Fear Of Disease
How do you feel when you see someone with a facial disfigurement? Most of us would like to think we could overlook an injury, cleft-palate, or birthmark. But when confronted by someone who looks very different from us we tend to shy away, lower our eyes, or look the other way. Some of us may move away, make a face, or avoid physical contact like a handshake.
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Aug 10th, 2012
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Tags: facial trauma, injury, maxillofacial surgery, oral surgery, orthognathic surgery
Is Cloning Teeth On The Dental Horizon?
If you’re one of millions of Americans who are missing one or more teeth the normal solution is a dental implant. It’s the quickest, safest way to restore your smile and return to your normal habits.
But what if you could clone a new tooth? It would be your tooth, not a false one, and would be grown naturally. Sounds pretty interesting doesn’t it?
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Aug 3rd, 2012
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Debunking The Link Between Mouthwash and Oral Cancer
As early as 1979 the medical and scientific establishments have been debating a potential relationship between mouthwash (particularly mouthwash containing 25% of alcohol or more) and oral cancer. The most recent study in 2009 claimed “sufficient evidence” that using mouthwash containing alcohol increased the risk of the disease and recommended they be removed from shelves and given warning labels.
New analysis is indicating that there may not be a strong relationship at all.
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Aug 2nd, 2012
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Tags: cancer, mouthwash, oral cancer, to