Brits are trading in their gold braces.

The number of people trading in braces which are made of gold has increased during the economic downturn.

Dr Lionel Wainstein, a specialist orthodontist based in London, said more people are keeping their braces after they have been used as the value of gold has skyrocketed in recent months, meaning these devices have become quite valuable.

He commented: “After braces have been used, they are removed from the mouth by the dentist and disposed of. But if they are made of gold, the dentist would be mad to chuck them away.”

Elsewhere, Bobby Heiser, owner of Crescent Jewelry in Kansas, noted there has been an increase in the number of people trading in gold teeth and crowns.

He claimed many of the emergency dentistry devices are made of 16-carat gold and he has even had people bringing in full sets of bridges, with teeth still attached.

The first thing Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi did when released from hospital was to visit his dentist.

The first thing Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi did after being released from hospital yesterday (December 17th) was to visit his private dentist, it has been revealed.

The PM spent four hours undergoing emergency dentistry treatment to fix two broken teeth. He was treated by his personal dentist, Dr Massimo Mazza, before returning to his palatial home in the Milanese suburb of Arcore.

Dr Mazza commented: “He was not very happy because he is an image-conscious man and to see yourself in the mirror with two broken teeth is not pleasant for someone like him.”

He added the PM will now embark on a period of rest after his ordeal.

Elsewhere, the boyfriend of pop superstar Kylie Minogue had to be rushed to an emergency dentist in Melbourne over the weekend with a mystery ailment.

He and Ms Minogue had been attended a 90th birthday party for her grandmother at the time of the emergency incident.

Plans are in place for a new dentist’s surgery in Burnley.

A new dental “super-centre” has been earmarked for construction in Burnley, it has been revealed.

The Bolton News reported a new facility which could cater for the needs of up to 10,000 patients is to be built in the town in a bid to tackle the area’s ongoing lack of dental surgery capacity.

“Over the past few years, we have worked hard to replace lost capacity and have achieved our aim in that regard. Now we are building extra capacity for the future,” Peter Sellars, NHS East Lancashire’s primary care head, told the publication.

He added the new centre will make an “enormous difference” to the healthcare provisions of local residents.

Elsewhere, a dentist’s surgery in Manchester is taking a novel approach to cutting back on the number of missed appointments by its patients.

Dentistry.co.uk reported Kissdental clinic on Stanley Street is running a Tooth Taxi scheme to pick up individuals from their homes and drop them at the surgery ahead of their meeting with the dentist.

New imaging equipment helps dentist save lives.

A dentist in Houston, Texas, has invested in $100,000 (£62,000) worth of digital technology to help him view images in startling quality, enabling him to save lives by diagnosing underlying medical problems more easily.

Dr Spiker Davis from Houston Cosmetic Dentistry is now able to detect clogged sinuses, heart disease and even bone cancer.

The new technology takes digital images of a person’s body and is not distorted by radiation, thereby giving a much clearer image to work from.

“We get better quality, so I’m seeing things that as a dentist, I’ve never seen before – the quality is unbelievable,” said Dr Davis.

Elsewhere, Dr Jan Linhart of New York recently announced he has developed a teeth whitening treatment that has proven extremely successful with patients.

Dr Linhart noted his PearlinBrite teeth whitening has proved successful in almost 100 per cent of cases and has helped lighten teeth by up to ten shades in a single sitting.

Kylie Minogue’s boyfriend rushed to emergency dentist.

The boyfriend of popstar Kylie Minogue – Andres Valesco – had to be rushed to an emergency dentist at a family event recently.

Kylie’s family had gathered in Melbourne at a party for her grandmother who turned 90.

However, the celebration was cut short for Kylie and her beau when Andres had to be rushed to an emergency dentist with a mystery tooth ailment.

Approximately 60 people attended the get-together, including Kylie’s sister and X Factor judge Dannii Minogue.

Elsewhere, Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was recently rushed to hospital after suffering a fractured nose and broken teeth in an assault at a rally in Milan.

Milanese authorities arrested his assailant Massimo Tartaglia, who had struck the PM with a replica of Milan’s cathedral.

A spokesperson for Mr Berlusconi commented at the time: “This campaign of hatred has been building quite rapidly recently and I am not surprised that what happened tonight took place.”

There remain barriers to individuals from poor backgrounds entering medical professions.

Brits hoping to enter into a career as an emergency dentist who are from a disadvantaged background are still finding it hard to be accepted into the best medical schools, it has been revealed.

Jocelyne Aldridge, policy officer and widening participation lead at the Medical Schools Council, said at present, just 1.7 per cent of medical school students are from poorer backgrounds and this is an issue which needs to be addressed.

She commented: “We recognise that the barriers to entering the professions, not just medicine, are complex and need to be addressed by society as whole, in schools and by government.”

According to the report Equality and Diversity in UK Medical Schools published by the British Medical Association, financial considerations may be one important barrier to a wider social mix of medical school applicants and this means the heavy burden of debt experienced by most medical students is an increasingly serious issue.

Eating yoghurt could help to prevent the onset of gum disaese.

A new study has shown that eating yoghurt could be beneficial to the gums.

Valoplife.com reported researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have found that yoghurt and other foods which contain high levels of lactic acid could be beneficial in tackling gum disease.

The website noted the signs of gum disease include gums that appear red or swollen, tenderness, gums that bleed easily, persistent bad breath, loose teeth, a change in the biting position and gums that recede or pull away from the teeth.

Without treatment, gum disease could lead to tooth loss or a weakening of the bones in the jaw.

Elsewhere, My Local Health recently reported many Brits could be grinding their teeth without knowing it, as the problem happens more often when people are sleeping – especially if they are highly stressed.

Figures from the British Dental Association revealed a quarter of all Brits currently suffer from this problem.

A new mouthwash has been developed to help prevent tooth decay.

A new mouthwash which could provide long-term protection against tooth decay has been developed in the US.

Dentistry.co.uk reported a team led by Dr Dong Wang, associate professor of pharmaceutical science in the at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Pharmacy, has developed a mouthwash containing anti-microbials that with prolonged use could help fight tooth decay.

He said: “The beauty of this design is the simplicity. All one may have to do is their routine oral hygiene procedure and then rinse with the formulation that we have developed.”

The active ingredient in the mouthwash binds to the surface of the teeth, slowly releasing anti-microbials to kill harmful bacteria that could lead to decay.

Elsewhere, Colgate has launched it new Sensitive Pro-Relief toothpaste to help stop the pain caused for sufferers of sensitive teeth.

The company claims its new Pro-Argin formula will fill pores in teeth leading to the nerves, thereby reducing sensitivity.

A new vaccine to tackle gum disease is in development.

A new vaccine to help tackle gum disease is being developed in Australia.

Pharmaceutical company CSL has been working with researchers from universities across the country to help create a vaccine that could help reverse the effects of gum disease, as well as stopping its development in the first place.

“Periodontitis is a serious disease and dentists face a major challenge treating it, because most people will not know they have the disease until it’s too late,” Professor Eric Reynolds of the University of Melbourne commented.

Dr Andrew Cuthbertson, CSL’s chief scientific officer, noted work on this new inoculation has been underway for the last ten years and has now reached the phase where it will be tested on mice, with human trials the next step.

Elsewhere, research carried out at the New York University recently revealed a link between gum disease and diabetes.

The study found 90 per cent of patients who have gum disease are at high risk of developing the illness.

Italian PM suffers broken teeth.

Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi suffered broken teeth in an attack on Sunday (December 13th).

The 73-year-old was hit in the face at a demonstration in Milan, with his alleged assailant Massimo Tartaglia now under arrest and being questioned by local authorities.

He was rushed to hospital where it was discovered he also had a fractured nose. In response to the assault, Mr Berlusconi blamed rising political pressures as a major contributory cause.

A spokesperson for the PM commented: “This campaign of hatred has been building quite rapidly recently and I am not surprised that what happened tonight took place.”

Mr Berlusconi was voted into his third term as prime minister of the country in April last year.

Elsewhere, US golfer Tiger Woods recently suffered a broken tooth when his wife allegedly threw a mobile phone at him during a heated argument.

The spat followed revelations in the press of Woods’ infidelity with as many ten women.