A dentist with the Tri Service General Hospital has determined that the main cause of periodontal disease, or gum disease, among Taiwanese patients is the existence of extra or fused dental roots.
Earl Fu (傅鍔), who has been leading a hospital research team on the causes of periodontosis, said that many Taiwanese have extra or fused roots for the first molars of their lower jaw, resulting in thinner gums that make their alveolar bones more prone to infection or injury caused by improper brushing.
Fu said his team found that 27 percent of the 197 gum disease patients at the hospital’s Dentistry Department had an extra root in the first molar on one side of their lower jaw and 90 percent of these people also had an extra root in the first molar on the opposite side of their lower jaw.
He quoted research data from abroad that showed that people from many nations, including Chinese, Japanese, Native Americans and Inuit, have the same problem.
By comparison, Caucasians in the West generally had less incidence of gum disease, while the number of Caucasians with extra or fused roots in the first molars of their lower jaws was comparatively much smaller, Fu said.
Fu, who studied in the US under the auspices of the National Defense Medical Center and practiced there for five years, has found that cutting open the gum and removing the extra root can be a helpful solution when treating serious gum disease.
Fu and his team’s research findings were published in last August’s edition of the US Journal of Periodontology.
The publication was challenged, however, by some dentistry professionals abroad, who argued that Fu’s research was not medically persuasive since the hospital’s research was based only on 197 patients all from the same hospital.
Undaunted, Fu and his colleagues approached dentistry departments of other research hospitals in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung to obtain X-ray data in an attempt to prove their theory.
Of 600 dentistry patients from northern, central and southern Taiwan — not necessarily gum disease patients — they found that 136 patients had an extra root in the first molars on both sides of their lower jaws — proving correct their theory that 22 percent to 25 percent of Taiwanese have extra roots.
“Actually, this is not a ‘new discovery,’ as reports on the issue appeared more than 70 years ago,” Fu said. “Our research results are only reconfirming an old theory and provide a clearer direction for treatment.”
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS