Bossy Flossy

With a heavy heart, Sadly, as we say ' Goodbye' to our dear mentor, leader, friend, and all-around sweet, nice soul, Gladly, God says 'Halo' to his angel coming back home.

In 2013, Beverly Whitford, BSDH, RDH, led the Connecticut Dental Hygienists’ Association, Inc. (CDHA) public relations event, "100 Days for 100 Years of Oral Health," held at the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport. The event celebrated the 100th anniversary of the dental hygiene profession, which originated in Bridgeport. Thanks to Bev’s professional relationship with Wilma Motley, RDH, she was able to secure a contract with the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore, Maryland, allowing CDHA to present the traveling exhibit “Mouth Power.” She was a joy and inspiration to us.

Beverly Whitford Obituary
Mystic - Beverly P. Whitford, 85, a lifelong resident of Old Mystic passed away June 2, 2025.

A graduate of Stonington High School (1957) and Forsyth School for Dental Hygiene who practiced clinical dental hygiene in Southeastern Connecticut for five decades.

She was the past president of the American Dental Hygienists' Association and served on the Board of Directors of National Museum of Dentistry. She also volunteered at Deans Mill School, affectionately known as Nana by all the children. Beverly was a long-time member of Old Mystic United Methodist Church.

Beverly now joins her beloved husband, Bob; her parents, Frank and Lillian Panciera; and sister, Nadeen Smith.

She is survived by her two sons, Randall and Andrew (Roslyn); granddaughters, Alexa and Kali Whitford; a great-grandson; sister-in-law, Ellen Williams; nephews, Todd and James Cunnian; a special niece, Tammy Panciera; and numerous cousins and well-loved extended family and friends.

Her family will receive relatives and friends from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 6, at the Mystic Funeral Home located on Route 1 in Mystic. A service will be held Saturday, June 7, at 10 a.m. at the funeral home. Following her service, she will be laid to rest at the Elm Grove Cemetery, Route 27 in Mystic.

Together with the dental hygiene community we are saddened by the passing of our friend and ADHA Past President, Beverly P. Whitford, RDH, BS. Bev dedicated over five decades to our profession after graduating as class valedictorian from the Forsyth School for Dental Hygiene in 1959. She later earned her BSDH cm laude from the Univ. of Bridgeport, along with a business management certificate.

Bev committed herself to professional leadership through her progressive ADHA service, advancing from president of the Eastern Connecticut Dental Hygienists' Association to the CDHA, and ultimately serving as ADHA President from 1998-1999. Beverly never stopped advocating for the profession, including testifying in 2016 regarding CT community water fluoridation.

Her dedication extended beyond clinical dental hygiene and ADHA through her service on the Board of Directors of the National Museum of Dentistry. As shared by her friend and colleague Maria Perno Goldie, who served as President Elect during Beverly's term, Bev's definition of success guided her throughout her association years: "Success is doing more than what you need to before you're asked to, not because you have to but because you want to."

Bev will be remembered for her wit, curiosity and endless commitment to communication and mentorship that inspired countless dental hygienists throughout her distinguished career and life.

Service information and guestbook: https://www.mysticfuneralhome.com/obituary/beverly-whitford Connecticut Dental Hygienists' Association

Blood-Brain Barrier 'Guardian' Shows Promise Against Alzheimer's
Health
By Tessa Koumoundouros ScienceAlert.com 29 May 2025

A new drug targeting inflammation in the brain has been shown to bolster the blood-brain barrier in mice, pioneering a potential shift in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

"Finding [the drug] blocks brain inflammation and protects the blood-brain barrier was an exciting new discovery," says pathologist Sanford Markowitz from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU).

What's more, the researchers note that amyloid levels – the abnormally clumping proteins traditionally thought to play a role in the progression of Alzheimer's – remained the same. This suggests the new treatment, focusing on an immune protein called 15-PGDH, targets a completely different physiological pathway than many existing medications.

"This is important because the most recently approved Alzheimer's drugs focus only on removing amyloid and, unfortunately, don't work very well and have risky side effects," explains Markowitz. "Inhibiting 15-PGDH thus offers a completely new approach for Alzheimer's disease treatment."

The blood-brain barrier is a layer of tissue that any substance entering the brain via the blood must pass through. When intact, the barrier filters out potential dangers such as toxins, bacteria, and viruses.

Traumatic brain injury can damage this barrier, increasing risks to brain cells. Such blood-brain barrier deterioration has also been identified as a possible early indicator of dementias like Alzheimer's.

By investigating the molecules active within the blood-brain barrier cells, CWRU physiologist Yeojung Koh and colleagues were able to identify that the immune enzyme 15-PGDH was elevated in both mice and humans with neurodegeneration arising from age, injury, or disease.

In response, the researchers developed SW033291; a compound that can block the enzyme's activity. The medication was found to successfully protect the blood-brain barrier in mice and prevent cognitive impairment even after traumatic brain injury.

"In these mouse models treated with the drug, the blood-brain barrier remained completely undamaged," says neuroscientist Andrew Pieper, also from CWRU. "The brains didn't undergo neurodegeneration and, most importantly, cognition and memory capacity were completely preserved."

Anatomy of blood vessels within the brain with the extra layers of protection formed in part by astrocytes known as the blood-brain barrier. (Olha Pohrebniak/iStock/Getty Images)
With almost 10 million new global cases of dementia yearly, an increasing number of people face cognitive decline, either personally or in loved ones. And despite decades of research, treatment outcomes remain unclear. Exploring new tactics like this is essential to improving lives, but there's still a long way to go.

"Our findings establish 15-PGDH as a guardian of blood-brain barrier integrity… and a compelling target for protection from neurodegenerative disease," Koh and team write in their paper.

This research was published in PNAS.

3D illustration of neuron supporting astrocytes attached to a blood vessel
Astrocytes manning the barrier between bloodstream and brain cells. (Artur Plawgo/Science Photo Library/Getty Images)

3D illustration of yellow clumps amongst blue and purple cells and molecules
Illustration of the amyloid plaques (yellow) amongst neurons. (Science Photo Library/Canva)

Diagram of the blood brain barrier anatomy

https://www.sciencealert.com/blood-brain-barrier-guardian-shows-promise-against-alzheimers?utm_source=ScienceAlert+-+Daily+Email+Updates&utm_campaign=8efec2cfb0-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fe5632fb09-8efec2cfb0-366175942

Join NorthWestern Dental Hygienists' Association (NWDHA) CE
"Fortune In Misfortune: A Story NOT Silenced By Oral Cancer"
Eva Grayzel, SME (Subject Matter Expert)
Motivational Speaker, Storyteller, Oral Cancer Awareness Advocate

Wednesday night, May 14, 2025, 7 - 8 pm EST - May 14, 2025
1 CEU Online Virtual ZOOM meeting

IFDH, ADHA, CDHA, NWDHA or SDH Members
Use Discount Promo Code FORT10

You will receive a confirmation email with a URL when you register.

Course Objectives:
Incorporate survivor insights and experiences to improve the quality of patient care.
Integrate a standard of care for oral cancer screenings with patient education
Gain a deeper understanding of the physical and emotional impact of a late-stage oral cancer diagnosis

Eva Grayzel is a professional interactive performance artist who was diagnosed with late-stage oral cancer at age 33. Eva has made it her mission to educate. She shares her personal miraculous Survival Story to inspire dental and healthcare professionals to raise the bar on patient education and the early signs of oral cancer.
A non-smoker, she was bounced among dental professionals while the ulcer on her tongue grew more prominent and painful.
Eva endured the removal of 1/3 of her tongue, a partial tongue reconstruction, a modified radical neck dissection, and a maximum dose of radiation therapy.
Through an extraordinarily successful treatment plan, Eva not only survived but also regained her ability to speak clearly.
With a second chance at life, Eva couldn’t let the same thing happen to someone else.

NWDHA uses Constant Contact for the CE
ZOOM Registration:
https://bit.ly/4mpsnpU

IFDH, ADHA, CDHA, NWDHA, or SDH Members Use the following Discount Promo Code FORT10

Emerging research suggests that Alzheimer’s disease may be linked to an unexpected culprit — gum disease.
BioLab science.org May 6, 2025

A study discovered the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a bacterium responsible for chronic periodontitis, in the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s patients.
Researchers found that when mice were infected with the bacteria, it colonized their brains and triggered the production of amyloid beta, a protein commonly associated with Alzheimer’s. This evidence strengthens the hypothesis that the disease could have infectious origins rather than being solely a neurodegenerative disorder.
The study also revealed that toxic enzymes from the bacteria were present in individuals who had Alzheimer's-related brain changes but had not yet been diagnosed with dementia, suggesting the infection may begin years before symptoms appear.
This discovery opens the door to new potential treatments. A pharmaceutical company, Cortexyme, developed a compound called COR388, which showed promise in reducing both bacterial infection and amyloid beta accumulation in animal trials. While human trials are needed to confirm its effectiveness, the study underscores the importance of oral hygiene in brain health. Scientists remain cautiously optimistic, emphasizing that with no new dementia treatments in over 15 years, investigating all possible causes is crucial. While more research is needed, the link between gum disease and Alzheimer’s highlights a simple yet vital message: taking care of your teeth might help protect your brain in the long run.
Learn more: https://www science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aau333

Northwestern DHA CE
"Fortune In Misfortune: A Story NOT Silenced By Oral Cancer"
Eva Grayzel, SME (Subject Matter Expert)
Motivational Speaker, Storyteller, Oral Cancer Awareness Advocate

Wednesday night, May 14, 2025, 7 - 8 pm EST - May 14, 2025
1 CEU Online Virtual ZOOM meeting

IFDH, ADHA, CDHA, NWDHA or SDH Members
Use Discount Promo Code FORT10

You will receive a confirmation email with a URL when you register.

Course Objectives:
Incorporate survivor insights and experiences to improve the quality of patient care.
Integrate a standard of care for oral cancer screenings with patient education
Gain a deeper understanding of the physical and emotional impact of a late-stage oral cancer diagnosis

Eva Grayzel, is a professional interactive performance artist who was diagnosed with late-stage oral cancer at age 33. Eva has made it her mission to educate. She shares her personal miraculous Survival Story to inspire dental and healthcare professionals to raise the bar on patient education and the early signs of oral cancer.
A non-smoker, she was bounced among dental professionals while the ulcer on her tongue grew more prominent and painful.
Eva endured the removal of 1/3 of her tongue, a partial tongue reconstruction, a modified radical neck dissection, and a maximum dose of radiation therapy.
Through an extraordinarily successful treatment plan, Eva not only survived but also regained her ability to speak clearly.
With a second chance at life, Eva couldn’t let the same thing happen to someone else.

NWDHA uses Constant Contact for the CE
ZOOM Registration:
https://bit.ly/4mpsnpU

IFDH, ADHA, CDHA, NWDHA, or SDH Members Use the following Discount Promo Code FORT10

I am so enthralled to share this educational story with my colleagues.

Northwestern DHA CE
"Fortune In Misfortune: A Story NOT Silenced By Oral Cancer"
Eva Grayzel, SME
Motivational Speaker, Storyteller, Oral Cancer Awareness Advocate

Wednesday night, May 14, 2025, 7 - 8 pm EST - May 14, 2025
1 CEU Online Virtual ZOOM meeting

IFDH, ADHA, CDHA, or NWDHA Members
Use Discount Promo Code FORT10

You will receive a confirmation email with a URL when you register.

Course Objectives:
Incorporate survivor insights and experiences to improve the quality of patient care.
Integrate a standard of care for oral cancer screenings with patient education
Gain a deeper understanding of the physical and emotional impact of a late-stage oral cancer diagnosis

Eva Grayzel, is a professional interactive performance artist who was diagnosed with late-stage oral cancer at age 33. Eva has made it her mission to educate. She shares her personal miraculous Survival Story to inspire dental and healthcare professionals to raise the bar on patient education and the early signs of oral cancer.
A non-smoker, she was bounced among dental professionals while the ulcer on her tongue grew more prominent and painful.
Eva endured the removal of 1/3 of her tongue, a partial tongue reconstruction, a modified radical neck dissection, and a maximum dose of radiation therapy.
Through an extraordinarily successful treatment plan, Eva not only survived but also regained her ability to speak clearly.
With a second chance at life, Eva couldn’t let the same thing happen to someone else.



NWDHA uses Constant Contact for the CE
Register
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/mmbnwnh?source_id=dcfa9a6c-3bdf-4fec-8db9-f8d59604d193&source_type=em&c=dUYpY9QF7bRe15Jb702vWnxcg7reL2XfN_MASd_VcD6ietWBO_vkIA==

IFDH, ADHA, CDHA, NWDHA, or SDH Members Use the following Discount Promo Code FORT10

How the cerebellum controls tongue movements to grab food
by Public Library of Science medicalxpress.com April 10, 2025

By studying the skilled movements of marmoset tongues, researchers have discovered that Purkinje cells (P-cells) in a brain region called the cerebellum signal to stop protrusion as the tongue approaches its target, according to a study in PLOS Biology by Reza Shadmehr from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, U.S., and colleagues.

We use our tongue to shape the air and generate sounds to communicate, and we use our tongue to evaluate food morsels and transport them through the oral cavity when eating. These skillful acts involve coordination of more than 100 muscles, producing movements that are fundamental to our existence.

Damage to the cerebellum disrupts these movements, resulting in abnormal muscle activation patterns. Yet it has not been clear how the cerebellum controls tongue movements.

To answer this question, Shadmehr and colleagues used an animal model that has a long tongue and can skillfully direct it to small targets. Marmosets have a 21mm tongue which they use to burrow into small holes and retrieve insects and sap. Indeed, they have an extraordinary ability to control their tongue, vocalizing to label other marmosets during two-way communication.

The researchers observed that marmosets could naturally bend and twist their tongues and insert them into small tubes, even when the tubes were placed at sharp angles with respect to their mouths.

A sequence of five licks to the right tube. Credit: Hage P, et al., 2025, PLOS Biology, CC-BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
To quantify how the cerebellum contributes to the control of the tongue, the researchers recorded the activity of P-cells in a cerebellar structure called the vermis.

When a P-cell was suppressed during protraction, the tongue's trajectory became hypermetric, overshooting the intended target during movements. When the suppression took place during retraction, the tongue's return to the mouth was slowed. Both effects were amplified when two P-cells were simultaneously suppressed.

Suppression of P-cells in the vermis disrupted the forces that would normally decelerate the tongue as it approached the target.

The results suggest that P-cells signal to downstream structures to stop the movement as the tongue approaches its target. This strong engagement of the P-cells was present when the tongue was aiming for a small tube—a movement that requires precision—but not when the tongue was used to groom the face.

According to the authors, treatments or cures for symptoms linked to cerebellar dysfunction, such as vocal muscle spasms, problems with swallowing, or speech disorders, will require a much better understanding of how the cerebellum contributes to the control and learning of tongue movements.

Because marmosets are exceptionally skilled at shaping and twisting their tongues, using them almost like fingers, they are an attractive animal model to study the neural control of a body part that is essential for our existence.

The authors add, "During dexterous licking, a climbing fiber-induced suppression of Purkinje cells in the lingual vermis inhibited the forces that would otherwise retract the tongue, resulting in hypermetria during protraction and slowing during retraction.

"Because the direction of these forces aligned with the direction of motion specified by the olivary input, a pattern that is also present for P-cells in the oculomotor region of the cerebellum, the results imply a general computation for P-cells during control of targeted movements."

More information: Hage P, et al. Purkinje cells of the cerebellum control deceleration of tongue movements. PLOS Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003110

Journal information: PLoS Biology
Provided by Public Library of Science

The Curious Marmoset. Here, Charlie stares at his reflection, wondering: "Hmmm, how does my tongue work?". Edited by Paul Hage, 2025. Credit: Mohammad Amin Fakharian, Shadmehr Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University (CC-BY 4.0, creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-cerebellum-tongue-movements-food.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

Our Greater New York Dental Meeting 2023 Scientific Poster session has come to the last posting...
GNYDM 2023 Scientific Poster Session International Dentists, Residents & Dental Students 210
"Efficacy of Interactive Smart Toothbrush in Adults: 6-Month Randomized Controlled Trials"
Wonse Park, DDS
Yonsei University College of Dentistry
GNYDM November 26, 2023, Jacob Javits NYC

First Denisovan Fossil Discovered in Taiwan Reveals Secrets of Our Ancient Relatives

By Michelle Starr Science.com 11April2025

First Denisovan Fossil Discovered in Taiwan Reveals Secrets of Our Ancient Relatives
Penghu 1 eluded identification for many years. (Yousuke Kaifu)
Analysis of a perfect jawbone found in Taiwan has given us new clues to the Denisovans, an enigmatic people with whom our ancestors had relations.

Once upon a time, Homo sapiens wasn't the only human species walking the planet. We shared this world with multiple long-lost relatives, a history of intermingling written in our genomes.

The most famous and well-known of these are the Neanderthals. But, further to the east, another, smaller relative once made their home. These were the Denisovans, who we know very little about, due to the scarcity of their remains.

Named Penghu 1 by archaeologists, the jawbone is the most intact Denisovan fossil of the less than 15 identified to date, and the first discovered in Taiwan.

Denisovan remains have been found in Siberia, in Denisova Cave for which they are named; in China, in Baishiya Cave on the Tibetan Plateau; and one possible Denisovan tooth in a cave in Laos, although that one may be Neanderthal.

Most of these remains are either bone fragments or teeth. A complete Denisovan skeleton has never been identified. While genetic analysis suggests they diverged from Neanderthals a few hundred thousand years ago, the precise timing of their migration across Asia or their eventual demise isn't clear.

Dating of sediment layers in Denisova Cave suggests that the Denisovans occupied the space between 300,000 and 50,000 years ago. That's the best information we have so far.

We also know, based on the remnants of Denisovan DNA in modern humans, that they were probably significantly more widespread than their remains suggest.

Despite being hauled from the ocean some 25 kilometers (15 miles) off Taiwan's western coast over a decade ago, Penghu 1's story has been as murky as the sediment it lay in for thousands of years.

Beyond belonging to a member of the hominid family, a more precise identity remained elusive, with an attempt to recover DNA unsuccessful.

Now, a team of scientists led by the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Japan and the University of Copenhagen have taken another crack at it… and cracked the mystery wide open.

Their research was based on, not DNA, but a series of techniques collectively called ancient protein analysis, or paleoproteomics. This process involves extracting proteins from the bone and tooth enamel of ancient remains, subjecting them to techniques such as mass spectrometry, and using them to build a profile of the individual in question.

First Denisovan Fossil Discovered in Taiwan Reveals Secrets of Our Ancient Relatives
Photo of Penghu 1 mandible. (Yousuke Kaifu)
After removing likely contaminants and potentially biasing factors, the team was left with 22 proteins that provided 2,218 amino acid residues that could be used to put the fossil in context with Denisovans, Neanderthals, ourselves, and other great apes. Comparison confirmed that the jawbone is indeed of hominid origin… and two amino acid sequence variants of the thousands sampled were exclusive to Denisovans.

They also found proteins specific to the male s*x, revealing that Penghu 1 belonged to a male Denisovan who lived tens of thousands of years ago – some 4,000 kilometers southeast of Denisova Cave, and 2,000 kilometers southeast of Baishiya Cave.

We don't know exactly when Penghu 1 lived; so far, attempts to date the mandible have returned a wide range of between 10,000 and 190,000 years old. What the bone does tell us is that Denisovans had larger molars and more robust jawbones than Neanderthals, a difference that likely emerged after the two groups diverged between 300,000 and 400,000 years ago.

"The identification of Penghu 1 as a Denisovan mandible confirms the inference from modern human genomic studies that Denisovans were widely distributed in eastern Asia," the researchers write in their paper.

"It is now clear that two contrasting hominin groups – small-toothed Neanderthals with tall but gracile mandibles and large-toothed Denisovans with low but robust mandibles (as a population or as a male character) – coexisted during the late Middle to early Late Pleistocene of Eurasia."

We may never truly have a comprehensive picture of who the Denisovans were and how they lived, but this is a spectacular discovery that takes us just a little bit closer to understanding this enigmatic piece of the human puzzle.

The research has been published in Science.

GNYDM 2023 Scientific Poster Session International Dentists, Residents & Dental Students 209
"Comparison of Moldable Bone and Particulate Bone in the Alveolar Ridge Preservation: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial"
Jisun Huh, DDS
Yonsei University College of Dentistry
GNYDM November 26, 2023, Jacob Javits NYC

GNYDM 2023 Scientific Poster Session International Dentists, Residents & Dental Students 208
"A Case of Implant-Supported Removable Partial Denture A Patient With Mandibular Unilateral Residual Tooth"
Seong-A Kim, D.D.S.
Veterans Health Service Medical Center in Korea
GNYDM November 26, 2023, Jacob Javits NYC