Feb. 10, 2012 -- The Grammy Awards are the first live performance for Adele, the bluesy 23-year-old British singer and 2011 Billboard artist of the year, since having throat surgery last November to remove a benign polyp on her vocal cord.

To better understand the procedure she underwent and the reasons for it, WebMD spoke with Gerald Berke, MD, director of the UCLA Voice Center for Medicine and the Arts. Berke, a head and neck surgeon, did not treat (More)
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Jan. 6, 2012 -- A substance known as the main ingredient of a classic candy may actually be good for your teeth: licorice.

According to a new study in the Journal of Natural Products, licorice root may help keep teeth healthy.

The authors report that compounds found in the dried root of the licorice plant may help prevent and treat tooth (More)
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Nov. 16, 2011 (Orlando, Fla.) -- Getting your teeth cleaned may give you more than a sparkling white smile -- it may give you something to smile about, like your health.

In a large study, people who had their teeth professionally scaled at least once every two years were 24% less likely to have a (More)
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During your routine dental check-up, your dentist can uncover important clues about your overall health.

If your tooth enamel is worn down, for example, that's a sign that you may be suffering from stress and grinding your teeth at night. Swollen and receding gums can be an early sign of diabetes, and sores in your mouth that don't heal can sometimes (More)
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Oct. 5, 2011 -- Once again, British singer Adele has been forced to cancel a number of sold-out U.S. shows because of throat problems.

The award-winning singer-songwriter of such hits as "Rolling in the Deep" says on her blog that for the second time this year, she has a vocal cord hemorrhage. She's been told she must rest or risk damaging her voice permanently.

The singer blogs that she is "heartbroken." Adele was planning to kick off her 10-city (More)
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If your eyes are the window to your soul, then your mouth is a mirror of your health. Although that idea may seem farfetched, health experts believe that good oral health care does more than prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

"Any disease related to the mouth has an impact elsewhere in the body," says Denis F. Kinane, BDS, PhD, at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Researchers are studying the association between oral health (More)
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Even when happy, some people resist smiling. Or they cover their mouth with their hand. Their crooked teeth embarrass them.

That's when you need to see an orthodontist.

Orthodontists are dentists with advanced training in making teeth move. They (More)
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July 13, 2011 -- Fewer than half of Americans see a dentist each year and millions live in areas where access to dental care is severely limited, a new analysis from the health policy group Institute of Medicine (IOM) finds.

A severe shortage of dentists, especially those serving rural and minority groups, is contributing to the "persistent and systemic" barriers to (More)
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Teeth are tough -- their enamel is the hardest part of the body -- but they're no match for neglect, misuse, or abuse. Here are some surefire ways to find out how vulnerable your teeth are -- trust us, you don't want to do this:

1. Don't Brush After Every Meal.

The ideal is to brush your teeth three times a day: after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But (More)
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Temporomandibular disorders are a group of problems that cause pain and poor function in the jaw joint and the muscles responsible for jaw movement. They're also called TMD, or TMJ (short for temporomandibular joint) disorders.

TMD (More)
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