At the Annual Greater New York Dental Meeting and Convention in November end, local dentists and government officials launched the nation's first eco-friendly toothbrush. 

The Aqua Free Toothbrush, contains a special liquid that flows from a built-in tank in the handle to the bristles to clean the teeth. Unlike toothpaste, the special liquid does not need to be rinsed and this conserves water. 

The revolutionary toothbrush could potentially improve the hygiene of the two billion people in the world who don't have access to sanitary water. 

Worldwide, it can reduce water usage. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's estimation, in 2006, an average citizen wasted two gallons of water daily as part of brushing one's teeth and oral hygiene.  

Regularly drinking white wine could be more harmful to teeth than red wine, scientists claim.

New research contradicts the commonly held belief that 'staining' red wine causes more damage to teeth than white.

Grapes such as Chardonnay can wear away enamel more quickly than red grapes such as Merlot and Claret, making teeth more sensitive to hot and cold, they say.

The study suggests that Riesling wines tend to have the greatest impact, having the lowest pH, but that a 'better' tooth choice would be a rich red wine.

The team from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, examined eight red and white wines from Germany, France, Italy and Spain, and analyzed their effects on adult teeth removed from men and women aged between 40 to 65.

The teeth were soaked in both wines for a duration of 24 hours. After a day, the researchers noted a significant loss of minerals including calcium and phosphorus found in the enamel surface to the depths of up to 60 micrometers.

The findings also warn that excessive brushing immediately after alcohol consumption should be avoided as it could further harm the teeth.

The researchers concluded that frequent consumption of white wine could lead to severe dental erosion but noted that eating cheese alongside sipping wine could help counter the acidic effect since cheese is rich in calcium.

The Wrigley Company partnered with the FDI World Dental Federation for the second consecutive year to launch the 2009 FDI & Wrigley Photographic Award to find out what makes dental care professionals smile.

Dentists, hygienists, dental nurses and dental students from 63 counties submitted photographs for the 2009 competition. 

All of the photographs were reviewed by a panel of judges for creativity in addressing 'what makes you smile', and six regional winners and one grand prize winner were selected. 

The overall winner of the 2009 FDI & Wrigley Photographic Award was from the United States.

Winner Richard, from Tacoma, Washington, gets an expenses-paid trip to the 2010 FDI World Dental Congress in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.

The other five regional winners of the 2009 FDI & Wrigley Photographic Award were from South Africa, Singapore, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Iran.

A compound found in turmeric may provide the basis for a new form of anti-cancer treatment.

Researchers found that curcumin - which gives turmeric its distinctive yellow appearance - killed oesophageal cancer cells in lab tests.

An effect was seen within 24 hours, during which time the cancer cells started to digest themselves.

Dr Sharon McKenna, from the Cork Cancer Research Centre, UK, commented: "These exciting results suggest that scientists could develop curcumin as a potential anti-cancer drug to treat oesophageal cancer.

The findings are published in the British Journal of Cancer and reveal that curcumin kills cancer cells by triggering cell death signals that are different to those involved in natural cell death.