DailyDirt: Modern Dentistry

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Not too many people enjoy going to the dentist — which probably feeds into the urban legend that dentists have the highest suicide rates. But there may be a few dental developments that’ll make going to the dentist a bit less scary. Being fastidious about flossing is a virtue, but for the rest of us who aren’t so diligent, technology might help us out. Here are a few stories that might lead to better dental health.

  • Disrupting the enzyme responsible for plaque sticking to teeth could help eliminate cavities. So far, though, various inhibitors for glucansucrase have also blocked amylase in saliva — which helps to digest starch. But maybe some folks might like not being able to digest starch? [url]
  • Stem cells from wisdom teeth could be useful to grow replacement teeth. So maybe kids in the future will be preserving their teeth instead of dealing with the tooth fairy. [url]
  • With some nifty freezing equipment, you could preserve your wisdom teeth for a couple decades. It’s sorta like Futurama — but only one organ at a time. [url]
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    Comments on “DailyDirt: Modern Dentistry”

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    9 Comments
    MattH says:

    Then maybe eat less starch?

    At my last (infrequent) visit, when asked by my dentist if I had changed any eating habits, I said I had started eating low carb. “Ah, that explains the lower plaque this time” she said. In other news… I heard that noise canceling technology is intended to eliminate the excruciating sound of the drill… _awesome_

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