DailyDirt: Modern Dentistry

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Wed, Jan 26th 2011 5:00pm — Michael Ho

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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Filed Under: cavities, dentist, glucansucrase, stem cells, teeth

9 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2011 @ 6:39pm

Researchers in Japan have already regrown a tooth(link.

No more drilling with tooth regeneration gel.

Killing plaque with a plasma torch

Printing 3D(rapid prototyping) teeth using stem cells to regenerate teeth, this probably is more work then the Japanese method.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2011 @ 6:40pm

Oops!

Researchers in Japan have already regrown a tooth(link.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2011 @ 7:32pm

Oops again!

Researchers in Japan have already regrown a tooth(link).

The later link was missing an "l" at the end of "html"
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MattH, 26 Jan 2011 @ 8:28pm

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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Michael Ho (profile), 26 Jan 2011 @ 11:11pm

Re:
heh. looks like you've got a followup DailyDirt post almost already written there... :)
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2011 @ 2:49am

I imagine many people don't want to comment on modern dentistry because they're afraid of your last recommendation of Mangalitsa pigs meat. But those lacking, those who are superfluous, as we call them, may find it similar in preparation of Boshintang or Gaejangguk. Do you not agree?

None of my commentary is meant to offend you, Michael Ho.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2011 @ 6:11am

WARNING: If you are not comfortable with blood don't click on the first link below because it is a video showing a real oral operation.

Graphical operation showing how regenerative bone techniques that are used today are done.

Another video showing in 3D how it is done, no graphic scenes on this one.
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Brock Phillimore (profile), 28 Jan 2011 @ 11:43am

Body's Own Stem Cells Can Lead to Tooth Regeneration

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/news/body%27s-own-stem-cells-can-lead-tooth-regeneratio n
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ggfa, 12 Aug 2013 @ 4:50am

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