Laser tests may soon replace dentist's dreaded drillAugust 31st, 2009 LONDON - The dentist's dreaded drill may soon be a thing of past, thanks to the laser tests University of Sydney scientists have developed to identify weaknesses in dental enamel. Currently, X-rays and metal probes are used to check cavities, but they fail to detect weaknesses in the enamel in time to repair the surface.
Soon, soundwaves may help find early dental decayAugust 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Aussie researchers are developing a tool that can use sound waves to identify early stages of tooth decay by measuring the mineral content of teeth. Tooth decay begins by acid-forming bacteria eating away at the enamel, causing minerals to leach from it, softening, and weakening the tooth.
Michigan golf course groundskeeper stumbles upon a 10,000-year-old mammoth toothAugust 24th, 2009 Golf course groundskeeper finds mammoth toothSARANAC, Mich. — A golf course groundskeeper recently stumbled onto something unexpected on the greens: A tooth from a 10,000-year-old mammoth.
Tooth enamel can inspire lighter airplanes, space vehiclesAugust 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Its been a mystery how human teeth remain intact and functional even after years of biting and chewing. Now, a new study has shown that it is the highly sophisticated structure of tooth enamel that keeps it in one piece - and that structure holds promising clues for aerospace engineers as they build the aircraft and space vehicles of the future.
Do worm-like structures cause tooth decay?July 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - For years, scientists have debated the exact nature of the worm like structures inside a human tooth. The structures are not worms, but what they are is still in question.
Blind man gets vision back following tooth implantation in his eyeJuly 5th, 2009 LONDON - A man who lost his eyesight in an accident at work can now see again, thanks to doctors who transplanted his tooth in his eye. Martin Jones, 42, a builder, had been blind for 12 years after a tub of white-hot aluminium exploded in his face while working at a scrapyard.
New nanotechnology technique may boost longevity of dental fillingsJuly 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A novel nanotechnology technique can boost the longevity of dental fillings, claims a Medical College of Georgia (MCG) researcher. The tooth-coloured fillings are usually more attractive than silver ones, but the bonds between the white filling and the tooth quickly age and degrade.
Scientists claim discovery of largest carnivorous dino tooth in Spain till dateJune 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of paleontologists has claimed to have discovered the largest carnivorous dinosaur tooth in Spain till date. The features and size of the 9.83cm tooth provide key information needed to identify its former owner.
Ancient mammals shifted diets as climate changedJune 3rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has shown that mammals change their dietary niches based on climate-driven environmental changes, contradicting a common assumption that species maintain their niches despite global warming. Led by Florida Museum of Natural History vertebrate paleontologist Larisa DeSantis, researchers examined fossil teeth from mammals at two sites representing different climates in Florida: a glacial period about 1.9 million years ago and a warmer, interglacial period about 1.3 million years ago.
Arctic mammals wintered in darkness 53 million years agoJune 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has suggested that ancestors of tapirs and ancient cousins of rhinos living above the Arctic Circle 53 million years ago endured six months of darkness each year in a far milder climate than today that featured lush, swampy forests. According to University of Colorado (CU) Boulder Assistant Professor Jaelyn Eberle, the study shows several varieties of prehistoric mammals as heavy as 1,000 pounds each lived on what is today Ellesmere Island near Greenland on a summer diet of flowering plants, deciduous leaves and aquatic vegetation.
Sea urchins' digging teeth are designed to stay sharpMay 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists at Weizmann Institute, US, have revealed how the teeth of sea urchins are designed to stay sharp, which might give engineers insights into creating ever-sharp tools or mechanical parts. The urchins dig holes to fit their globular bodies using their five teeth, which, like those of rodents, are ground down at the tip but continue to grow on the other end throughout the animals' lives.
Home tooth whiteners reduce enamel strengthApril 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - New research has shown that human teeth lost some enamel hardness after the application of popular home whiteners. Researchers noted that teeth can regain their previous hardness after losing small amounts of enamel calcification.
What makes our teeth resilient to wear and tearApril 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Despite all the crunching and munching at every meal, our teeth remain stronger to go under some more tests each day, and now researchers have attributed this resilience to the microscopic "basket-weave" structure of human tooth enamel. Tooth enamel, which forms the outer coating of teeth, is a strong but brittle substance.
Sports drinks can cause tooth erosionApril 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Sipping sports drinks may boost your energy levels but they have a flip side - they may erode your teeth. In a study, researchers found that their prolonged consumption may be linked to erosive tooth wear, in which acids eat away the tooth's smooth hard enamel coating and trickle into the bonelike material underneath, causing tooth to soften and weaken.
History extracted from teeth of Christopher Columbus' crewMarch 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Dead men do tell tales. Researchers are now extracting history from the teeth of crew members Christopher Columbus left on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola after his second voyage to America in 1493-94.
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