DailyDirt: Modern Dentistry

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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Source: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110106/16033312565/dailydirt-modern-dentistry.shtml

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