Not a moment too soon. From NBC News:
From fluoride toothpaste to dental sealants, science has brought all sorts of tools for fighting tooth decay — and yet 91% of Americans between 20 and 64 years of age are affected by dental caries.
But provocative new research suggests that cell-stimulating medications can “trick†teeth into repairing themselves. If these “small molecule†drugs work as well as scientists think they will, we may be on the cusp of a new era in which dental tissue and even entire teeth can be regrown.
And this is only one of several new approaches that hold promise for tooth regeneration.
I broke a tooth over last weekend and had a filling put in yesterday. Most of what few fillings I have are old amalgam jobs put in in the 1950s.
I’ve had these teeth for a long time and I’m kind of attached to them.
I think it stands to reason that some of the research on this is being done by the Brits. Lord knows they need it.
“…and I’m kind of attached to them.â€
Literally.
Interesting. I can’t let my kids see this – it’s already hard enough to get them to brush regularly.
I’ve noticed that my dentist has reduced office hours from 4 days a week with one long day to 3 1/2 days per week.
Sounds like something else like implants my dental insurance won’t cover.
Andy, never let the kids see the dental requirements (8 teeth, four in each jaw) the Air Force once had for fighter pilots.
So, they ruled out pilots from Arkansas then? 😉
I have friends who consider any money put into dental fiduciary irresponsibility. Myself, I’ve spent thousands on crowns and root canals. I’ve also backed out of fights to save my teeth. I love them, I love to eat, everything. But, that’s just me.
I knew a guy in the Navy that joined primarily to get his teeth fixed. They weren’t quite bad enough to disqualify him from service. It took several major procedures to get everything corrected, include braces.
He ended up staying in for 10 years before transferring to the reserve.
One reason I’m phlegmatic about rising medical costs is that I think we’re close to much more effective health care. I don’t we’ll visit a doctor twenty years hence and be told “Take a kid’s aspirin once a day; it seems to reduce the odds of getting a stroke.” I think we’ll be told something like “You’ve got a genetic disposition to overreact to potassium bromide, and that’s going to give you ulcers in five years, so before that I want you to start taking this prescription. Don’t try reading the name, it’ll just confuse you, give this slip of paper to the pharmacist, they may take a blood sample to double check, and they’ll make you up a batch in about five minutes. and don’t worry, it’s covered by your basic national health plan. But this is for you, don’t give these pills to anyone else, they’ll make them grow big green tentacles or something. Come back in six months.”