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Predicting tooth loss

Researchers developed machine-learning tools to predict tooth loss based on medical characteristics and socioeconomic factors, outperforming traditional clinical indicators. The approach could be used globally to screen people and improve early interventions, potentially delaying or preventing tooth loss.

SourceHarvard Medical School·JournalPLOS ONE·DateJun 23, 2021

A link between childhood stress and early molars

University of Pennsylvania researchers discovered a correlation between childhood stress and earlier molar eruption, with lower-income children experiencing an earlier onset. The study used a novel rating system to measure tooth development, showing that adverse childhood experiences also predict earlier molar eruption.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 9, 2021

New ancient shark discovered

A new ancient shark species, Durnonovariaodus maiseyi, has been identified from a 150 million-year-old fossil found in the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of England. The discovery provides valuable insights into the evolution and diversity of hybodontiform sharks, which were closely related to modern sharks.

SourceUniversity of Vienna·JournalPeerJ·DateMay 11, 2021

Researchers discover how animals grow their pointy body parts

An interdisciplinary team at Monash University discovered a new universal rule of biological growth that explains surprising similarities in the shapes of sharp structures across the tree of life. The 'power cascade' rule applies to various animals, including teeth, horns, claws, and even plant thorns, following a power law pattern.

SourceMonash University·JournalBMC Biology·DateMar 29, 2021

New drug to regenerate lost teeth

A new study by Kyoto University scientists has shown an antibody for USAG-1 to stimulate tooth growth in mice with congenital tooth agenesis. The antibody, which targets the factor that antagonizes BMP and Wnt signaling, is promising for a potential therapeutic framework for regenerating teeth.

SourceKyoto University·JournalScience Advances·DateMar 29, 2021

How teeth sense the cold

Research reveals that teeth contain cold-sensitive proteins called odontoblasts, which detect temperature changes and trigger pain signals to the brain. This discovery explains how clove oil eases toothaches and may lead to new treatments for tooth sensitivity.

SourceHoward Hughes Medical Institute·JournalScience Advances·DateMar 26, 2021

My, what sharp teeth

Gorgonopsians, a lineage more related to humans than dinosaurs, evolved the first complex tooth serration made of enamel and dentine, discovered in a new Harvard-led study. This finding indicates that gorgonopsians developed this specialized structure early in amniote evolution.

Breakthrough for tomorrow's dentistry

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified all cell populations in mouse teeth and young human teeth, deciphering differentiation pathways of odontoblasts and ameloblasts. The study sheds light on tooth sensitivity and the formation of enamel.

SourceKarolinska Institutet·JournalNature Communications·DateSep 23, 2020

New fossil ape is discovered in India

A 13-million-year-old fossil unearthed in northern India belongs to a previously unknown genus and species, providing new evidence about the migration of great apes and lesser apes from Africa to Asia. The discovery pushes back the oldest known fossil record of gibbons by at least five million years.

Atomic force microscopy reveals nanoscale dental erosion from beverages

KAIST researchers used AFM to analyze the effects of acidic and sugary drinks on human tooth enamel at the nanoscale level. The study found significant increases in surface roughness and decreases in elastic modulus with immersion time, highlighting the need for thorough studies on early-stage enamel erosion.

SourceThe Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)·JournalJournal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials·DateJul 22, 2020

Gum disease may raise risk of some cancers

A study published in the journal Gut found that people with periodontal disease may be at a higher risk of developing oesophageal and gastric cancer. The research examined data from over 98,000 women and men and found a 43-52% increased risk associated with periodontal disease.

SourceBMJ Group·JournalGut·DateJul 20, 2020

Hyksos, 15th Dynasty rulers of Ancient Egypt, were an internal takeover

A study using chemical analysis reveals that the Hyksos rulers of Ancient Egypt were a multi-cultural group who rose to power from within. The research found that a large percentage of the population in the ancient capital city were non-locals who immigrated from various places, contradicting the common story of a sudden invasion.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateJul 15, 2020

Cavity-causing bacteria assemble an army of protective microbes on human teeth

A team from the University of Pennsylvania and Georgia Tech discovered that cavity-causing bacteria, Streptococcus mutans, are encased in a protective community of other microbes forming a unique spatial organization. This structure is crucial to how they cause tooth decay and can be used to target the pathogenic core of dental biofilms.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 18, 2020

Ancient reptile had mammal-like tooth enamel, study shows

A new study reveals that the Late Cretaceous reptile Priosphenodon had a unique type of tooth enamel, similar to that of mammals, which provided it with resilience against tooth wear. The researchers found that the enamel crystals in Priosphenodon were 'woven' into long threads called enamel prisms, a characteristic also found in mammals.

SourceUniversity of Alberta·JournalCurrent Biology·DateMay 12, 2020

Study links frequent tooth brushing to lower risk of diabetes while dental disease and missing teeth associated with increased risk; stronger effect of tooth brushing in younger adults and women

A study published in Diabetologia found that frequent tooth brushing is linked to a lower risk of developing diabetes, with an 8% reduced risk for those brushing three times a day or more. In contrast, dental disease and missing teeth are associated with a higher risk of diabetes, with increases of 9% and 21% respectively.

SourceDiabetologia·JournalDiabetologia·DateMar 2, 2020