Free Republic

WASHINGTON – Ever wonder why sharks get several rows of teeth and people only get one? Some geneticists did, and their discovery could spur work to help adults one day grow new teeth when their own wear out. A single gene appears to be in charge, preventing additional tooth formation in species destined for a limited set. When the scientists bred mice...

A breakthrough by scientists could see dentures bite the dust. Researchers have pinpointed the gene that governs the production of tooth enamel, raising the tantalising possibility of people one day growing extra teeth when needed. At the very least, it could cut the need for painful fillings. Experiments in mice have previously shown that the gene, a 'transcription factor' called Ctip2, is involved in the immune system and in the development of skin and nerves. The latest research, from Oregon State University in the U.S., adds enamel production to the list. The researchers made the link by studying mice genetically...

Neurological disorders are among the most difficult disease for patients and their loved ones to deal with, as the root of what makes an individual, their mind, is attacked by disease or affected by injury. Scientists have now discovered a new stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease initially, that could have implications for neurological disorders as wide ranging as Alzheimer's, dementia, epilepsy and stem cell therapy for stroke. Adult stem cell cures via the new source, dental pulp, could be personalized and easily available, as they can be harvested during simple visits to the dentist. We look...

calling for the banning of flouride and the dangers of poisoning -

ADELAIDE, Australia, September 19, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Researchers within the University of Adelaide's new Centre for Stem Cell Research are aiming by the end of this year to show repair in stroke-damaged brains using stem cells taken from adult teeth. The world-leading research using dental pulp stem cells from extracted human teeth and stroke-affected rat brain tissue will be outlined as part of the launch of the Centre for Stem Cell Research. The focus of the new Centre will be on turning novel basic research into potential life-saving treatments and cures for serious conditions and diseases. The Centre will draw...

Japanese scientists said Friday they had derived stem cells from wisdom teeth, opening another way to study deadly diseases without the ethical controversy of using embryos... (AFP articles cannot be republished)Click here for the article.

Excerpt - Many FOMHs (Friends of Mike Huckabee) have been buzzing about the former governor’s new dental work. In fact, one longtime Huckabee pal, who asked not to be named, confirmed yesterday that Huckabee has traded in his God-given smile, which left a lot to be desired, for porcelain veneers. “It’s no secret that his (Huckabee’s) teeth were in bad shape,” the Huckabee friend said. “But, make no mistake about it, his new blinding-white grill will make Jessica Simpson jealous.” There is now visual evidence of Huckabee’s cosmetic dentistry. Here’s the before from Nov. 2007: ~ snip ~

NEWS    It's a 26ft Jaws and it sucks... Big sucker ... the shark   By VIRGINIA WHEELER Published: Today   A MASSIVE Arctic shark that sucks up seals whole and may live for 200 years is being studied by boffins for the first time. The mysterious Greenland shark’s mouth with hundreds of teeth is UNDER its body — so it cruises along the ocean bed scooping up prey. Baffled boffins say whole reindeer and polar bear heads have also been found in stomachs of the deep-sea monsters, which can be 26ft long. They are cannibalistic but their flesh...

Warning for teens: Teeth and jewelry don't mix Skin piercings might be the rage among teens, but researchers from Tel Aviv University have found good reasons to think twice about piercing one's tongue or lip. Dr. Liran Levin, a dentist from the Department of Oral Rehabilitation, School of Dental Medicine at Tel Aviv University has found that about 15 to 20 percent of teens with oral piercings are at high risk for both tooth fractures and gum disease. Resulting tooth fractures as well as periodontal problems, he says, can lead to anterior (front) tooth loss later in life. High rates...

The old wives tale "for every child the mother loses a tooth" has some validity, a New York University dental professor has found. Women who have more children are more likely to have missing teeth, according to a nationwide study of 2,635 women by Dr. Stefanie Russell, an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Health Promotion, which was published today on the Web site of the American Journal of Public Health. Dr. Russell's conclusions are based on information on white and black non-Hispanic women ages 18-64 who reported at least one pregnancy in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,...

Fluoride exposure is rising and causing children’s tooth imperfections, ranging from white spots to brownish discolorations and pitting (fluorosis), dentist Elivir Dincer reports in the New York State Dental Journal. (1) “Such changes in the tooth’s appearance can affect the child’s self-esteem which makes early prevention that much more critical,” writes Dincer. Children, aged 2 to 7 years, can swallow about one-quarter milligram of fluoride with every brushing because their swallowing reflexes are not fully developed, reports Dincer. “Children from the age of 6-months to 3-years should not have more than one-quarter milligram of fluoride per day. Brushing the teeth...

Experimental chewy mint beats tooth decay 09th April 2008 A new chewable mint looks set to solve the worldwide problem of tooth decay. BasicMints is an experimental fluoride-free treatment designed to mimic a component in human saliva that neutralises acids in the mouth that can erode tooth enamel. US researchers tested the product on 200 children – aged between 10-and-a-half and 11 – over a year. The results show that children who were administered BasicMints had 62% fewer cavities in their molars when the year was up, compared to children in the placebo group. The research team, from New York's...

Dental fillings could become a thing of the past By Laura Clout  Last Updated: 12:23am BST 05/04/2008     Dentists will one day be able to dispense with fillings and help decaying teeth repair themselves, scientists believe.Researchers say they have developed a way of regrowing dentine, the yellow mineral substance in the middle of teeth that is most affected by decay. They hope that within a decade, dentists will be able to use the technique and eliminate the need for fillings.Prof Sally Marshall, of the University of California, said the technique involves painting a calcium solution onto the damaged dentine.This...

"Austin Powers move over:bad teeth afflict politicians..."

Yesterday, we noted the journalistic morals of the George Soros-funded Minnesota Monitor, which ran a Molly Priesmeyer article on its front page that made fun of John McCain’s teeth. Priesmeyer didn’t bother to research why his teeth look like “a mess of yellowed and contorted Chiclets” — which was that his torturers in Vietnam smashed his teeth to the gumline. Today, the MinnMon, which gets its funding from Center for Independent Media, continues to demonstrate the ethics of the Sorosphere. After acknowledging the fact that she didn’t bother to research her topic, Priesmeyer has yet to write a correction or...

Drudge has this on his home page right now. ~excerpt~ "I admire the fact he's trying to change the environment," Rollins says. "What I have to do is make sure that my anger with a guy like Romney, whose teeth I want to knock out, doesn't get in the way of my thought process." Full article is available here.

Ever had this happen to you? It's really kind of weird.

BARBOURVILLE, Ky. — In the 18 years he has been visiting nursing homes, seeing patients in his private practice and, more recently, driving his mobile dental clinic through Appalachian hills and hollows, Dr. Edwin E. Smith has seen the extremes of neglect. He has seen the shame of a 14-year-old girl who would not lift her head because she had lost most of her teeth from malnutrition, and the do-it-yourself pride of an elderly mountain man who, unable to afford a dentist, pulled his own infected teeth with a pair of pliers and a swig of peroxide. He has seen...

Bioden has discovered a new method of extracting stem cells that is attracting research interest from across the world. Experts from across the globe are sending milk teeth to Bioeden in Daresbury following the discovery by US cellular biologist Dr Shi, based at the UK lab, that stem cells can be found in teeth. Dentist David James from the bioscience firm has secured a patent on the method used to extract stem cells from milk teeth and explained to the Warrington Guardian that despite working with scientists from India, Italy and the US, Daresbury proved the best location for the...

Falling numbers of NHS dentists are forcing many patients to go without treatment or even try pulling out their own teeth, a study has revealed. Cost is a major factor. Almost a fifth (19%) of those questioned said they had missed out on dental work because of the cost. The research found 6% had even resorted to treating themselves because they could not find a dentist. The 5,000-plus patients who were interviewed also spoke of taking out their own teeth or fixing broken crowns with glue. One person in Lancashire said he had carried out 14 separate extractions with a...