100-Year-Old Mystery of Children’s “Chalky Teeth” Explained – Affects 1 in 5 Children
A blood protein blocks hardening of enamel on teeth growing inside the jaw. Australian and Chilean researchers solve a 100-year-old mystery and call for education…
Teeth
New Dental Bleaching Gel: Whiter Teeth, Without the Burn
Most people would like to flash a smile of pearly whites, but over time teeth can become stained by foods, beverages, and some medications. Unfortunately,…
Strange Animals That Lived Before the Dinosaurs Reveal the Evolutionary Origin of Tusks
A wide variety of animals have tusks, from elephants and walruses to five-pound, guinea pig-looking critters called hyraxes. But one thing tusked animals have in…
Fossil Dental Exams Reveal How Tusks Evolved – Originated in “Very Weird Animals” Called Dicynodonts
Most people picture an elephant when imagining animals with tusks. But many other animals have tusks including warthogs, hippopotamuses, Arctic-dwelling walruses, and even a five-pound,…
Genetics and Skeletal Biology Debunks Popular Theory of Native American Origins
Latest scientific findings suggest the ancestral Native American population does not originate in Japan, as believed by many archaeologists. A widely accepted theory of Native…
Surprising Diversity of Cretaceous Reptiles at Argentina Fossil Site – Revealed by Discovery of Ancient Teeth
Remains include the first armored dinosaurs and land-dwelling crocs from the region. Where skeletons are rare, isolated teeth can flesh out our understanding of ancient…
How Ant Teeth Cut Like a Scalpel – Atomic-Scale Imaging Reveals Embedded Zinc Atoms
Atomic-scale imaging reveals tiny animals use zinc to sharpen their miniature tools. Ever wonder how tiny creatures can so easily slice, puncture, or sting? New…
Research Shows Extensive Damage Caused by Common Teeth-Whitening Products
A study led by researchers at the University of Toronto highlights the extensive damage that can be caused by common teeth-whitening agents. Published recently in…
“Dental Origami” – How Snakes Got Their Fangs
‘Dental origami’ exploited by multiple species. Ever wondered how deadly snakes evolved their fangs? The answer lies in particular microscopic features of their teeth, research…
Deep Evolutionary Origins of the Human Smile in Ancient Ancestors
The origins of a pretty smile have long been sought in the fearsome jaws of living sharks which have been considered living fossils reflecting the…
Need a New Tooth? Drug Discovered to Regenerate Lost Teeth
Antibody for USAG-1 shown to stimulate tooth growth. The tooth fairy is a welcome guest for any child who has lost a tooth. Not only…
Good News: Your Toothbrush Reflects You, Not Your Toilet
Microbes on your toothbrush match microbes inside your mouth. Good news: The bacteria living on your toothbrush reflect your mouth – not your toilet. After…
“Tooth Worms”: Researchers Discover Why Cold Induces Tooth Pain – And How to Stop It
Odontoblasts, the cells that form a tooth’s dentin, have a newly discovered function: Sensing cold, which can trigger pain in teeth; but scientists have also…
Surprising Connection Discovered Between Prehistoric Dinosaurs and Mammals in Their Teeth
When most people think of ferocious, blade-like teeth on prehistoric creatures they picture Smilodon, better known as the saber-toothed tiger. But in the world of dinosaurs,…
Pioneering Analysis of 200 Million-Year-Old Teeth Reveals First Mammals Lived More Like Reptiles
Pioneering analysis of 200 million-year-old teeth belonging to the earliest mammals suggests they functioned like their cold-blooded counterparts — reptiles, leading less active but much…
48,000 Year-Old Baby Tooth Found – Belonged to One of the Last Neanderthals in Northern Italy
A milk-tooth (i.e. baby tooth) found in the vicinity of “Riparo del Broion” on the Berici Hills in the Veneto region bears evidence of one…
Scientists Trace the Origin of Our Teeth to Primitive Fish More Than 400 Million Years Back in Time
The origin of our teeth goes back more than 400 million years back in time, to the period when strange armored fish first developed jaws…
Ancient Reptile Had Mammal-Like Tooth Enamel – “Strangest Teeth Ever Seen”
Priosphenodon specimens found in Argentina show the Late Cretaceous reptile evolved to have resilient tooth enamel similar to that in mammals. A new study by…