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Our relationship with teeth is uneven, messy and grim

EYES are not the window into the soul—teeth are. They can be rotten, wise or broken; they reveal our diet, health and wealth. As babies, we learn about the world around us by munching our way through it. Teeth are the only exposed part of our skeleton while we are alive. And when we die, they will be the part of our body that longest remains on earth. If we perish in a particularly grisly fashion, our dental records may be what identifies us.

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Featured

  Everything you ever wanted to know about teeth (but were afraid to ask the dentist)

How often should you brush your teeth? What kind of toothpaste should you use? And is mouthwash a good idea?

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Most people don't give their teeth a whole lot of thought beyond whether they are white enough or if there's something stuck in them. But your mouth houses a pretty complex and delicate ecosystem, and there's a lot more going on in there then you probably realize. And, as this Buzzfeed video underscores, what happens on your pearly whites can have effects that range from your breath to your heart health.

 The Lifecycle of a Tooth

When a new mother looks down into the gaping mouth of her wailing newborn, she sees a tongue and pink gums. No teeth.

 Why We Have So Many Problems with Our Teeth

Our choppers are crowded, crooked and riddled with cavities. It hasn’t always been this way

Articles of Interest

Ancient dental plaque shows humans have always loved carbs

The plaque on your teeth holds a record of the bacteria living in your mouth.

Bad molars? The origins of wisdom teeth

The main reason we get impacted wisdom teeth is lack of space at the back of the jawbone. Our team found that when wisdom teeth develop and emerge very late, most of this space is already claimed by the first and second molars, so the wisdom tooth can’t move upwards and through the gums.

Demystifying The Most Common Tooth Myths — Enlighten Yourself With The Facts

There is lot of stress and anxiety which surrounds our dental health, and this has given birth to a hell lot of myths which increase our dental woes. Unlike serious conditions like heart diseases, ALS, cancer and Type 2 diabetes which grab the headlines, the relationship between oral health and overall health is often forgotten by most people.

Dental Emergency? Know How to Save Your Teeth

In all cases, see your dentist as quickly as possible. Knocked out teeth have the highest chances of being saved if seen by the dentist and returned to their socket within 1 hour of being knocked out.

Everything You Need to Know About Spraining Your Tooth

Grinding your teeth at night, clenching your jaw during the day, and biting your nails can traumatize your tooth ligaments, leading to serious pain.

How Ancient Teeth Reveal the Roots of Humankind

From diet to evolution, prehistoric chompers tell archaeologists a surprising amount about our ancestors.

Human Teeth, Small Already, Keep On Shrinking

The trend in dental reduction also demonstrates that the evolutionary process among humans did not halt some 30,000 years ago, as some scientists have contended. But are teeth likely to go the way of the appendix, or disappear entirely?

If Your Teeth Could Talk

The mouth offers clues to disorders and disease; Dentists could play larger role in patient care.

Instead of Filling Cavities, Dentists May Soon Regenerate Teeth

For dentists, a cavity is a conundrum—in order to save the tooth they must further damage it. Currently, the primary way to treat a cavity is to excavate the decay and the surrounding area before filling the resulting crater with a durable surrogate material such as metal, plastic or glass cement. But what if instead of drilling holes into teeth and patching them up with synthetic fillers, dentists could coax our pearly whites to regrow themselves?

Our Teeth Are Making Us Sick

“Oral health is a neglected issue nationally,” said Julia Paradise, an associate director of the program on Medicaid and the Uninsured at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “This is a big problem. The mouth and the head – mental health and dental health – somehow remain outside of what people think of as general health.”

Our teeth can completely transform how we look and feel – so why has the beauty industry neglected them for so long?

It's high time we pay attention to our teeth.

People Are Making a Fortune Off Your Teeth

Americans love a great set of teeth. Studies show we appraise people with straighter, whiter teeth as more attractive, intelligent, and friendly.

Scientists discover way to ‘grow’ tooth enamel

Experts produce clusters of enamel-like calcium phosphate to crack age-old problem.

Teeth contain detailed records of lead contamination in humans and other primates

Our study adds to the evidence that lead exposure is common around the world. To safeguard our health, we need better regulation of food, water, and air quality.

Teeth: Names, types, and functions

Teeth names include incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. Each type of tooth has a specific function, including biting, chewing, and grinding up food.

The secret lives of baby teeth

Why some are trying to discover more about our bodies’ “little living archives.”

The Worst Foods and Drinks for Your Teeth

When assessing how likely a given meal, snack or drink is to harm your dental health, there are two main things to consider, experts say.

This Exhibition Has Real Bite

With letters to the tooth fairy, a set of gold grillz, and other weird and wonderful objects, an exhibition in London examines the feelings people harbor about their teeth.

Was It Me? Or My Teeth?

In America, a smile is like a résumé. I was afraid mine wasn’t closing the deal.

We finally know why we grow wisdom teeth as adults

Other primates have them too, but ours come in a lot later in life.

What is inside teeth?

Enamel is the hardest substance in the body and protects the dentine and pulp, just like a helmet protects your head. Dentine is the second layer and makes up most of the tooth.

What teeth can reveal about the secret lives of our ancestors

Old tools and bones can reveal a lot about our ancestors. But when it comes to what was going on inside their bodies – such as what they ate and how healthy they were – nothing can really beat a well-preserved row of teeth. Teeth are extremely valuable as they are exposed directly to the environment we live in – anything we consume or breathe comes directly into contact with them. And, most importantly, they are hard enough to preserve really well over time.

Why am I so furious about teeth? They are deeply socially divisive

One thing that must surely unite everyone who believes in a creator figure of any variety is an acceptance that she/he/they/it messed up big time when it comes to human teeth, an abysmal piece of design by any standard.

Why do I grind my teeth and clench my jaw? And what can I do about it?

The symptoms of teeth clenching and/or grinding (also known as bruxing or parafunction) can include pain in teeth and gums, as well as jaw joints and muscles. The pain it causes can be debilitating and significantly affect your daily life.

Why Don't We Treat Teeth Like the Rest of Our Bodies?

Dental care is excluded from most insurance plans for a bizarre and antiquated reason, and millions of people suffer as a result.

Resources

8 Popular Tooth Myths Debunked

Nothing but the tooth.

Animated-Teeth.com

Information about teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry, dental products and insurance, dental procedures and treatments, and oral coditions for consumers.

Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide

From babies to boomers, Got Teeth? A Survivor’s Guide illustrates the importance of the mouth/body connection and good oral health for our overall well-being.

ToothFairy.org

Turning magic into smiles...Be true to your teeth or they'll be false to you.

StemSave

Bank the valuable stem cells found in baby teeth and wisdom teeth...StemSave offers you and your family a unique stem cell recovery and cryopreservation service, in the event of future injury or disease.