Dental News You Can Use

Did you know?

The ancient human diet was recently proven to consist mainly of bark, leaves, and fruit!

How’s that for a high-fiber offering?

Two million year old teeth fossils of the Australopithecus sediba, an early human, were recently recovered in Malapa, South Africa. Their diet surprised researchers, who thought that by this time in human evolution, most members of the human family were eating a larger variety of foods from different habitats, including meat. Although our lineage had long since split from chimpanzees during Au. sediba’s time, their “diet looks as much like a chimp’s or a giraffe’s than anything else,” according to Peter Ungar, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and a co-author of the study.

Did you know?

You may someday be brushing your teeth with bacteria from seaweed!

It’s true!

Researchers recently completed a study showing that microbes found on seaweed may actually provide an effective weapon against tooth decay. An enzyme isolated from the microbes was found during research that was supposed to assist in finding a substance to clean ships hulls(!).

While brushing with toothpaste and flossing are generally considered to be an effective way to clean teeth, it can still be difficult to reach and clean certain areas of the mouth, particularly tight spaces between teeth. Scientists believe the enzyme, which has proven able to cut through plaque and layers of bacteria in the mouth, may effectively harness the power of the “good” bacteria found in the seaweed to break up and remove damaging substances and ultimately help keep teeth healthy.

The researchers hope to be able to use the new technology in both toothpastes and mouthwashes.

Dr. Shannon Norman-Kotre, Ann Arbor Dentist