Brushing Basics

Toothbrushes of different colors and shapes

Brush every day – keep the dentist away! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Time to replace that old toothbrush! But there are so many types – WHICH one is best? Muhammad Kashif from the University of the Punjab, Pakistan, wanted to know. He and

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Sweet Tooth

Cavities are a PAIN – and that’s the TOOTH! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The enamel on our teeth is there to protect them from cavities – but sometimes they happen anyway! And truly life-like tooth enamel is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to create artificially. Or

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Nothing But Tooth

Tooth from three different views (from the referenced paper)

Do you swear to pull the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A century ago, thirteen teeth were found on the European island of Jersey inside Saint Brelade cave. Scientists assumed the teeth belonged to Neanderthals.

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Brushing Basics

Toothbrushes of different colors and shapes

Brush every day – keep the dentist away! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Time to replace that old toothbrush! But there are so many types – WHICH one is best? Muhammad Kashif from the University of the Punjab, Pakistan, wanted to know. He and

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Bite Me

To live or to die…? Depends on your. . . teeth? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. One hundred and eighty million years ago, gigantic marine reptiles ruled the seas. Then, water levels began rising… dramatically! Not all seafaring reptiles could adapt. So, who survived

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The Tooth is Out There

Hey…do I have something in my teeth? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Dental records are often used for identification. What other tales can our teeth tell about us?? Christina Warinner at the Max Planck Institute and fellow researchers picked through some plaque history. While

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Tooth Toughener

Munch, munch, munch ouch! Not another cavity! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Cavities are a pain. To slow their formation, we add fluoride to toothpaste. But fluoride doesn’t help with cavities once they form. What if something else could? Researchers at the University of

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Pearly Reds

A merlot a day keeps the… DENTIST away? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying, apparently it does in Spain! We’ve heard of the many potential benefits of red wine for our colon and heart… but could it help us in other ways? Bacteria live

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The Tooth About Beavers

Finally! Incisive research on beaver teeth! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Beavers are amazing. They’re not only master carpenters, but they fell timber with their teeth! Don’t try that at home! And like many rodents, beavers’ incisors continually grow. What’s more, they don’t get

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