Filed under: Preventing Dental Problems
A group of British scientists has gained new information on how humans can keep their teeth longer from a most unlikely source: a lizard-like reptile from New Zealand.
The skull and teeth of the tuatara, whose ancestors roamed with the dinosaurs, provided the basis of a 3-D computer model to explain how interplay between the jaws, muscles and brain can prevent damage to dental implants and jaw joints.
Mammals and crocodiles have teeth that are held in sockets by a flexible ligament. This ligament sends impulses to the brain to warn against biting too hard, which prevents damage to teeth and jaws.
The tuatara’s teeth, however, are fused directly to its jaw bone and have no ligaments. In spite of this, these reptiles live more than 60 years in the wild without replacing their teeth.
That’s because “they have the ability to unconsciously measure the forces in their jaw joint and adjust the strength of the jaw muscle contractions accordingly,” said Dr. Neal Curtis, a postdoctoral fellow on the research team.
Studying the tuatara’s chewing capabilities may explain why people with false teeth manage not to break their teeth. The studies can also help scientists create better dentures and dental implants in the future, and understand how more people can keep their teeth as they age.
Sources:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100907071351.htm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/200196.php
No Comments so far
Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>