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Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

aeon.co

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Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#31

Post by Fezzik »

kovrik wrote: post #26
elchief wrote: post #17

I had to get my front molars and wisdom teeth removed to make room in my jaw (got braces, all good) Saw the x-ray of my wisdoms. The tops were facing my front teeth, ie 90 degrees rotated

I have the same issue with my wisdoms. Seems to be a common thing. Weird. Was it painful to remove wisdoms?

I had the same thing. There is little to no pain in the extraction, at least there was not for me. My wisdom teeth were quite big so I was completely sedated for the procedure itself. Followed by a few days of ice packs, lots of gauze in my cheeks, and nothing but milkshakes for meals and I was back at school and happy as a clam.

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#32

Post by jacobolus »

This dentist Dr. Palmer (who died a few years back) had a theory that breastfeeding is of crucial importance in shaping the jaw, http://www.brianpalmerdds.com/summary.htm though I’ve seen some theorizing elsewhere that nutrient deficiency might also be a cause (in addition to the theory from TFA about chewing hard foods).

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#33

Post by [deleted] »

azakai wrote: post #20
djohnston wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if sugar's ubiquity has anything to say about this.

They are relevant for cavities, but the article is talking about all the other issues with our teeth, like not being aligned properly. Sugar has nothing to do with those problems, according to the article.

[deleted]

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#34

Post by elchief »

kovrik wrote: post #26
elchief wrote: post #17

I had to get my front molars and wisdom teeth removed to make room in my jaw (got braces, all good) Saw the x-ray of my wisdoms. The tops were facing my front teeth, ie 90 degrees rotated

I have the same issue with my wisdoms. Seems to be a common thing. Weird. Was it painful to remove wisdoms?

It was when the anaesthesia ran out halfway thru

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#35

Post by antman »

yousifa wrote: post #18

Semi-related: When I was in the canyons of New Mexico learning about various tribes and their lifestyles, I learned that many died from tooth-related infections. This is because the mortars they used were made from softer stone that crumbled in the grinding process (when they grind maize). These tiny pieces of stone essentially ground down their teeth. If I remember correctly, because of this their average lifespan w…

The same problem was with pharaohs. The stone tools that were used to make bread consisted mainly of sand which grinded ancient egyptians' teeth. National Geographic magazine had some x-rays that indicated that they were in pain.

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#36

Post by gumby »

sn9 wrote: post #7
gumby wrote: post #2

Can this really be true? Is there any science on this beyond a blog post?

There are literally links to scientific research in the article. This isn't an opinion piece. The author is a researcher in the field.

Thanks, couldn't see the links on my phone but re-opened on computer (I was quite surprised by your response -- thanks!) and there they were.

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#37

Post by hueving »

elchief wrote: post #34
kovrik wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have the same issue with my wisdoms. Seems to be a common thing. Weird. Was it painful to remove wisdoms?

It was when the anaesthesia ran out halfway thru

It's mind blowing to me that this happens. My condolences. :)

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#38

Post by theshrike79 »

kovrik wrote: post #26
elchief wrote: post #17

I had to get my front molars and wisdom teeth removed to make room in my jaw (got braces, all good) Saw the x-ray of my wisdoms. The tops were facing my front teeth, ie 90 degrees rotated

I have the same issue with my wisdoms. Seems to be a common thing. Weird. Was it painful to remove wisdoms?

Wisdom teeth spread their roots the older they get.

Basically the roots look like this at first || and after they get settled in, they're more like this: _/\_ and at that point getting them out WILL suck.

So if you have any family history of your wisdom teeth being f'd up, get them removed as soon as possible. My top two wisdom teeth were out before I even noticed the dentist was doing anything.

Then I got stupid and chickened out, waited too long, and the bottom ones were an hour each to dig out piece by piece. Not fun.

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#39

Post by theshrike79 »

fern12 wrote: post #29
DrScump wrote: post #11

Blogspam of https://aeon.co/ideas/its-not-that-your-teeth-are-too-big-yo...

What is "blogspam"? New to HN, and trying to maintain good posting etiquette. I posted the same link from sapiens.org a while back.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blogspam

"A blog where the author paraphrases or copies from the original article/webpage in an attempt to increase his or her own traffic. This becomes a waste of the reader's time forcing them to click through the blog to get to the actual article. Often submitted to sites like Digg or Reddit."

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#40

Post by madaxe_again »

guilhas wrote: post #3

When I see old human skeletons always wonder how they kept their teeth so good. Without toothpaste, toothbrush or floss. What are we doing wrong?

You're going to say "ewwwwww gross!", but: I do not brush my teeth. Haven't since I was 10 years old, I'm 34 now. The most I ever do is chew sugar free gum, or pick at my gum line with a fingernail in idle moments alone. You know, like humans did for a few million years. I have very little sugar in my diet.

When I go to the dentist every five or so years, they say "gosh you take good care of your teeth" and I smirk. Never had a filling, never had gum disease.

If I didn't chainsmoke and drink coffee like a gutter they'd not be slightly ivory coloured, as they are, rather white.

I view the dental hygiene industry rather like the anti-spot creme industry - once you start screwing with something, you have to keep screwing with it.

A final aside: I have 28 teeth, including wisdom teeth. Never had first molars, nor my mother or grandfather. Means the wisdom teeth fit just fine, and many a dentist who's not only convinced that I brush thrice daily but also had dental surgery. Apparently this isn't a common mutation.

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