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Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

aeon.co

101–110 of 168 posts

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Teeth themselves maybe, but that's kind of like saying a drill bit is inanimate without moving parts.

But it's not the jaw that fails... it's the teeth, or the tooth-jaw interface. Neither of which have any moving parts!

The tooth-food or tooth-tooth interaction "counts" as a moving part - it gets friction, it gets all kinds of forces/stress applied, exactly as the interaction between moving parts in a mechanism.

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like you have some gum recession ('sensitive teeth'). Brushing vigorously can erode gums, exposing the sensitive parts of teeth. It's very important to brush gently (but thoroughly); not back and forth, rather up and down. Flossing isn't particularly good for gums, either, so best to do it sparingly.

Excuse me? Flossing is critical for gum health.

You'd be surprised, but above is not the commonly accepted truth, and is debated amongst dentists. (research across countries also lends credible data to both sides in the debate).

Source: married to a dentist.

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#103
post #94

I remember talking to an army recruiter at school when I was about 14 - not to recruit us, but to show how "cool" a career in the military could be, in case book-lernin didn't work out. Anyhow, the one thing I remember him saying is in boot camp they were made to chew every bite of food 50 times. The drill sergeant would count and punish anyone who swallowed before they got to fifty. Fast-forward 30 years and I STILL…

My mum's number was 32, which meant early on (age 3) I learnt binary halving to know if I was a quarter done, halfway done, etc.

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#104
post #54
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I might add that the shape of the baby bottle nipple is crucially important for correct development of the palate as well. I only know of the german company NUK making these. They are recommended by orthodontists. More info here: https://www.nuk.de/de_en/about-nuk/nuk-concepts/the-nuk-shap... Also available in the US: http://www.nuk-usa.com/orthodontic-pacifier/orthodontic-paci...

NSFW warning, autoplaying breast-feeding video with audio. ;)

Ugh, that's disgusting. Who in their right mind wants auto-playing video with audio?

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#105

I'm going to take this moment to rant at dentists! Going to the doctor they get the excuse that they rarely do anything that could possibly hurt. Dentists on the other hand are practically doing minor surgery every time you visit them. I know many of you will never have had any bad experiences at the dentist but I've had tons and what's extremely frustrating is many of them are preventable but dentists seem to have a…

Speaking of horror stories. I've had a dentist straight up leave the room and not come back half way through a cleaning.

I complained and didn't get charged, but WTF. I sat in the room with no explanation.

The only thing they did do was create a 3D model of my mouth from some 25 exrays they took.

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#106

The standard approach to orthodontics is to extract teeth to make room and then move the remaining teeth into place. There is an alternative approach which involves enlarging the jaw, either through expanders, surgery or a combination of both. Unfortunately this is an area where the patient or parent often has to make the decision because specialists only know about what they do. As a related example, I asked a denti…

There's a larger truth hidden in here: experts disagree. It was one of the things that took me by surprise when building Machine Learning systems, but it makes sense if you think about it. For all but the most trivial matters, it's the job of the expert to exercise personal judgement. It's why they're experts, not because they have a solid understanding of the "knowns", but because they have developed methods and int…

The issue with the medical profession seems to be when you ask them about something not in their specialty.

Most doctors I've spoken to without a personal relationship refuse to comment and instead refer to a specialist.

... Which forces the patient to make his or her own choice, even though they most information they have is a summary from hurried medical professionals.

I understand why they do it, but it's a suboptimal result compared to their weighing the relative merits with their expert knowledge in at least one and offering advice.

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#107

I'm going to take this moment to rant at dentists! Going to the doctor they get the excuse that they rarely do anything that could possibly hurt. Dentists on the other hand are practically doing minor surgery every time you visit them. I know many of you will never have had any bad experiences at the dentist but I've had tons and what's extremely frustrating is many of them are preventable but dentists seem to have a…

Speaking of horror stories. I've had a dentist straight up leave the room and not come back half way through a cleaning. I complained and didn't get charged, but WTF. I sat in the room with no explanation. The only thing they did do was create a 3D model of my mouth from some 25 exrays they took.

In the US, it's uncommon for dentist to do cleanings. Are you sure it was t a hygenist?

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#108
I'd like to know what are the "[f]or adults, surgical options for stimulating bone growth are gaining momentum, too, and can lead to shorter treatment times." .. referred to in the third-to-last paragraph? Is this something more than breaking the jaw and extending it like is sometimes done with legs to treat severe growth problems?

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#109

I'd like to know what are the "[f]or adults, surgical options for stimulating bone growth are gaining momentum, too, and can lead to shorter treatment times." .. referred to in the third-to-last paragraph? Is this something more than breaking the jaw and extending it like is sometimes done with legs to treat severe growth problems?

That was always the recommendation I got, even as a teenager pre-braces. In the end, my parents opted for braces, which I had to wear twice for a total of 9 years. In the end, my 4 lower front teeth lost bone, so they were dangerously loose. I had a massive retainer to keep them stable for about 6 years. Last year, I finally had them removed and replaced with implants and crowns. I am much happier now, but it took over 15 years of pain, and roughly $30k. I have an expensive mouth.

Re: Why Are Human Teeth So Messed Up?

#110
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

NSFW warning, autoplaying breast-feeding video with audio. ;)

Ugh, that's disgusting. Who in their right mind wants auto-playing video with audio?

I know HN isn't the place for jokes, but this one genuinely made me chuckle.
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