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Trials begin on lozenge that rebuilds tooth enamel

dental.washington.edu

121–130 of 364 posts

Re: Trials begin on lozenge that rebuilds tooth enamel

#121
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to drink that much coffee. I got an espresso machine and started making americanos instead now I’m good with one cup a day. I don’t know what it is, clearly the caffeine is either higher or more bioavailabile or something, but it just sates my appetite for coffee. (Actually i started making cappucinos first and stopped when i started putting on weight from them lol)

I don't think you're using units that could allow anyone to detect whether it's caffeine quantity or bioavailability that's at play. It depends on how you dose your espresso and drip coffee. I don't drink espresso but I think people are dosing something like 20 grams per shot, whereas for pourover they're dosing 18 grams of water per gram of coffee. For a standard "coffee cup" (which is 5 ounces of water that results…

> "cup" is a terrible terrible unit that needs to die

Yes. Or more to the point, all of them are; not least because of the existence of all the others.

I know it's rarely going to actually matter that much even when I try to follow a recipe (which to the letter and quantity at least, I generally don't) whether '1 cup' is US legal, Imperial (UK but not common), metric, Canadian, US customary, or any of the other country variations, but it's still infuriating!

I resisted owning any at all for a long time, but eventually gave in thinking it would be a handy way of having volumetric 1:1 ratios if nothing else (e.g. as much tomato as onion) and double as 'a cup' for following American recipes. But which 'cup' did I get? (Bought in the UK.) Nuts. I then realised I already had cup marks on a glass measure (that I'd only used ex ante for millilitres, like a sane person) - sure enough, different 'cup'.

Re: Trials begin on lozenge that rebuilds tooth enamel

#122

If we chew on enough of these lozenges, will our teeth merge into one, curved megatooth?

And why haven't we evolved to have that yet anyway? It's surely better, nowhere for food to get stuck? (Assuming it can still be molar/canine/incisor like in different places on that plane.)

Re: Trials begin on lozenge that rebuilds tooth enamel

#123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you looked into botox shots at all? When I tell you my life changed completely from a 15 minute botox appointment with an oral surgeon I am not exaggerating in the least. I’d had no idea what it felt like to live without bruxism - not only were my teeth better but my neck stopped aching, my back muscles stopped spasming, and I stopped getting migraines entirely. I had gotten debilitating migraines once every mon…

Startup idea: Reddit, but with a betting market about astroturfing

It does read a little bit like astroturfing, but as someone who had a (different) lifelong debilitating condition that has been almost entirely solved by a few doctor's appointments, I can say that nothing turns you into an advocate for something faster than this sort of experience. For me it was almost spiritual in the end. It was also oddly upsetting in some way, thinking about all the years I had wasted when essentially two hour-long appointments were all I needed. You gain this almost overwhelming need to help other people avoid the same morass you were in.

Re: Trials begin on lozenge that rebuilds tooth enamel

#124
post #31

> In addition, the researchers are investigating a gel or solution with the engineered peptide to treat hypersensitive teeth. This problem results from weakness in the enamel that makes the underlying dentin and nerves more vulnerable to heat or cold. Most common products currently on the market can put a layer of organic material on the tooth and numb nerve endings with potassium nitrate, but the relief is only temp…

Have you looked into botox shots at all? When I tell you my life changed completely from a 15 minute botox appointment with an oral surgeon I am not exaggerating in the least. I’d had no idea what it felt like to live without bruxism - not only were my teeth better but my neck stopped aching, my back muscles stopped spasming, and I stopped getting migraines entirely. I had gotten debilitating migraines once every mon…

I don’t know anything about this ailment or this solution but I’m glad to read this story.

I’ve found other examples of ailments with relatively inexpensive or simple solutions that are unknown to many.

I think many people suffer to varying degrees simply because they don’t know some important piece of information.

Sometimes historical solutions overwhelm new or lesser known yet effective solutions and this prevents people from living better lives.

Sort of like how stack overflow is overrun with answers conflating jquery with JavaScript.

With health stuff, I think sometimes the friction and expense of seeing a professional prevents people from getting answers. Though sometimes these folks don’t have the most up to date or best information either.

It is almost like we need wikihow style answers for a far broader spread over life’s many questions.

In some cases like parent’s, this can be life-changing information. And while the procedure is not free the knowledge that motivates one to find a way to greatly improve one’s own outlook is.

Re: Trials begin on lozenge that rebuilds tooth enamel

#125

Call me paranoid but I'm curious what % of the industry exists because of cavities? How much of a typical dentist office's time is spent repairing cavities? I'm not suggesting some conspiracy. Just that market motivations might be misaligned.

Interesting point. Wouldn’t that raise something deeper about sugar vs fat consumption?

Re: Trials begin on lozenge that rebuilds tooth enamel

#127
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Crooked dentists? Is this some sort of conspiracy theory? Dentists are medical professionals, who have been needed since the dark ages, and nowadays have very complex equipment and technology to ensure the best long-term and life-like suitable treatments for people. What are you on about?

To be fair, dentists do engage in what really looks like price fixing (at least where I am, and to an outside eye). Every dentist here charges the exact same amount, regardless of whether they’re in the middle of a high-income metropolitan area or in bumkinville. Also every once in a while you see some real horror stories of dentists doing unnecessary procedures on sedated patients, and although the extreme cases are…

In the UK it is price fixed... By the NHS centrally. (Private practices exist too.)

Iirc, a check-up is £22, incl. anything relatively standard they need to do (cleaning, sealing, I think even the cheap non-white or whatever fillings, etc.). Certainly not an amount to be annoyed at the lack of reduction through competition.

Re: Trials begin on lozenge that rebuilds tooth enamel

#128
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a friend with extreme food restrictions, they can mostly only eat animal products (plus white rice and very few other things). They also cannot brush their teeth regularly due to disability - yet their teeth look fantastic!

I remember in Sub-Saharan Africa, they all chewed on this stem (can't remember what it was), and everyone I knew had incredible teeth. Their diet was probably also fairly simple. I wasn't really a fan of the local cuisine. When I lived in Morocco, however, it was the opposite. Moroccan food is some of the best in the world, but they have sugar in everything . Their mint tea is something that should come with an insul…

The stick is likely Neem; my father did the same in Pakistan.

Re: Trials begin on lozenge that rebuilds tooth enamel

#129
post #31

> In addition, the researchers are investigating a gel or solution with the engineered peptide to treat hypersensitive teeth. This problem results from weakness in the enamel that makes the underlying dentin and nerves more vulnerable to heat or cold. Most common products currently on the market can put a layer of organic material on the tooth and numb nerve endings with potassium nitrate, but the relief is only temp…

Have you looked into botox shots at all? When I tell you my life changed completely from a 15 minute botox appointment with an oral surgeon I am not exaggerating in the least. I’d had no idea what it felt like to live without bruxism - not only were my teeth better but my neck stopped aching, my back muscles stopped spasming, and I stopped getting migraines entirely. I had gotten debilitating migraines once every mon…

Can you describe more specifically where the Botox was injected? What muscle(s) did it paralyze?

Re: Trials begin on lozenge that rebuilds tooth enamel

#130
When the orthodontist finally removed my braces as a kid, it also removed most of the enamel from the front of my teeth. I wish I had been told that and given a choice, because I'd honestly prefer strong, healthy, white, crooked teeth, to stained weak cavity-filled straight ones. (And the bottom row grew crooked anyway)
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