Questions tagged [teeth]

Hard projections in the mouths of vertebrates used mainly to mechanically digest food. Teeth can also be used for the purposes of defense or obtaining meals, especially in the case of hunting.

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How is the fluoride in toothpaste absorbed?

How is the fluoride in toothpaste absorbed by our body? Does the tooth absorb the molecule directly, or is it absorbed by the mouth? The answers to this question suggest that some materials can be absorbed by the mouth, but fluoride is absent.…
dotancohen
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Why do we have nerves in our teeth?

Toothache is a useful signal to us as we can visit the dentist who can try to fix any problems with our teeth. But what is the natural biological role of toothache? Does toothache make animals take action that helps them to deal with their dental…
Count Iblis
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What limits our ability to grow enamel rods?

From what I've understood from what I've read (which might be wrong), enamel rods extend away from the dentin in our teeth. As young people grow, the rods are thickened. What are the technical limitations and/or problems/challenges of trying to…
Tom
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Is Fluoride really that good for tooth enamel?

Recently, I started to pay more attention to my teeth because of the high number of tooth decays, and I'm trying to understand different concepts and biological functions of the teeth and bone. By searching around, I have found that enamel is the…
Physther
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Why we have just 2 teeth cycles, primary and secondary not more?

After baby teeth go, secondary teeth grow, is there a scientific reason why they are just 2 sets not more?
Amr Elgarhy
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Why do teeth ache after fillings?

I had a filling which involved drilling the tooth, but the drilling did not touch the nerve. According to the x-ray taken at the same time, the nerve is in fact some distance from where the filling was taking place (lower right molar). Now the local…
Lyall
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How was it discovered that flouride helps stop tooth decay?

Apparently flourinated water helps stop tooth decay. So I have some quesions about this. Firstly how does it stop tooth deacy? and Secondly, how was it found that out of all the chemicals, it is flouride that stops tooth decay and nothing else?
zooby
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Why do humans have irregular teeth and impacting wisdom teeth?

Imagine that horses, dogs, bears, and gorillas had teeth as unreliable as humans do, The interruption in behaviour and stress brought by teeth would cause them to be more prone to sinus infections, jaw abscesses, and general poor performance. The…
bandybabboon
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Are humans the only species to suffer from impacted teeth?

Many humans need their third molars (wisdom teeth) removed due to tooth impaction. Are humans the only species to suffer from this?
Josh Withee
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