Dental implants Cherry Hill, NJ dentist Dr. Donn wants to share with you some interesting news making its way up from the science world to catch the eye of dentists across the globe. It involves dental implants and tooth decay. Currently, dental implants stand at the brink of dental technology as being one of the best ways to mitigate tooth loss and decay. All of our patients here at Craig S. Donn, DDS are always thrilled with the results of their new smiles due to dental implants. Our staff is proud to boast so much patient satisfaction because our main goal is to make sure we do everything in our power to make you smile.
However, we are dental professionals first and foremost here at Craig S. Donn, DDS and if there were a way to better help our patients avoid needing dental implants at all in the first place, that would be preferred. Those of our patients who are having to finance their own dental implants would of course love having the option of never needing to do so altogether. However, current oral hygiene methods and fluoride treatments are all we can do to boost the strength of our patients teeth in hopes that it will thwart decay.
Until now, that is.
It appears that new and improved methods of tooth decay prevention may be on the horizon and itâs all thanks to beavers.
Wait ⌠Excuse me? Did we just say beavers? Yes, yes we did. Beavers, those buck-toothed little rodents who chew through trees and make dams in creeks and streams.
Now, at about this time, you might be asking yourself why you should continue reading this because (and we are aware of this) it sounds absolutely ridiculous. But before you go, think about something with us for a moment. Ask yourself âSelf, what is it that beavers do all day long?â If you paid attention to any cartoons growing up as a child, you will most likely answer âWell, self, I believe they swim in water and chew through trees and branches all day longâ.
And there you have it. No, no not the part about swimming. Anyone can swim. That last part. The part about chewing through trees all day long. Can you chew through a tree? Sure, maybe a very, very small one. But even if that tree were a sapling you would not leave without sporting some serious damage to your chompers. Beavers, on the other hand, can chew through fully matured tree trunks, drag pieces of it into the water and then move onto the next tree. Multiple times a day even. Beavers will also go their entire lives never brushing their teeth a single time and never undergoing and kind of fluoride treatment intended to strengthen their enamel. Regardless, they will die with strong teeth still firmly attached to their jaws.
Whatâs the big idea here? How come beavers lucked out on the enamel lottery? And why don’t their teeth chip and erode the same way a humanâs would if one spent even a few days chewing through wood? Why donât their teeth decay like ours?
Well, it appears a team of researchers from a Northwestern University felt just as slighted as we do here. They decided to go in search of answers and they struck iron. Thatâs right, iron. Not gold. Also a little bit of magnesium. According to their report, these are the substances that are making beaver teeth so strong. beaver teeth are structured in layers of  hydroxylapatite ânanowires.â However, this is not the part which allows them the super strength beaver teeth boast. Itâs in the material surrounding those nanowires that trace of amorphous minerals rich in iron and magnesium can be found.
âA beaverâs teeth are chemically different from ours, not structurally different,â Derk Joester, the teamâs leading researcher, explains. âBiology has shown us a way to improve our enamel. The strategy of what we call âgrain boundary engineeringâ — focusing on the area surrounding the nanowires — lights the way in which we could improve our current treatment with fluoride.â
And there you have it, folks. A path to super strong, super resilient, teeth may be in the making. Admittedly, claiming we will ever have actual super teeth capable of chewing through tree trunks is a bit of a stretch but hey, this group of dental professionals is holding out hope.
So hereâs to teeth and superhuman strength.
Until next time readers, keep smiling.