Science - Your Third Set of Teeth

chemgator · Sep 4, 2023

Apparently, humans are capable of growing a third set of teeth. Japanese scientists are working on modifying the single gene that decides how many sets of teeth a person can have.

To me, this could easily go sideways, with some subjects changing teeth like a shark does, and spitting out a few "old" teeth every time they visit a restaurant. Or if the teeth don't fall out in rare cases, you could get a mouth full of 64 teeth or something.

Humans Have a Third Set of Teeth. New Medicine May Help Them Grow.

A sliver of what makes sharks so intriguing comes with their ability to regrow teeth. And while a group of Japanese researchers aren’t claiming that we should be trying to be the most shark-like possible, they’d like for us to maybe, someday, share that same ability.

Following up on a 2021 study (published in Scientific Reports) that showed how medicine targeting the protein synthesized by the USAG-1 gene could impact the number of teeth grown in animals, the team has turned its attention to humans. They’ve announced a 2024 clinical trial of the medicine, which they in turn hope to have ready for general use in 2030.
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Takahashi has spent years researching teeth regrowth potential, and has focused on the role of genes in teeth growth. “The number of teeth varied through the mutation of just one gene,” he said. “If we make that the target of our research, there should be a way to change the number of teeth (people have).”

Researchers found that the USAG-1 protein could limit the growth of teeth in mice, so ensuring that the protein didn’t form could potentially invite teeth to grow. The team developed a medication to block the protein, and successfully allowed mice to grow new teeth.
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chemgator · Sep 4, 2023

Next you'll be telling me that apes evolved into humans in central or western Europe, and immigrated to Africa.

DOH!

Discovery of 8.7m-year-old ape rewrites story of humanity

Africa has always been considered the cradle of mankind, with humans evolving from apes on the continent, before spreading to the rest of the world. But an intriguing find is challenging the long-standing assumption.

The partial skull of a new ancient ape has been discovered in Turkey, and it appears to predate African apes, suggesting that human origins may actually lie in Europe.

The fossil of Anadoluvius turkae was discovered in Cankiri, a city around 86 miles northeast of Ankara, and is thought to date from around 8.7 million years ago.
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“Our findings further suggest that hominins not only evolved in western and central Europe but spent over five million years evolving there and spreading to the eastern Mediterranean before eventually dispersing into Africa, probably as a consequence of changing environments and diminishing forests,” said Prof David Begun, of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto.
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That seems about as likely as a green comet visiting us this month . . .

chemgator · Sep 4, 2023

Well, at least the City of New York has not been reduced to rat tourism (taking people around to meet the rats gnawing on trash around the city).

ohhh, no.

‘Rat tours’ boom in rodent-infested New York

The Empire State Building. The Statue of Liberty. Central Park. Times Square. A horde of rats sprinting between an underground nest and a restaurant, squeaking and squealing as a group of tourists cheer them on.

New York has never lacked for attractions, but that last one on the list is one of its most unexpected.

As the city grapples with a major rat problem – sightings doubled last year, prompting the mayor to advertise for a “somewhat bloodthirsty” head rat-catcher in December – the rodent issue is, according to some, New York’s latest must-experience trend.

As visitors to New York demand rat action, some of the city’s tour guides have started to add stops at notoriously infested sites, the New York Post reported this week.
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WarDamnGator · Sep 4, 2023

People of Tennessee .... REJOICE!!!

g8trdoc · Sep 4, 2023

As a dentist I say bring them on! Lol

Gatorrick22 · Sep 4, 2023

chemgator said: ↑

Next you'll be telling me that apes evolved into humans in central or western Europe, and immigrated to Africa.

DOH!

Discovery of 8.7m-year-old ape rewrites story of humanity

That seems about as likely as a green comet visiting us this month . . .
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Al Sheraton is not going to be happy about this... remember he said black people built the pyramids... he forgot to add that they might have built them for free.

mrhansduck · Sep 5, 2023

Teeth (2007) ⭐ 5.4 | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

Gator515151 · Sep 5, 2023

I got my 3rd set already a couple of years back. Actually I love my implants, after a lifetime of not being to bite into anything cold now at last I can actually eat a popsicle stick.

WarDamnGator · Sep 5, 2023

Gator515151 said: ↑

I got my 3rd set already a couple of years back. Actually I love my implants, after a lifetime of not being to bite into anything cold now at last I can actually eat a popsicle stick.
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You are actually not supposed to eat the stick. Maybe that's why you lost your first two sets?

exiledgator · Sep 5, 2023

g8trdoc said: ↑

As a dentist I say bring them on! Lol
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I don't know, if folks knew they'd just grow more they may be less inclined to care for the ones theyre currently using.

That was my first thought, anyway.

Gator515151 · Sep 5, 2023

exiledgator said: ↑

I don't know, if folks knew they'd just grow more they may be less inclined to care for the ones theyre currently using.

That was my first thought, anyway.
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I got my upper 3 front teeth knocked out in a construction accident in the 70s. They ground down the teeth next to them to put in a bridge, when the teeth under the bridge went bad it became a 7 tooth bridge. When one of those went bad I just told them to pull them all and give me dentures. After a while I had them replaced with implants....I am happy with them.

chemgator · Sep 5, 2023

exiledgator said: ↑

I don't know, if folks knew they'd just grow more they may be less inclined to care for the ones theyre currently using.

That was my first thought, anyway.
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I don't think they come in one at a time. A whole new set probably comes in and pushes out any old teeth that are still there, which is a bloody and painful process. First time it happens, you'll probably take care of your teeth.

Emmitto · Sep 5, 2023

Gator515151 said: ↑

I got my upper 3 front teeth knocked out in a construction accident in the 70s. They ground down the teeth next to them to put in a bridge, when the teeth under the bridge went bad it became a 7 tooth bridge. When one of those went bad I just told them to pull them all and give me dentures. After a while I had them replaced with implants....I am happy with them.
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I always hoped that at some point I’d take off six months and just go Full Implant. That doesn’t appear to be in the cards.

This summer I went to the dentist for the first time in THIRTY years. I spent most of my teens at dentists and orthodontists like it was a B torture porn movie. I have an irrational hatred of dentistry now. Not the kind everyone does. I mean it’s a true psychosis.

But the “bad news” I was certain to receive: one filling, a pretty brutal “deep cleaning” (scaling and planing), and the two fillings I got as a young’un have cracked those teeth so I’ll need crowns.

Also have mild gingivitis but doc seems calm about it. I am a little manic about the hygiene at home but the tartar buildup was “impressive.” I’ll get the crowns and get the regular cleanings from here on.

But I would really like a new set to pop in all painless and perfect, maybe I’ll just count on that!

chemgator · Sep 5, 2023

Emmitto said: ↑

I always hoped that at some point I’d take off six months and just go Full Implant. That doesn’t appear to be in the cards.

This summer I went to the dentist for the first time in THIRTY years. I spent most of my teens at dentists and orthodontists like it was a B torture porn movie. I have an irrational hatred of dentistry now. Not the kind everyone does. I mean it’s a true psychosis.

But the “bad news” I was certain to receive: one filling, a pretty brutal “deep cleaning” (scaling and planing), and the two fillings I got as a young’un have cracked those teeth so I’ll need crowns.

Also have mild gingivitis but doc seems calm about it. I am a little manic about the hygiene at home but the tartar buildup was “impressive.” I’ll get the crowns and get the regular cleanings from here on.

But I would really like a new set to pop in all painless and perfect, maybe I’ll just count on that!
Click to expand...

Crowns are scary things to me. Everyone I know that has one has it pop off for no apparent reason, and they have to make an emergency trip to the dentist the next day. I travel enough that this would be a major inconvenience for me. I had to argue with my dentist to get a second opinion from a less greedy dentist. It turns out there was enough of my tooth left to replace the old cavity filling with a new filling. The dental office made less money on the new filling than a crown, but I was much happier with the result.

Emmitto · Sep 6, 2023

chemgator said: ↑

Crowns are scary things to me. Everyone I know that has one has it pop off for no apparent reason, and they have to make an emergency trip to the dentist the next day. I travel enough that this would be a major inconvenience for me. I had to argue with my dentist to get a second opinion from a less greedy dentist. It turns out there was enough of my tooth left to replace the old cavity filling with a new filling. The dental office made less money on the new filling than a crown, but I was much happier with the result.
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Yeah, part of my nightmare. And now there are two versions, the old school crown that requires two trips and a temp, or the on-site version that is only one trip but about 5x more out of pocket. And I also have already heard numerous horror stories about each. Although I also know people who have had no problems for over a decade. I suppose bad news travels a little easier.

But I am certainly not looking forward to it.

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