X-Message-Number: 17197
From: 
Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 10:59:44 EDT
Subject: Re: Ed Reifman -teeth

--part1_db.1855f3b4.289d67e0_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

In a message dated 8/3/01 4:00:59 AM Central Daylight Time, 
 writes:


> >Dentistry is 'overkilled' with excellent filler materials.  The 
> true breakthroughs, i.e., growing a tooth/treating periodontal disease from 
> assembler nanotech is perhaps decades away.  (Yes, I wish it were sooner) 

  Could you mention an "excellent filler material", please? My quick search 
of dental literature came up with plastics that are only intended to last 3 
years according to their makers, and good old amalgam, which is a total 
thermal expansion mismatch... obviously I missed the good ones. I would note 
also that the teeth are supposed to repair themselves somewhat by 
remineralization, something that could happen with "fillings" based on 
calcium flouride phosphate/protein, but not with plastic.

>> Note: The most common cause of tooth loss, and its attendant problems, is 
> from periodontitis, or gum disease, in those of us over 30.  Green Tea is 
> of 
> limited help here, since it cannot adequately break up the 
> disease-producing 
> bacteria that reside in calcified colonies on the root surfaces of the 
> 

  Green tea has been shown to reduce dental caries, though I suppose it 
mostly helps up on the tooth surfaces. CoQ10 has been shown to reduce 
periodontal disease. Wouldn't killing the plaque bacteria by vaccine or drug 
be simpler than assembler nanotech? Have there been any studies on the 
effects of long-term antibiotic use on decay (on people who were using the 
drugs for something else)? (You probably just get drug-resistant bacteria in 
the plaques; just wondering.)
  Thanks in advance for any info. -Bill Walker


--part1_db.1855f3b4.289d67e0_boundary

 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"

[ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING HTML ENCODING! ] 

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=17197