Teeth

Bears look like textbook mammals, but hidden in their evolutionary history are two dramatic departures from the rules of growth and adaptation. Scientists have now unlocked when, and how, ancient bears broke the rules and hacked nature out of need.

In the first US study looking at whether the recommended fluoride levels in drinking water affects brain function, researchers have found that the hot-button mineral has no negative impacts on cognition – and may actually be giving it a boost.

A mineral-recruiting gel that rebuilds tooth enamel from saliva could change the future of dental treatment. To date, we don't have any way to effectively regenerate this all-important outer layer of our teeth that erodes as we age.

Having hypersensitive teeth can be quite the hassle, making it painful to consume hot, cold, sweet and/or acidic foods and beverages. Tiny new "robots" are here to help, by permanently plugging tunnels in the teeth for less discomfort.

Would you use a toothpaste made from human hair if it promised to protect, repair, and reduce pain in your teeth better than anything on the market? That might be a question you'll have to contend with one day, based on new research out of London.

This portable dental blaster should probably be called a vapor flosser, as it fires surprisingly forceful bursts of up to 98% air through the gaps in your teeth, making efficient use of water as it blasts out debris.

A new study found that combining exercise with omega-3 supplements reduced inflammation and, thereby, the severity of a chronic tooth infection. It suggests a simple means of controlling these infections, which can result in bone and tooth loss.

When it comes to dental checkups, no one likes having their gums poked with the periodontal probe. Well, they may soon no longer have to, thanks to a gum-assessing toothbrush-shaped mini ultrasound transducer.

Scientists have developed an innovative new stem cell-infused implant that "grows" into the gum and fuses with existing nerves to function much like a real tooth. It's also gentler on the patient, expanding like memory foam to sit securely in place.

I didn't know it was possible to pay this much for a toothbrush – or that it was possible to pack in so many gadgets. This is a study in outrageous excess and over-engineering... But the end result is frankly amazing.

Many of us have had a tooth pulled in the dentist's chair, and even with anesthetic, it's not pleasant. So spare a thought for the people who, for millennia, chose to have good teeth yanked out with no painkillers – all in the name of beauty (mainly).

Nightmare fuel? Maybe – but in a historic moment for the dental profession, an AI-controlled autonomous robot has performed an entire procedure on a human patient for the first time, about eight times faster than a human dentist could do it.