Evidence for the Oldest known Toothache

Not only human beings, but also animals have to deal with toothache once in a while. A team of researchers from the University of Toronto Mississauga went on to examine the jaw of Labidosaurus hamatus, a terrestrial reptile that lived 275 million years ago, and found evidence of bone damage due to oral infection. This is a great finding as it shows the reptile’s susceptibility to oral infections.

The team of scientists, led by paleontologist Professor Dr Robert Reisz, found out more about the terrestrial vertebrates that lived around 250 to 315 million years ago and the their jaws. They were able to study this from several well-preserved specimens of Labidosaurus hamatus. The one that they studied showcases missing teeth and associated erosion of the jaw bone. With the aid of a computer tomography scanning the team was able to find enough supportive evidence of a massive infection. This was the cause of the loss of several teeth, bone destruction in the jaw in the form of an abscess and internal loss of bone tissue.

Reisz and his team put forward that as ancestors of advanced reptiles adapted to life on land. In order to do so, many evolved dental and cranial specializations to feed more efficiently on other animals. This was also to incorporate high-fiber plant leaves and stems into their diet.

The primitive process in living amphibians and reptiles is to have a continual process of growing new teeth in each socket. As these teeth grow, the old ones fall out. The primitive dental pattern in which teeth were loosely attached to the jaws and continuously replaced, changed in some animals. Teeth became strongly attached to the jaw, with little or no tooth replacement as this worked to be greatly beneficial for some reptiles. The diversity of the Labidosauris and its kin was greatly beneficial in the evolutionary success.

However, it is conceivable that the likelihood of infections of the jaw, resulting from damage to the teeth, increased over a period of time in these reptiles. When they were exposed to these infections it harmed the dental pulp cavity of heavily worn or damaged teeth. This had a greater impact on the reptiles as they were not able to replace their teeth like the other amphibians and animals. This was according to the evolution of meat and animal eating creatures.

Comments

Apple Invents a new Health feature for AirPods that will provide diagnosis & monitoring of Bruxism

Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to a possible future health related feature regarding the diagnosis and monitoring of bruxism using motion sensors in AirPods. Teeth grinding and jaw clenching (bruxism) are the most common parafunctional behavior manifested during sleep and awakeness. Awake bruxism has been mostly associated with emotions like anxiety, stress, frustration or tension. During sleep it causes sleep disorders and arousals. Individuals are mostly unaware of the occurrent and severity of their bruxing habits. The unawareness results in a myriad of orofacial muscle pain and dental consequences like teeth damage, wear and fractures. Commercial devices in dental practice to monitor and treat bruxism are expensive, inconvenient for frequent daily use. For instance, Polysomnography (PSG) studies that target the monitoring of sleep bruxism, require patients to sleep in a clinical setting overnight. Further, ...

Esthetic Oral Rehabilitation with Veneers

Porcelain veneers had long been considered to be only an esthetic solution. However, their range of indications has been steadily increasing, making ceramic veneers a highly viable alternative to classic, far more invasive forms of restorative treatment. Today, veneers can be used to handle esthetics (discolored teeth, fractured and worn teeth, diastemas, dental defects, etc.) and to restore the biomechanics of the dentition, as well as many other indications. Classifications of Veneer Preparations Referred to as no, minimal, or conventional preparation, veneer classifications—or lack there of—create a large gray zone of misunderstanding and miscommunication with patients and within the dental profession. Left unanswered, questions regarding tooth structure removal, finish lines and margins, and other aspects can cause confusion in practice. Flaws and inaccuracies in previously proposed preparation guidelines make those guidelines irrelevant . To dissolve uncertainty, this v...

Orthodontics for Esthetic Dental Treatment: Symbiotic Efforts for Optimal Results

Human fascination with beauty and esthetic trends is continuously evolving; moreover, public awareness and desire to improve facial appearances are at the highest level. This trend of heightened public awareness and expectation is paving a new way of dentistry toward a more comprehensive approach with esthetic principles at its core. The oral health of the patient and his or her dentition are fundamental in dental treatment. However, the final esthetic outcome should be among the first steps in treatment planning. The ideal esthetic approach in dental treatment planning often requires a multidisciplinary approach engaging various dental professionals. This process requires thorough communication among dental practitioners and a basic understanding of what each discipline can provide. FACIAL ANALYSIS Facial evaluation is an integral part of patient examination. It starts with evaluating facial symmetry, as symmetric faces are considered more beautiful than those that are n...

BDS INSIGHTS

Search This Blog