Do You Believe In Tooth Worms?

Do You Believe In Tooth Worms?

www.sciencedaily.com

ScienceDaily (July 28, 2009) — New, micro-images of strange, worm-like structures uncovered inside a dissected molar might have been held in ancient times as proof that gnawing tooth worms were the cause of tooth decay, a theory widely believed in many cultures before modern times.

The structures are not worms, but what they are is still in question.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I thought this was a bit creepy, but still an interesting find. Tooth worms. heh. It's interesting what older cultures would cary forward as common knowledge and old wives tales. It's even more interesting when modern science shows there is something to the old wive's tales

Anyone have ideas as to what these are?

www.sciencedaily.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

i think they're probably something like a stalactite. moisture pushed out of the pores in the tooth deposit a little of the tooths mineral as it leaves. dunno, maybe not, they are quite small.

Across the ages, both advanced civilizations and as far back as the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages believed in the tooth worm, with physicians prescribing various herbs, rinsings and fumigations.

It would be nice if they could say what kind of urbs aswell..

Cool read , thanks !!

Were they able to view things that small way back in the day?

Tooth Worms? Sheesh! Now my teeth are itchy!!!

IRM

reply to post by jjkenobi


Generally, no. Some people, myself included, think that we might have had the capability to that sort of thing in pre-recorded history. I dunno that this was necessarilly a reflection of that or if people were just comparing apples and teeth and figured "worms".

Tooth worms are what the tooth fairy wants with kids teeth-The fairy runs a tooth worm farm.Its stage1 of its plan for global domination.
I thought everyone knew that...

reply to post by rogerstigers


Yes I believe it. From my home land I heard about it. But a friend of mine who was a farmer from the home land and now lives in Michigan retired. As a farmer he performed the practice of removing the tooth worms in his community for his friends free. The practice he performed he explains it this way:

Take a wide open container at least 24 inch diameter that you can fill it with water at least 1" depth. In the center of this water put another container with glowing charcoal. Drop tobacco plant seeds on burning coal so it create smoke. The subject should hold his/her mouth over smoke. The smoke will intoxicate the worms which will fall off in the water that you can see. According to him, it is not just one or two. You will see many. After that your teeth will start to heal and you will get relief. Any one that lives in Maryland and wants to learn more about it, I know someone there. I am sure he know about it too. He can tell you more than I know.

reply to post by charlie0


Thats interesting,
Maybe they used to be more of a problem before people began smoking tobacco,and have sort of faded from our knowledge?

Right.Wheres my cigarettes,I knew they were good for something.

reply to post by charlie0



You do understand that this is complete rubbish don't you?


Teeth dont heal.....worms dont become intoxicated and drop out.....

Great, worms in my teeth...

Yet another reason I need for having my teeth ripped out and replaced with metal ones

No but I had sex with the tooth fairy once.

reply to post by rogerstigers


Wow what a fantastic picture in the article you linked to!

It's interesting that with all our modern science and technology, we don't know what these structures are!

I used to believe in the tooth fairy until that scam was exposed on South Park.

As for tooth worms, it's kinda creepy how many tiny organisms live all over our body, I'm sure our mouth and teeth are inhabited too, if not by worms, then by something else, that's why Listerine was made to kill them!

reply to post by grover


Did the fairy tell you of its plans for global domination?

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Seriously though,tooth worms would have to get mighty small to get through to the softer center of the tooth(dentine?).
They would have to be similar to the size of say,bacteria.

Check this video out to see what I mean:

www.boingboing.net...


MMmmmMMm,don't forget to brush tonight folks...

I dare not mention this to my dentist...she already thinks im some kind of freak for asking if she could provide me with a list of amalgam ingredients.

She would call the psche ward for sure if I quizzed her about tooth worms...

I may try it though,just to see her face...

reply to post by rogerstigers

Do You Believe In Tooth Worms?

According to an ancient myth, the Tooth Worm comes a few days before the Tooth fairy and burrows into the gum underneath a baby tooth nearing exit stage. Afterward, the Tooth Worm burrows deep into the new, developing adult tooth and lays eggs before it dies. The eggs take about 40 or 50 years to mature and hatch and when they do, some exit to go out into the world to find a new home while others set up housekeeping in all the other teeth.

They are some of the most efficient burrowers in nature, digging entire tunnel labyrinths in which they live and raise a family. Teeth excavated from old tombs show the ruins of what could be called a tooth worm city where the hearty little creatures built long dynasties of wormy civilization.

Of course, many skeptics don't believe in tooth worms and spend their lives trying to debunk the myths... until their teeth start falling out and they have to spend their time in the dentist's chair.

To date, no tooth worm has ever been seen or photographed alive... though National Geographic does have a tentative plan to sponsor an expedition into the mouth of Rosie O'Donnell sometime in late 2011.

... or not.

How long do you think it will take before DARPA starts using these tooth worms as some kind of heatsink/temp sensor for its nano computer hive jobbie?
I would if I had the ££$$££

Studies by University of Maryland Dental School researchers’ presented today at the annual meeting of the Microscopy Society of America in Richmond revealed cylindrical objects extending or ‘growing’ out of the natural pores or tubules of teeth. Inside a human tooth, more than 50,000 such tubules per square millimeter act as channels running from the nerve up through the tooth. They are associated with transporting hot or cold sensitivity to the tooth nerve. [A human hair by comparison is 40 micrometers wide.]

www.sciencedaily.com...

Sounds promising for use in some kind of semi bio organic nano brain project.

reply to post by redoubt


Not a lot of posts make me laugh as much as that one mate.
Thanks that was great.

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Had to post my latest find about the ancient lore of tooth worms:

"Beware the evil tooth worm, who has rooted itself in the in the deep, dark cavities of your being. This bone-chilling, bloodcurdling monster is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, yet its presence will create considerable damage and cause you great pain. Once it gets under your gums, your teeth will never be the same again!"

www.1800dentist.com...

Heres another little peach about how the worm myth may have come about:

Dental treatment for the tooth worm varied depending on the culture and era it resided in. In ancient times, doctors believed the tooth's nerve was the tooth worm! Once the dental crown was removed, the worm-like nerve was pulled out. Surprisingly, it may have relieved some of the patients' pain, considering a toothache will usually come into play when the nerve is affected by tooth decay.

UUUrrGhhh.
So the doctors did validate thier tooth worm theory,by ripping out the nerve and showing it to the patient,who is presumably in an almost hallucinogenic state of agony by this point,when his nerve is waved about by the the doc,saying "heres the worm!!"

Now that is disturbing.
On balance,I think I prefer the injection and drill...even though that gives me PTSD almost.