From revealing how diet shaped dinosaur teeth millions of years ago to solving modern-day mysteries, teeth serve purposes far beyond chewing. They preserve records and unlock secrets.
For example, a study published in Nature this August examined wear patterns on the fossilized teeth of ornithopods—a group of herbivorous dinosaurs from the Mesozoic Era, about 66 million years ago. The research showed that as these dinosaurs’ body mass increased, so did their total crown volume. This adaptation suggests they evolved to process tougher, fibrous plant material as their ecosystems changed.
Teeth have also shed light on the effects of climate change on early human populations. Fossilized human teeth from European hunter-gatherers, dating from 47,000 to 7,000 years ago, have provided insights into how Ice Age climate fluctuations influenced migration patterns. Researchers from the University of Tübingen, the University of Ferrara (Italy), and New York University (USA) analyzed features such as the number of cusps, ridge patterns, and the presence or absence of wisdom teeth to understand how humans adapted to harsh environments over millennia.
Without relying on well-preserved ancient DNA, the scientists—who published their findings in August—used heritable traits of teeth to trace genetic relationships among Ice Age humans. They also developed a new method for analyzing fossils using a machine learning algorithm and examined hundreds of published photographs of these fossils.
Today, teeth continue to play a crucial role in forensic investigations. The University at Buffalo’s dental school recently gained national attention for its forensic lab’s work, which was featured on Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries in July. Dr. Mary Bush, a forensic dentist, assisted Pennsylvania State Police in solving a case that began in 2015. By examining dental composites on a recovered skull, Dr. Bush determined that the dental work could not have been done before 1952, narrowing the timeline for the victim’s death.
In another case, dental records confirmed the identity of a plane crash victim in Lake Huron 17 years after the incident, as reported by the Associated Press in late August. This highlights how teeth can resolve unsolved cases and provide closure for families.
Dentists, remember, you possess deep knowledge of teeth—resistant to fire, water, and natural disasters—with their heritable and morphological traits.
A new study, published in the Journal of the American Dental Association’s September volume, even highlights the expanding role of dentists. The study showed that dentists can serve as the first line of defense against sleep apnea, as they are often the first to detect early signs of sleep disorders in their patients, such as tooth grinding or enlarged jaw muscles.
Remember, your expertise is valuable in every measurable way.
— Dina Al-Shibeeb, Online Editor for Oral Health Group