OUTTHERE www.mddus.com


SNOG AWAY DECAY It’s official, kissing is good for your teeth. Scientists say that it stimulates saliva flow which brings down plaque levels. It also helps tone your cheek and jaw muscles and naturally relaxes you because it increases the levels of oxytocin, the body’s natural calming chemical. These random facts emerged during this year’s National Kissing Day.


DECEMBER DENTISTSA child born in December is more likely to become a dentist, according to the Office for National Statistics. They reveal the month a baby is born can shape their career as well as affecting everything from intelligence to life-span.


DENTAL ROBOT A disturbingly life-like ‘dental robot’ aimed at training dental students has been created by a Japanese company that makes adult entertainment love dolls. Hanako 2 can simulate almost every type of facial movement, can cough, sneeze and even speak. The android can move its tongue and replicate gagging and is about to go into production following trials at Showa University Dentistry School. The realistic silicone skin and mouth lining is courtesy of love doll makers, Orient Industry.


TWEET YOUR PAIN Twitter has become a popular way for people to share experiences of toothaches and oral health complications as well as searching for dental advice from other users, according to a study published in the Journal of Dental Research. Researchers believe social media could be a useful tool for collecting public health data.


CROSSWORD ACROSS


1 Collection of abnormal substances within a tissue (4) 4 Grating sound associated with osteoarthritis (8) 7 Epidemiological screening for periodontal treatment (abbr.) (5)


9 Brand-name cavity lining material (5) 10 Colloquial name for the BBC (6) 12 Mythical story (6) 14 Tooth surface facing midline along jaw arch (6) 19 A false tooth (6) 20 Fibre that conducts impulses (5) 21 What the hygienist does? (abbr.) (1,3,1) 22 Brand-name sedative dressing (8) 23 Quantity of matter in a body (4)


DOWN


1 Small, iced, baked treats (8) 2 Worn (6) 3 Not fresh (5) 5 Preserved vegetable (6) 6 WW2 submachine gun (4) 8 Colour slightly (5) 11 Waterfalls (8) 13 Closer (6) 15 Kama _____, ancient lovers’ guide (5) 16 Brand-name root canal sealant (6) 17 Paired (4) 18 Devious and underhanded (5)


See answers online at www.mddus.com. Go to the Notice Board page under News and Events.


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NAME THAT BITE Stumped? The answer is at the bottom of the page


NAME THAT BITE: Slug radula, SEM


PHOTOGRAPH: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY


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