www.mddus.com OUT THERE


PLAGUE PULP Remnants of the genetic makeup of plague bacteria have been found recently in the teeth of victims of the Black Death and the major plague epidemics at the end of the Iron Age, the BDJ reports. In many victims, plague bacteria entered the bloodstream and thus the dental pulp. Oslo researchers are analysing the plagues’ genetic codes and the influence of factors like climate change and rat infestations in the hope of predicting future outbreaks.


PRESIDENTIAL PERIO US president George Washington famously suffered poor dental health throughout adulthood, consulting a range of top 18th century dentists. During his inauguration he had only one real tooth in his head and relied on dentures made from a combination of hippo teeth, ivory, horse teeth, human teeth, gold and lead. Source: mountvernon.org


DENTIST OR DIVORCE? Dentists may not expect to top the list of favourite experiences, but a recent survey suggests one in seven patients would rather endure a divorce, move house or have a job interview than spend half an hour in the treatment chair. The Dental Health Organisation found 12 per cent of patients suffer from extreme dental anxiety. Men are most commonly put off by pain or the thought of being scolded for poor teeth (23 per cent) while for women it’s drill noise that causes most anxiety (35 per cent).


CROSSWORD


ACROSS 7. Photographic device (6) 8. Pertaining to lips (6) 9. Hackney carriage (4) 10. Technique to promote tooth bonding (4,4)


11. As spoken in 13? (7) 13. Mediterranean country (5) 15. Centres (5) 17. Collection of pus in tooth and tissue (7)


20. Gums covering tooth-bearing border (8)


21. Promise (4) 23. Deliverer of food (6) 24. Thin layer of porcelain (6)


DOWN 1.


Figures (4)


2. Towards the anterior midline (6) 3. Side of tooth adjacent to palate (7) 4. Assertion (5) 5. Thing (6) 6. Hardened plaque (8) 12. From the equatorial region (8) 14. Notice (7) 16. Half a quarter (6) 18. Dental restorations (6) 19. All (5) 22. You (archaic) (4)


11 12 14 15 16 19 20 21 22 17 18 13 1 7 2 3 4 8 5 6 For More Back


15 •


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


9


10


23


24


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


PHOTO: SCUBAZOO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY


NAME THAT BITE? Mouth of parrotfish


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16