• Fondots@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Teeth have always kind of struck me as something we could eventually not just replace or regrow and make as good as new, but actually replace with something better.

    Teeth are, by their nature, subject to a lot of wear and tear, corrosive environments, have a lot of nooks and crannies that need to be cleaned regularly, etc.

    How fucking cool would it be to have some sort of cyborg teeth made of some material that won’t wear down, is more corrosion resistant, stronger than your natural teeth, etc? You could use your teeth as a bottle opener with impunity, or do everything else your parents always warned you not to do with your teeth.

    I’m certainly no doctor or material scientist to suggest what the ideal tooth replacement material would be, but imagine having some kind of titanium alloy super teeth that would never wear down, corrode, or get cavities no matter what kind of neglect or abuse you subject them to, and are purposely engineered for easier flossing, may e even more efficient biting and chewing. Sure, the Jaws look isn’t everyone’s aesthetic, but some of us might consider it a worthwhile trade-off.

    In the meantime though, this is damn cool if it pans out.

    • Shard@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The problem there is that the teeth are supported by the jaw bones.

      We’ve had dental implants for the past 2 decades that are pretty indestructible as you describe. The only problem is the jaw bones you drill into aren’t that robust. Especially when you start putting multiple holes in it to hold the teeth. So the jaw bone part of the implant tends to fail after about a decade or two, even when the tooth part of it is still plenty robust.

      Which frankly is the same problem faced by all proposed cybernetic implants/augmentations. The cybernetic part can be as indestructible as you want, but the organics its attached to are comparatively fragile.

    • Wilzax@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Man’s out here with the monocrystalline-corundum-coated titanium based tooth implants

    • SomeSphinx@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The jaws look would be so cool but imagine if you accidentally bit your cheek while chewing gum or something.

    • photonic_sorcerer@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 year ago

      Natural teeth attached to the jaw will always be better than any artificial alternative. Moreso now because they can be regrown.