Orbital Hygiene

Last week, gizmodo.com featured an interesting post by astronaut/blogger Leroy Chiao on the challenges of brushing your teeth in space. He pointed out that some normally difficult tasks are actually much easier in zero gravity - i.e. moving a large appliance like a refrigerator. On the flip side, some simple tasks (like oral hygiene) can be much more challenging. After all, when was the last time you lost the cap to the toothpaste and had to look for it on the ceiling? NASA learned long ago that it's a good idea to only send toothpaste tubes with non-detachable lids into orbit.

The major difference is that all the little articles must be meticulously velcroed, bungeed, or held in your hand so as not to misplace anything. Adding to the challenge is the fact that the water must be carefully dispensed from a little pouch in order to prevent what I picture to be a "crazy space spill". And then there's the question of what to do with your mouthful of water and toothpaste. NASA's solution? Swallow it. Makes sense. If you're only in space for a week at a time it's probably no big deal, even if it's a little gross. I'd be interested to know what the astronauts who live in the international space station do. If any astronauts happen to read this, please, let me know.

See the full article at gizmodo.com for more.

Follow Up - Britain's got "DJ" Talent

My old friend DJ Talent, the "celebrity" I interviewed shortly after beginning this blog, is back in the public spotlight! Check out the fresh beats this "self confessed bad boy" lays down for Simon Cowell:

Perhaps he won't resort to selling the gold after all? Here's the irony - the only way that selling used gold crowns would be profitable is if this competition significantly boosts his celebrity status which would add value to the chompers. If that were to happen, he wouldn't be so hard-up for cash and would want to keep the gold teeth because they are a part of his image. I think it's safe to say he'll be keeping them in until recurrent decay has its way with the teeth.

Good luck in the competition DJ Talent.

Incensed over an Incisor

When Savannah Simmons asked her dentist to fabricate her dentures using a gold maxillary lateral incisor as a tribute to her late father, she had no idea that the tooth would one day find itself at the center of a little controversy. That's because she didn't anticipate being included in a Rhodes College project through its Center for Outreach and Development of the Arts, and certainly couldn't have guessed that her grinning mug would find its way onto a giant, highly visible wall in downtown Memphis.


Enter one Gregory Grant, a man who balances his duties as president of the Memphis chapter of Al Sharpton's National Action Network with the time he spends as a Memphis tour guide. On a recent tour, Grant noticed the new mural and was "incensed" at the racial stereotype. He complained to the university, saying "The next thing I know you'll have a little boy sitting on a riverbank eating watermelon."

When it was explained to Grant that the woman in the mural was indeed a real person and not a fictitious racial stereotype, he quickly changed his tune and issued a press release inviting the public to this Sunday's debut party for the mural, which "shows Memphis as a harmonious city -- a city that embraces its diversity."

In Grant's defense, his duties with the National Action Network include constantly "telling young people to take the gold teeth out and pull your pants up."

Wise ninja say, be slow to anger lest ye find yourself quite the fool.

Source article at commercialappeal.com

A ray of hope....

Reading the news the past several months hasn't brought a lot of good news. Until today. Ninja Turtles "origins" movie slated for 2011. Cowabunga!

Follow Up - Tiny Tim's Teeth

For those of you who recently read about the famous musician's dental models and thought to yourself, "Aw, shucks. Too bad I didn't know about this item earlier because I totally would have won that auction!" - I have some great news!!!

I was just contacted by the ebay seller and informed that there is yet another of Tiny Tim's dental models up for grabs between now and April 30th. This one is half of an arch which was used to fabricate a crown on the lower right 2nd molar (aka tooth #31 here in the states).

Click here to check it out and place your bid.

A couple interesting things about Tiny Tim based on this photo are that he never had his wisdom teeth removed and that he had a severe arch length discrepancy, demonstrated by the funky position of the canine.

Ninjavitis

Ninjavitis, as currently defined by the urban dictionary:

1. An oral condition that causes ones breath to be so noxious that it can sneak up on unsuspecting people and be nearly fatal.

2. When the physical state of ones mouth is so repugnant that it looks like a skilled ninja has drop-kicked them squarely in the mouth.

1. I heard that John is in the hospital, cuz he went to kiss Sheila goodnight, and her ninjavitis made him go into shock.
2. god rest his soul, but ODB musta been in a fight with the RZA cause even his goldfronts had sum ninjavitis.

Personally, I think the definition should be expanded to include the very ninja-esque art of deception. For example, you see a seemingly healthy mouth, but as you go in for the kiss, BOOM, ninjavitis!

To demonstrate, this pirate mouth has been raped and pillaged by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (that's one of the main gum-disease causing bacteria, for all you anti-dentites). It will obviously present with an odor capable of killing a small family of squirrels. If you ever snuggle up with a pirate, you deserve what you get:


Conversely, an attractive mouth, as can be found on actress Eva Mendes (recently voted best celebrity smile by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry), has the potential to deceive you in a halitosal sneak attack of epic proportions:


While the Dental Ninja has never been close enough to Eva Mendes to determine whether or not she has ninjavitis, other dentists have documented similar cases which were subsequently published in peer-reviewed, scientific journals such as this one: (click to enlarge)

(see evil-comic.com for more)

Be on the lookout for Ninjavitis, and if you happen see any more case studies of this deadly new epidemic please send them my way.

(Special thanks to DN reader Melissa Stewart, a hygiene student from Virginia, for the idea for this post!)

The Teeth of Tiny Tim Turn a Profit

Pirates suck
Before proceeding with my usual noteworthy dental story, I'd like to take a minute to congratulate the U.S. Navy Seals on their recent 3-0 victory over the Somali Pirates. As a ninja, I'm naturally a sworn enemy to pirates and am always delighted to see them defeated. When was the last time you heard of a ninja defeat? In fact, when was the last time you heard of a ninja? Exactly. Ninja victories come and go and you are none the wiser. Because we're NINJAS! For the rest of this month I'm declaring all Navy Seals honorary ninjas.

That first impression.....
Next time you're struggling to get that perfect impression - the one that would satisfy the sternest of dental bosses or cranky prosthodontic instructors - just keep this in the back of your mind: someday, this patient might become famous, and if they do, and if you hang onto the models, you could totally make some money on ebay!!!!!

That's what happened with the dental models of American musician "Tiny Tim." A recent upi.com article details the journey of the models from the wife of the late musician, to a fan from Massechusets, to ebay, to the buyer in Texas, earning a cool $1500 along the way.

For those of you who, like me, saw the headline and thought of the humble little crippled boy from "A Christmas Carol," here's a sample of the other Tiny Tim, whose legs appear to function just fine. His voice? Well, you decide: