Why can't we grow a third set of teeth?

[Mtrain]

I've been wondering about this for quite a bit.

I was given tetracycline when I was a child for an ear infection, the side effect was that it ruined my teeth making them yellow/ grey, and dingy for life.

Matter of fact many, many people in my generation was given this drug back in the day, and have the dingy teeth as well as weaken enamel.

Here is the deal, we grow teeth twice in our life. Once as an infant, then later our adult teeth come in, AND there have been cases where very old people have grown a new set of teeth.

There is something in our bodies that trigger our teeth to grow, and with all of todays technology I can' understand WHY this hasn't happened yet.

The only thing I can think of is that the dental industry don't want it as it would cost them billions of dollars.

Just think of it, no more root canals, no more fixing chipped teeth, no discolored teeth to be veneered, etc.

What do you guys think?

[TheDude]

I think it's up there with the cure for baldness.

[lemonshindig]

Sounds like it's more of a mutation thing.

"It is possible to have extra, or "supernumerary," teeth. This phenomenon is called hyperdontia and is often erroneously referred to as "a third set of teeth." These teeth may erupt into the mouth or remain impacted in the bone. Hyperdontia is often associated with syndromes such as cleft lip and palate, trichorhinophalangeal syndrome, cleidocranial dysplasia, and Gardner's syndrome"

Permanent teeth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Greg'66 5.0]

I think it was put best in the movie Idiocracy - all the best and brighest minds in the medical world that are developing new drugs are spending all of their time on figuring out ways to increase sex drive and prolong erections.

[Mtrain]

Originally Posted by Greg'66 5.0

I think it was put best in the movie Idiocracy - all the best and brighest minds in the medical world that are developing new drugs are spending all of their time on figuring out ways to increase sex drive and prolong erections.

Lol, WINNER

[aslan]

And if the movie didn't prove it, Wikipedia definitely is the last word. LOL
Stan

[mjb1032]

Originally Posted by Greg'66 5.0

I think it was put best in the movie Idiocracy - all the best and brighest minds in the medical world that are developing new drugs are spending all of their time on figuring out ways to increase sex drive and prolong erections.

LOL
...and remember to see your doctor if your erection lasts 3 hours and 55 minutes more than you needed it to!
Chances are your doctors secretary will see you first, and will know why you're there, before you say it!!

[TheDude]

Originally Posted by mjb1032

LOL
...and remember to see your doctor if your erection lasts 3 hours and 55 minutes more than you needed it to!
Chances are your doctors secretary will see you first, and will know why you're there, before you say it!!

Well, if the secretary can get her hands on the problem first, then you may have a second chance.

[Mustangerbob1]

OK, so I DID have a third tooth.

All 6 of my front teeth were knocked out in 1st grade in a tackle football game, no mouthguards back then.

I was wide open for a while, and got my permanent teeth in bit by bit. My right uppper incisor was just coming in when I took a high stick in hockey. It was empty was a relatively short time, and then a smaller tooth showed up, and grew about 2/3 of the size of the adult teeth around it. The dentist confirmed it was a third, and I had another bud on my left side also. Guess I was supposed to be a carnivore.

Down side was my sister, 2 years younger, only had about 1/2 of her adult teeth ever come in, and those were very small teeth.

Fast forward to the Army, and I took a .50 cal barrel in the face when the APC I was on lost a final drive, and rolled. Lost my "little" 3rd tooth, loosened some others, and made my ugly face even worse. The Army solution was to give me braces, pull out some more teeth, and balance out my face. The OS noted the bud on the left side and pulled it also.

Later, had 4 wisdom teeth pulled, no one came back.

Apparently, teeth in my mouth is a dangerous place to be.

[HoustonGlock]

I'm in the same group (I'm 46) of being given tetracycline as a kid for ear infections and having permanently stained teeth that other kids picked on for years. Consequently I hardly ever smile and wish someone would have a class action suit for this. Down side is only the lawyers would get the money.

[Blues Power]

been thinking that for decades. the good lord should give you the second set at 45 not 6. who needs the second set at 6 when theyre perfectly fine.

but then again getting a new set at 40 would put a huge dent in dentists income.

[dodgestang]

Originally Posted by Mustangerbob1

OK, so I DID have a third tooth.

All 6 of my front teeth were knocked out in 1st grade in a tackle football game, no mouthguards back then.

I was wide open for a while, and got my permanent teeth in bit by bit. My right uppper incisor was just coming in when I took a high stick in hockey. It was empty was a relatively short time, and then a smaller tooth showed up, and grew about 2/3 of the size of the adult teeth around it. The dentist confirmed it was a third, and I had another bud on my left side also. Guess I was supposed to be a carnivore.

Down side was my sister, 2 years younger, only had about 1/2 of her adult teeth ever come in, and those were very small teeth.

Fast forward to the Army, and I took a .50 cal barrel in the face when the APC I was on lost a final drive, and rolled. Lost my "little" 3rd tooth, loosened some others, and made my ugly face even worse. The Army solution was to give me braces, pull out some more teeth, and balance out my face. The OS noted the bud on the left side and pulled it also.

Later, had 4 wisdom teeth pulled, no one came back.

Apparently, teeth in my mouth is a dangerous place to be.

I think the moral of this story is when you hear someone yell "look out" you should immediately stare at your feet.

[gwstang]

"l 6 of my front teeth were knocked out in 1st grade in a tackle football game, no mouthguards back then"...

Yowser Bob. Must have still been using leather helmets back then...lol

[Mtrain]

Originally Posted by Blues Power

been thinking that for decades. the good lord should give you the second set at 45 not 6. who needs the second set at 6 when theyre perfectly fine.

but then again getting a new set at 40 would put a huge dent in dentists income.

That, and wisdom teeth the NEVER come in straight is two of the things I plan on asking the big guy about when I get to heaven.

I also agree about the class action lawsuit as not only did that crap stain your teeth, as a bonus it weakens the enamel.

Looks like a study of creatures that grow several sets of teeth {shark} would show us what enzyme, etc is needed to tell the brain to grow another set of teeth.

I still kinda believe the conspiracy theory that no one will come up with anything as it would kill most of the dental business.

[Asm109]

Support stem cell research. Stem cells have the ability to become any specialized tissue.

That will be the avenue to regrow new teeth.