--shark tooth regeneration theory--

   i had a wild idea a few days ago, about these sea creatures, and their lack of dental needs, here are my thoughts on the matter--


the skinny--

    i suggest, that the reason sharks regrow new teeth, and other creatures do not, is due to the teeth not being "teeth" at all, and are in fact, the finger nails of the beast, the sharks tooth, springs forth from a "cuticle", in the gums of the shark, thus, the mouth of the shark, can be seen as it's hand( making good sense, as the shark does all of it's manipulation of objects, with it's mandibles)--

   this could explain why the teeth regrow, and if this concept is sound, the teeth of the shark would have no marrow( like other creatures teeth do, that are made of bone), making them less hard, and damage resistant, but infinitely renewable( unlike other teeth)--

   also of note, i feel that the alignment of the teeth is kept "optimal", from constant grinding of the teeth( even while sleeping), to file them against each other( creating a razor sharp edge, and proper alignment)--

summary--

   this leads me to ponder about possible tooth repairs for man...can we deposit calcium on the top of a persons tooth??...via evaporation( like is found inside an old, and often used, steam kettle??), would this adhere??...and then be smoothed( possibly by some chemical means, via slightly dissolving the added calcium, to both smooth, and well adhere it)??--


note--

    another concept i am thinking about, stems from the few times i have heard a dentist say a tooth has decayed "to close to the pulp" to repair...i suggest, a "dental plug", shaped like a diamond, could be made from an adjacent tooth-top, and used to make a repair-floor, to seal the tooth from the filling material added on top( making the repair safe from problems arising from infection or filling material poisoning)--


extreme dentistry--

   perhaps a system of "extreme-dentistry" could be derived, via extracting the tooth, and putting it in a veery small vise, with a digital read-out, to show the exact clamping pressure, to allow the tooth to be fully repaired, outside the mouth, and then re-inserted immediately( i suggest, that if a tooth has been knocked-out, and it can be re-implanted, if done soon enough, then this may be viable), for teeth highly damaged, or "at the gum-line"...in this way, tooth extraction, for full restoration, and reinsertion, could prove to be the best course of action, in some cases...also, if a cavity is "at the gum-line", the tooth might be removed, then repaired where damaged, in the gum area( at, or below, "the gum-line"), afterward, a cap could be put on the tooth, that extends to, or slightly into, the gum-line, to protect the repair...i present these ideas to those in the dental community, to chat about, between cleanings and such...

    if there are any hard feelings, due to loss of work/wages from the tooth fairy, as a result of these concepts being developed, i would like to convey my sympathies at this time...

--best wishes, john kruschke--