The DMD Checkup: More than 6600 New Zealand Children Admitted to Hospital for Tooth Decay

Thousands of children from Kiwi, New Zealand were admitted to the hospital to have teeth pulled from 2015-2016. That tops this week’s news so far in the world of dentistry. Also making the list: hairless dogs, diabetes and a giant megalodon tooth.

• More than 6600 Kiwi kids admitted to hospital with rotten teeth in one year (Stuff)

More than 6600 children under 12 wound up in the hospital in the 2016-16 year to have one or more rotten teeth pulled under general anesthetic. After respiratory conditions, dental treatments were the second-biggest cause of hospital admissions that year, the latest for which figures are available. The rate was the highest among under-10s.

• FOXI3 gene is involved in dental cusp formation (Science Daily)

Hairless dog breeds differ from other dogs not only by lacking a coat, but also in the number and nature of their teeth. Scientists studied the skulls and teeth of pedigreed hairless dogs from the collection of the Phyletisches Museum of the University of Jena. Thus, they furthered our understanding of the involvement of the FOXI3 gene in the development of teeth - not only in hairless dogs, but potentially also in other mammals including humans.

• Diabetes causes shift in oral microbiome that fosters periodontitis, Penn study finds (Medical News Today)

A new study led by University of Pennsylvania researchers has found that the oral microbiome is affected by diabetes, causing a shift to increase its pathogenicity. The research, published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, not only showed that the oral microbiome of mice with diabetes shifted but that the change was associated with increased inflammation and bone loss.

• Man Who Didn’t Brush His Teeth For 20 Years Has An Amazing Smile Now (Huffington Post)

The story of a 21-year-old man named Jay who went his entire life without brushing his teeth or flossing is going viral. He says that his parents never encouraged him to take care of his teeth, which ultimately resulted in the need for massive dental repair work. Jay was featured on the British reality show, “Embarrassing Bodies” in January, but numerous media outlets started picking up the story on Thursday.

• 7-year-old boy finds massive prehistoric shark tooth at South Carolina beach (AOL)

A young shark enthusiast vacationing with his family in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, stumbled upon the find of a lifetime -- a tooth belonging to the largest shark to ever exist.