In a heartbreakingly candid blog post, Paul finally explains his deepest, darkest secret to his friends, his family and the world:

That last photo I'm aware of that exists with me smiling with an open mouth is my eighth grade school picture. [...] By the time I was 17, I had cavities in three of my top front teeth and virtually no enamel resembling anything pearly or white when I opened my mouth...so I quit opening it.

His blog now follows his progress as he goes through reconstructive dental care, shares anecdotes from his past, and encourages others to ask for help.
posted by halseyaa on Apr 14, 2011 - 84 comments

Home dentistry meets model rocketry. (SLYT)
posted by BitterOldPunk on Jun 16, 2010 - 36 comments

Eric Belanger, of the Washington Capitals defines "never give up" attitude by getting hit in the face, losing several teeth (including pulling one out with his bare hands), and returning to the ice to finish out the game.
posted by djduckie on Apr 26, 2010 - 57 comments

The Sheffield Museum of Anaesthesia presents its collection of mysterious, terrifying antique items once used to render people unconscious.
posted by Faint of Butt on Sep 12, 2009 - 25 comments

Grow your own spare parts. At last we're regenerating properly. Scientists took stem cells from patients fat tissue, cultivated bone cells from them, crafted a nice comfy titanium cage where to grow and put the cage into man's abdomen. After 9 months, install new upper jaw.
posted by Free word order! on Feb 1, 2008 - 36 comments

Not cringing enough? This gallery of photos of street dentists in India should solve that problem for you.
posted by jonson on May 30, 2007 - 37 comments

A dental miracle?! The Japanese have invented a synthetic crystaline polymer which not only safely repairs small cavities, but can also be used to strengthen the enamel of healthy teeth. The before and after pictures are impressive. The catch?! Having it applied to your teeth whitens them at the same time.
posted by insomnia_lj on Jun 9, 2005 - 46 comments

Dental History. Anesthesia was discovered by dentists (attributed to Horace Wells and William Morton). Gold filling has been in use since the 15th century.
posted by tboz on Feb 17, 2004 - 16 comments

but does it have vibrate? A prototype tooth implant which picks up digital signals from radios and mobile phones goes on show at the Science Museum in London this week.
posted by moth on Jun 20, 2002 - 14 comments

Everybody is blogging the intraoral camera link on Wired today. When I first saw it I was like "EEEEEEW!" I mean, it's bad enough I have to *hear* them drilling a(nother) hole in my head - I sure don't want to WATCH! I suppose as long as they don't use the same camera they use for this, it doesn't really bother me too much.
posted by CrazyUncleJoe on Feb 17, 2000 - 0 comments