Oral Mystery: Are Agriculture and Rats Responsible for Tooth Decay?

Wednesday, February 6, 2013 - 12:00 in Biology & Nature

Next time you are waiting for your turn at the dentist's chair, why not let your mind wonder about something more appealing? Here’s a relevant topic: A long time ago tooth decay was a rare occurrence. Our early relatives, including the Neandertals, hardly ever had caries. In fact, we may owe our regular trips to the dentist not to unhealthy eating habits but to recent changes in the bacteria inhabiting our mouths--and maybe even to rats! [More]

Read the whole article on Scientific American

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