The 40 Million-Year-Old Ecosystem In Your Mouth

[@joeled7660]

Years ago a dentist told me, "You must have had a really bad flu when you were 12 or so." I couldn't tell her she was right because her hands were in my mouth, but I learned something that day: there's A LOT of information in people's teeth, if you know what to look for.

[@chelseacomps829]

That’s so cool wtf

[@Neme112]

Apparently they can also tell if you've given a blowjob recently. That's a lot more awkward.

[@markloveless1001]

If you're like me, it's from tetracycline. It adds a faint blue tinge.

[@smekkkens]

Same, my dentist could see on my teeth that I had a very bad depressive episode when I was 13, it was on point, he told me looking at my teeth when I was 35 years old.

[@nicks1451]

I am all about Blake laughing at his own dad jokes. It's so heartwarming.

[@jenniesweet_bean7579]

For real. He was so proud of himself 🤣

[@jadewestblue8293]

The one about calculus in school was great😂

[@PainterVierax]

IIRC, it's not always Blake's ones as he often thanks Kallie for jokes already included in the script.

[@dumbshitmule2251]

Really? He lives like a day away from me. I'm sitting here trying to calculate the worth of taking a day drive just to slap him for said dad jokes.

[@TheJustina102085]

What does it say when you chuckle at some of the jokes while watching these videos…? 🤭🤭 LOL

[@kiera_rdh6697]

I’m a dental hygienist! Calculus and biofilm removal is what I do every day. This is such a passion of mine and this is instantly my favorite video eons has ever made! (Also, 99% of the time it’s licensed registered dental hygienists like me that do the calculus removal, NOT the dentist. It’s our specialty! The dentists specialize in dental restoration like fillings)

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

Omg I’m about to start school to become a dental hygienist! Please tell me it’s as fun as this video is to my brain and heart!

[@mirzamay]

I'm glad you guys like to do this. I would freak out if I had to do that for a job 😆. I've always found teeth...unsettling. tooth goop and slobber even worse lol. I'm glad not everyone is like me, all our teeth would just fall right out.

[@OrdonWolf]

@@mirzamay Same. I don't have any problem with teeth per se, but I suffer from frequent tooth decay nightmares. If I had to look at teeth every day of my life... I don't think my mental health would stay intact 😨

[@kiera_rdh6697]

@@chelseashurmantine8153 It is incredibly rewarding and fun, but it is a tough road to the finish line. No idea where you’re going to hygiene school, but mine was grueling. Very strict standards and high expectations, only about half of the admitted students actually graduated. It was worth every minute though. I’m so happy to have it as my lifelong career!

[@barbarianvee]

I just recently got a new dental hygienist and she's amazing! It's been kinda life changing for me, after having some traumatic experiences at a different office and then having a hygienist who was, well, not the easiest to work with. I'm so much less stressed about teeth cleanings now. What you guys do is so appreciated and important!

[@caseyleichter2309]

Now when I go to the dentist I won't feel like someone who doesn't floss enough; I'll feel like someone who is preserving a vital anthropological site!

[@charlotteb6450]

I love this guy's energy, he makes even something like dental calculus super interesting lol

[@jessicaclakley3691]

I’m literally sitting in the dentist’s office rn, I can’t believe the timing!!

[@kwz9930]

Nice xD

[@OverTheVoids]

I just got my teeth cleaned and the discomfort I felt from it the next day definitely felt like some underserved punishment.

[@manafestation]

I feel like my KZbin is watching me now as well, cause I just got a cleaning yesterday, lol.

[@CollectorMusical]

I've had sooooo many similar situations. Maybe we are living in the matrix 🤔

[@patrickmccurry1563]

Trash heaps, feces, lice, and dental calculus gives us such amazing unexpected information that no bone ever could.

[@wezul]

Getting my teeth cleaned isn't torture for me, I love it! Definitely depends on the hygenist though, some can be very rough.

[@panqueque445]

I've never wanted to brush my teeth while watching a video as much as right now

[@allisonscout]

I wonder if we’d find similar microbiomes in the fossil record of canines as well, esp because similar dietary charges regarding starches correlate to that of humans.

[@yep9657]

We do 🤣

[@jaymzx0]

I was thinking the very same thing. It could help nail down the timeline for domestication of wild dogs as we started sharing food.

[@hypehuman]

I'm especially intetested to see if there's any horizontal transfer between humans and pet dogs, since there is often direct or indirect mouth-to-mouth contact. Can they take root in another species' mouth, or are they too specialized? And could something like this have happened between humans and howler monkeys? That could push up the common microbiome ancestor by a lot. Maybe a monkey licked a dead human's teeth at some point, who knows!

[@VincentGonzalezVeg]

I wonder if my desert tortise gets plaque on her beak Her mouth is soft like us & she has a similar tiny tounge Then the lip is a beak of a tortoise So hmmm

[@gwenpoole1071]

This is a REALLY interesting episode. Usually I'm all about the animal based episodes, but the fact that we can distinguish steps in human evolution from the DNA of our oral microbiome is insane. Who even thought to check that? It's amazing the things we find when we look in places you wouldn't expect

[@ciaoitalo]

His giggle when he delivers his cheeky jokes is hilarous. He's the most adorable grown man in like the best way possible

[@alexv3357]

>cheeky Hah

[@rachel_sj]

I’ve been getting a lot of my dental work done at a local, globally renowned dental school at a big state university for the last few years. So far, I’ve met a few graduating dental students talk a lot about the workings of teeth, cavities and best practices to take care of everything. They also speak in their own academic language (and need to memorize A LOT of stuff to get licensed) but I’m looking forward to sharing this video with them next time I visit (for one of my last procedures, getting a consultation to get my wisdom teeth removed, another notch in the evolution of human teeth!). I think they’d be fascinated at the history of human calculus, if they haven’t learned about it already!

[@angelitabecerra]

Are you talking about the UofM dental school by any chance 🤔

[@rachel_sj]

@@angelitabecerra Yes, I’m talking/thinking about the U of MN Dental School. It does take a bit longer for care (experienced teachers have to sign off on the students work) and the rooms can be a little crowded/noisy but I’ve enjoyed going there for the past few years and I recommend it!!

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

Imagine one saying "you'd be a great candidate for fossil recovery!" *Bitterly stockpiles dental floss*

[@danc6167]

Blake seems so thrilled for this episode. I love his energy today!

[@PandaFoxArtist]

Having had braces for over 2 years, and found it incredibly difficult to floss, I have a newfound love for getting my teeth clean. The feeling of a clean mouth that normal brushing and even flossing can't do is absolutely amazing.

[@TheMoldyWater]

This makes me wish my old dental hygienist hadn't retired. She loved talking about cool stuff like this while I couldn't respond because of the implements blocking my mouth.

[@digdug1577]

fascinating topic especially how our microbiome has changed throughout our evolutionary history with our food preferences, also who knew I was overpaying a guy to destroy my mouth coral.

[@lolly9804]

Aww I love the term 'mouth coral'.

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

Lmao mouth coral

[@beast_boy97]

I believe you mean "Oral Coral" lmao

[@AuntieDawnsKitchen]

Overpaid? To do that? Like with elementary school teachers, there’s no such thing as overpaid here

[@romella_karmey]

In my case, it's a woman nurse who did my teeth scaling/cleaning lmao

[@sabrinajnguyen]

Me, a dentist, still as interested in this video’s topic as I was on the first day of school

[@maxhauze5981]

you guys do such a great job every time!! Thank you to all those who create it

[@jimspace3000]

Tooth be told, this presentation was excellent. Standing oration! 🦷🪥

[@wagroforestry33]

So my kind of video. I was just reading about biofilm on wiki the other day; more fascinating (and evolutionary) than I would've thought. Babies who breastfeed don't get morning breath. Breastmilk also "cures" pink eye. I've always wondered if ancient humans who lived in pre-dental hygienist times had such a diverse pro-biotic diet (due to dirt on food or whatever) that they never got the buildup we get. Looks like they still got calculus, but I'd go further to see why they still had teeth at all, was their calculus layer more protective than destructive due to their diet, and if their calculus contained a type of bacteria that we don't have today (due to mouthwash or whatever) that outcompeted the smelly kinds or at least kept them in check.

[@TysonJensen]

There’s a simpler explanation - we have refined sugar in our diet. Without that, your teeth need far less maintenance. Also, we want our teeth to last us for 80+ years, and they didn’t really expect that.

[@morgan0]

@@TysonJensen yeah i can speak from experience that not eating processed sugar cuts down dramatically on plaque. my main worry is gum health not tooth health

[@jefferysterner]

I'm just going to leave this here hoping it helps someone: Blake is right, don't neglect your teeth. Just. don't. do. it. Go to the dentist. If you haven't been in a long time and you think it's fine, it's probably not. If I could have one do over in my life, it would be to not go 12 years without going like I did. When I finally went in, it was 10 times worse than I could have possibly imagined. HUUGE mistake.

[@AmbyreUwU]

A botted verified account stole your comment 💀

[@Nanashi1987]

My son was born Sunday and here we are at home now watching episodes of PBS Eons. Please keep up the amazing work you all do 👍.

[@Cypresssina]

Congratulations!

[@Nanashi1987]

@@Cypresssina thank you 😁

[@kris6038]

That starch Streptococcus kind of makes sense when you consider Homo sapiens as "the plains primate". We are made for open grassland; we stand tall, we can run forever in the sun, and our mouth bacteria can digest the starch in the grasses we eat.

[@1.4142]

When you want to become a dentist, an paleontologist, and a mathematician at the same time.

[@ChronitonMechanics]

When not going to the dentist often enough makes future paleonthologists happy...

[@mikotagayuna8494]

I am not unhygienic! I am a curator of paleontological records!

[@Krypto137]

Absolutely fascinating stuff but that picture of dental calculus at 0:48 almost made me click away...

[@NicholasHay1982]

I skipped past this video twice thinking it was an ad for dental care

[@spritemon98]

Lol

[@KimberlyGreen]

Has this same line of investigation been used for other species? Is there such a thing as dinosaur calculus to study?

[@jonathankennedy1963]

There might be, but DNA has a really short half life so it may already have degraded

[@link2thepast952]

I'm a dentist, it's like they made this video specially for me for Christmas! Don't forget to floss, we know if you're lying.

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

I want to be your friend! You’re a dentist and you watch Eons? That’s awesome

[@ravenwolf7128]

Very interesting episode! Question for Eons and dental experts: why if our ancestors did not get dental care do they still have healthy looking teeth? is a lack of sugar and highly processed foods the secret to oral health? Plus dental care for us moderns, of course.

[@dansands8140]

They didn't. If they lived to be 35, they didn't have many teeth left.

[@ikocheratcr]

There is the survival bias. The specimens we get to see today are the survivors, the ones that fare the best. The teeth that were in bad shape did not survive, so we can see them. Veritasium made a video about this some years ago.

[@MothLand]

People did have proto-toothbrushes. Sticks and leaves to scrape their teeth. Diets also helped maintain tooth health. Also living in places with naturally high levels of floridated water

[@ClockworkGriffin]

@@dansands8140 this is wrong.

[@dansands8140]

@@ClockworkGriffin No u

[@swadswadlo3717]

Another great show with loads of information. I'm just happy Blake didn't bite off more than he could chew!

[@aehsmax2015]

Dental? Calculus? Sounds like my worst nightmare 😂

[@highway67theband]

I've realized this channel is my comfort food - watching all the content PBS Eons puts up just makes me happy, simple

[@byGDur]

What a clever idea to compare the old and new dental calculus!

[@oliviapenney4471]

I’m so glad to hear everyone has stuff SCRAPED off their teeth at the dentist 😅 I thought I wasn’t brushing good enough 😂

[@DaveTexas]

Blake video - yay! Watching Blake makes me happy. All things related to dentistry - yikes! Horrendous anxiety. PTSD from a childhood with a dentist who didn’t believe in anesthesia. I’ve never felt so conflicted while watching a KZbin video.

[@corneliusmontag5934]

Just went to the dentist today (and yeah, don't do like me, don't spend years not seeing a dentist), awesome video !

[@romella_karmey]

Me 3 months ago lmao it's refreshing. Being scaled or cleaned made breath fresher.

[@IloveRen1]

Me, eating crackers as I learn about my starch-eating mouth bacteria: Enjoy it, little buddies! :)

[@missmelodies52]

My fave vid from you guys recently! This is so fascinating

[@Enforcer6k]

This is utterly fascinating, but it's also giving me a compulsion to furiously brush my teeth right now.

[@QUINSYlarynx]

As a dentist, I have discovered new found respect and adoration for the arch nemesis of my profession.

[@MrAyrit]

This has been super interesting. Definitely will share with my students.

[@BassGoThump]

This really makes me want to brush my teeth. 🦷

[@icollectstories5702]

So, as far as we know now, kissing someone is like kissing everyone they've ever kissed in the last 40 million years?💋

[@antonio1963antonio]

One of the best episodes. Thanks

[@BrutalOslaugh95]

Thanks. I love all about this channel. Keep up the GREAT work

[@Banjalo]

The puns are so endearing, great video and much love!

[@a.kitcat.b]

Its so fascinating to to think that so many life forms evolved with us because of how much we change the world around us, even in our own mouths!

[@Jonbwriter]

These videos are always fascinating.

[@christophertorak8301]

I wonder what connections might be found in reptile teeth (?) They don't generally kiss or nurse. Could they share/pass on oral biota some other way(s)? Would the lamina in bird beaks have a similar sort of calculus buildup, and might it show up in bird fossils? A number of bird species regurgitate their food for their young; would that be a possible vector for passing oral biota in birds? Interesting to ponder how/why calculus might exist in non-mammalian species!

[@aSpyIntheHaus]

I love the passion for your subject matter from you guys. Truly inspirational

[@tonyb9735]

Love you, PBS Eons.

[@anthonymurphy1406]

Teeth first part of us to decay while we alive and last to decay when we are dead

[@Henri_Hilarious]

Love the show! Could you please make a video on how cats became the fluffy narcissists that we know and love???

[@AndrewTBP]

They've done a video on cat domestication already.

[@snowywinters2536]

Most underrated KZbin channel 🙌🏻

[@genghiskhan6809]

Fun fact: it’s not often the actual dentist who cleans your teeth. Rather, it’s a specialized assistant or auxiliary worker called a dental hygienist.

[@babysnail7265]

this isn’t a fun fact this is common knowledge

[@kurikuraconkuritas]

not everywhere, in my country the dentist does everything lol

[@evilbrynn3802]

My aunt was my family dentist for the longest time! I loved getting my teeth cleaned by her!

[@katherinem.s.s.7821]

That little laugh after the calculus joke 😂

[@footballnscience6853]

Interesting to see that almost everthing is tried to get more information about the human history. Especially compelling, the point of starch-digesting streptococcus: Which food could have caused a good setting for these before agriculture? Were our ancestors already gathering roots regularly? Note: I think to rule out a wrong perception, the expression should not be phrased as Neanderthal-like microbes, maybe Neanderthal-microbe-related germs or naming it more precisely ;) Cheers, Congratulations for your work

[@hollyodii5969]

Teeth are more fascinating than ever before!🦷🦷🦷🦷🦷

[@Heva1987]

that is really interesting. For some reason I get a lot of calcified plaque build up on my front low teeth so I get the cleaned about once a year. I also went a long time without getting them cleaned so had a major build up which took a long cleaning session to fix. So now I go and have them sorted out.

[@scomo7yearsago958]

Do you floss?

[@Heva1987]

@@scomo7yearsago958 have really big gaps so floss wouldn't work. I have mini thin brushes now to go between the gaps better

[@simeon6120]

@@scomo7yearsago958 I was surprised to find out that flossing doesn't have any clear scientifically proven benefit behind it

[@simeon6120]

@@scomo7yearsago958 Also your nickname really confused me lol XD

[@MargaretTovrea]

My hygienist told me that build-up is because there are salivary glands right there, and they squirt against those lower incisors, relentlessly depositing calcium.

[@squirrelsongs]

I actual enjoy getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist's! Glad to know I'm not the only one though.

[@Beryllahawk]

Ah, I love when he gets the giggles :D This was a very interesting video! Lots of food for thought, and I'll be chewing over this new info for a good while!

[@Zaxares]

Me after watching this video: "Cool! Now a valid reason for refusing to visit the dentist! I'm preserving my oral microbiome as archaeological evidence for future generations!" THE VERY NEXT SCREEN Eons: "This is not an excuse to stop visiting your dentist!" Me: "Awwww..."

[@quillanthrasher6846]

Another good one for sure

[@heavymetalbassist5]

So youre saying Im making fossils by not being able to go to the dentist for a good while, I reckon thats neat

[@psalm91rdwlkfpgrl]

yeah, at least there's a plus for those of us who can't afford dental care! fossils in our mouths!

[@barbarianvee]

If you take good care of your teeth (not over or under brushing, flossing correctly, staying away from candy and overly acidic foods/drinks, breathing through your nose as much as possible) and have a good hygienist, routine cleanings shouldn't be so painful. (I find them sickening because I inevitably swallow some of the stuff they use to clean my teeth, but that's where working with the hygienist to improve the situation helps.) Also, who else is totally going to bring up this episode the next time they have their teeth cleaned??

[@DJsteuph]

That core group of microbes is friendship goals

[@kathleenjackson3258]

This is both horrifying and fascinating at the same time.

[@bandgeek0165]

This is very interesting! As someone with less than stellar oral health I am working towards a dental visit soon. ☺️

[@danielrayner7681]

This is fascinating stuff love this channel

[@branominal]

Am I the only one who really loves going to the dentist?

[@timmmahhhh]

There's Bill Murray's character in Little Shop of Horrors, played also by Jack Nicholson in the original movie.

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

Nope you’re in good company on this video it seems

[@Rose-yx6jq]

I'm going to go buy some mouthwash.

[@Jondiceful]

Great video. Fun, informative, and very punny.

[@An.Unsought.Thought]

Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh.... So what you are saying is every time I floss I'm committing mass genocide? I knew dentists were evil.

[@yourstruly4817]

Time to brush my teeth

[@noahdove4969]

Delightfull! Espacially your enthoisiasm, as allways!

[@kizuna8]

My absolute disgust at all things mouth-related made me have a hand hovering by the screen, ready to block any yucky mouths at a moment's notice. The things I do for Eons 😂

[@aposterous4126]

This video reminded me to brush my teeth. Thanks Eons

[@artcurious807]

that cleaning may cost 2,000$ or more depending on how much science you have on your teeth

[@trickywalrus9692]

He missed the chance to do the floss dance

[@jebus6kryst]

2:53 - I identified that specimen. That’s the Red Lady from El Miron.

[@rosaliegrace905]

I love all of these videos.

[@KippiExplainsStuff]

2:14 that giggle. If this guy isn't a dad yet, he's def ready for the job ❤️

[@KSweeney36]

I always think it mad that here in the UK, we don't go to the doctors unless something is wrong. My leg isn't broken so don't go. But we’re expected to go to the dentist when there isn't. Not saying don't clean them, just like having a shower. But strange that a part of our body is that high maintenance.

[@shaider1982]

2:14 Callie probably forced him to say this🤣👍

[@wendymoyer782]

Like many others, I am now going to brush, and floss my teeth! Thanks for the info! Fascinating. 🙂

[@LisaBeergutHolst]

8:15 R.I.P. Steve

[@MisterTidster]

Shout out to the intern that dug up all that dentist related stock footage! 😂

[@eliletts1680]

Wow! I was just recently thinking about this!

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

I wonder if anyone at home watching was like "Hey, those are my teeth!" when they showed any of the dental pictures.

[@shutup-gc2yk]

I wouldn't like to know any of them, most of those teeth looked downright gross.

[@AroundTheBlockAgain]

Eons: "Say hello to your weird mutant starch-digesting mouth bacteria!" Me (devouring a cob of corn with lime and chipotle seasonings as a midnight snack): "Hello! We love starch, yum yum"

[@reichfuhrer1942]

I really need to go to the dentist soon. I haven't been able to since the pandemic began.

[@marginbuu212]

We've spent years and millions of dollars digging through layers of rock when the answer was inside us all this time.

[@origaminosferatu3357]

This was absolutely fascinating...though perhaps not ideal breakfast-time viewing. eeek.

[@whateverittakes9000]

My man Blake, long time no see!! How are ya

[@laptiger0275]

That intro hit different after getting my gums stabbed to death during on of those dental cleanings

[@vesawuoristo4162]

Me and my mouth bacteria are enjoying a large cup of coffee as we watch this.

[@Sirsethtaggart3505]

That was excellent