Last year I had two wisdom teeth out, and two symmetric supernumerary teeth removed. In January I was able to go pick up the autoclaved teeth, for science, of course. (I also had two wisdom teeth removed more than a decade ago, but not sure where they are, so couldn't donate them.):
I had 2 lower wisdom teeth removed as a teenager. Recently I had upper 2 & 2 supernumerary teeth removed! #orangutan pic.twitter.com/WHxT4NSt2N— Melissa WilsonSayres (@mwilsonsayres) January 28, 2016
Then, I dutifully delivered my teeth to the lab of Gary Schwartz. Yesterday, he very kindly showed my my prepared teeth!
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| Look at those wise teeth! |
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| Teeth are sectioned, then set, in preparation for thin slicing. |
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| There's my tooth! Prepared for slicing. |
To my understanding, after a thin slice is made, it will be polished down and vacuum sealed in a slide. Then, it will be ready for analysis.
Science is so cool.
