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US Army Develops Tooth Cleaning Gum

Posted by samzenpus on from the forget-the-brush dept.

pryoplasm writes "To help deal with some of the hygiene issues on the battlefield, the US Army worked on a gum to take the place of brushing your teeth. This might be eventually released and marketed to the public. While there are many gums out there that aren't so detrimental to your teeth, this one promises actually to help them out."

11 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. Sugarless gum??!? by BWJones · · Score: 3, Informative

    Hey, I thought thats what sugarless gum has been used for..... years now? Wonder what this development cost the military/US govt?

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    1. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by ultranova · · Score: 5, Informative

      Read the article idiot.

      I guess the researchers forgot to read the Wikipedia article on Xylitol Jenkki first.

      "The report also explains that US Army researchers developed a protein that attacks the bacteria that causes plaque, which can lead to gum disease. This protein can easily be incorporated into the gum, making it a serious alternative to toothbrush and toothpaste, the researchers claim. "

      Seriously, this has been invented over 35 years ago (in 1975). And to add insult to injury, the word "Jenkki" is derived from "Yankee" and means an American in Finnish.

      Or is the problem that Xylitol is patent-free while this new molecule might not be? You can't charge $10 per piece for a nonproprietary gum...

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    2. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by BWJones · · Score: 5, Informative

      Ah, I just love it when the self aggrandized call others idiot on the Internet, especially when they can do it from behind relative anonymity.

      As .... I .... said ... I thought that is what sugarless gum nee Xylitol has been used for years. Xylitol for the laymen out there inhibits bacteria, specifically mutans streptococci, one of the predominant bacteria involved in tooth decay.

      I know a little something about proteins and chemistry as I had to take years of coursework in chemistry and biochemistry to get the Ph.D., so please... tone down the arrogance a bit, O.K.? It makes Slashdot a much more pleasant place.

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    3. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by BWJones · · Score: 3, Informative

      Who said it was?

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  2. Nothing new... by Lord+Kano · · Score: 3, Informative

    All kinds of military developments have filtered out to the civilian market.

    Antiperspirant/deodorant. GPS. Radar. Microwave communication.

    It's just how some things develop.

    LK

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  3. Original attribution by KingSkippus · · Score: 5, Informative

    Every time I see that quote attributed to Duke Nukem, I bristle. The original quote came from a 1988 movie called They Live, starring wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Keith David. I actually paid good money to go see that at a theater!

    I guess Duke Nukem made the phrase famous, but still, it was blatantly stolen. The exact quote is:

    I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum.

    In the movie, Roddy had just burst into a bank with shotguns looking to kill him some aliens. When he delivered the line, I thought I was going to die laughing, it was so over-the-top. Anyone who likes Duke Nukem should see the movie at some point to enjoy the original source of the quote in all of its glory.

    1. Re:Original attribution by jones_supa · · Score: 2, Informative

      Here's an YouTube clip of the scene.

    2. Re:Original attribution by Trogre · · Score: 2, Informative

      Agreed 100%. They Live and the Evil Dead series are required watching for all fans of Duke Nukem.

      --
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  4. Re:It's a laxative! by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 2, Informative

    If it contains xylitol, then it IS a laxative (as a side effect)

  5. Actually NOT Sugarless gum. by phulegart · · Score: 2, Informative

    No, I doubt the researchers forgot to read that short informative piece about a Finnish gum that contains Xylitol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol however, the US Army is not claiming to be the first to use an artificial sweetner in their gum, nor are they claiming to be the first to use Xylitol specifically. Now, if you read the article on Xylitol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol and there is a link again, you will see that it is COMPLETELY different from a protein that attacks the bacteria that causes plaque... KSL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KSL they are calling it. Note, on the link I just provided, KSL is notes as a synthesized peptide. So... the US Army's development with KSL, is very different and unrelated to Xylitol. I guess reading the article *WOULD* have been helpful in avoiding Idiot status.

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  6. Re:Oblig. Futurama reference by camperdave · · Score: 2, Informative

    Why don't you just chew on a piece of ham?

    You can chew a piece of gum for half an hour. A piece of ham would be gone in two minutes.

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