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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."

111 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. Let's hope these go international by nikomo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    As a proud xylitol-chewing Finn, this would really help.

    1. Re:Let's hope these go international by somersault · · Score: 1

      It's not just a sugar free gum, it apparently contains a protein that actively kills bacteria.

      Besides, artificial sweeters are bad for you. I've just stopped chewing gum altogether..

      --
      which is totally what she said
    2. Re:Let's hope these go international by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

      "Besides, artificial sweeters [sic] are bad for you."

      You overgeneralize.

      Inositol looks, tastes, and feels like table sugar, although perhaps not as sweet. It is not only not harmful, it is beneficial enough that it was once considered a B-vitamin.

      --
      Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
    3. Re:Let's hope these go international by somersault · · Score: 1

      I wouldn't call it artificial though, it's present naturally in foods and even produced in body apparently.

      It's the chemicals that we haven't evolved to ingest with that I'm worried about.

      --
      which is totally what she said
  2. 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?

    --
    Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
    1. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 4, Funny

      "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. "

      Lets hope ingesting the protein doesn't have any harmful side-effects, like priapism.

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
    2. 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...

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    3. 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.

      --
      Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
    4. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by BWJones · · Score: 3, Informative

      Who said it was?

      --
      Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
    5. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by BradleyUffner · · Score: 1

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

      Maybe it works, you know, better than sugarless gum?

    6. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by BWJones · · Score: 1

      I'd love to see the dose-response curves for their protein fragment, KSL vs. something like Xylitol. If it works better, great. If not, Xylitol is cheap and it works.

      --
      Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
    7. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by badboy_tw2002 · · Score: 1

      Odds are it doesn't. I find most things are worse than what we already have, and if those bonehead scientists took 5 seconds to ask someone they'd know that. That's my world view of course, as all I know is only going by what I read on /.

    8. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      Lets hope ingesting the protein doesn't have any harmful side-effects, like priapism.

      OK, do go on. How do you get from dental plaque to priapism? Now, I realize that Viagra's main selling point fell out as a side effect of a high blood pressure medication. But that all makes sense - erections are controlled in part by blood flow and pressure.

      I'm having a bit of a problem working out any plausible mechanism between bacteria hanging out in your gums and a chronic boner.

      Maybe it's just me...

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    9. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 1

      Dude, I said "like."
      At first I was thinking birth defects, but I wanted to keep it light.

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
    10. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by delinear · · Score: 1

      I thought we already had this stuff over here (UK) for at least a few years. I know everywhere I go, cinemas, supermarkets, train stations etc. I see vending machines with teeth cleaning gum, although I will admit I've never been curious enough to investigate exactly what it is or how it works (the machines are usually in the men's room, and call me picky but I prefer not to buy gum I'm going to put in my mouth from a machine in a room that stinks of urine).

    11. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yes, it is just you, looking too far in to things trying to find a reason to argue over a useless point.
      HE WAS LINKING A MAN-MADE SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM TO A NEW MAN-MADE SOLUTION.

      Jesus, you remind me of Malcolm from Malcolm in the Middle, most pretentious "intelligent" kid ever.
      Yeah, mark me as troll, i don't even care. Anything to get through to bonehead above me.

    12. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 1

      Super-plaque bacteria, here we come.

      --
      May the Maths Be with you!
    13. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by elewton · · Score: 1

      Your glaring pearl whites may introduce priaprisms of envy?

    14. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by imakemusic · · Score: 1

      all I know is only going by what I read on /.

      No wonder you're so cheerfully optimistic.

      --
      Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
    15. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by Jarik+C-Bol · · Score: 2, Interesting

      actually, if you look at the side effects of a lot of the drugs on the market, and consider how freakishly unrelated many of side effects are to the actual problem being treated, a dental hygiene product causing Priapism does not seem that outlandish at all.
      That, and to the parent: thanks, you nearly made me spew chocolate milk on my computer. well played.

      --
      I've decided to Diversify my Holdings. I've divided my cash between my left and right pockets, instead of all in one.
    16. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by KiloByte · · Score: 1

      Super-plaque bacteria, here we come.

      Anti-bacterial agents are only a very minor part of the toothpaste. It's mostly about detergents helping mechanically removing bacteria and rotting organic matter.

      There's little evolution can do to let a bacteria resist getting physically yanked off the surface of teeth if it wants to be able to feed on the remnants of your meals. With merely killing germs, survivors can not only reproduce again but they even have some food readily available.

      --
      The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
    17. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by Trailer+Trash · · Score: 1

      You can't charge $10 per piece for a nonproprietary gum...

      Yeah, that'd be like charging $900 for a toilet seat. Who would pay that?

      --
      Do you have ESP?
    18. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      As .... I .... said ... I thought that is what sugarless gum nee Xylitol has been used for years.

      And... as... an... engineer I can tell you that your PhD has apparently made your head so big you can't tell the difference between the words "inhibit" and "attack".

      Xylitol, by your own words, "inhibits" bacterial growth-- i.e. to limit, block, or decrease the action or function of.

      KSL, according the TFA you probably didn't bother to read, "attacks" existing bacteria-- i.e. the onset of a corrosive or destructive process.

      Whether or not the difference is important in the field, the two chemicals/proteins/whatever use entirely different methods of solving the problem.

      Like many doctors, you seem to have a firm grasp on one specific area of expertise, and completely ignore all other areas-- like the english language, or basic reading comprehension and problem solving skills.

      Full disclosure-- since we're all being hoity-toity with our degrees, I have a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering a B.A. in English Literature. I suppose it isn't really fair, since one of my degrees taught me how to read and apparently yours did not.

    19. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      The article is talking about a recently discovered protein that inhibits plaque growth.

      You are talking about Xylitol, which is not a protein.

      This article is not about Xylitol. QED.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    20. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by hesaigo999ca · · Score: 1

      Doctor Evil>one billllliiiiion dollars!

    21. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by Tim+C · · Score: 1

      You can't charge $10 per piece for a nonproprietary gum...

      You can if that's what it costs to make it and people are willing to pay it.

      --
      It's official. Most of you are morons.
    22. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by VolciMaster · · Score: 1

      ... which can lead to gum disease...

      SEE! THAT'S why chewing gum is so bad!! Who wants gum disease?!!?

      --
      antipaucity
    23. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by camperdave · · Score: 3, Interesting
      From Wikipedia

      Xylitol inhibits mutans streptococci in the presence of other sugars, with the exception of fructose.

      Well, I guess that means it's ineffective for Americans.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    24. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by camperdave · · Score: 1

      Gum tends to work by two means: First, it mechanically removes food particles. Second, it causes an increase in saliva, making for an inhospitable environment (some gums will alter the acidity of the saliva).

      In addition to those, this particular gum adds a third means: it has a protein that specifically attacks plaque producing bacteria.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    25. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by Reziac · · Score: 1

      What would be wrong with including both in the gum, so as to create a two-pronged attack? Seems to me it might be a great addition to hit the bacteria that Xylitol doesn't.

      --
      ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
    26. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by Bluebottel · · Score: 1

      Odds are it doesn't. I find most things are worse than what we already have, and if those bonehead scientists took 5 seconds to ask someone they'd know that.

      Id pay ANY amount of money to hire this bonehead. Being able to predict the future to this degree would change a lot.
      Meanwhile, in the real world, we have to research, refine and test most stuff before we find something better. And boneheads and geniuses are both notoriously bad at predicting what will be a success.

    27. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by cyn1c77 · · Score: 2

      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.

      Easy there Dr... You were not precise with your first posting and deserved to be corrected. Specifically, your first post did not mention Xylitol at all. You only said that you thought that "sugarless gum" has been used to clean teeth for years. Not all sugarless gums contain bacteria-inhibiting Xylitol and thus not all can be interpreted to clean teeth. Additionally, Xylitol is added to most gums in low quantities that make it ineffective as a bacteria inhibitor, so it's primary function in gum is as a sweetener.

      The article is about a gum that uses a different bacterial inhibitor, that is possibly effective in lower doses and possibly inhibits a broader range of oral bacteria. Since you have a PhD, I am sure you know how to search the relevant literature to read about it.

    28. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by Yer+Mom · · Score: 1

      That's not gum. They're little brush-like things that you move around your teeth by chewing.

      At least, if you're thinking of the same machines that I am.

      (Am I the only one who misread the headline as "tooth cleaning gun", BTW?)

      --
      Never mind Spamassassin. When's Spammerassassin coming out?
    29. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by badboy_tw2002 · · Score: 1

      Its true. If you look at every post, there's always some old dude saying "eh, this is just XXXX which YYY did back int the 70s. Big deal!" iPhone? We had an iGrammaPhone did the same shit!

    30. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by treeves · · Score: 1

      I think that means you just need to not put fructose in the gum, or drink HFCS-containing beverages while you chew the gum etc (i.e. not have fructose in your mouth at the time)

      --
      ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
    31. Re:Sugarless gum??!? by northstarlarry · · Score: 1

      Granted that you never made the explicit statement "Xylitol is a protein."

      However, your two posts (leaving aside the hypocrisy of the arrogant manner in which you complained about arrogance in posting) are uselessly conflating three different things: sugarless gum (which may or may not contain xylitol or this protein that the Army has developed), xylitol (one of a few sugar substitutes used in sugarless gum, and not a protein), and the gum that is the subject of this article (which is almost certainly sugarless, but may or may not have xylitol). In the course of waving your dick^Wdegree around for us all to marvel at, you must have forgotten the content of the article that you had just read so thoroughly, which was about an artificial protein fragment that has been developed that seems to have the property of actively destroying harmful oral bacteria.

  3. 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

    --
    "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    1. Re:Nothing new... by purpledinoz · · Score: 1

      Microwave Oven! How would I make Kraft Dinner without it...

    2. Re:Nothing new... by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

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

      Antiperspirant/deodorant. GPS. Radar. Microwave communication.

      And hopefully, that first item will eventually filter out even to the Slashdot market!

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    3. Re:Nothing new... by wvmarle · · Score: 1

      Don't forget guns.

    4. Re:Nothing new... by imakemusic · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yes. They were originally designed for killing people but were later found to have a wide range of household uses.

      --
      Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
    5. Re:Nothing new... by KiloByte · · Score: 1

      Considering that quite a few robberies include bastards invading a house when the occupants are in, yes, guns do have an important household use.
      And an even more important dark alley use.

      --
      The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
    6. Re:Nothing new... by cephus440 · · Score: 1

      Don't forget about the innerwebs - that got kinda popular.

    7. Re:Nothing new... by quenda · · Score: 1

      Considering that quite a few robberies include bastards invading a house when the occupants are in,

      Well, if they invade the house when nobody is home, its not a robbery at all is it? It's a burglary.
      I'd like to see guns used for crimes against the English language.

    8. Re:Nothing new... by Xaroth · · Score: 1

      Guns aren't toys - they’re for family protection, hunting dangerous or delicious animals, and keeping the King of England out of your face.

      --
      That green slime had it coming.
  4. This amazing new invention by tmosley · · Score: 1, Funny

    Amazing, they invented a gum that acts like gum!

    It freshens your breath and whitens your teeth!

    AMAZING!

  5. The Army's New Motto by kenrblan · · Score: 1, Funny

    "We came to kick ass and chew bubble gum, and we're all out of gum." Duke Nukem would be proud.

    --
    Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler. - Albert Einstein
    1. Re:The Army's New Motto by Seraphim_72 · · Score: 1

      FFS - at least get the *REAL* ref right - They Live

      --
      Slashdot, where armchair scientists get shouted down and armchair theologians get modded up.
    2. Re:The Army's New Motto by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      --
      Slashdot, where arm chair scientists get shouted down and arm chair theologians get modded up.

      The English speaking world, where armchair is one word.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    3. Re:The Army's New Motto by jamesh · · Score: 1

      And in peacetime, "We came to kick ass and chew bubble gum, and we're all out of ass".

    4. Re:The Army's New Motto by cellocgw · · Score: 1

              --
              Slashdot, where arm chair scientists get shouted down and arm chair theologians get modded up.

      The English speaking world, where armchair is one word.

      Support your right to arm chairs! --- or is it to arm "chair theologians." ?

      --
      https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
    5. Re:The Army's New Motto by Seraphim_72 · · Score: 1

      lol - nice catch. I apologize to all those that can actually spell.

      --
      Slashdot, where armchair scientists get shouted down and armchair theologians get modded up.
  6. Dental sealants a better option? by whiteboy86 · · Score: 1

    ..to prevent teeth related issues altogether.

  7. It's a laxative! by sockman · · Score: 2, Interesting

    We always had a good rumor that the "gum" in the MRE's was a laxative. I wonder what rumor will pop up about this gum.

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

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

    2. Re:It's a laxative! by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 1

      Xylitol has a laxation threshold of 50g / day.

      At 0.5kcal per Smint pastille, and 9 calories per 5gm of pure Xylitol, we can back-of-a-napkin calculate you'd need to consume approximately 180 Smint pastilles in one day to see these effects, assuming that all of the calorific content of a Smint is pure Xylitol.

      If you need to consume that many mints per day, you should see a dentist pretty sharpish. Something in there is rotting, and needs removing.

      --
      Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
    3. Re:It's a laxative! by couchslug · · Score: 1

      "We always had a good rumor that the "gum" in the MRE's was a laxative."

      The Peanut Butter took care of that quite nicely. :)

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
    4. Re:It's a laxative! by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 1

      You've obviously never experienced the effects first hand then because I can tell you, if you go through too much Trident with xylitol gum, you will feel like absolute crap. The sugar alcohol content is high enough they print warnings on the label about it. I don't think it's far fetched to assume some people's sensitivity and the unknown actual amount in these tooth brushing MRE chewing gum supplements (which was probably pretty high since it was made to clean teeth) would lead to the gum acting as a laxative.

  8. I Read That as "Gun" For A Second There by Greyfox · · Score: 4, Funny

    A tooth cleaning gun would be way more cool, and would probably strike a lot more fear in the hearts of our enemies. God knows if I had a choice between a sit down with a military dentist and being waterboarded, I'd take the waterboarding as the more humane alternative (I'm an Air Force brat and the worst pain I've experienced in my 40 years of life so far was at the hands of an Air Force Dentist when I was 11 or 12.)

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    1. Re:I Read That as "Gun" For A Second There by speculatrix · · Score: 1

      my brother was in the british navy and he said similar things - he was advised to never go to a military dentist, as they tended to take teeth out rather than risk problems in combat.

  9. 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.

      --
      "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
    3. Re:Original attribution by pipingguy · · Score: 1

      Will this development help with British smiles?

      (ref: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BritishTeeth)

    4. Re:Original attribution by ndavis · · Score: 1

      This is why I already have this movie in my queue to see.

    5. Re:Original attribution by quenda · · Score: 1

      Every time I see that quote attributed to Duke Nukem, I bristle.

      Yes, I'm pretty sure he stole it from The IT Crowd.

  10. Oblig. Futurama reference by plover · · Score: 1

    If the army is handing it out, is it ham-flavored?

    --
    John
    1. Re:Oblig. Futurama reference by camperdave · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Actually, I'd love ham flavoured gum. Why is it that sweet toothed people get all the calorie free snacks? What about those of us who like savoury/salty snacks? All we get is potato chips and pretzels. It's all carbs. So how about it? How about some ham flavoured gum, or taco flavoured candies, or pizza flavoured lollipops?

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    2. Re:Oblig. Futurama reference by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

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

    3. Re:Oblig. Futurama reference by Redlazer · · Score: 1

      Hey man, no need to get all mean.

      --
      Guns don't kill people, "with glowing hearts" kills people.
    4. Re:Oblig. Futurama reference by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      If the army is handing it out, is it ham-flavored?

      Judging by the Military's approach to field rations so far, I'm guessing it tastes like fermented cardboard, and has at least a 50/50 chance of causing constipation.

    5. Re:Oblig. Futurama reference by asm2750 · · Score: 1

      Will it be nothing but bones? Was war were declared?

    6. Re:Oblig. Futurama reference by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      Pickles are low calorie and very salty.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    7. Re:Oblig. Futurama reference by Jarik+C-Bol · · Score: 1

      yeah, but do you really want to go down the street sucking on a big huge pickle?

      --
      I've decided to Diversify my Holdings. I've divided my cash between my left and right pockets, instead of all in one.
    8. Re:Oblig. Futurama reference by Reece400 · · Score: 1

      A local store around here has individually packaged giant pickles in various flavours, along with the pepperoni sticks etc. at the counter

    9. Re:Oblig. Futurama reference by VolciMaster · · Score: 1

      yeah, but do you really want to go down the street sucking on a big huge pickle?

      Have you never seen the "pickle pops" that some convenience stores sell? They're chilled pickles on a stick.

      (pretty sure they got the idea from the book Some Summer)

      --
      antipaucity
    10. Re:Oblig. Futurama reference by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

      You don't suck on it, you bite pieces off it. Hold it like a cigar if it makes you feel more manly.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    11. Re:Oblig. Futurama reference by bassman998 · · Score: 1

      Is bacon close enough for you?

    12. 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.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
  11. Available to the public now by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 1

    http://www.jbox.com/product/SNK041

    Only in Japan, I suppose.

  12. Article dated 21st Dec 2005? by Rexdude · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why is a nearly 5 year old article making news just now?

    --
    "..One hosts to look them up, one DNS to find them, and in the darkness BIND them."
    1. Re:Article dated 21st Dec 2005? by microbee · · Score: 1

      I guess the /. submission backlog is really as bad as the Immigration and Neutralization services

    2. Re:Article dated 21st Dec 2005? by ocdscouter · · Score: 1

      It involves a dilation incident, for which I have discovered a truly marvelous proof which the margins of this comment are too narrow to contain.

    3. Re:Article dated 21st Dec 2005? by rabiddeity · · Score: 4, Funny

      Indeed, this story is a bit long in the tooth.

    4. Re:Article dated 21st Dec 2005? by purpledinoz · · Score: 1

      Bodily hygiene news is just not so important here...

    5. Re:Article dated 21st Dec 2005? by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 1

      Indeed. it'd be like posting an article on a new form of contraceptive.

      You don't need one when you only ever fly solo.

      --
      Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
    6. Re:Article dated 21st Dec 2005? by bigdaisy · · Score: 1

      Why is a nearly 5 year old article making news just now?

      There are lots of discovery stories reported on Slashdot and they always end with, "It will probably be a number of years before it appears on retailer shelves." Well, this story ends the very same way, but this time the amount of rampant speculation in the comments can be kept to a minimum, as here we are "a number of years" later.

      I say, more of this sort of thing, Slashdot! It keeps the trolls at bay.

  13. I can save them a billion dollars by outsider007 · · Score: 1

    squeeze a line of colgate onto the basin and let it sit overnight. In the morning... gum.

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    If you mod me down the terrorists will have won
  14. Robots don't have teeth... by VortexCortex · · Score: 1

    How exactly is this going to help our future robot armies?

    Seriously, gum? It's only a matter of time before humans won't need to die on battlefields; Let's work harder on making this a reality and focus less on long term foot-soldier tech. The soldiers of the future won't need teeth cleaning gum because they'll be safe at home, remote controlling robotic drones -- toothpaste only yards away.

    1. Re:Robots don't have teeth... by jamesh · · Score: 2, Funny

      safe at home, remote controlling robotic drones -- toothpaste only yards away.

      a job that they'll then outsource to a country where they don't have to pay their 'soldiers' so much. In order to keep productivity up, some real soldiers will be required to stand guard with great big whips. Those soldiers will need gum - no time to brush your teeth when there's whipping to be done!

    2. Re:Robots don't have teeth... by delinear · · Score: 1

      Considering you'd still have to grow, feed and educate, train and equip them, I'm not sure cloning would be all that cheap when you can just recruit ready grown troops on the open market and elminate all costs other than the training and equipment (and this nicely side-steps the ethical questions around cloning).

    3. Re:Robots don't have teeth... by Hatta · · Score: 1

      It's only a matter of time before humans won't need to die on battlefields

      Humans don't need to die on battlefields. Humans choose to die on battlefields.

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      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    4. Re:Robots don't have teeth... by PortHaven · · Score: 1

      You are very naive Hatta,

      Many people have no choice but to die. Their battlefields are their homes. They struggle to have a meager life only to be ruthlessly attacked and killed.

      They have no choice....

  15. Crooked teeth by Noam.of.Doom · · Score: 2, Funny

    There is also the fact that frequently chewing gives you crooked teeth. I wonder if they started developing a battlefield alternative for braces.

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    It is the universe that makes fun of us all.
    1. Re:Crooked teeth by jamesh · · Score: 3, Insightful

      There is also the fact that frequently chewing gives you crooked teeth.

      No it doesn't. In fact research has shown that chewing gum actually straightens your teeth, correctly aligns your jaw, assists in building upper body muscle strength, improves learning and memory function in the brain, and can increase the size of your penis and duration of your erections by up to 58%.

      (you didn't provide a source for your 'fact' so I don't see why I should)

    2. Re:Crooked teeth by Noam.of.Doom · · Score: 1

      That joke went right over you head.

      --
      It is the universe that makes fun of us all.
  16. hygiene issues IS news for nerds by G3ckoG33k · · Score: 3, Funny

    When they help deal with some of the hygiene issues, it IS news for nerds; stuff that matters!!!

  17. Really? No link checking at ALL? by CyberTech · · Score: 2, Funny

    US army develops tooth-cleaning gum
    By Simon Pitman, 21-Dec-2005

    -=- 2005-=- Maybe it's been stuck in the queue this whole time?

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    -- CyberTech
  18. Hygenine by Arancaytar · · Score: 1

    Is that some kind of organic molecule? What's its formula?

  19. Re:We've had this for a long time by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 1

    Almost all our chewing gum has xylitol these days (or some sugar alcohol or something like xylitol).

    Bubble gum is different, but chewing gum (like "adult" gum) is all marketed as being good for teeth and stuff

  20. Tooth cleaning in the 41st millenium by Sibko · · Score: 1

    Adeptus Orthodontus comics based on Space Marines from Warhammer 40k, courtesy of a /tg/ drawfag:

    http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/6194/adeptusorthodontusvscsm.jpg

    http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/4944/nottoothfairy.jpg

  21. Re:Oblig. Willy Wonka reference by Scarletdown · · Score: 1

    If that sort of gum becomes a reality, be sure to spit it out before you get to the dessert, unless you fancy inflating like a giant blueberry.

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    This space unintentionally left blank.
  22. Prior Art? by otherniceman · · Score: 1

    What about just buying some Fuzzy Brushes http://www.fuzzybrush.com/

  23. Biotene Gum and enzymes? by Guppy · · Score: 1

    Sounds a lot like Biotene gum, which uses a combination of the enzymes Lysozyme, Glucose Oxidase, and Lactoperoxidase to destroy bacteria. Lysozyme directly attacks the peptidoglycans in bacterial cell walls, while Glucose Oxidase generates Hydrogen Peroxide from Glucose (in the gum). Lactoperoxidase then uses the peroxide to destroy bacteria as well.

    I chew this stuff pretty often, it's better than regular gum for getting rid of bad breath. Only problem is that if you chew too much, it can give you a stomachache.

  24. Re:I echo that. by Pharmboy · · Score: 1

    One of the best dentists I have had was a military dentist. One of the worst dentists I have had was also a military dentist. Growing up a brat in the 60s and 70s, I got a good taste of military medicine. Even had emergency oral surgery TWICE with military dentists (had a tooth broke off to at the gum line at 13, and had an impacted wisdom tooth abscess at 19 while in the AF). Those weren't the best experiences. Because of my security clearance, they couldn't get someone in to debrief me, so they couldn't use anything to pull the abscessed tooth. Didn't try novocaine because it was too infected to reach the root. They basically sat a chubby girl on me and spent the next 45 minutes extracting the tooth. I don't recommend it.

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    Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
  25. But does it... by ultral0rd · · Score: 1

    But does it floss?? That is the question!

  26. 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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    "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." -D. Adams
    1. Re:Actually NOT Sugarless gum. by SLi · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Xylitol is not an artificial sweetener.

  27. Thank you military industrial complex by steak · · Score: 1

    first the internet and now tooth cleaning gum. is there nothing you can't do?

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    lose != loose
  28. Been There, Done That by imscarr · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I thought Dentyne gum did that many years ago?

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    Like the beaver, it's just Dam one thing after another
  29. Is there a reason we're posting old news by PortHaven · · Score: 1

    This story is half a decade old.

    Come on Slashdot, get with the program.