DumbDumb2007
Commander
What will dentistry be like in the 24th Century ? will root canal still be done ?
Dentistry in the 24th Century . what will it be like ?
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I read an article once about micro-robotics. It was 15-25 years ago, IIRC.
One of the possible uses of micro-robots was dental. Instead of brushing your teeth, you just smear a gel teeming with micro-robots on your teeth and the little buggers clean your mouth for you. Cyber-hygiene. Since we know that nanotechnology is part of the Federation in the 24th century, nano-dentistry (and nano-medicine in general) would be logical. It would also be logical that such technology would have evolved in the 22nd and 23rd centuries.
One of the possible uses of micro-robots was dental. Instead of brushing your teeth, you just smear a gel teeming with micro-robots on your teeth and the little buggers clean your mouth for you. Cyber-hygiene. Since we know that nanotechnology is part of the Federation in the 24th century, nano-dentistry (and nano-medicine in general) would be logical. It would also be logical that such technology would have evolved in the 22nd and 23rd centuries.
If all else fails - Holodentures
By then, we may have a vaccine against the microbes that cause tooth decay. Also it should be possible to coat the teeth in synthetic diamond or some other superstrong substance. The main problems with teeth will be orthodontic in nature.
Of course, that's in reality, and Trek science generally has little to do with that. In Trek terms, they probably have some blinky gadget that goes "whoooo" and makes the teeth all better when you wave it over them.
Of course, that's in reality, and Trek science generally has little to do with that. In Trek terms, they probably have some blinky gadget that goes "whoooo" and makes the teeth all better when you wave it over them.
I'm sure that dentistry in the 24th century is every bit as unpleasant as it is today... except that they'll use transphasic interpological pseudo-para-hypermorphic drills. 
I would expect osteoregenerators to do the job.
There is an article on "nanodentistry" in the book Nanotechnology: Molecular Speculations on Global Abundance edited by B.C. Crandall. It came out in 1996, and doesn't seem to be currently in print, but you should be able to get through your local library - or find a used copy online.
The problem with nano-technology in the 24th century is that every time they encounter it, from the Borg to Wesley's experiment, they treat it like some new thing that has to be explained. They seem to treat it as very advanced technology, or at least very uncommon technology.
This isn't surprising given that mainstream sci-fi didn't really pick up on the idea until the 80s and 90s, and TNG is stuck with future technology initially extrapolated in the 1960s. Same with biotechnology outside of Khan and the Eugenics wars, which were described more commonly as more classic breeding experiments than genuine genetic construction and engineering before Enterprise.
However, given what we've seen I don't think nano-robots are as wide spread and in common usage in Trek's 24th century as we imagine they would be in our own.
I'm on board for a hand-held device that uses some kind of beam or wave to clean your mouth, like every other magic wand they seem to use.
This isn't surprising given that mainstream sci-fi didn't really pick up on the idea until the 80s and 90s, and TNG is stuck with future technology initially extrapolated in the 1960s. Same with biotechnology outside of Khan and the Eugenics wars, which were described more commonly as more classic breeding experiments than genuine genetic construction and engineering before Enterprise.
However, given what we've seen I don't think nano-robots are as wide spread and in common usage in Trek's 24th century as we imagine they would be in our own.
I'm on board for a hand-held device that uses some kind of beam or wave to clean your mouth, like every other magic wand they seem to use.
Gold Pressed Latinum Grills!!
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