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Found In Space

December 28th, 2007 · No Comments

NASA has given science countless inventions now in common use. What has NASA given dentistry, though? A little Google research reveals that our friends in Houston have helped our fine profession with these innovations (and more, I’m sure):

 

Click the text to go to the full article on each topic.

 
Water Purification for Your Practice

"MRLB International Incorporated, River Falls, Wisconsin, has designed DentaPure®, a dental waterline purification cartridge that relies on water purification technology developed for NASA."

 
Soft & Hard Tissue Lasers

"In the near future, a laser device inspired by NASA may replace the dentist’s drill. Flip a switch and it will also replace the dentist’s razor-sharp scalpel. And the best part: It’s virtually painless and requires no anesthesia for most patients."

 

Coming Soon – Clear Fillings Based on NASA Technique
"Dr. Rawls leads a research team that is working to develop an environmentally friendly, transparent, low-shrinking material to take the place of amalgam and other composite materials. He said it is imperative that the material shrinks very little, because otherwise gaps form between teeth and fillings, creating a magnet for tooth decay."

 

CAT Scan

"Digital signal-processing techniques, originally developed to enhance pictures of the Moon for the Apollo Program, are an indispensable part of Computer-Aided Tomography (CAT) scan & Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technologies used today worldwide."

 

Cordless Tools

"Cordless power tools & appliances are one of the most successful commercial spin-offs of space-based technology."

 

Gum Disease Detection

"A new technology developed at NASA’s Langley Research Center may become an important tool in the battle against tooth loss. NASA is working with the U.S. Navy to develop a new instrument that can detect the onset of periodontal disease…The technology used in the probe was originally developed as a way to detect cracks in airplanes. The ultrasonic waves were used to look inside airplane structures without having to take them apart."

 
Read another article about this topic here.

 

Clear Braces

"Invisible dental braces are made from transparent polycrystalline alumina (TPA), which was developed for missile tracking."

Tags: Just for Fun · Uncategorized