Your teeth contain a living fossil record of your own biological history.
In short: The hardened plaque removed during dental cleanings is more than just waste. It is dental calculus, a unique substance that fossilizes while you are still alive, allowing researchers to map the evolutionary journey of the microbes living inside your mouth over tens of millions of years.
Dental calculus is the only part of the human body that undergoes fossilization during a person's lifetime. By analyzing this residue, scientists can trace the evolutionary history of the oral microbiome, providing a window into how these microscopic communities have changed over tens of millions of years.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The 40 Million-Year-Old Ecosystem In Your Mouth
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