Beavers don't have floss or toothbrushes. But they do have one advantage over us. Beavers have tooth enamel that is better at resisting acid that any fluoridation can provide. The secret is iron.
That's right. You see, beavers have pigmented enamel on their teeth. Their teeth have brown coloration. It's the iron in the enamel that gives it this color and this protection against acid.
In humans, the acids of fruit, berries, and juices can eat away at tooth enamel, thus enabling bacteria to invade the teeth and cause cavities.
The study, using atom probe tomography, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, and correlative techniques, and published in Science magazine, is entitled "Amorphous Intergranular Phases Control the Properties of Rodent Tooth Enamel".
A layman's explanation of the study is found here.
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