Dentistry NW - Dr. Karl Smith

09/11/2026

In memory of September 11, 2001, a day we will never forget.

09/09/2026

An interesting article and a nice picture of a Denisovan tooth. Denisovans were our distant cousins and if you hail from the Pacific islands you may have roughly 3–6% Denisovan ancestry. Their teeth were larger and more robust than ours and are particularly useful in paleoanthropology because they preserved DNA.

A site in China is just the third to give us an insight into the way the enigmatic Denisovans lived. The archaeology suggests the ancient humans were skilled hunters, although their stone tools were relatively simple

08/22/2026

🦷✨ A Little Tooth Fairy History… and a Lot of Magic!
The Tooth Fairy may feel like a timeless childhood tradition, but her story is actually a relatively recent one! While cultures around the world have had their own fascinating traditions for lost baby teeth for centuries, the modern Tooth Fairy tradition really began taking shape in the early 1900s.

And honestly? We love that. ❤️

Because whether she leaves a shiny coin, a few dollars, a tiny note, or simply a little sprinkle of magic under a pillow, the Tooth Fairy is less about history and more about the memories we create.

It’s the excitement of losing that first tooth. The whispered bedtime anticipation. The sneaky tiptoe into the room. And that magical moment in the morning when a tiny tooth has disappeared and a special surprise has taken its place. 🧚‍♀️🦷✨

So yes, the Tooth Fairy is a relatively modern tradition—but that doesn’t make it any less magical.

You might think the Tooth Fairy is an ancient legend, but that's not the case. People have had rituals for lost teeth for thousands of years, but the Tooth Fairy as we know her is actually a modern American invention.

How did Disney and 20th-century folklore create a star? https://bit.ly/4xxvu4l

📸: Janet Ramsden

08/12/2026

A big thank you to Keith Phillips, DMD, MSD for the awesome treat box! 🍪🍿🍫

It was packed with tasty chips, cookies, and all kinds of goodies. Definitely a fun surprise and a great way to brighten our day!

Thanks, Dr. Phillips, for thinking of us — we really appreciate it! 😊

07/31/2026

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! A huge thank you to Sound Surgical Arts Dr. Manuel La Rosa & Dr. Silvia La Rosa for these yummy treats! It definitely made everyone's day a little cooler and a lot happier! 🍦☀️

07/17/2026

There really is an astounding amount of diversity in mammalian dentition; from the ever-growing incisors of rodents to the shearing canines of the big cats. Here’s a great article that explains why there is such diversity in mammals and not other classes of animals.

The remarkable diversity of mammalian carnivores may be built on a surprisingly limited set of dental solutions—teeth that are good at slicing meat cannot also excel at crushing hard foods, and vice versa.

According to a new study in Science, this inherent tradeoff between cutting and crushing performance has repeatedly steered the evolution of carnassial teeth toward two recurring forms, helping explain how predators evolved to exploit different diets.

Learn more in this week’s issue: https://scim.ag/3SUo5fZ

07/04/2026

Here's wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable 4th of July! 🗽🎆

05/27/2026

Big thanks to Sound Surgical Arts Dr. Manuel La Rosa & Dr. Silvia La Rosa for the amazing Colombian empanadas! They were so good they vanished almost immediately.

05/25/2026

Here's wishing everyone a good Memorial Day with family and friends. We are grateful to the men and women in uniform who served our country and gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live in freedom.

05/09/2026

Interesting article that makes us appreciate how much better healthcare is now, but also how resourceful our ancestors were.

What an early example of a dental bridge reveals about health, wealth and social values in the late medieval and early modern world