托福阅读材料(257)：种植牙技术

　　托福阅读材料/知识之种植牙技术，更多托福阅读背景材料/知识尽在新东方在线托福考试频道！

　　人类的牙齿无疑是脆弱的，无论是治疗龋齿，还是黄斑，都是一件很麻烦的事情，如果到七八十岁，你是否愿意用假牙一点一点的磨碎失误呢？也许我们不用去想这么可怕的问题，因为新的种植牙技术让我们看到了希望。

　　How Medical technology is paving the way for people to (1)throw out those dentures, bridges((假牙上的)齿桥) or synthetic implants, and grow their own teeth back. I’m talking genuine teeth, the real McCoy. And you grow them in your mouth, in the very gaps where your dear departed teeth used to sit. The magic dust, if you will, are stem cells that come from your own gums.

　　Stem cells are basically unprogrammed cells. They’re useful because they can be programmed to (2)take on various functions, depending on what a body’s in need of.You got it.So in this case, stem cells in your gums would be extracted in order to be programmed in a lab to grow a tooth. Then doctors would insert them back into your gums, so they can do their job.

　　The procedure will be a lot less invasive and less traumatic than many current tooth replacement options. It’s beneficial too because a living tooth isn’t motionless, but adjusts in response to a person’s bite, and in doing so it can help maintain the health of the surrounding teeth and gums.

　　Will the technology be available any time soon?Not but i'm planning on losing any teeth of course.I mean so I can tell my friend Bob.

　　Tell Bob the Scientists anticipate making the procedure available to the public in about five years.

　　Notes:

　　(1)throw out ['θr?uaut] v.扔掉;伸出;说出;否决;突出

　　Never throw out anybody .

　　不要放弃任何人。

　　(2)take on 承担;呈现;具有;流行;接纳;雇用;穿上

　　The old term has taken on a new meaning.

　　这个旧词有了新的含义。