Teeth

Deputed Testamony is 32-years-old. His dark brown coat is shaggy, and his biggest excitement is going into his paddock at Bonita Farm for three or four hours of grazing each day. He is a pensioner, an icon. The oldest living winner of a Triple Crown race. But when Billy Boniface looks at the horse in his paddock, he sees the striking colt that was born and trained at the family farm and raced to victory in the 1983 Preakness - the last horse bred or trained in Maryland to do so. "Oh my gosh, I still get goose bumps when I look at him and remember that day," said Boniface, who was 18 then and had just taken over the breeding operation at the farm.

As jockey Joe Bravo slid off Teeth of the Dog to talk to trainer Michael Matz after Saturday's Preakness, he was smiling. It might have seemed an odd expression for a jockey whose horse had just finished fifth. But Teeth of the Dog was the highest-finishing Maryland-trained horse in the race - and it had been a glorious race. Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another came from 31/2 lengths back down the stretch to forge ahead of the betting favorite, Bodemeister, by a neck at the finish.

Children need protection from adults who sexually abuse them, and adults should report abuse when they suspect it ("A better way to help kids," Feb. 6). It should be as simple as that. But although Maryland law requires everyone to report suspected cases of abuse - not just educators, health practitioners and social workers - unlike 47 other states, there is no penalty for failure to meet this important obligation. Those of us on the front lines in investigating child abuse cases see a need for significant penalties for failing to report child abuse.

A steady, cool wind swept across the track at the Fair Hill Training Center Friday as two trainers prepared colts to run in next Saturday's 137 th Preakness. Went the Day Well, the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby trained by Graham Motion, and Teeth of the Dog, trained by Michael Matz, went out early this morning. It was Went the Day Well's first trip to the track since running in Kentucky; he galloped a mile. “He looked good, did well,” Motion said. “I continue to be impressed with him.” Went the Day Well will continue jogging at Fair Hill until early next week, when he'll ship to Pimlico to get accustomed to the new surroundings.

There's a moment from Kyle Durfey's adolescence that has always stayed with him. He was sitting next to his dad in their Crofton home, watching the sci-fi movie "Contact. " In the film, Jodie Foster's character sees her long-deceased father walk up to her on a beach in space. "I'll be damned," Gordon Durfey said to himself, just loud enough for his son to hear him. The significance wasn't lost on the teenager: Durfey realized his dad was imagining meeting his father again.

Sometimes an idea is so simple, it's overlooked - until a child gets involved. Puneet Nanda, an entrepreneur in Los Angeles, hit upon the Fire Fly Toothbrush after playing games with his young daughter to get her to brush her teeth for the correct length of time. He figured that she liked her flashing tennis shoes so much, why not put a time-activated blinking light on the brush? A fad was born. Today, the Fire Fly Toothbrush is the leading toothbrush sold nationwide at Target stores.

Chocolate, chewing gum and red licorice are not as bad for your teeth as you thought.But the bad news: Bread, bananas, raisins, cereals and chips are probably worse, according to the latest dental research."

MOSCOW -- Yekaterina Tkalenko brushes her teeth three or four times a day - especially after drinking enamel-insulting tea or coffee - has them professionally cleaned twice a year and carries floss as if it were as vital as an inhaler. She recently spent nearly $1,000 to have her teeth whitened. "When I look at a person, no matter who it is, the first thing I look at is his or her teeth and their smile," said the 34-year-old Muscovite, who works in the tourist industry. "When I see good teeth, I think this person has more chances in life, and he'll be more successful than a person who has bad teeth."

How often can you safely whiten your teeth? It's not fully clear, but once or twice a year seems to cause no problems, said Dr. Dan Nathanson, chair of the department of restorative sciences and biomaterials at the Boston University School of Dental Medicine. "No one has shown categorically that there is a danger in doing it too much, but we are cautious. It's probably not good to be a whitening addict," he said. The basic ingredient in tooth-whitening gels, whether administered in a dentist's office or at home, is hydrogen peroxide, which penetrates both the porous enamel on the outside of the tooth and the inner layer of dentin, lightening the tooth as it goes.

What's so great about an ugly set of dentures made with a lead base plugged with human teeth and dingy fabrications fashioned from cow teeth and elephant ivory? 1. They belonged to George Washington. 2. Curators at the Mount Vernon homestead never wanted the public to see them there. Until now. Mount Vernon's director, James Rees, explained the museum's recent decision to make an unusual exception to its toothless policy: Mount Vernon has had these dentures since 1949, but never set them out until now. What gives?

Children need protection from adults who sexually abuse them, and adults should report abuse when they suspect it ("A better way to help kids," Feb. 6). It should be as simple as that. But although Maryland law requires everyone to report suspected cases of abuse - not just educators, health practitioners and social workers - unlike 47 other states, there is no penalty for failure to meet this important obligation. Those of us on the front lines in investigating child abuse cases see a need for significant penalties for failing to report child abuse.

If you're like us, you'll agree that one of the few new year's resolutions worth sticking to is to see more concerts. So why not start tonight? Here are the highlights from this shortened week: On Tuesday, Rams Head Live hosts the Gridiron Sing-off, which might not technically be a "concert," but it could be even more entertaining than a typical gig. Members of the playoff-bound Ravens, including secondary specialist Lardarius Webb ...

There's a moment from Kyle Durfey's adolescence that has always stayed with him. He was sitting next to his dad in their Crofton home, watching the sci-fi movie "Contact. " In the film, Jodie Foster's character sees her long-deceased father walk up to her on a beach in space. "I'll be damned," Gordon Durfey said to himself, just loud enough for his son to hear him. The significance wasn't lost on the teenager: Durfey realized his dad was imagining meeting his father again.

Walk into Kloby's Smokehouse, and the first thing you notice is the smell. The rich aroma of meat being smoked for barbecue hangs thick in the air. It's a hint of what lies ahead, and part of the reason why this popular Laurel restaurant recently had to expand. The barbecue here is good. Really good. Opened only two months ago, Kloby's new restaurant and bar is attached to the old bar and carryout. The orange-and-yellow walls are adorned with TVs and firefighter regalia (the owner was formerly a firefighter)

Symptoms of sleep apnea: Excessive daytime sleeping Loud snoring Gasping or choking awakening Awakenings for uncertain reasons Restless sleep Nonrefreshing sleep Poor memory Poor intellectual function irritability Personality changes Morningheadaches Confusion Grinding teeth at night

A bid to keep Baltimore City's affordable housing law on the books after 2012 passed a major hurdle last week when a key City Council committee voted to extend the measure indefinitely. Now it's up to the full council to ratify the committee's decision when it takes up the matter at its regular meeting tonight. Lawmakers should make this law permanent and then work to strengthen its powers. The affordable housing law has been on the books since 2007. It requires developers to set aside a certain percentage of residential units for low-income families in large projects that receive public subsidies.

WASHINGTON -- Thornton Wilder did not believe in realistic, kitchen-sink-style theater. That's why he could get away with setting "The Skin of Our Teeth" simultaneously in the Ice Age and suburban New Jersey and with having his protagonists celebrate their 5,000th wedding anniversary.This breach with realism is also why Wilder's 1943 Pulitzer Prize-winning play lends itself so beautifully to theater-in-the-round -- the format in which it is receiving a thoroughly delightful production under the direction of Douglas C. Wager at Washington's Arena Stage.

About 12 years ago, Carrie Lemon started losing teeth. One by one, to curb pain, Lemon had most of her teeth extracted. Today, at 72, she has only six left. Eating has become a daily chore, and Lemon wants desperately to be fitted for a set of dentures. "I've just been going from one dentist to another, but all of them tell me that our medical system doesn't cover it," Lemon said. "I don't have the money to get them."

It seems just about everyone has to have his wisdom teeth extracted. For most, it's an easy procedure and an easy recovery. But many people don't understand why we have those third molars to begin with — or if there are alternatives to removal. We asked Dr. Robert E. Williams, a clinical associate professor at the University of Maryland Dental School who also practices in Baltimore and Bel Air. QUESTION: What is the purpose of wisdom teeth and why do so many people have to have them removed?

Broadway's loss last season of the much-anticipated revival of Terrence McNally's "Lips Together, Teeth Apart," because of cast difficulties in rehearsal, has become a major gain for Annapolis theater-goers. Audiences at Bay Theatre will discover a thoroughly professional production of this surprisingly current but nearly 20-year-old bittersweet comedy. In her mission to bring great theater to Annapolis, Bay Theatre artistic director Janet Luby feels "fortunate to be the first to snap up this play, when it's virtually impossible to get the rights if playing on Broadway.