Fun Dentist Facts that are Good to Know

Many people are afraid of the dentist or find sitting in that chair downright boring. Next time you are due for your check-up, think about these fun facts to help the time go by more quickly. 

Similar to fingerprints, each person has a unique dental imprint. Even in identical twins, their dental imprint and tooth alignment is different. This can become very important for body identification in extreme cases if the rest of the body has decomposed or DNA is unavailable. Victims of dramatic fires will often be identified by their unique set of teeth. Next time you visit your dentist, think about how unique your teeth are and compare them to the exciting uniqueness of fresh snowflakes. 

In North America, the tooth fairy is a famous member of most households with children. Kids will put their teeth under their pillows and eagerly look for money in the morning. In Mexico, the teeth are stolen from under the pillow by a tooth mouse and treasure is left in its place. 

Dentures are somewhat common today and are made of synthetic materials. However, in the past, the dentist for George Washington fashioned a set of dentures for him from walrus, hippopotamus, and cow’s teeth. The dentist added elephant tusks to help ensure the famous president was able to chew his food without any problems. Other historical advances in tooth care include advances in early toothpaste from the original bones, eggshells, oyster shells and honey used by the ancient Egyptians in 200 AD.

The most common disease in the entire country is the common cold. A close second is the reason your local dentist has booming business: tooth decay. Tooth decay is related to poor oral hygiene and high sugar consumption. Queen Elizabeth I had noticeably discolored teeth and Paul Henter was the first person to make the connection between sugar and tooth decay. Similar to the way penicillin advanced medicine, discoveries about how sugar affects the teeth have paved the way for significant improvements in our dentition over the centuries. 

While tooth decay is extremely common, the major cause of tooth loss in people that are under the age of 35 include events such as sports, accidents, and fighting. Tooth decay tends to have cumulative effects that add up over decades and end up in bridges, dentures or crowns later in life. Young people are more advanced in their tooth care and any type of tooth loss is usually acute and traumatic. 

Next time you visit your dentist, be sure to discuss some of these facts and ask him or her if they know any other interesting things about their profession and the advance of oral health and hygiene.