Did you know that 30% of people smile more than 20 times a day, and only about 14% of people smile five times a day or less? Did you know that in 2017 more than 127 million adults in America visited a dentist? If you didn’t, you might also not know these really cool fun facts about the dentist and your teeth.
The First Ever Family Dentist
The first record we have of any dentistry anywhere in the world is from Egypt. It’s a 5,000-year-old dental record belonging to someone named Hesi-Re.
Speaking of Old…
We’ve always been concerned about dentistry and the state of our smiles. The oldest toothpaste recipe we have also comes from Egypt. The recipe is about 1,600 years old, and it includes dried iris, mint, salt, and pepper.
Credit Where Credit is Due
The first cosmetic dentists might have been working in Egypt, and Egypt might be where a dentist mixed the first toothpaste, but the Chinese seem to have invented the first toothbrush with bristles. Of course, the “bristles” were actually bamboo bits and probably didn’t feel all that good when you were using them.
Your Teeth Are Pretty Amazing
Your dentist can tell you that your teeth actually started growing long before you were born, even though you didn’t seem to have any when they first handed you to your mother. Your teeth also make a totally unique bite mark: just like your fingerprint!
Wartime Brushing
People have been brushing their teeth since time immemorial, but the habit of brushing first thing in the morning and last thing at night didn’t really take hold until American soldiers returning from Europe after World War II brought the habit with them.
Miles to Go Before I Sleep
If you faithfully floss for your entire life, you’re going to use up an average of five whole miles of floss. You’ll also have spend an average of 76 days out of your life brushing your teeth (that is, if you remember to brush for two minutes at a time as your family dental professional recommends!)
Keep Your Eye on the Ball
Really. Every year, the world loses five million teeth due to sports-related injuries. That’s a lot of trips to emergency dental care.
You Put Your Right Hand In, You Put Your Right Hand Out
Or your right tooth. If you’re naturally right-handed, you’ll tend to chew on the right side of your mouth. If you’re naturally a lefty, you’ll prefer using the left side.
The Toothfairy Has Been Shortchanging You
You never know what your teeth might be worth! A tooth believed to belong to the scientist Sir Isaac Newton sold for $3,633. That’s more than $35,000 in today’s money!
Here Come the Ladies
The first licensed modern female dentist was Lucy Beaman Hobbs. She got her license in 1866. The first dental hygienist ever was a woman. She was trained to go about cleaning people’s teeth in 1905, and her name was Irene Newman.
Hard to Believe
Your bones aren’t the hardest thing in your body. Your dentist can tell you that the enamel on your teeth is harder than any bone!
How Sweet it Is
You might not believe this one, but for all your dentist tells you to skip the candy, it was actually a dentist who invented cotton candy! Some countries even call it fairy floss or candy floss.
Along For the Ride
You teeth are home to more than 300 different types of bacteria. It’s that bacteria that your dentist is cleaning off for you when you go in for a dental appointment. That’s a lot of nastiness for a dentist to be exposed to.
These are just a few cool facts about dentists, teeth, and how we care for our teeth. Next time you visit your dentist, why not whip out one of these cool facts and see if they know it?
