Dental Trivia + Fun Facts
Humans only get 2 sets of teeth in their lifetime. The first set of teeth (baby teeth) has 20 teeth the second set of teeth (adult teeth) has 32 teeth. Baby teeth start to form before a baby is born and teeth complete eruption as late as 25 years old.
Some babies are born with teeth. About 1 in every 2000 babies are born with “natal” teeth. For most babies, teeth erupt when a baby is 6-10 months old.
What’s the deal with wisdom teeth? Our ancestors had a much tougher diet than we do today. This diet made an extra set of molars quite useful. However, as our diets and ways of preparing food have evolved, our jaws have become smaller, often leaving insufficient space for these third molars. That’s why many people today need to have their wisdom teeth removed to prevent dental complications.
Teeth are as unique as fingerprints. No two people have the same tongue print either.
Teeth are the only part of the human body that can’t repair. They are coated in enamel, which is the hardest part of the entire body; even harder than bone.
The first recorded dentist lived in 3000 BC in ancient Egypt, Hesi-Re was renowned as the very first tooth expert.
Ancient Egyptians took care of their teeth. The rich Egyptians had their servants clean them. They used cocktails of herbs to help relieve common tooth problems, like gingivitis and inflammation of the tooth’s pulp.
Fillings made of resin and malachite were found in Egyptian mummies. Gold wire was used to bind loose teeth together.
Later the Romans fixed cavities with gold crowns and made bridges to fix gaps from missing teeth. They used a form of toothpaste made of a mix of honey and crushed eggshells.
George Washington’s famous dentures were not made of wood. He actually had four pairs made of gold, ivory, lead and a mixture of human, donkey and hippos’ teeth!
Toothbrush history: Ancient toothbrushes were found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 3000BC. The Chinese developed chew sticks in 1600BC and later in the 15th century the first toothbrush with bristles using hair from horses, hogs and badgers. Once nylon was invented, toothbrushes were widely promoted in the 1950s. The first electric toothbrush was invented in 1939.
Modern toothpaste has only been available the past one hundred years. Prior to this humans used all kind of mixtures such as crushed oyster shells, ground chalk, charcoal, pulverised brick, lemon juice and salt.
Over 700 different species of bacteria make the human mouth home; total number of bacteria present in the mouth are more than the number people living on earth. Sadly, on average, a person spends only 46 seconds to brush their teeth. At least two minutes is needed!
The average person spends 38 days brushing their teeth during their lifetime.
Airborne particles from toilet flushing make their way to toothbrush bristles. Keep toothbrushes 6 feet away or more from the toilet and replace toothbrushes every 3 months, as soon as bristles start to bend, or after an illness.
Do not place a cap on your toothbrush between brushings. This causes bacteria to flourish in a moist environment. Let toothbrushes air dry.
Smile more often! More than 50% of people say someone’s smile is the first physical trait they notice and that a smile from a stranger makes them want to smile.
The average woman smiles 62 times a day and the average man only 8 times per day. Children smile 400 times a day! We use less muscles to smile than to frown. Time to smile more!
People who smoke are 2-7 times more likely to develop gum disease than non-smokers.
People who drink 3 or more cans of pop daily have 62% more tooth decay, fillings, and tooth loss compared to people that don’t drink pop. A single can of soda contains 10-12 teaspoons of sugar!
Americans spend one hundred billion dollars a year on hair products but only two billion on dental care products, yet dental health is far more important to overall health!