Five Bites of Dental Trivia We Thought You’d Enjoy

We decided to take a break from the serious advice and offer you some interesting trivia you can share with friends (or offer your kids while encouraging them to brush and floss!).

1/ The whole tooth and nothing but the tooth (brush)

From hog hair bristles to ultrasonic scaling equipment, teeth brushing seems to be continually advancing and evolving. The toothbrush as we know it today was invented in 1938 with the development of nylon bristles. But humans have been apparently brushing their teeth since China’s Tang Dynasty with interesting apparatus containing hog hair bristles.

2/Paul Revere: one if by land, two if by teeth? 

The famous revolutionary silversmith may also have made dentures. He reportedly ran an ad in the Boston Gazette of 1770, referencing himself as a dental assistant. According to the National Museum of Health and Medicine, Revere identified a deceased Battle of Bunker Hill general by examining dental remains and recognizing a dental appliance Revere had created for the general.

3/Tooth fairy inflation

One of the latest surveys by Delta Dental reported an average of $4.70 per tooth! First time teeth can often be higher. As close friends of the Tooth Fairy, the doctors and staff of the Pennsylvania Center for Dental Implants and Periodontics suggest that parents should use the occasion of a lost baby tooth to remind their children of the importance of flossing and brushing, since losing teeth as adults is definitely NOT fun!

4/ Fluoride to the rescue

Called “Nature’s Cavity Fighter” we wrote about fluoride last year in our blog that commemorated the 75^th anniversary of water fluoridation. Many of our older patients are facing dental challenges today partially, perhaps, since the cavity-fighter wasn’t yet introduced into the water system when they were young. The American Dental Association says that fluoride prevents tooth decay by at least 24% in children and adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls water fluoridation “one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20^th century.”

5/I’m dreaming of a white… tooth?

According to at least this article on Healthline, dreaming that your teeth have fallen out may signify anything from religious uncertainty, stress and anxiety to getting a new job.

Dreaming of obtaining a more beautiful smile? As experts on dental implants and periodontics, we’d love to help! Contact us at the Pennsylvania Center for Dental Implants and Periodontics to make an appointment at one of our two convenient locations.