Fun Dental Facts
Dentist offices talk a lot about practical (and totally important!) topics on their blogs. The facts, oral hygiene and dental care should be taken seriously. However, it can be reassuring for children when dental care is at least a little bit fun and interesting.
Few people love going to the dentist, but it doesn’t have to be a completely unpleasant experience. Let’s dive in and learn some fascinating and fun dental facts.
Fun Facts
1. Crocodiles Have Their Own Powerful Teeth Cleaners
In Egypt, crocodiles don’t have to worry about brushing their teeth. This is because a crocodile bird called the Egyptian plover flies into the mouths of crocodiles to clean their teeth for them.
2. The First Dentist
Speaking of Egypt, the very first recorded dentist was located in ancient Egypt. His name was Hesi-Re.
3. Girls Smile More than Boys
Believe it or not, women smile an average of 62 times every day, and men only smile about eight times a day. What is up with that? Start smiling, guys!
4. Dental Floss Has Been Around for a Long Time
In 1882, the first commercial dental floss was made.
5. The First Toothbrushes Weren’t Blue, Purple, or Orange
Early toothbrushes weren’t made out of plastic in cute colors with soft bristles. Rather, the first toothbrushes were made out of twigs from trees. To brush their teeth, people chewed on the tips to make the “brushes” softer.
Later, some people started using animal hair to create toothbrushes. Ew, right?
6. Paul Revere Was a Revolutionary Dentist
The early American Paul Revere was famous for his midnight ride to warn people that the “British are coming!” However, he was also a skilled dentist. He frequently posted ads in a Boston newspaper offering his service to colonial Americans.
Revere was ahead of his time and understood the importance of teeth cleaning. He also made dentures and was likely the first person to work with post-mortem dental forensics.
7. Eating Cheese is Good for Your Teeth
Hard aged cheese like Swiss, Monterey Jack, and cheddar is more than just delicious. These cheeses are actually good for your teeth because they neutralize plaque acid.
8. A Prisoner Used Dental Floss to Escape
In 1994, an inmate at a West Virginia prison made good use of some dental floss. Somehow, he managed to collect enough of it to braid it into a rope. Then, he used his rope to scale a wall and escape.
9. Your Tongue Has Its Own “Fingerprint”
Most people know that we all have unique fingerprints, but so do our tongues. Every tongue has a pattern that is unique to each individual.
10. Someday, Tongues Could Be Used to Prove Identification
A biometrics company is currently working on advanced technology that would allow your tongue print to be scanned as identification. Does this mean that someday we won’t even need passports anymore?
11. People Produce Enough Spit to Drown In
In your lifetime, you will produce about 25,000 quarts of spit. That’s enough drool to completely fill up two swimming pools.
12. Dentures Are a Deadly Weapon in Louisiana Law
There are also fun facts about different states! For example, if you bite someone in Louisiana, be sure you’re biting with your natural teeth, not dentures. Biting with natural teeth in the state is assault, but biting with dentures is aggravated assault because dentures are considered to be a weapon.
13. Armadillos and Pigs Have More Teeth Than Humans
Humans have 32 teeth, while pigs have 44 and armadillos have a whopping 104. However, the real MVP is the snail. Snails and slugs have flexible bands called radula with thousands of microscopic teeth.
14. The Hardest Part of Your Body Is in Your Mouth
It’s not your bones that are the hardest part of your body, and it’s not your head (even though some of us are “hard-headed”). The hardest part of your body is the enamel on your teeth.
Your Ponte Vedra Source for Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics
When you’re looking for an excellent pediatric dentist in Ponte Vedra, Florida, give Ponte Vedra Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics a call at (904) 373-5120 or request an appointment online. Our doctors are dedicated to providing not only facts, but quality dental care to children of all ages in a positive, gentle, and caring environment.