When you go to the dentist, chances are you sit in the chair and grin-and-bear-it through whichever procedure you are about to endure. It’s ok – that’s what most patients do, the dentist isn’t the favorite of all doctors out there.  But as with any profession, Dentistry has a history and its history is chock-full of fun facts. Below are some interesting nuggets of information about dentistry proving that not only is dentistry innovative, it’s fun!

• There is evidence that dentistry has been practiced as far back as 7000B.C.
• Cavities and other forms of tooth decay were said to be caused by a “tooth worm” up until the 18^th century during the European Age of Enlightenment.
• Earliest Known Dental Work: A total of 11 teeth from 9 adults who lived between 7,500 and 9,000 years ago were found containing holes drilled with sharpened flint points. Flint-wielding specialists drilled holes, which were believed to have been filled with some type of material. The teeth came from residents of a prehistoric farming village called Mahrgarh in what is now Pakistan.
• Like finger prints, tooth and tongue prints are different for everyone.
• The second most common disease in the United States is tooth decay. The first is the common cold.
• Dental floss was first commercially manufactured in 1882 with silk.
• The most valuable tooth belonged to Sir Isaac Newton.  In 1816 one of his teeth was sold in London for $3,633.00 or in today’s terms $35,700.00.  The tooth was set in a ring.
• More than 300 types of bacteria make up plaque
• Most people consider the smile the first facial feature they notice.
• Some cheeses like aged-cheddar, Gouda and Muenster – among others, have been found to protect teeth from decay
• The major causes of tooth loss in people under age 35 are sports, accidents and fights.
• Queen Elizabeth I’s teeth were noticeably discolored. A German traveler, Paul Henter, speculated that the discoloration was due to the Queen’s excessive consumption of sugar, making the first recorded association between sugar and tooth decay.
• George Washington’s dentures were made from walrus, hippopotamus, and cows’ teeth, as well as elephant tusks.
• Before toothbrushes were invented people used twigs or their fingers to brush their teeth.(Neem twigs are still used in India as they have high bactericidal property)
• A couple of hundred years ago bad teeth were considered to be a rich man’s disease. It was only the rich people who could afford to eat sweet things
• China sets aside September 20th as a national holiday known as “Love Your Teeth Day.”
• The ancient Chinese wrapped tiny pieces of parchment around painful teeth, all of which contained written prayers and incantations.
• During the Middle Ages in Germany, you would have been advised to kiss a donkey in order to relieve your toothache.
• The ancient Greeks devised pliers for extracting teeth
• Lucy Hobbs was the first woman in the world to earn a D.D.S. degree from a dental school. The year was 1866 and the school was the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in Cincinnati, OH. Up until then only men were allowed to practice dentistry.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 9:23 pm and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.