- Teeth are the only part of the human body that can’t repair themselves.
- The hardest tissue produced by the human body is enamel.
- In the British Isles, dentures were once considered the most popular gift, because locals were afraid of losing their teeth and had them pulled at a young age as a precaution.
- The first toothbrush with nylon bristles appeared in 1938. But before that there were brushes with bristles of other origins. For example, the first such brushes appeared in China in 1498, made from pig bristles and horse or badger hair.
- Like most Chinese people, Mao Zedong didn’t brush his teeth. Instead, he rinsed with tea and chewed tea leaves. “Why should I brush my teeth? Does a tiger brush its teeth?” the Chinese dictator justified himself.
- To improve oral health in China and raise public interest in the condition of teeth and gums, a national holiday was introduced. It is held every year on September 20, and its name translates as “Love Your Teeth Day”.
- The absolute strength of the chewing muscles on one side equals 195 kg, and when the muscles on both sides contract, it sometimes reaches 390 kg. Of course, the periodontium couldn’t withstand such a load, so normal chewing load is 9-15 kg (up to 100 kg when cracking nuts).
- In 1869, dentist William Semple was the first to add sugar to chewing gum.
- The popular toothpaste maker Colgate ran into some problems in Spanish-speaking countries, because “Colgate” can be read in Spanish as “go hang yourself”.
- Under the laws of the US state of Vermont, a woman may not wear dentures without her husband’s written permission.
- Until the 19th century, before porcelain artificial teeth were introduced, the teeth of soldiers killed in battle were used to make dentures. During the American Civil War, English dentists received barrels full of such teeth.
- The electric chair was invented by a dentist. In 1881 in Buffalo, New York, dentist Alfred Southwick happened to witness the death of an old drunk who died from an electric shock. Seeing how quickly and seemingly painlessly death came, he suggested to his friend, Senator David McMillan, that the rope be replaced with an electric wire.
- If you’re right-handed, you chew most of your food on the right side; if you’re left-handed, on the left.
- At the court of the French king Louis XI, aristocratic ladies ate only soup, because they believed that vigorous chewing could cause premature wrinkles on the face.
- Several centuries ago, Japanese dentists pulled teeth with their bare hands.
- The first “dentists” were the Etruscans. As early as the 7th century BC, they knew how to carve artificial teeth from animal teeth and how to make bridges from fairly hard materials.
- Dentures may contain radioactive elements. About 50% of 1 million dentures have a ceramic component with microscopic amounts of uranium. Without uranium, dentures would look a dull green under artificial light.
- According to the American Dental Association, more than half of schoolchildren have no caries in their permanent teeth. In the 1970s, this figure didn’t exceed 26%.
- Despite the bones’ need for calcium, 99% of the calcium in the human body is contained in the teeth.
- The very first orthodontic appliance was made by Pierre Fauchard in 1728. It was a thin strip of metal attached to the teeth with thread.
- George Washington, who had no teeth of his own, took great care of the teeth of his six horses; on his orders, his beloved horses’ teeth were examined and cleaned every day.
- Research confirms that the cocoa powder in chocolate contains anti-caries components.
- If one of a pair of identical twins is missing a particular tooth, the other twin has the same defect.
- Toothpaste was invented by the Egyptians about 5,000 years ago. It was a mixture of pumice and wine. From the early Roman Empire until the 18th century, one of the main components of toothpaste was urine, because the ammonia in it has excellent cleaning properties. Ammonia is still found in many toothpastes today.
- About 1.4-1.5 liters of saliva are produced in the mouth every day.
- Shops in Providence, Rhode Island (USA) are not allowed to sell toothbrushes on Saturdays.
- Only 20% of diamonds are cut; because of their hardness, the rest are used to make various tools, such as dental burs.
- The dental bur was invented by John Greenwood in 1790.
- The most expensive tooth was Isaac Newton’s, which sold in 1816 for 730 pounds sterling (about $3,241). Its aristocratic owner later set it in a ring.
- In 1867, Lucy Taylor became the first licensed dentist in the USA.
- The most common disease in the world is considered to be periodontal disease, such as gingivitis (gum inflammation). Hardly anyone escapes it in one form or another.
- Every year, American dentists use about 13 tons of gold to make bridges, crowns, inlays and dentures.
- On April 19, 1999, in Phoenix, Arizona, a “Healthy Smile” event took place: 1,365 American schoolchildren, arranged in the shape of a toothbrush, brushed their teeth simultaneously for 3 minutes and 3 seconds.
