Some Intresting Facts In Dentistry | Dental Myths

We have enlisted more than 100 unique, interesting and wired facts related to Dentistry.  While going through different books i came through many interesting facts related to dentistry, mostly about the kind of dentistry which was in practice before the original dentistry practice started.

So here are some of the interesting facts about the techniques and the sort of myths in dentistry.

• Horses teeth are extremely long and grow continuously. They wear down, change shape and become discolored as they grow, so we can really tell a horse’s age by looking at its teeth.
• Archigenus (100 A.D.) Is a roman Physician and he was the first to ..
  a.Recognize pulpitis
  b.Invente the dental drill to open into pulp chamber.
• Long ago, people used to ground up chalk or charcoal, lemon juice, ashes or even a mixture of tobacco and honey to clean their teeth. It was only about 100 years ago that someone finally created a minty cream to clean their teeth and it came to be known as Toothpaste.
• China sets aside September 20^th as a national holiday known as “Love your teeth day”
• Before toothbrushes were invented people used twigs or their fingers to brush their teeth.(Neem twigs are still used in India as thy have high bactericidal property)
• Some Interesting facts about toothpastes:
• The Greek physician Hippocrates (400BC) suggested a toothpaste made from three mice and the head of a hare to cure toothache.
•  Before toothpaste was invented people used dry, rough things as an abrasive to clean their teeth – like crushed eggshell, pumice or the burnt hooves of animals!
•   A third of the population squeeze their toothpaste tube from the middle.
•   The world’s oldest-known formula for toothpaste, used more than 1,500 years before Colgate began marketing in 1873, was discovered on a piece of dusty papyrus in the basement of a Viennese museum.
• In early 1600 Japanese women made their teeth black to show loyalty to their husbands.
• In roman times, the ancient Gauls, as well as other people, used Urine (which contained Urea) as a mouth rinse to whiten their teeth.
• The Ancient Greeks were the first to discover and use Pliers to extract teeth.
• The ancient Chinese wrapped tiny pieces of parchment around painful teeth, all of which contained written prayers and incantations.
• Aztec dentists used to mix Iron fillings, water and navel lint bake and insert into the cavities to seal it.
• In the old days when dentures weren’t invented yet, dentists would do a quick surgery in implanting teeth in the mouth a person, by obtaining the teeth from a dead persons mouth.
• William F. Semple a dentist from Mount Vernon, Ohm was issued the first patent in 1869 for chewing gum.
• The Electric chair was invented  by a Dentist.
• The rat’s teeth keep growing constantly all through their lives, that is the reason why they bite into everything they see to get rid of the itching sensation in their gums.
• The biggest shark species has the smallest teeth. The 12 meter ling whale shark has more than 4,000 teeth, wach only 3mm ling. New teeth are constantly being formed in rows in a sharks jaw. Shark’s teeth are normally replaced every eight days. A shark’s teeth are literally as hard as Steel.
• Cows do not have upper front teeth and their lower bottom one’s never stop growing.
• A third of the population squeeze their toothpaste tube from the middle.
• Before toothpaste was invented people used to dry, rough things as an abrasive to clean their teeth – Crushed eggshell, Pumice or the brunt hooves of animals.
• The Greek physician Hippocrates (400BC) suggested a toothpaste made from Three mice and the head of a hare to cure toothache.
• Before toothbrushes were invented people used twigs to brush their teeth. (Neem twigs were used in India as they have high Bactericidal property, Charcoal is also used in some rural areas)
• Diet sodas are just as damaging as regular sodas at weakening tooth enamel.
• Aadvark teeth have no enamel coating and are worn away and regrown continuously.
•  Australian mothers were said to crush their children’s baby teeth and eat the powder.
• In parts of England, mothers at one time burned their children’s baby teeth so that evil witches couldn’t get their hands on them and gain control of the children.
• In some parts of the world, a child’s baby tooth would be placed in nests where rats or snakes were known to live because people believed evil witches disliked those animals and wouldn’t go near them.
• In many parts of the world, parents placed their children’s teeth in mouse nests. They thought that would result in a new tooth growing in the lost tooth’s place, just as a mouse’s lost teeth somehow re-grew!
• In other parts of the world, mothers hid their children’s teeth from animals because, they believed, if an animal found the tooth, a tooth like that animal’s would grow in the mouth of the child.

Some Interesting facts about teeth:

• It  is a weird belief that those who smile in school yearbook photos are more likely to have a successful career and marriage that those with dull or lifeless faces.
• The most valuable tooth was that of Sir Issac Newton purchased by a Businessman for $4560. Which he used as a ring.
• 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 like Queen Elizabeth I, who had very bad teeth.

•  In the dark ages, superstitions held that a person could cure his/her toothache or re-grow a lost tooth by obtaining a tooth from someone else. This tooth would have  preferably come from a  hanged criminal. It was believed that just the mere possession of such a tooth would work.
•  Cows do not have upper front teeth and their bottom ones never stop growing!
• In the 18th century people would sell their teeth to the rich people, Who then used to make false teeth with them.(so replacement of teeth was seen from as early as 18th century)
• The biggest shark species has the smallest teeth. The 12 metre long whale shark has more than 4,000 teeth, each only 3mm long.
• New teeth are constantly being formed in rows in a shark’s jaw. Shark’s teeth are normally replaced every eight days.
• The rats front teeth are constantly growing all through its life, this is the reason they bite into everything they see to get rid of the itching sensation due to growth of teeth.
• Over 40%-50% of children will be affected by tooth decay before they reach 5years of age.
• According to the May 2000 Surgeon General’s report, Oral health in America, more than 51 million school hours are lost due to Dental related problems.
• Kids laugh around 400 times per day compared to the mere 15 times a day by grown ups.
• 38.5 days is the number of days a person spends brushing his teeth in his whole lifetime.
• According to a poll conducted 73% of people would rather go for grocery shopping rather than Floss his/her teeth.
• While 9 million children in this nation do not have medical insurance, more than twice that number – 23 million- don not have dental insurance.
• Of the 4 million children born each year, more than half will have cavities by the time they reach second grade.
• For 25% of children the first visit to the emergency ward in hospitals is due to a Dental related problem.

While going through some websites i came across this list of cures for tooth problems which were used in ancient times,

The following disgusting list are other cures for tooth problems in the past.

•      Toothache: apply the following  mixture to the corresponding shoulder: figs, saffron, mustard seed, and plaster of myrrh; boil earthworms in oil and drop the oil into the ear holes; rub the tooth with dried cow’s dung!
•      Tooth decay: rinse with a mouthwash made by boiling dogs’ teeth in wine.
•      To make loose teeth firm, tie a frog to your jaw.

 Important Message– please do not try these at home!

 Tooth fairy: Many people tell their children that when we loose our teeth/tooth, and when placed under our pillow before we sleep a tooth fairy comes and exchanges the tooth with a gift.