16 Weird Dental Facts You Didn’t Know

Dentistry is one of the oldest professions. Many interesting and historical facts are associated with dentistry that are known to very few people. Of those, we’ve picked 16 and compiled for your reading.

1. The first recordings of tooth decay were done by the ancient Sumerians. They referred to it as “tooth worms”.
2. Around 2700 BC, ancient Chinese healers used acupuncture to treat tooth pain caused by decay.
3. In the span of a lifetime, the human body can produce around 25,000 quarts of saliva. This is enough to fill 2 swimming pools.
4. Humans under 35 mostly loose teeth because of accidents, dental trauma or decay. People over this age mostly lose teeth because of periodontal problems.
5. George Washington, first President of United States, was said to have dentures made from cow, walrus teeth, elephant tusks and hippopotamus.
6. The most dedicated dentist ever was Brother Giovanni Batista Orsenigo from Rome, who had extracted 2,000,744 teeth in his lifetime. He averaged 200 extractions per day.
7. Toothbrushes initially were made from horse, badger and hog bristles. In China, bristle toothbrushes date back to the 15^thIn 1938, toothbrushes with Nylon bristles and a plastic handle started being used.
8. Over 5000 years ago, ancient Egyptians created the first toothpaste out of myrrh, pumice, oxen hooves and burned eggshells.
9. A left-handed person chews with his left-side and a right-handed person chews with his/her right side.
10. Men smile on average 8 times a day. Women smile on average 62 times a day.
11. A tower of 28000 human teeth, with a height of 8’4” was built by a Chinese dentist to raise awareness.
12. A prisoner in West Virginia, USA, made a rope out of plaited dental floss to escape from prison.
13. In the Middle Ages, many in Germany believed kissing a donkey was a remedy to relieve toothache.
14. Ancient Greeks used donkey’s milk as mouthwash. It strengthened teeth and gums because of the calcium.
15. In the middle ages, people believed dog’s teeth boiled in wine created a mouth-wash that prevented tooth decay. It didn’t work.
16. In Vermont, due to an obscure law, women are not allowed to wear false teeth without permission of their husbands.

Those were 16 of our favourite weird dental facts. Which ones surprised you? Let us know in the comments below and share any weird dental trivia of your own!