.
Feedback

BLOG: Dental Fun Facts

10 quick and interesting dental facts that you probably didn't know.

  • The average toothbrush has about 2,000 bristles that are grouped in to the about 40 tufts that you see. 
  • The average American spends about 38days brushing their teeth over the course of their lifetime.
  • Dental floss has been used in many attempted, although unsuccessful, prison escapes. A West Virginian inmate once braided a 20 foot rope of dental floss and used it to escape through a window and down a wall. Dental floss can also be used to cut through prison bars.
  • George Washington's teeth were not actually made from wood. The dentures were carved out of hippo and elephant ivory and held together with a spring. Inserted in the ivory were human teeth (probably from slaves), and bits of donkey and horse teeth.
  • The first description of a toothbrush dates back to around 1600 BC in China, it was called a chew stick and was simply a twig with a frayed end. You can still buy this today: the miswak teeth cleaning twig. 
  • 32% of Americans say their co-workers have bad breath.
  • More people use blue toothbrushes than red ones. 
  • The ancient Egyptians invented toothpaste 5000 years ago. Ingredients included rock salt, mint, dried iris flower, and 20 grains of pepper all mixed with saliva.
  • Dog's are less likely than humans to develope cavities because their saliva has a very high PH, preventing the loss of tooth enamel. 
  • Some babies are born with visible teeth, known as neonatal teeth. 

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from Plymouth-Whitemarsh Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Jane Smith July 12, 2012 at 08:50 pm
Great article. These are interesting fun facts. Try taking the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" quiz on Delta Dental of Iowa's blog!
http://www.deltadentaliablog.com/2012/06/who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-oral-health-special-edition/
Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Deborah Smith June 17, 2013 at 04:04 pm
Small quibble perhaps, however, last time I checked, Stella Blu and Gypsy Saloon were both in WestRead More Conshohocken, not Conshohocken. Credit where credit is due, please. I'm terribly proud of my hometown, you see.
Dallyn Pavey June 17, 2013 at 04:07 pm
Thanks for catching the typo. It was corrected.
Deborah Smith June 17, 2013 at 04:11 pm
GRIN! Thanks. Nothing like a "Homer" to make life difficult, eh?
Tara Horwitz March 5, 2013 at 07:23 pm
http://plymouthwhitemarsh.patch.com/announcements/autism-awareness-is-mainstreamed-tonight-on-mtv