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Fun Dental Facts – Did You Know?

Dentistry is serious medicine, and daily oral hygiene is a top priority. But teeth can be pretty fun, too—not to mention fascinating. For starters, have you ever seen the full sets of baby teeth and adult teeth present in a child’s head x-ray? Go ahead, look it up. There are tons of interesting dental facts out there!

Family Dental Health in Portland treats our patients professionally and joyfully—our team thinks teeth are cool. Take Dr. Case’s word for it, there’s much to learn and admire about even the most average set of teeth.

Facts About People & Teeth

• According to a survey by Time magazine, 59% of people would rather visit the dentist than listen to one end of a cell-phone conversation.
• By age 17, 78% of Americans have had at least 1 cavity.
• Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss for people over the age of 35.
• Tooth prints are as unique as fingerprints.
• About 5 million teeth per year fall out due to sports-related accidents.
• Babies have 20 teeth but a full set of adult teeth has 32.
• Baby teeth do need to be brushed, or “washed”.
• 42% of adults said a toothbrush was one invention they couldn’t live without, according to a Lemelson-MIT Invention Index survey.

Facts About Your Mouth

• The enamel on your teeth is the hardest part of your body.
• More than 600 different kinds of bacteria can live in your mouth at the same time.
• A tooth will start to die within 15 minutes of getting knocked out—but keeping it in a glass of milk can prolong its life.
• 35% of your tooth’s surface can only be cleaned by floss.
• A third of the whole tooth is not visible but under the gums (“Titanic”, anyone?).

Facts About Dental History

• The first recorded dentist, Hesi-Re, practiced in ancient Egypt.
• The first official female dentist was Lucy Beaman Hobbs, licensed in 1866.
• The first commercial floss was made in 1882.
• The first official dental hygienist was Irene Newman, trained in 1905.
• The tooth fairy left an average of 25 cents per tooth in 1950.
• The first toothbrushes were made of tree twigs (people chewed the tips to make soft brushes), and animal hair.

Don’t let your teeth become history—take good care of them today and they’ll serve you forever. Contact us today to visit our Portland dentist office and show your smile some love.

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.