
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 300 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, was 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, who 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.