Interesting Dental History Facts

While going to the dentist doesn’t seem like fun, compared to the dentistry practices in the past, it’s a breeze! To let you know how good you have it at Roger’ Center for Dentistry in Spanish Fork we have pulled out our history books to give you some insight on some interesting dental history facts.

• The first toothbrushes were tree twigs. Chewing on the tips of the twigs spread out the fibers, which were then used to clean the teeth.
• George Washington never had wooden teeth. His dentures were made from gold, hippopotamus tusk, elephant ivory and human teeth!
• The average amount of money left by the tooth fairy in 1950 was 25 cents. In 1988 it was $1.00, the going rate now is $2.00.
• The earliest dentist known by name is Hesi-Re. He lived in Egypt over 5,000 years ago.
• Back in the Middle Ages, “barber-surgeons” were the people you would visit in order to get your face shaved and your teeth pulled
• The cure for a toothache in Medieval Germany was to kiss a donkey.
• N. Wadsworth was granted the first U.S. patent for a toothbrush in 1857. In 1938, the first nylon bristled toothbrushes were mass produced by DuPont.
• The plaque that grows on human teeth consists of 300 different species of bacteria
• Teeth are like fingerprints, no two are alike and everyone’s is specific just to them. Even twins do not share the same dental fingerprint.
• The first dental drills were made of stone. Teeth have been found belonging to Stone Age humans with stone drilled holes around decayed matter.
• In early colonial days, the village blacksmiths also served as the community dentist because they had tools that could most easily pull teeth, which was the only way they dealt with a toothache.
• Aristotle and Hippocrates first contemplated type of dental braces as far back as 300 A.D. and archaeologists have discovered mummified remains of people with bands made from catgut wrapped around their teeth.

Now going to the dentist doesn’t seem so bad, right? Schedule your appointment with us at Roger’s Center for Dentistry in Spanish Fork today.