Health & Fitness
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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
