Quirky Dental Facts That May Surprise You

In today’s Kenneth Hovden DDS post, we share some fun facts about dentistry. Enjoy!

Many dental patients are aware that before there was formal dental training and licensing, barbers often performed dental procedures. But did you know that blacksmiths also moonlighted as dentists?¹ How would you like your dental visit to involve tools used to hammer hot metal?
The Mayans were accomplished cosmetic dentists. One smile style in Mayan culture was bejeweled teeth – a procedure that involved the drilling of holes to embed precious gems. That’s a grill with major bling! ¹
The average human produces 25,000 quarts of saliva in a lifetime. That is enough to fill up two swimming pools.² (Not a very pleasant image, right?)
Nylon toothbrush bristles weren’t introduced until 1938. Prior to that, pig hair was a common bristle material.³ (“Mom, my toothbrush smells like bacon!”)
A popular toothache treatment in medieval Germany was to kiss a donkey.³ There is no evidence that it actually worked and it is unknown if the same remedy was used by donkeys.
Every person’s tongue is unique – just like a fingerprint.⁴
In medieval Japan, black teeth were considered appealing. Style-conscious women used roots to stain their teeth.³

At Kenneth Hovden DDS, you won’t find pig hair, donkeys, or anvils. You will find quality dental care and our professional team of dental professionals. Our menu of services includes: restorative dentistry, sleep apnea and snoring, and TMJ treatment. Contact Kenneth Hovden DDS today at 650-755-6000 to schedule an informative consultation.

Kenneth Hovden
Kenneth Hovden DDS
901 Campus Dr Ste 202
Daly City, California 94015
650-755-6000
https://www.cosmeticimplantdentistryca.com/dental-services/

¹Gregory Myers,”10 Weird Facts About Teeth,” ListVerse, January 27, 2014, http://listverse.com/2014/01/27/10-weird-facts-about-teeth/, accessed on November 14, 2014
²“Mouth Matters,” Visual.ly, August 28, 2012, http://visual.ly/your-mouth-matters-fun-dental-facts, accessed on November 14, 2014
³“Chew on This, Fun Tooth Facts for a Healthy Mouth,” Delta Dental, http://www.deltadentalnc.org/MediaLibraries/Global/documents/Delta Dental-Tooth-Tips-BF.pdf, accessed on November 12, 2014
⁴“New oral features can be considered unique as a fingerprint,” DentistryiQ, http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2014/01/new-oral-features-can-be-considered-unique-as-a-fingerprint.html, accessed on November 14, 2014