Some Of History’s Fun And Bizarre Dental Stories

HISTORY IS FULL of outrageous tales about teeth! How many of these dental facts have you heard before?

The Dental Woes That Won the Battle Of Yorktown?

During the Revolutionary War, George Washington wrote a letter to his dentist requesting some dental cleaning tools to be sent to New York, noting that the American forces wouldn’t be in Philadelphia any time soon. The correspondence was intercepted by the British, making them think that Washington would not move his army to Yorktown. When the Americans attacked Yorktown anyway, the British were caught unawares and the battle was ultimately won.

Check out the video below to learn more about George Washington’s teeth and dentures!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwqeH557c70

The Power Of A Tooth

In Sri Lanka, the Temple of the Tooth is home to Buddha’s left canine. After Buddha’s death, this tooth played a major role in politics–whoever was in possession of the tooth had the right to rule the country. The tooth was passed down from monarch to monarch for generations as a symbol of power and authority to govern. Talk about strong teeth!

Cotton Candy And A Good Laugh

Some dentists throughout history put their names on the map as inventors. William Morrison may have been a dentist, but he is best known for developing the cotton candy machine! We think it was his history as a dentist that inspired him to first call cotton candy “fairy floss.”

Another dentist named Horace Wells saw a public demonstration of the effects of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and recognized its medical possibilities. He asked a colleague to pull one of his teeth out while he was under the influence of laughing gas and said he didn’t feel a thing, effectively introducing general anesthesia to dentistry. Now that’s dedication!

The $31,000 Tooth

After getting a tooth extracted, John Lennon gave it to his housekeeper whose daughter was a huge Beatles fan. The tooth stayed in the family for over 40 years until it was sold at an auction for approximately 31,000 dollars!

Sir, You Have Spinach In Your Teeth…

The famous frontman for the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, added some flare to his smile by putting an emerald chip in one of his teeth. Unfortunately, most people thought it was a piece of spinach. He changed it to a ruby but got tired of people telling him it was a drop of blood. He finally settled on a diamond instead.

Floss Your Way To Freedom?

In 1994, an inmate escaped from a West Virginia prison by braiding dental floss into a rope and scaling the prison wall! We recommend just using floss to clean out those hard-to-reach spaces between your teeth.

Getting Into Character

Some actors are really devoted to their craft! For his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean,” Johnny Depp had gold caps put on his teeth. He wore them until after the filming of the third film!

In the comedy “The Hangover,” Ed Helms’ character loses a tooth after getting punched by the boxing legend, Mike Tyson. Well, guess what? His toothless grin is real! When Helms’ permanent tooth never grew in, he decided to get a dental implant to improve the appearance of his smile. For the film, he had his implant taken out so the tooth loss would be authentic!

Know Any More Interesting Stories?

There are plenty of other crazy dental facts and tales out there. Which ones did we miss? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page!

Thank you for being our valued patients and friends.

The content on 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.

Protect Your Smile With A Custom Mouthguard

THE CRISP SMELL OF FRESHLY CUT GRASS on the soccer field, the gleam of the basketball court before a game, the cheering fans at the football stadium, the feeling of the baseball bat, familiar in your hands… There’s no doubt about it–playing sports can be a magical thing.

We love when our patients are having fun and being active, butunfortunately, sports-related dental injuries happen all the time. That’s why we make custom mouthguards in our practice, so you and your children can always play it safe!

Wear A Mouthguard And Reduce Your Risk Of Injury

You may be surprised to learn that up to 40 percent of dental injuries are sustained during sports activities. In fact, not wearing a mouthguard makes you 60 times more likely to sustain an injury to the face and mouth! Wearing a mouthguard during recreational as well as competitive sports activities decreases both the frequency and severity of injury.

A fractured, chipped or knocked-out tooth isn’t the only thing a mouthguard safeguards against. Did you know that wearing a mouthguard can also help prevent more serious injuries such as concussions, jaw fractures, and neck injuries? Not to mention the protection it provides for the soft tissues of the mouth like the tongue, lips and cheeks.

This is especially true for those of you with braces. Not only are your braces an investment you should protect, but those metal brackets can be especially damaging to your mouth if you’re hit by a stray ball or elbow. On top of that, if your braces are damaged, there may be a delay in your orthodontic treatment.

Custom Mouthguards Provide More Comfort And Protection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0ktAyLnGTE

When it comes to purchasing a mouthguard, you have a couple different options. A custom-fit mouthguard made specifically for you by a dental professional is the most effective and comfortable choice. We can even specially customize your mouthguard for the specific sport you play. Custom mouthguards are:

• Less likely to be displaced during the action because of their custom fit.
• Durable and tear-resistant. Custom mouthguards last longer due to the higher quality of materials used to construct them.
• More fitted and less bulky. This adds to the overall comfort and makes talking, breathing and swallowing easier.

Your Smile Is Worth Protecting

Customized specifically for your smile, the mouthguards we make in our practice provide superior safety and genuine comfort.Your smile is worth protecting. Talk to us today about your own custom mouthguard!

Our patients make our day!

The content on 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.

Impress Your Friends With Dental Trivia

MOST PEOPLE OUTSIDE of teeth-related professions probably only think about their teeth when something’s wrong, like when there’s something stuck between them in the middle of a date, they’re sore from a toothache, or they’re stained after drinking coffee or juice. That’s why we thought our patients would appreciate an opportunity to think about teeth in a more fun and interesting context. So get ready, because it’s time for some dental trivia!
 

You Probably Didn’t Know…

These are seven of our favorite pieces of dental trivia! How many of them did you already know? If you know any cool dental facts we didn’t include in our list, feel free to share them in the comments!

1. A Lifetime Of Brushing: If you brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day, that means you’re spending a whole day brushing your teeth for every year of your life! Keep up the great work!
2. First Impressions: After your eyes, your smile is what people notice most about you, so make sure you’re taking care of it!
3. Teeth Tattoos: It is possible to tattoo your teeth, though technically the tattoo is on a cap or crown that covers the tooth, not the tooth itself. (We probably wouldn’t recommend this one!)
4. Super-healing: The mouth heals faster from injuries (like a bitten cheek or burned tongue) than any other part of the body. This is because of the ample blood supply, the simplicity of the tissues in the cheeks, tongue, and gums, and the healing properties of saliva.
5. Congenitally Missing Teeth: Most of us will have 20 baby teeth and between 28 and 32 adult teeth (depending on how many wisdom teeth we have) in our lifetime, but for 3-8 percent of the population, some of those teeth might never develop at all!
6. Baby Teeth: One in about 2,000 babies are born with at least one tooth already erupted! These are called natal teeth (or neonatal if they erupt within the first month).
7. Ice Age Dental Fillings: Archaeologists have discovered evidence of crude dental fillings in teeth from 13,000 years ago in northern Italy!

For a few more weird dental facts, check out this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQXYslGfLGs

Let’s Take Care Of Those Teeth!

There are plenty of weird and fascinating things we can learn about teeth, but if you ever notice anything about your own teeth that strikes you as unusual, come see us. It’s always better to make sure nothing out of the ordinary is going on, and your teeth will thank you for doing so earlier rather than later.

Remember to keep brushing and flossing!

The content on 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.

Taking Care Of Your Toothbrush

WE ALL USE TOOTHBRUSHES to take care of our teeth, but what are we doing to take care of our toothbrushes? It’s critical that our toothbrushes remain in good condition so they can do their jobs of keeping our teeth healthy, which is why we’re dedicating a blog post to giving our patients tips on toothbrush care!
 

Cleaning Your Toothbrush

Running your toothbrush under water and giving it a good shake won’t do much to get rid of all the germs you just brushed off your teeth, especially if you’ve recently battled the flu or a cold. Luckily, there are a few ways to deep-clean your toothbrush. Boiling the bristles for a few minutes will kill any germs on them, as will soaking the toothbrush in mouthwash. You can also sanitize it by placing it in the silverware rack of the dishwasher and running it without detergent.

Toothbrush Storage Dos and Don’ts

Do you store your toothbrush with the bristles on the counter or shelf, in a toothbrush cover, or near your toilet? Don’t! Bacteria needs warmth and moisture to multiply and spread, and flushing your toilet can send microscopic contaminants all over your bathroom. The best way to keep bacteria from growing on your toothbrush is to store it upright somewhere it can air out. It’s also a good idea to keep it well away from your toilet, and always put the lid down before flushing.

When To Replace Your Toothbrush

Getting used to a new toothbrush can feel weird. The bristles don’t feel the same, the shape is different, and the handle isn’t the same in your hand. But if we want our teeth to get the proper cleaning they deserve, this brief transition period is more than worth it.

If the bristles on your brush are getting bent, worn, or frayed, it’s definitely time for a new one — particularly if they’re sticking out the wrong way, because that won’t do your teeth any good! Bristles need to be straight in order to reach all the places they should. Just as important: have they become discolored? You don’t want to brush your teeth with stained, dirty bristles!

Get Creative With Your Old Toothbrush

Old toothbrushes are excellent tools for cleaning hard-to-reach areas in your house, like tile grout and backsplashes. You could boil it to make it soft, then bend it into a colorful bracelet! Toothbrushes also make great paintbrushes.

To make your toothbrush art minty fresh, use toothpaste as your paint!  Check out this amazing video of toothpaste art in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8dD7ZPH6LQ

Need Toothbrush Recommendations?

Looking for a new toothbrush but not sure which one is right for you? Just ask us and we’ll give you a recommendation! Keep up those great brushing habits, and don’t forget to schedule your regular dental appointments!

Thank you for your trust and friendship!

The content on 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.

How A Nail Biting Habit Affects Teeth

NAIL BITING IS A HABIT shared by between a quarter and a third of children and nearly half of teenagers. Compulsive behaviors don’t always have negative effects on a person’s physical health, but this one definitely does. In addition to leaving the nails torn and uneven and doing damage to the nail beds, nail biting can lead to a variety of oral health complications.

Nail Biting Versus Teeth And Gums

You might think that your teeth are much tougher than your fingernails, but over time, nail biting can cause significant damage to both teeth and gums. Here are some of the biggest ways this happens:

• Erosion, chipping, and cracking: the grinding friction of teeth against nails can gradually wear the enamel away, or even cause teeth to chip or crack.
• Malocclusion and gaps: biting nails doesn’t just damage the teeth, it can also cause them to move, leading to malocclusions (problems with the bite) and gaps.
• Root resorption: possibly the scariest thing nail biting can do to teeth is cause the jaw bone to reabsorb the roots, weakening them and leaving them more vulnerable to falling out. This is an even greater risk for people with wire braces.
• Gingivitis: a lot of dirt and germs get trapped under our fingernails, and when we chew on them, that all gets transferred to our mouths, which can result in gum disease.
• Bruxism: a nail biting habit can increase a person’s risk of developing a chronic teeth-grinding habit, which comes with even more oral health problems, along with headaches and soreness.

Why Does Nail Biting Happen?

If nail biting has such unpleasant consequences, then why do so many people do it? It isn’t fully understood yet, but studies have indicated that it can be an effect of anxiety, boredom, or perfectionism. Similar repetitive behaviors include skin picking and hair pulling. Often, people may not even notice themselves doing it, and this can make it much harder to stop.

Tips To Help Break The Habit

Until more is known about nail biting and what causes it, it can be difficult to know the best things to do to break the habit, but here are a few strategies that can help:

• Trim your nails regularly so you don’t have anything to bite.
• Paint your nails with bitter-tasting polish so biting becomes associated with a nasty taste.
• Get a manicure! If your nails are pretty, you’ll be more motivated to keep them that way.
• Swap the nail biting habit with a more harmless way to fidget, like silly putty or a stress ball.
• Figure out your triggers. When you know what sets off the nail biting, you can plan ahead and do something different.
• Make stopping a gradual process. Choose one nail at a time to stop biting, and maybe cover it so you physically can’t bite it. Add more fingernails to the bite ban until there aren’t any left!

We’re Rooting For You!

The oral health of our patients is of course our highest priority, and that means we’re here to help you overcome habits that threaten your teeth and gums! If you need help kicking your habit, don’t hesitate to enlist ours!

We’re here to help you keep your oral health on track!

Top image by Flickr user Photo by Thomas used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on 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.

Fun Tooth Fairy Ideas

THE EXCITEMENT OF LOSING a tooth and waiting for the Tooth Fairy to come is something almost every child looks forward to, but how can parents make sure this rite of passage lives up to the hype? If you’ve been looking for ways to improve your Tooth Fairy game, we have a few ideas you could use!
 

The Tooth Fairy’s Origins

The idea of a fairy who quietly swaps a child’s tooth for money or a small gift overnight isn’t a very old one, but there have been traditions associated with children losing their first tooth since the time of the Vikings, when the teeth were often buried to ensure a happy life for the child or considered good luck in battle. These days, many cultures have the Tooth Fairy or a Tooth Mouse, but exactly how the tradition operates varies from household to household.

A Few Fun Tooth Fairy Ideas

If you or your children are getting bored with the old dollar-under-the-pillow routine, it might be time to help your Tooth Fairy out. Try out one or more of these to really bring the magic back:

• Tooth Fairy pillow: Sew a little pillow big enough to hold the lost tooth! When the Tooth Fairy comes, she’ll replace the tooth with whatever item she brings and put it in the same slot the tooth was in.
• Fairy Dust: Sprinkle a coating of glitter over the Tooth Fairy money to make it seem like it’s covered in magical fairy dust!
• Tooth Fairy note: Leave a signed note from the Tooth Fairy to let your child know they’re doing a great job on their oral hygiene and encourage them to keep it up!
• Tooth box: A good way to make sure the tooth doesn’t become lost is to put it in a cute little box! Your child can decorate the box to make it even more special, and then the Tooth Fairy can put the reward in the box when she takes the tooth.
• Tooth Fairy door: If your child’s room doesn’t have a window that opens (or if you want to do it just for fun), you could provide a special door the Tooth Fairy can use! A simple, fairy sized, door is a great way to make sure she doesn’t get stuck outside!
• Capturing the Tooth Fairy: Can you catch the Tooth Fairy on camera? There are websites and editing apps that will help you get this amazing footage. But remember, the Tooth Fairy is very tricky and might be hard to catch!

If you want a Tooth Fairy project to sink your teeth into, check out what this dad did:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-i1HHad9Zk

Close Colleagues: The Dentist And The Tooth Fairy

A great way to make sure everything is going well with your child’s incoming adult tooth and the rest of their teeth is to bring them in for a check-up and cleaning! We can also offer more Tooth Fairy ideas and tips on how to handle those loose teeth. Don’t forget to tell us your Tooth Fairy stories!

We can’t wait to hear how things went with the Tooth Fairy!

The content on 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.