Fun Mouth Facts!

Here are some fun facts about teeth, including some history and animal related fun. How many did you know? 
• The average human produces 25,000 quarts of saliva in a lifetime – enough to fill 2 swimming pools!
• A sneeze zooms out of your mouth at over 600 mph!
• In the middle ages, people believed that dogs’ teeth boiled in wine made an excellent mouth rinse for tooth decay prevention.
• Ancient cultures chewed on twigs or roots to clean their teeth.
• Egyptians used a form of toothpaste over 5000 years ago.
• The first nylon bristled toothbrush with a plastic handle was invented in 1938.
• Armadillos have as many as 104 teeth.
• Colgate introduced aromatic toothpaste in a jar in 1873.
• 90% of systemic diseases have oral manifestations.
• Regular dental cleanings can help prevent heart attacks.
• Tooth decay is the 2nd most common disease in the U.S. after the common cold.
• In Vermont, it is illegal for women to wear false teeth without the written permission of their husband
• A crocodile replaces its teeth over 40 times in a lifetime.
• During the Dark Ages (400-1400 AD), popular belief was that you could grow a lost tooth by obtaining a tooth from someone else – ideally from a hanged criminal.
• The first set of false teeth was discovered in the 8th century BC.
• An elephant’s tooth can weigh over 6 pounds
• Not long ago, dentures were common wedding gifts in the British Isles because many people expected to eventually lose all of their teeth and expedited the process by having them extracted at an early age.

Ian, the Mosman dentist. Dentist Mosman.

Image:Pixabay