More Tooth Trivia
An English prisoner, William Addis, is credited with inventing the toothbrush in 1770. He bored holes in a bone saved from his dinner and then wedged hard bristles, probably from a broom, into the holes. When he was released from prison he became a very successful toothbrush manufacturer.
Mummy OH Mummy . . . In ancient Egypt you were more likely to get a toothache if you were rich. Only the well-to-do could afford and ate sweets (such as honey)! Pharaoh Amenophis III (who lived around 1500 B.C.) suffered from many abscesses which were the result of rotten teeth. Recent x-rays taken of his mummified skull are the source for this information.
Although many people believe raisins are much healthier than chocolate, they can cause a higher incidence for tooth decay, due to their sticky properties and adherence to the tooth's surface for prolonged periods of time.
According to Consumer Reports, dentists are among the 5 most trusted professionals in the United States. According to a 2000 Gallup Poll, Americans rank dentists among the top 10 most honest and ethical professionals. Other highly ranked professionals include nurses, pharmacists, veterinarians, physicians, teachers, clergy, engineers and police officers.
In the United States, close to 3 million miles of dental floss was purchased in 1996 by dental consumers.
Approximately 94% of Americans say they brush nightly while only 81% say they brush first thing in the morning.
Earliest record of a toothbrush was found in Chinese literature about 1600 AD
The electric toothbrush was first introduced in 1939.
The first toothbrush was made by William Addis of Clerkenwald, England.
The Florence Manufacturing Company of Massachusetts, was one of the first companies to produce toothbrushes in America in 1885. The first model was the Prophylactic brush. This company was also the first to distribute the toothbrushes in boxes to prevent any cross contamination.
The first American to gain a patent for a toothbrush was H. N. Wadsworth. The natural bristles of early toothbrushes were taken from the necks and shoulders of swine, especially pigs living in colder climates like Siberia and China.
The first nylon bristles were introduced in 1938 and soon replaced the natural swine bristles.
Had you lived in the Middle Ages, you would have gone to your barber for shaves, haircuts and tooth extractions. Since barbers performed both hair-cutting and surgery, they were called barber-surgeons. Barber-surgeons formed their first organization in France in 1094, and were admitted to the faculty of the University of Paris in 1505. The red, white and blue striped barber pole originated around this time. One interpretation is that the red stripe represented arterial blood, blue represented venous blood and the white represented bandages.
Among the earliest "dentists" were the Etruscans, who carved false teeth from various mammal teeth in 700 B.C. They also produced partial bridgework that was strong enough to eat with. The ancient Egyptians also appeared to have dentists. Scientists discovered a filling in the mouth of one 2,000 year old mummy.