Happy Fourth! We hope you are able to take a break today from your busy schedule to spend time with family and friends. Today is about independence, freedom, togetherness, and, of course, great food!
Here at All Family Dental Care, we want to celebrate with you, and what better way to celebrate Independence Day than with some good ole fashioned American Dental History Trivia.
We all know the important facts about our road to independence, but here are some fun dental facts you may be surprised to learn.
George Washington’s teeth were not made of wood. Unfortunately, Washington did have false teeth and multiple sets of them, but none of which was made of wood. We know that one set of his dentures were made from hippo ivory because historians uncovered the invoice from Dr. John Baker. Dr. John Baker is believed to be the first trained dentist in America.
Baltimore is home to The National Museum of Dentistry. The museum is located in Baltimore because the city is home to our country’s first dental school, The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. You can see Washington’s teeth that were made from hippo ivory there, so it’s worth visiting.
Barbers and blacksmiths often moonlighted as dentists because they had the tools to pull teeth. Paul Revere was a silversmith by trade but also dabbled in dentistry. He had enough training to identify the body of a Continental Army soldier based on his dental work. It’s the first recording of dental forensics in America.
Cocaine was the first local anesthetic. Beginning in 1884, dentists started using cocaine to numb patients before procedures. The alternative of Novocain wasn’t invented until 1905. It was invented as a means of treating battlefield wounds and was later adapted for dental use. Dentists stopped using Novocain because patients often had allergic reactions to it.
You’ll spend more than 38 days brushing your teeth in a lifetime but it should be longer. Studies show that most people spend only 48 seconds a day brushing their teeth, but we recommend spending two minutes. An easy way to do this is to divide your mouth into four quadrants and brush each for thirty minutes.
We hope you enjoyed these fun facts and take a few minutes to share your newfound knowledge with your friends and family during this holiday season. Be safe and have fun, from your friends here at All Family Dental Care.
