28 Dentist Facts to Chew On

Published December 2, 2024

Dentistry dates back to 7000 BC in the Indus Valley, making it one of the oldest medical professions._[9]
Around 5000 BC, a Sumerian writer argued that tooth worms cause dental decay. This idea wasn't proven false until the 1700s._[11]
In 1530, the first book dedicated to dentistry was published. It was titled The Little Medicinal Book for All Kinds of Diseases and Infirmities of the Teeth. _[1]
Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, established in 1840, was the first dental college in the United States._[11]
Most Americans did not practice good brushing habits until after WWII, when soldiers who had been stationed overseas brought the idea of good oral health back to the United States._[11]
America's first dentist, John Baker, trained Paul Revere to be a dentist._[11]
The first dental X-ray was taken in 1896._[11]

His book described basic oral anatomy and function, oral pathology, ways of removing decay, replacing missing teeth, and transplanting teeth

The "Father of Modern Dentistry" is considered to be Pierre Fauchard, a French surgeon who, in 1723, published his influential book The Surgeon Dentist, a Treatise on Teeth. It was a landmark book because it introduced standard dental practices such as fillings and the use of dental prostheses, and it promoted the idea that acids from sugar led to tooth decay._[11]
William Semple, a dentist from Mount Vernon, Ohio, was the first to receive a patent for chewing gum, in 1869._[10]
While anthropologists have found evidence that humans have used tools to clean between teeth throughout history, a New Orleans dentist named Dr. Levi Spear Parmly invented modern dental floss in 1815._[18]
Aquariums are popular in dentist offices because they are a form of stress relief. The sound of water flowing and the soothing colors help to calm patients._[3]
Dentists often ask patients questions during a procedure, even if the patient can't talk at the moment, as a form of distraction._[3]
The small magnifying attachments that dentists wear on their glasses are called loupes. They can magnify teeth by as much as 2.5 times or more._[10]
Dentist William Morrison invented the cotton candy machine and called the sweet candy "fairy floss."_[14]
Following the common cold, tooth decay is the second most common disease in America._[10]

Every tooth in a man's head is more valuable than a diamond.

- Miguel de Cervantes

In India, dentists removed 232 teeth from a 17-year-old boy. The boy had a condition called composite odontoma, which can cause teeth to grow inside tumors._[6]
Dentist Horace Wells attended a laughing-gas road show and is considered the discoverer of anesthetic gases in dentistry. However, he experimented on himself with various chemical gases throughout his career, which altered his personality. He was eventually thrown into jail, where he took his own life._[12]
The salary of an average dentist in the United States is $150,000 per year._[7]

Other strange objects that dentists have found in patients' mouths include a whole piece of gherkin, wiry black hair, multiple candy wrappers, and a fishing fly

A dentist reported that during a root canal he found a tomato seed lodged in the patient's gum. When he looked closer, he discovered that the seed had sprouted._[6]
A British dentist reported that one of his female patients was so afraid of going to the dentist that she superglued her own teeth when they broke or fell out. Because she did this for over 10 years, the chemicals in the superglue destroyed her teeth and 90% of the bone supporting her upper teeth._[13]
The word "dentist" is from the PIE root *dent, meaning "tooth."_[8]
Oral disease affects over 3.5 billion people worldwide._[15]
Prehistoric dentists from about 9,000 years ago used drills made out of flint to remove rotting dental tissue. Researchers say the drills were "surprisingly effective."_[17]
When Prime Minister of Japan Hideki Tojo needed dentures during his trial after WWII, the American dentist who created his dentures engraved on them the phrase "Remember Pearl Harbor."_[16]

Fillings have been made from beeswax, gold, tin, silver, amalgams, and resin

The earliest dental filling was discovered in Slovenia. Dating from 6,500 years ago, the filling was made of beeswax._[5]
George Washington's false teeth were actually teeth from slaves._[19]
Ben Affleck had $20,000 worth of dental work done for the movie Armageddon because the director thought his natural teeth were not worthy of the role of a hero._[4]
At age 21, Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and Chocolate Factory, had all of his teeth pulled out because he thought they were more trouble than they were worth. He also actively tried to talk others into having their teeth removed, too._[2]