5 Amazing Facts about Dentistry you DID NOT KNOW

5 Amazing Facts about Dentistry you DID NOT KNOW..!!!

If you are a Dentist like I am, you sure must have come across a lot of articles/ CDE’s and other seminars teaching and getting you to be all caught up with MOST if not all of the recent advances which have come-up in Dentistry. BUT, if you are someone who enjoys HISTORY like I do, then these 5 facts pertaining to the profession, we have spent YEARS in, that are sure to blow your mind.

Without creating any more suspense, lets get started with these FACTS:

1. Dentistry is one of the OLDEST professions to have existed in the WORLD no brownie points for guessing that, but did you know that one of the earliest mentions of a Dentist was Hesi-Re is often called "Th first dentist". He lived in Egypt and died in 2600 BC. His tomb has an inscription stating, “The greatest of those who deal with teeth, and of physicians.”

And it doesn’t stop at that, one of the oldest SURGICAL findings related to dentistry was also seen in Egypt back in 275O BC, wherein two perforations were observed in the mandible below the 1^st molar region indicative of drainage of abscess and the two teeth were fixed using GOLD WIRES. How amazing is that..!!!

2. We all know about the tooth fairy, in fact I remember getting a gift every time I lost a tooth as kid, till I realized THAT my mum was my tooth fairy. BUT again, did you know that In the Norse culture, children's teeth and other articles belonging to children were said to bring good luck in battle, and Scandinavian warriors hung children's teeth on a string around their necks. So much so that, the Vikings paid children for their teeth.

3.I’m sure we are all familiar with the famous American Spelling Bee competition, lately a lot of Indians have done well there. BUT, did you know that in 1986, a young boy in the 8^th grade won the spelling bee after correctly spelling ODONTALGIA in his last round..!!

4.So, while most Dentists do not recommend eating sugary food items, DID YOU KNOW, that COTTON CANDY, was invented by a DENTIST. This was in 1908, by a Tennessee Dentist, William Morrison, who called it FAIRY FLOSS and got it made alongside a popular candy maker for the 1908 world fair..!!

And time for the most exciting FACT of all

5.I’m sure you have all heard about how George Washington, the First President of USA had dentures with wooden teeth, well, WHAT IF, I tell you, he did not..!!!

The fact is that, Mr Washington’s denture had HUMAN TEETH, (some his own and some of his slaves…!!) There were also some fake ones made using elephant ivory, hippo tusks, and gold.