Dental Fun
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Boost your Dental IQ
Dental Drills – Fillings – Crowns – Bridges - Dentures - Jokes about Dentistry
- Dentistry Word Search
- Dentistry Crossword Puzzle
To tell you the tooth…
- Natural teeth are meant to last your lifetime.
- An athlete without a mouthguard is 60 times more likely to injure his or her teeth.
- A toothbrush with frayed or worn-out bristles will not clean teeth properly...you should replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months.
- Every person has a set of teeth as unique as fingerprints and even the "dental fingerprints" of identical twins are different.
- Next to the common cold, tooth decay remains the most prevalent disease in the United States, even though a third of all youngsters between the ages of 5 and 17 are cavity free.
- Toothbrushes with nylon bristles were first developed in 1938.
- China developed the first toothbrushes with bristles in 1498.
- Materials used in those brushes were bristles from hogs, horses, and badgers.
- The first dental “drills” were picks and scissors
- George Washington’s dentist created a foot-powered dental “drill” in the late 1700s
- James Naysmith’s dental drill became motor-driven by Charles Merry in 1958
- George Green created an electric drill in 1874
- Modern dental drills spin at 300K-4M rotations per minute
Source: Travers, B., ed., World of Invention, Gale, (1994) p. 194.
Dental Fillings, Crowns, and Bridgework
- In ancient times, cavities were filled with stone, resin, gum, and metals
- The first gold filling was recorded in 1848
- Fauchard, “The Father of Modern Dentistry,” used tin foil for fillings
- Gutta percha came in to use in 1847
- Wax impressions were introduced in 1862 for fillings, inlays, and onlays
- The Etruscans used crown and bridge systems 2500 years ago
- In the Middle Ages, people didn’t use bridgework
- Gold crowns were used by Pierre Mouton in 1746
- The gold crown was patented in 1873
- The Logan crown, porcelain on platinum, received patent in 1885
- Detachable bridge facings were invented by Dr. Walter Mason in 1890
- Interchangeable bridge facings were invented by Dr. Thomas Steele in 1904
Source: Travers, B., ed., World of Invention, Gale, (1994) pp. 194-195.
- Etruscans made false with ivory or bone, secured by gold bridgework
- Human teeth have been used for dentures, as well, but they rot
- Silver, gold, mother of pearl, and agate have been used for false teeth
- Queen Elizabeth I used cloth in her mouth to hide her missing teeth
- False teeth were hand carved, then secured by silk threads
- Springs held early dentures in place, and the dentures could pop right out
- In 1774, Duchateau and Dubois de Chemant patented baked porcelain
- In 1808, Giuseppangelo Fonzi created a tooth held in place with a platinum pin
- In 1867, Claudius Ash improved upon the porcelain tooth
- In the early 1882, Charles Peale baked mineral teeth in Philadelphia
- The S.S. White Company widely marketed false teeth
- Plaster of Paris impressions began in 1756
- Charles Goodyear's vulcanized rubber made a good base to hold false teeth
- Horace Wells improved comfort with nitrous oxide for extractions
- Today dentures are plastic or ceramic
Source: Travers, B., ed., World of Invention, Gale, (1994) pp. 238-239.
Did you hear about the dentist who planted a garden?
A month later, he/she was picking teeth.
What does the dentist of the year get?
A little plaque
What game did the dentist play when he/she was a child?
Caps and robbers
What does a dentist do on a roller coaster?
Braces him/herself
What did the dentist see at the North Pole?
A molar bear
Where does the dentist get his gas?
At the filling station
How did the dentist break a mirror?
Acci-DENTAL-ly
What did the dentist say to the computer?
This won't hurt a byte.
What do dentists like best about amusement parks?
Molar Coasters
We welcome you, your family, friends, and coworkers to experience state-of-the-art dentistry, excellent clinical care, and superb customer service. Call our St. Louis dental office at (314) 567-5612 if you have any other questions or would like to schedule an appointment. Our Creve Coeur, MO dental office is conveniently located for patients throughout the St. Louis area. We welcome the opportunity to give your smile life!
