6 Fun Dental Health Facts That Might Surprise You!

Dental hygiene and oral health don't always have to be about the serious nitty-gritty stuff. We here at Coral especially like to keep your education about every level of dental hygiene fun and inspirational, something you would want to share with your family or friend. To mix things up and make sure none of you are getting bored out there, we thought we would list out a few fun and unusual facts about dental health that you probably didn't know! 

1. Cleaning Teeth Is Ancient History 

According to a report on the History Channel, people have been known to clean their teeth as far back as 5,000 B.C. in ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Rome, and Greece. The plastic toothbrushes with nylon bristles you see today were developed in 1938 and the practice of brushing teeth regularly took off in the United States around World War ll. 

2. Tooth Enamel Is One Tough Mother 

Tooth enamel is considered to be one of the strongest materials in the human body. This means it's even harder than bones. Of course, bacteria and acids in the foods and liquids we ingest can weaken that tooth enamel, which is why it's so important to take good care of your teeth through preventive care and maintenance. 

3. All Beware The Tooth Worm!

A common misconception that has been heard around the globe, from back in the early days is that toothaches were caused by (non-existent) 'tooth worms'. The belief and fear of the 'tooth worm' trace back to the Babylonian times and was present through Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. This was perpetuated by enterprising 'tooth worm hunters' who would fool toothache sufferers into letting them scrape out worms for a fee. Image if we grew up hearing stories about the tooth worm instead of the tooth fairy! 

4. Say 'Cheese!' A Lot! 

Did you know that the average man smiles just eight times each day compared to the average woman who smiles about sixty-two times each day? Us adults have nothing on kids though, according to Delta Dental children on average smile about four hundred times a day!

5. Barbers and Blacksmiths as Dentists. 

Before we had licensed dentists and dedicated oral hygienists and other dental professionals, people would visit the local barber or blacksmith when their teeth were bothering them. These tradesmen often had no medical training at all! Thank goodness for advances in modern medicine, dental knowledge, and skill.

6. Kiss The Pain Away 

There may have a few differences in how these blacksmiths and barbers dispensed their medical treatment too. For example, it's been said to clean your ears to prevent a toothache. In German legend from the Middle Ages, it was proposed that kissing a donkey would take away the pain of a toothache! 

Do you know any fun dental tips, facts, or hijinks that would be fun to share? Drop us a line! We love to hear from you!