Weird Dental Facts
Exploring the Quirky and Curious World of Dentistry

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Doc Holliday Wannabe?
Fans of Western novels are no strangers to the name Zane Grey. Before writing over 80 books, Pearl Zane Grey practiced dentistry in New York. Unfortunately, his love for dentistry decayed and he quickly abandoned the field once he became a published author. While...
And You Thought The Cold Was Common!
Not only is tooth decay the most common and widespread disease of humankind, it is possibly the oldest. Skulls of pre-historic humans have been examined and tooth decay has been found. The latest findings from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s...
Getting the “Hang” of It
In the Dark Ages, superstitions held that a person could cure a toothache, or even re-grow a lost tooth, by obtaining a tooth from someone else. This tooth would preferably have come from a hanged criminal. In fact, it was believed by some that the mere possession of...
What’s Up, Bud?
Did you know that the human tongue has up to 10,000 taste buds? Apart from having the ability to discern the tastes of salt, sour, bitter, sweet, and savory, the tongue is also an indicator of general health — a mainstay of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Some general...
Now THAT’S Feeling Down in the Mouth
In medieval times 10% of deaths in London were tooth-related.
I Swear It Was Fish!
During the middle ages a person caught eating meat on Friday would be sent to the tooth-puller as punishment.
Tooth Worms?
The earliest record of tooth decay was described by the Sumerians as “tooth worms”. In ancient Greece, toothaches were also believed to be caused by tiny worms burrowing into teeth. This misconception led to the practice of treating toothaches by applying a mixture...
Really?! A Tooth, You Say?
It seems, tumors can grow teeth too. No one wants to deal with an abnormal growth, but teratomas are especially unpleasant. The germ cell tumors can contain several types of tissues and are usually found in the ovaries, testes, and near the tailbone. Some of them even...
That Should Handle Some Bad Breath
U.S. Dental Care Product Spending: $2 Billion a Year on Smiles U.S. dental care product spending totals approximately $2 billion annually. Americans invest heavily in oral hygiene essentials such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, and mouthwash to maintain their...