Tooth Truth or Tall Tale? Guess Which Unbelievable Tooth Facts are Real

You may not have realized this but there are a lot of funny, strange, or almost unbelievable fun facts about teeth. Your team at Innovative Pediatric Dentistry has collected some here. Take this fun quiz and see which facts are real and which facts are fiction. Find the answers at the bottom.

1. Tooth enamel is even harder than bone.

Real or Fake?

2. In the history of brushing teeth, people used to use crushed oyster shells to brush their teeth before modern toothpaste was invented. People also used pulverized brick, charcoal or ground up eggshells.

Real or Fake?

3. Identical twins have identical teeth.

Real or Fake?

4. When it comes to famous people with false teeth, George Washington had them, filling out his smile with dentures made of wood. 

Real or Fake?

5. Your baby teeth start to form while you’re still in the womb and start making an appearance between 6-12 months old. 

Real or Fake?

6. Right-handed people tend to chew on their left side and left-handed people tend to chew on their right side.

Real or Fake?

7. The average person produces over 100,000 gallons of saliva over their lifetime.

Real or Fake?

8. In 1994, an inmate escaped from a West Virginia prison by braiding dental floss into a rope and scaling the prison wall! 

Real or Fake?

9. Famous smiles with gold teeth? Before Katy Perry, Lil’ Wayne, and Rihanna sported gold teeth, the trend started in the 1980s. 

Real or Fake?

10. The co-inventor of cotton candy was a dentist! 

Real or Fake?

11. In the history of brushing teeth, the first toothbrushes were made of animal hair.

Real or Fake?

12. In the middle ages, people thought kissing a horse would help a toothache.

Real or Fake?

13. These famous smiles all have gapped teeth: Madonna, Michael Strahan, Georgia Jagger.

Real or Fake?

14. One of our favorite fun facts about teeth? In 1986, the winner of the National Spelling Bee won by spelling the tooth word “periodontium.”

Real or Fake?

15. In the history of dentistry, the first licensed female dentist was Lucy Beaman Hobbs in 1866.
    Real or Fake?

Answers:

1. Real, tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the body. 2. Real. 3. Fake, teeth are unique to each person. 4. Fake, George Washington’s dentures were actually made of gold, ivory, lead, and a mixture of human, donkey, and hippopotamus teeth! 5. Real. 6.Fake, right handers tend to chew on the right, left handers on the left. 7. Real. 8. Real. 9. Fake, gold teeth started way back with the Etruscan civilization who existed between 800 BC – 200 BC. 10. Real, in 1897, dentist William Morrison co-invented “fairy floss” with candymaker John Wharton for the 1907 World’s Fair. 11. Fake, the first toothbrushes were made of twigs. The leaves would be stripped off to make a smooth handle. One end would be chewed to fray the twig and create “bristles,” the other end sharpened into a “toothpick.” 12. Fake. in the history of dentistry, kissing a donkey in the middle ages was considered the custom if you had a toothache. 13. Real. 14. Fake, the winner, 14-year-old, John Pennington, actually won by spelling “odontalgia” which is another word for “toothache.” 15. True.

Your Naperville, IL Pediatric Dentists Are All About the Fun!

Have these fun facts about teeth got you thinking it’s time to see your dentist soon? If so, we’re your go-to Naperville pediatric dentist for comprehensive, yet fun, kid-friendly care. We offer a full range of pediatric dentistry services for kids, from cleanings to tooth colored fillings to orthodontics. 

Schedule your next appointment and ensure your child is on the road to healthy teeth!