10 Fun and Fascinating Dental Facts

At Danville Family Dentistry, we know a lot of kids and adults in Hendricks County who are fascinated by science, biology and history. Did you know that there are loads of interesting dental facts you can learn in these areas? Here are some fun tidbits to share with your friends and family.
1. People in China and India used toothpaste as long ago as 500 BC. The earliest toothpastes were made of soot, honey, crushed egg shells and ground ox hooves.
2. If you brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes every time, you will brush your teeth for about 24 hours each year. That adds up to 76 days over the course of your life.
3. Dental floss was first manufactured in 1882. It was made of silk. Today the one of the newest materials used to produce floss is Gore-tex®.
4. People first used tree twigs as toothbrushes. They chewed on the tips of the twigs to spread out the fibers, which were then used to clean their teeth.
5. What’s the first thing you notice about someone? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 50% of people (including Hendricks County residents) say it’s a person’s smile. Keep your smile white and bright by brushing twice a day and flossing daily.
6. Over 100,000,000 micro-organisms live in your mouth every day – feeding, reproducing and depositing waste. Bet you want to brush your teeth now.
7. The average person produces a quart of saliva daily. That’s 10,000 gallons of spit over your lifetime.
8. According to archeologists, the first dental fillings were performed in people who lived between 7,500 and 9,000 years ago.
9. Just like fingerprints, everyone’s tongue is unique. Did you know the tongue is the only muscle in our body that’s not attached to something on both ends? Remember to brush your tongue when you brush your teeth.
10. You don’t have to suffer from dental pain if you don’t have dental insurance. At Danville Family Dentistry, located in Hendricks County, we offer our Smile Savings Plan as an option for patients who are uninsured. While it’s not dental insurance, the Smile Savings Plan is a patient-courtesy program that gives qualified patients the option to pay an annual fee of $285 for a set amount of dental services for 365 days. Members can receive:

• 2 professional dental cleanings.
• 2 fluoride treatments for children ages 16 and under.
• 2 professional oral evaluations.
• Routinely scheduled X-rays.
• 15% off any other dental care provided by our office, including fillings, crowns, dentures and more.

For more information, call Danville Family Dentistry at 317-745-4400. Let us help you maintain a healthy smile!