9th GETTIN’ MOUTHY BY EDWARD P. RIGGINS JR. DMD Interesting Dental Facts FACT 1 I read that an average human produces an estimated 25,000 quarts of saliva in a lifetime, enough to fill two swimming pools. If invited to that pool party, I would probably just hang out poolside in a lounge chair, or at best don a wetsuit and snorkel. FACT 2 Apparently when a toilet is flushed, the microbial aerosol plume that is produced can travel some 6 to 15 feet, so make sure the lid is closed and keep your toothbrush away from this event. We’ve all read that the dishwasher is an excellent place to clean a toothbrush, but if exposed to the above elements, I think I would just forego cleaning it and move up the 3 month suggested replacement time. FACT 3 On June 29, 1994, an inmate escaped from a recreational area at the South Central Regional Jail in West Virginia by climbing a “rope” he made from 48 strands of mint-flavored, waxed dental floss braided to about E PR the thickness of a telephone cord (if anyone remembers one of those). The “rope” took seven 100-yard packs to KAS complete fabrication. Later, jail authorities decided to install razor‘15 wire above the recreational area and to cease selling dental floss to inmates. I’m sure that in this day and age, each inmate is being provided a Waterpik or Airfloss instead; and by the way, no one questioned why he had 700 yards of dental floss? FACT 4 People in North America spend billions of dollars per year on chewing gum and a sizable sum to clean it up. It’s the second most common kind of litter (cigarette butts are first). Archeologists claim humans have been chewing gum for some 5,000 - 7,000 years. Early gums were made from birch-bark resin, mastics, and sprucetree sap. Modern gums are made from synthetic polymers and are basically non-biodegradable. Essentially, modern gum is plastic and artificial rubber (and we were worried about BPA). No wonder it’s banned in Singapore. There, it is not civilized to litter, and then you’ve got the cost of clean up. FACT 5 George Washington had multiple sets of dentures made from ivory, metal alloys (lead-tin, copper, silver, gold), teeth from other humans, and animal teeth (cows, possibly horses). During the course of his life, the shape of his face changed, and it has been postulated that his dental problems greatly diminished his desire and ability to speak. Apparently, Martha had a better dentition, and regularly urged her children and grandchildren to take care of their teeth. President George Washington could certainly be a poster child and adult for preventive oral health in the U.S. today and fortunately our toothbrushes are not made with hog bristles, or horse and badger hair. Interestingly, toothpastes were sometimes made of crushed charcoal. What goes around comes around. Designed by: Karyn Skinner 20 BULLETIN NINTH DISTRICT DENTAL ASSOCIATION