Tuesday Toothbrush Trivia, from Dr. Mitchell Scheier

It isn’t any big news to dentist Dr. Mitchell Scheier that toothbrushing dates back thousands of years. In fact, the first “toothbrush” was created around 3000BC! Ancient civilizations used a thin twig with a frayed edge to rub against their teeth for cleaning.

The first toothbrush with bristles – similar to today’s toothbrushes – was invented in 1498 in China. Brushes were made out of bone or bamboo with bristles made from the hairs on the back of a hog’s neck.

It wasn’t until 1938 that the first nylon bristle toothbrush was introduced, and people began practicing good oral hygiene.

Here are some other interesting facts about your toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss:

• Most people are said to use blue toothbrushes over any other color
• If you don’t floss, you are only cleaning 65% of your tooth surfaces
• The first toothpaste was used in 500 BC in China and India
• On average, children smile about 400 times per day
• Replace your toothbrush every two months, when bristles appear worn, or after recovering from a cold or flu
• The first known toothpaste was used in 1780, Crest was introduced in the US in 1955 and Colgate in 1873

Fun fact Friday!!

Everyone loves fun facts. Fun, fun, fun. Our staff at Mitchell D. Scheier and Associates thought we'd throw some fun facts your way on this Friday afternoon. Enjoy!

• Your set of teeth is as unique as your fingerprint. No two people have the same set of teeth. It is as unique as your fingerprint and even identical twins are different.

• Most tooth loss in people under 35 years of age is caused by athletic trauma, fights, or accidents. The cause of most tooth loss in people over 35 is periodontal disease. Remember to brush and floss!

• Approximately 200,000 athletes per year save face by covering their pearly whites with mouth guards during sporting events.

• The average human produces 25,000 quarts of saliva (spit) in a lifetime. That's enough saliva to fill two swimming pools!

• The average woman smiles about 62 times a day. Men smile only 8 times. Kids laugh around 400 times a day. Grown-ups, however, laugh just 15.

• If you're right handed, you will chew your food on your right side. If you're a leftie, you will tend to chew your food on your left side.