Fun Facts & Dental Jokes with Dr Bob Cvetkovic. Whether its an interesting piece of history or simply a fun fact, Dr Bob has compiled the below collection purely for your enjoyment. More general oral health information and resources can be found here.
Fun Facts & History Lessons
Before dental chairs existed, a patient would either sit down or lie on the ground whilst an assistant held their head so the dentist could extract a tooth.
Lucy Beaman Hobbs Taylor (1833 – 1910): Lucy was the first woman to earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree in 1866 at Ohio College of Dental Surgery, and to become the first licensed female dentist.
John Greenwood (1760 – 1819) Invented the first foot powered dental drill in 1790.
Orthodontic braces were invented in the early 1800s, however various cultures from around the world have practiced teeth straightening. Dating as far back as ancient Egypt where archaeologists have found mummified remains with a cord made from intestines similarly wrapped around teeth to modern-day orthodontic wire.
No one knows when humans first started to floss their teeth, however archaeological evidence of markings on teeth indicates flossing has existed since prehistoric times. The first form of modern-day dental floss was created in 1815 by Levi Spear Parmly but wasn’t made available to the common consumer until 1882 by the Codman and Shurtleff Company when they released the first non-wax silk floss.
“The greatest of those who deal with teeth, and of physicians.” is engraved on the tomb of ‘Hesy-Re’ the first know dentist who died in Egypt, 2600 BCE.
The first type of toothbrush to use bristles was invented in China, 1498. Course boar hairs would be attached to a bone or bamboo handle.
Dental Jokes
Q: What did the dentist say to the police officer?
A: Okay its time for a cavity Search.
Q: Why couldn’t the dentist and the manicurist agree on a second date?
A: Because they fought tooth and nail.
Q: What does a dentist become when they join the army?
A: A drill sergeant.
A good dentist never gets on your nerves.
Dentists know the drill.
Q: What are dental X-rays called?
A: A tooth-pic.
Q: What does the dentist of the year get?
A: A little plaque.
Q: When is the best time to book an appointment with your dentist?
A: Tooth-thirty.
References
Lisa M.C. and 2022 (2021). 56 Dentist Jokes You Can Sink Your Teeth Into. [online] Reader’s Digest. Available at: https://www.rd.com/article/dentist-jokes/ [Accessed 12 Aug. 2022].
Mushaid, H. (2019). 44 of the Best Dentist Jokes and DentalMemes You’ll Read Today. [online] The Creative Composite – Marketing for Dentists. Available at: https://www.thecreativecomposite.co.uk/44-of-the-best-dentist-jokes/ [Accessed 12 Aug. 2022].
Lentz, K. (2021). You Won’t Believe These Historical Facts About Dentistry. [online] American Dental. Available at: https://atooth.com/you-wont-believe-these-historical-facts-about-dentistry/ [Accessed 12 Aug. 2022].
McClure, V., RDH, BS and MBA (2020). 8 Fun Dental History Facts. [online] Today’s RDH. Available at: https://www.todaysrdh.com/8-fun-dental-history-facts/.
www.allaboutdental.com.au. (2022). Fun Dental Facts You Might Not Know. [online] Available at: https://www.allaboutdental.com.au/dental-fun-facts/ [Accessed 12 Aug. 2022].
