National Dentist Day

Teeth start to form even before you are born—milk teeth or baby teeth start to form when the baby is in the womb, but they come through when the child is between 6-12 months old. Kids laugh around 400 times a day, adults just 15 times a day. The average woman smiles 62 times a day. 33% of Americans have untreated tooth decay and this makes us sad but 80% of Americans are not happy with their smile.

Dentists are the diligent and patient professionals behind most healthy smiles. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons rank first on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics list of highest-paying occupations.

National Dentist Day is not an official holiday. Day honors their role in keeping us healthy and smiling on March 6, potentially that the world’s first dental school was opened by Dr. John M. Harris in Bainbridge, Ohio, on February 21, 1828. The earliest dentist known by name is Hesi-Re. He lived in Egypt over 5,000 years ago.

This National Dentist Day, consider that dentists aren’t the bad guys, that they’re real people too, and that you probably aught to take better care of your teeth.

Several negative lifestyle factors contribute to the rising need for dentists. For example, according to Dental Health Magazine, 80 percent of Americans over the age of 35 have gum disease, and 25 percent of adults over the age of 60 have lost all of their teeth. In addition, swimming in overly-chlorinated swimming pools, and drinking soda and citrus drinks can damage the tooth enamel, as can certain antibiotics, trauma and high fever.

Interesting facts:

The average amount of money left by the tooth fairy in 1950 was 25 cents. In 1988 it was $1.00, the going rate now is $2.00. No two people have the same set of teeth—your teeth are as unique as your fingerprint, so be proud of your unique set of teeth. The most valuable tooth belonged to Sir Isaac Newton. In 1816 one of his teeth was sold in London for $3,633, or in today’s terms $35,700. The tooth was set in a ring. (source: Guinness World Records 2002).