Dental facts you probably don't know. Part 1

• According to a “Time Magazine Survey”, 59% of Americans would rather sit in a Dentist’s chair than sit next to someone talking on a cell phone.

• Paul Revere did more than make his famous midnight ride. He was skilled in dentistry. From 1760-1770, he placed advertisements in a Boston newspaper offering his services as a dentist. He cleaned teeth, made dentures and was probably the first person to use post-mortem dental forensics.

• Cheese especially hard aged cheese like Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Swiss help reduce cavity formation in teeth because it neutralizes plaque acid.

• Researchers also believe that cheese increases saliva in your mouth which helps to wash away food particles and in addition cheese releases chemical compounds that can form a protective layer on teeth.

• Unlike a cut on your skin which can heal, a tooth cannot repair itself. Once a cavity has started, treatment by a dentist is needed for the tooth to be repaired and remain healthy.

• Hard crunchy foods like celery, carrots and apples help clean your teeth naturally.

• Teeth may change colors as people age. The outer layer of enamel wears off and exposes the darker layers underneath; hereditary, soft drinks, tea, coffee, certain foods, smoking or medications may also cause teeth to change colors.

• Your teeth and tongue help give your face its shape.

• Like a dental fingerprint an individual’s teeth and tongue prints are unique, even identical twins prints are different.

• Many historians credit William Finley Semple with receiving the first patent in the United States for chewing gum on December 28, 1869. This claim is false, as Toledo, Ohio, resident Amos Tyler patented chewing gum on July 27, 1869.