Dentistry interesting facts. What is the difference between a dentist and a dentist: who is he and what does he do? Dental treatment in ancient times

Teeth are the only part of the human body that does not have the ability to heal itself. Therefore, it is important to provide proper oral care, and this should be done from early childhood and throughout life. There are many dental facts that will allow you to take a fresh look at the oral cavity, teeth and their role in human life. It is also useful to know some practical, some entertaining facts about dentistry - the science that studies the structure and function of teeth, their pathologies and treatment methods.

Teeth consist of dentin with a cavity, covered on the outside with enamel. Perform the function of primary physical processing of food products. Another of their functions is speech; without teeth, a beautiful and clear conversation is simply impossible.

It is also necessary to note the aesthetic role of teeth; without them, one of the most pleasant pleasures, a smile, will not look respectable!

We present a selection of useful and amazing facts about the oral cavity.

Historical facts

The history of dentistry can tell many fascinating facts about our oral cavity:

Mao Zedong and many of his fellow citizens preferred not to eat at all; instead, they chewed tea leaves and rinsed their mouths.
During the time of Louis (eleventh), courtiers ate exclusively soups: it was believed that chewing food accelerates aging and contributes to the appearance of wrinkles.
The ancient Japanese, if necessary, did this with their hands - without improvised means.
The first evidence of professional dental treatment dates back to the 7th century BC. We are talking about the Etruscans, who were already practicing various materials, mainly from animal bones.
George Washington had practically no teeth of his own, but he took special care of his horses - at his insistence, they were given daily oral examinations and dental cleanings.
The Egyptians were the first to use it, but it was not the usual paste in a tube: they made it by mixing wine and grated pumice.
Until the end of the 13th century, toothpaste was based on urine - this is due to ammonia, which has good cleaning properties. By the way, ammonia is still one of the main components of paste today.
In ancient times, Roman noble citizens hired special people to take care of their mouths.
Legend has it that Buddha had 40 teeth, and Adam had 30 teeth, which gave rise to the number of days in a month.
The famous scientist Isaac Newton is the owner of the most expensive tooth in the history of mankind - 3.5 thousand dollars. The person who bought it at auction later set it into a gold ring.

You can learn about how teeth were treated in ancient times from.

Features of teeth and oral cavity

Fascinating facts:

Over the course of a lifetime, the human body produces saliva in quantities sufficient to fill two large swimming pools - about 42,000 liters (in 72 years, based on the calculation that a person secretes from 1 to 2.5 liters per day, that is, an average of about 550 liters per year ).
Human teeth are the only part of the human body that does not have the ability to repair itself.
Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, but this is no reason to use teeth instead of a hammer or scissors.
Almost all (99%) in the human body is found in teeth and bones.
Dentists in the United States use almost 13 tons of gold annually to create gold dentures.
Research by scientists has found that strong teeth indicate good memory of their owner.
Human teeth are well preserved even when exposed to moisture, alkali and high temperature(up to 1000 degrees).
Prosthetics can be dangerous, since there is a possibility that the prosthesis will contain inclusions of uranium (without uranium, prostheses would have a greenish tint, which is especially noticeable in artificial light).
After transfer colds or any other pathology, the toothbrush must be replaced. If this is not done, re-infection is possible.
On average, toothbrushing takes up to one minute per day, the recommended time is three times longer (3 minutes).

A little about animals

There are also interesting facts about the oral cavity of animals:

The snail has the largest number of teeth, despite its small size, it has about 25,000 of them.
A giraffe's jaw is only filled with teeth at the bottom (but there are teeth at the top and bottom for grinding plants).
The weight of one elephant tooth can reach 3 kilograms.
Elephants can grow new teeth up to 6 times during their lifetime.

Amazing

A few interesting facts that may surprise you:

Excessive (more than 3 per day) passion for soda increases the chance of developing oral pathologies by 60%.
Lefty chews most of food on the left side, and vice versa - a right-handed person prefers to do it with the right side.
Most people would rather visit the dentist than sit next to someone talking on the phone in a loud voice.
The lines on the surface of the tongue are as individual as fingerprints.
IN childhood a person smiles on average 400 times per day, in an adult - about 15 times.
Dentist William Semple was the first to add sugar to chewing gum in the second half of the 19th century.
Humanity also owes the invention of the electric chair to a dentist by training.
In the United States (Rhode Island), the law prohibits the sale of toothbrushes on Saturdays.
In the state of Vermont (USA), women are prohibited from wearing dentures unless they have the written consent of their husband.

About folk remedies

There are facts even about ancient and modern folk remedies treatment:

Scientists have proven that consuming cocoa powder, and, accordingly, chocolate, has a positive effect on dental health and prevents the occurrence of caries.
For strengthening purposes, medieval dentists prescribed a procedure that consisted of tying a frog to the patient's jaw.
According to German experts, eating two grapefruits per day significantly reduces the risk of developing pathologies in the mouth.
Once a courtesan recommended to Dumas the son good way tooth whitening: “You need to lie more, because this makes your teeth wonderfully white.”

What determines the health of a person’s teeth?

The health of teeth and gums depends primarily on how often and how correctly hygiene measures are performed. As you know, no one can harm a person more than himself, so we present a collection of facts about oral health from the heading “Even teeth can’t do it”:

Playing sports without using a mouthguard. If you are interested in contact sports (boxing, hockey), experts strongly recommend using a mouth guard; statistics show this as well. is a single piece of plastic, its use allows you to reliably protect your teeth. Think about this in advance, as an athlete without a beautiful smile does not look respectable.
Eating ice cubes. Ice is frozen water, of course, it does not contain sugar, but this does not mean that it is beneficial or that its use does not pose a threat to the mouth. Excessive use of ice in drinks and further chewing can lead to cracks in tooth enamel or even complete tooth decay.
Tongue and lip piercing for earrings. If you look from a fashion point of view, this may be advisable, but for the mouth such a desperate step poses a double threat: the tooth may burst due to the hairpin, in addition, the metal constantly affects the gums, which can lead to injury or inflammation.
Grinding. It doesn’t matter what the root cause is - the manifestation of emotions or, but over time this process leads to the breaking of teeth. Controlling emotions and using a special device at night will help avoid tooth loss.
Using teeth as a bottle opener. Sometimes bottle caps or food unpacking are done with your mouth - this may be practical, but experts strongly advise against doing so. Using teeth for purposes other than their intended purpose leads to their breaking, chipping, or, even worse, loss.
Chewing office supplies (pens, pencils). This is a bad habit that leads to the destruction of enamel.
Using bottles in bed. It's about bad habit put the child to bed with a drinking bottle. This can be addictive, and the child will no longer be able to sleep without a bottle in his mouth; the consequences in this case are difficult to predict, but definitely negative. Don't keep anything unnecessary in the crib and you will avoid problems.
Cigarette use. Smoking tobacco products leads to changes in enamel color and the development of gum pathologies. In addition, you need to remember about the possibility of developing dangerous diseases such as oral cancer and more.

Debunking popular myths

There are many myths regarding oral care and dental health that have no relation to reality. Some of them are harmless, while others can cause harm to health. The most common of them:

Chewing gum with natural sugar analogues is a replacement for traditional toothbrushing. This statement is a myth, since incomparable indicators are being compared - it is physically impossible to brush your teeth every time after eating food, but you can chew gum, which will partially clean the mouth and freshen your breath. At best, chewing gum can be a worthy addition to traditional teeth brushing.
The white color of the enamel indicates dental health. This is a myth, belief in which can harm health and lead to the development of pathologies. If appearance The tooth is healthy and white in color; it may have sinuses, problematic roots or other abnormalities that indicate the need for specialist intervention.
Wisdom teeth should be removed if possible, otherwise they will cause problems. The human body is designed by God in such a way that there is nothing superfluous in it, even if we are talking about the most late-growing wisdom tooth. In a third of the population globe There are no problems with them at all. It is necessary only as prescribed by a doctor for real indications.
Dental pathologies are determined by genetic predisposition. Poor heredity is of secondary importance in terms of oral health. Compliance with basic hygiene rules has a decisive influence on the occurrence and development of oral pathologies.
Exposure to enamel during bleaching damages teeth. This statement is not without meaning when it comes to the use of “folk” methods and obscure means. in dentistry using modern technologies in most cases does not carry harmful effects on enamel.
Baby teeth in children do not require treatment. This is a dangerous misconception. The function includes the formation of molars and occlusion; naturally, this process at each stage should be under the strict supervision of a specialist.
Visiting the dentist is harmful for pregnant women. This statement is completely wrong. Pregnant women must undergo a dental examination! However, there are a number of restrictions regarding medical procedures () and medications (a).
Sweets harm your teeth. This is a myth; protein, which acts as food for pathogenic bacteria, is harmful to oral health. So it is not sweet foods that are harmful, but the period of their presence in the mouth.
When dental diseases occur, it is preferable to treat them rather than eliminate them. In this matter, everything depends on the condition of the teeth. There may be cases when even an almost completely damaged tooth can be saved, and, conversely, sometimes an apparently healthy tooth needs to be removed.
Toothache can be eliminated by applying painkillers in the form of tablets. Medicines are developed taking into account their intake; if they are tablets, then their effect is most effective when taken internally. In addition, applying the tablet directly to a sore tooth can cause gum disease as a result. side effect its components. But there are drugs that can be applied to teeth.
Wisdom teeth are related to a person's mental abilities. Of course, this is not true; their name comes from the fact that they appear in adulthood.

Take care of your teeth and be healthy!

Teeth play a huge role in our life; they are important for digestion, as they help us grind food, and also serve for speech. It should be noted that tooth enamel is rightfully considered the hardest tissue in our body. There are many interesting facts known about teeth and dentistry that are useful for everyone to know. We all know that dental tissue does not have the ability to repair itself, but people have come up with ways to do it completely or partially. It is known that crowns appeared in ancient times.

Dental treatment in ancient times

Etruscans as early as the 7th century BC. They made a kind of dentures from the teeth that they tore out from killed animals; these dentures were strong enough and suitable for chewing food. But dentistry developed even before these times. Scientists were able to discover a tooth with traces of caries treatment. The find is 14,000 years old. And scratches are clearly visible on the tooth in those places where it was damaged. They tried to treat teeth in this way using special instruments, and such instruments were made from stone, which is distinguished by its hardness. The tooth was even filled; a material of unknown origin, which resembles wax, was used for filling. Many treatises in India deal with oral hygiene. Ancient doctors advised brushing your teeth with brushes made from soft tree branches. Tooth powder was also made using honey, ginger powder and other ingredients. Brushes made of different materials have been used for a long time. And only closer to the middle of the last century people began to use brushes modern look with nylon threads.

And the Egyptians began to use a kind of toothpaste 5000 years ago; they mixed wine with ordinary pumice. In the Roman Empire, everything was different, they began to use a paste based on urine, it was used until the 18th century. It is known that urine contains ammonia, which perfectly removed plaque from teeth. Pastes with ammonia are still produced today. Dentistry was constantly in search of new solutions, and it so happened that already in the 19th century they began to make crowns from a material such as ceramics, and before that moment the teeth of soldiers who died in the war were already used as crowns. And after the end of the bloody war in the USA, huge barrels of teeth came to English dentists.

Some interesting facts

Few people know that left-handers chew food more on the right side, and right-handers chew food more on the left. There is an incredible amount of calcium in teeth. Everyone knows that we need calcium for our bones, but 99% of the calcium we have is concentrated not in the bones, but in the teeth. The strength of our muscles that perform chewing actions is simply enormous. If we consider only the muscles on one side, the pressure force is approximately 195 kg, but a person does not exert such force. If a person gnaws nuts, he exerts pressure from 15 to 100 kg. Teeth have always been given a lot of attention, and today everyone knows that it is very expensive to treat or prosthetize teeth. But it so happened that the tooth of the famous Isaac Newton in the world became the most expensive. It was bought in 1816 by an aristocrat who paid 730 pounds for it. After the purchase, the man set the purchased tooth into an expensive ring. People sometimes come up with amazing laws. Thus, in one of the American states, we are talking about the state of Vermont, a wife only with the written permission of her husband receives the right to install dentures on her teeth or instead of them.

Take care of your teeth at all times special attention, and in China, a special national holiday dedicated to teeth was once even invented. So the authorities decided to interest the multi-million population in taking care of their teeth. The Chinese celebrate the holiday in September, namely on the 20th. Everyone in our country knows Colgate toothpaste, but few people know that the manufacturer had to face a serious problem when it came to countries where they speak Spanish. It turned out that the very name of the pasta translates as an order to go hang yourself. Many people would like to keep their teeth, but eating refined carbohydrates and soft foods does not contribute to this. Scientists from the USA have found that people who live subsistence farming and do not consume modern foods are less likely to experience caries. Hard foods have an excellent effect on teeth.

Some more interesting facts about dentistry

Recently, “singing” toothbrushes have begun to be produced in the United Kingdom. The idea of launching unusual accessories for cleaning teeth belongs to the popular singer Justin Bieber. According to him, the brushes will not only perfectly cope with their practical functions, but also entertain owners with fashionable hits while brushing their teeth. So far, the cost of fashion accessories is quite reasonable - only about 7 pounds. But it is possible that with the expansion of the “repertoire” their cost may increase significantly. Recently, the UK has generally been the main supplier of interesting facts about dentistry. Recently, dentures have become a common wedding gift for newlyweds. According to the generally accepted opinion, a person will lose his teeth sooner or later. Therefore, you should always have high-quality dentures at hand. Some newlyweds even deliberately undergo tooth extraction at a young age in order to quickly take advantage of the wedding gift.

Not long ago, scientists debunked the myth about whitening toothpastes. Their popularity is due to the fact that they are a cheaper alternative to professional teeth whitening performed in dental clinics. According to scientists, the slight teeth whitening effect that occurs after using toothpaste is achieved due to acidic components. They are not only useless, but quite harmful to the teeth because they corrode the enamel.

2) More recently, dentures were a common wedding gift in the British Isles, as people were very afraid that they would soon lose all their teeth and forced it by having teeth removed at a relatively young age.

3) Toothbrushes with nylon bristles first appeared in 1938. But long before that, there were brushes with bristles made from other materials. For example, the first such brushes appeared in China in 1498. The materials for them were pork bristles, badger and horse hair.

4) Like many Chinese, Mao Zedong did not brush his teeth before. Instead, he rinsed his mouth with tea and chewed tea leaves. He said: “Why brush your teeth? Does a tiger ever brush them?”

5) In China, in order to increase interest in maintaining healthy teeth and gums among the 12 million population, a national holiday was introduced, which takes place every year on September 20th, and its name translates as “Love Your Teeth Day.”

6) The absolute strength of the masticatory muscles on one side is 195 kg, and muscle contraction on both sides sometimes reaches a force of 390 kg. Naturally, the periodontium cannot withstand such pressure, and the usual chewing pressure is therefore equal to 9-15 kg (maximum 100 kg if you chew nuts).

7) For the first time in 1869, dentist William Semple added sugar to chewing gum.

8) The popular toothpaste manufacturer Colgate™ encountered an unexpected complication when distributing its products to the market in Spanish-speaking countries. Translated from Spanish, "colgate" means the expression "go and hang yourself."

9) According to the law of the state of Vermont (USA), a woman has no right to wear dentures without the written permission of her husband.

10) Before the invention of the technology for making artificial ceramic teeth in the 19th century, the teeth of soldiers who died on the battlefield were used as a material for dentures. So, after civil war in the USA, dentists in England received such cargo in whole barrels.

11) The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

12) If you are right-handed, then you chew most of the food on the right side of the jaw, and vice versa, on the left if you are left-handed.

13) Aristocrats at the court of the French king Louis XI ate only soup, because... they were convinced that heavy chewing forces could cause premature wrinkles on the face.

14) Japanese dentists several centuries ago removed teeth with their bare hands.

15) The first “dentists” were the Etruscans. They are from the teeth of various mammals as early as the 7th century BC. they cut out artificial teeth, and also learned how to make bridges that were strong enough for chewing.

16) Dentures may contain radioactive elements. Of the 1 million dentures, approximately 50% have a ceramic component with microscopic inclusions of uranium. Under artificial light without the addition of uranium, the prostheses would have a matte green tint.

17) According to the American Dental Association, more than half of American schoolchildren have no cavities on their permanent teeth, up from 26% in the 70s.

18) Despite the need for calcium for bone tissue, 99% of all calcium in the body is found in the teeth.

19) The very first orthodontic device was made by Pierre Fauchard in 1728. It was a flat strip of metal attached to the teeth with a thread.

20) George Washington, who had almost no teeth of his own, very carefully monitored the condition of the teeth of his 6 horses, ordering them to be examined and cleaned every day.

21) Several studies have already established that cocoa powder, which is part of chocolate, contains components that prevent the formation of caries.

22) If one of the identical twins is missing one or another tooth, usually the other one is missing the same tooth.

23) About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians invented toothpaste. It was a mixture of pumice and wine. From the time of the early Roman Empire until the 18th century, urine was one of the main components of toothpaste, since the ammonia it contains has excellent cleansing properties. Ammonia is still included in many toothpastes.

24) Approximately 1.4-1.5 liters of saliva are produced in the mouth per day.

25) Stores in Providence, Rhode Island, USA, are prohibited by law from selling toothbrushes on Saturday.

26) Only 20% of diamonds are cut. Due to the hardness of the stone, most diamonds are used to make various tools, such as dental burs.

27) Boron was invented by John Greenwood in 1790.

28) The most expensive tooth was that of Isaac Newton, sold in 1816 for £730 (about $3,241 today), after which it was inserted into a ring by the aristocrat who bought it.

29) Lucy Taylor became the first certified female dentist in the United States in 1867.

30) The most widespread diseases in the world are various periodontal lesions, such as, for example, gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). Few people manage to avoid one form or another.

31) About 13 tons of gold per year are used by American dentists to make bridges, crowns, inlays and dentures.

32) There are 7 collection centers for used toothpicks in the Chinese city of Kulang. For every pound (about 454 grams) of toothpicks, he pays 35 cents.

In everyday life, the words “dentist” and “dentist” are often used interchangeably to mean a medical professional who treats teeth. Are these words actually synonymous or are there differences between them? How do specialists differ, what specializations do health workers have in dentistry?

Dentist and stomatologist: what is the main difference?

A dentist is a doctor who has received a higher medical education at a university with a specialty in Dentistry. After completing general training, he chooses a specialization - therapeutic, surgical treatment, prosthetics.

The word “dentist” is rarely used in our country; most often this is the name given to foreign specialists involved in the treatment of oral diseases. In the Russian-speaking environment, it is synonymous with the concept of “dentist”.

Who is this? These are specialists with secondary specialized education who graduated from medical college and also have the right to treat teeth. In addition, they include dental technicians who make dentures. Thus, dentist and dentist are not exactly synonymous, but in some situations the words can be replaced.

What does a “dentist” do?

A dentist has the right to perform a limited list of tasks. He treats simple diseases, but if the solution to the problem with which the patient came is not within the scope of his competence, the specialist is obliged to redirect the patient to a doctor of the highest category with the appropriate specialization.

Professional tasks:

initial examination of the oral cavity, diagnosis;
filling shallow caries without complications;
treatment of gum diseases - stomatitis, gingivitis;
consultation on oral care, proper cleaning and nutrition.

A dentist does not have the right to treat pulpitis, correct a bite, or place implants. This profession has its drawbacks, such as lack of career growth. If a medical worker wants to become the head of a department or treat more complex diseases, he will need to graduate from medical school.

What are the specializations of a dentist?

After receiving a general education in the field of Dentistry, a graduate of a medical institute chooses a narrower specialization and enters a residency or internship. The following specializations in dentistry are distinguished:

Categories of doctors in dentistry

Specialists involved in oral cavity treatment must regularly improve their qualifications and undergo certification. Upon successful recertification, they increase their category, which is reflected in their wages.

The transition to a higher category is carried out only after successfully passing the certification. The rules for increase are enshrined in regulations approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

Dentistry has been around for centuries. It is known that in ancient Egypt teeth were treated olive oil, dates and onions. But there were no toothbrushes as such; instead, there were toothbrushes, “soaked twigs,” which were used for dental hygiene.

Back in Ancient Egypt Urine was used to whiten teeth. Urine contains ammonia, and it is its properties that clean teeth well. Ammonia is still present in toothpastes. In general, more than 5,000 years ago, toothpaste was a mixture of wine and pumice. Probably, the wine broke down the plaque on the teeth, and the pumice helped to mechanically polish the teeth.

Periodontal diseases, such as gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) are the most common in the world. And no one in the world can avoid this disease to one degree or another. However, it is known that newborn babies do not have bacteria that cause caries. These bacteria are transmitted to the child from the mother through kissing.

In Russia, dentistry as the science of dentistry was founded by the reformer Peter I. On the banks of the Yauza River, by his decree, Peter the first land military hospital was built in 1707. A medical-surgical school began operating at the hospital, training doctors and assistant doctors. The head of the hospital and school was Nikolai Bidloo, a Dutchman by birth, a graduate of the famous Leiden-Batavian Academy. Bidloo himself taught students, paying special attention to dentistry. In the same year, by decree of Peter I, for the first time in Russia, the title of dentist was introduced for graduates of hospital schools who passed a special exam.

The prototype of the familiar toothpaste tube was invented in 1892 by a dentist from New London, Connecticut, USA, named Washington Sheffield. The doctor was inspired by stories about an American artist who stored paints in tin tubes. Thanks to Sheffield's imagination, the tube was transformed into a tube. The dentist launched the production of toothpaste in innovative packaging, but did not think of patenting his “brainchild”. But the smarter New York pharmacist William Colgate patented the rights to the invention, but a tube of toothpaste - at that time teeth were cleaned with tooth powder and the invention of the paste really made a breakthrough in the market of hygiene products.

One day, the Colgate company encountered an incident when promoting its products in the market of Spanish-speaking countries. Translated from Spanish, “colgate” means the order “go and hang yourself.”

Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue produced by the human body. Moreover, the older a person is, the harder and stronger the teeth become. And this is not related to regular brushing of teeth, rather the opposite - too diligent mechanical brushing of teeth leads to thinning of the enamel.

After a cold or infectious disease, the toothbrush becomes colonized with pathogenic bacteria, which can lead to re-infection. Therefore, always change your toothbrush after illness.

But Mao Zedong, like many Chinese at that time, refused to brush his teeth. Instead, he rinsed his mouth with tea and chewed tea leaves. “Why clean? Does a tiger ever brush his teeth?” he said. Maybe there is some truth in this.

In ancient times, dental prosthetics were also developed. But instead of ceramic implants, natural teeth of dead people or killed warriors were used. Dentists of those years prepared teeth in bags, and there was an active trade in valuable material.

Children under 1 to 5 years of age may experience caries of primary teeth. One of the established causes is damage to the tooth buds in the prenatal period. True, most often such caries does not require treatment - after the loss of baby teeth, absolutely healthy molars grow. You should contact pediatric dentistry if your child’s teeth hurt.

More than half of American schoolchildren have no cavities on their permanent teeth, up from 26% in the 1970s, according to the American Dental Association.

The first orthodontic appliance was made by Pierre Fauchard in 1728. It was a flat strip of metal attached to the teeth with a thread.

Ancient Japanese dentists were so harsh that they removed teeth with their bare hands.

Boron, which is part of the terrible and terrible bur machine, was invented by John Greenwood in 1790.

American scientists have found that people who live only on a subsistence basis and do not eat modern human food have absolutely no caries. For example, the strong teeth of the Alaskan Eskimos, even taking into account the fact that they have a special relationship with hygiene, can be the envy of any civilized person.

It turns out it's all about diet. The diet of the indigenous people of the north mainly consists of fish, seal oil, caviar, berries, nuts, venison and all kinds of vegetables. But the products that are the main cause of caries are completely absent. These are preservatives, dyes, soft flour bread and sucrose. Another factor influencing the absence of caries is hard food. It strengthens the teeth of Eskimos, while our teeth become thin from soft food and are therefore more susceptible to caries.