Below is a list of some fun facts that you can post on Facebook.  These are ideas made to interest people or make them think more about oral care – and you as a business!  Read the full article here: http://www.dentistbytes.com/?p=10.

·         $50 billion – the amount spent on dental care annually; $100 billion – the amount spent on hair care; $300 billion – the amount spent on lotto tickets.

·         18 yards – the amount of floss bought each year per person; 122 yards – the amount of floss that should be bought each year.

·         Children who receive preventive dental care early in life have lifetime dental costs that are 40% lower than children who do not receive care.

·         A toothpick is one of the objects most often choked on by Americans.

·         60% of people who don’t know that a sore jaw, when combined with chest pain, can signal heart attack-especially in women.

·         Adults with post-high-school degrees had an average of three more teeth than those without a high school diploma.

·         Like fingerprints, everyone’s tongue print is different.

·         Employed adults lose more than 164 million hours of work each year due to oral health problems or dental visits.

·         People who drink 3 or more sugary sodas daily have 62% more dental decay, fillings and tooth loss.

·         A Dentist invented ‘Fairy Floss’ or Cotton Candy.

·         The first crude toothbrush was used in 4000 B.C.E.

·         A tooth that has been knocked out starts to die within 15 minutes, but if you put it in milk or hold it in your mouth it will survive longer. See your dentist ASAP!

·         If you don’t floss, you miss cleaning 35% of your tooth surfaces.

·         The average human produces 25,000 quarts of saliva (spit) in a lifetime. That is enough saliva to fill 2 swimming pools!

·         Most tooth loss in people under 35 years of age is caused by athletic trauma, fights or accidents. Most tooth loss in people over the age 35 is from Periodontal Disease.

·         In general, girls have more tastebuds than boys do.

·         Chewing sugarfree gum increases the production of saliva by up to 10 times the resting rate.

·         If you can’t afford prevention, how can you afford disease?

·         Common oral problems have been linked to heart disease, diabetes, premature birth, and more.

·         Mother’s Oral Hygiene Directly Impacts Child’s Oral Health

·         If your jaws are not properly positioned this could lead to sleep apnea later on in life.

·         Always replace a toothbrush after you had a cold, sore throat or notorious infections. The bacteria remain on the toothbrush which can lead to reinfection.

·         Vigorous brushing does more harm than good. Overzealous brushing can lead to eroded enamel which never grows back causing teeth sensitivity along with other oral problems.

·         The popular practice of placing a cap on toothbrush head actually favors bacterial growth on it as moisture is increased in enclosed containers favoring the growth of bacteria.

·         The peak bacterial count in your toothbrush peaks in three months. Thus, it’s another reason to change your brush every quarter.

·         Everytime you flush, a million bacteria are released in the air. Where do they go? They land on your toothbrush which is the most fertile part of your bathroom. Why fertile? Well, it’s moist, stored in a dark place and has remnants of plaque and food; thereby acting like a culture media. Thus, avoid storing your brush in your bathroom.

·         Cheapest way to disinfect your toothbrush is to dip it in undiluted Listerine for 30 minutes.

·         Did you know that 80% of unused brand new toothbrushes are contaminated with bacteria? Always disinfect your new brush.

·         “A toothbrush can also be defined as an enriched petri dish on a stick…” – Dr. Richard T. Glass

·         “Most of us hate to let go of our toothbrushes. We treat them like old friends. We use the same one, day in and day out, until the bristles practically fall out.” – Dr. Richard T. Glass

·         You know how we are certain the toothbrush was invented in Arkansas? Otherwise it would have been called the teethbrush! 🙂

·         It takes 17 muscles to smile and 43 to frown

·         A little boy was taken to the dentist. It was discovered that he had a cavity that would have to be filled.  “Now, young man,” asked the dentist, “what kind of filling would you like for that tooth?”  “Chocolate, please,” replied the youngster

·         Little Tommy came to his mom with toothbrush in hand. “I dropped my toothbrush in the toilet.” he said. She replied, “It’s dirty now, we need to throw it away.” A few minutes later Tommy returns with his mother’s toothbrush and says, “Mom, do we need to throw your toothbrush away too? I dropped it in the toilet last week.”

·         You get two sets of teeth for free in a lifetime, but the third one will cost you

·         Minor gum infection left untreated: same bacteria that cause dental plaque can lead to arterial plaque & risk for heart disease & stroke!

·         From gum disease to diabetes to heart disease, Alzheimer’s, your mouth reflects overall health