We try to teach you plenty of facts about important topics in dentistry in our weekly blog, but sometimes it’s fun to lighten things up a little. Here’s an example of a fun fact: chocolate (of the dark variety and in moderation) is not only good for your heart, but also your teeth? The reason is a compound called theobromine that is found in the cocoa bean and has been shown to harden tooth enamel. That’s not all. The American Dental Hygienist’s Association (ADA) reports that chocolate can inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans (bacteria that cause tooth decay). Read on for more interesting factoids related to dentistry from your Greenfield family dentists, Drs. Bagley, Goodwin, and Hrinda.
Dental Related Facts
- Do you ever drool while you sleep? This isn’t surprising when the average person’s salivary glands produce 25,000 quarts of saliva over an average lifetime. Need some perspective on just how much that is? Imagine two built-in swimming pools filled with your saliva.
- A West Virginian prisoner once escaped prison through the use of braided dental floss. His makeshift rope was used to scale the outer walls and make his getaway.
- You can actually be re-infected by a contagious illness if you continue using the same toothbrush. If you have a bad cold or flu, you should buy a new brush or replacement head for an electric brush to keep from introducing the same bacteria back into your mouth every morning and night.
- Airborne particles from flushing the toilet can actually travel up to six feet. For this reason, your Greenfield family dentists recommend you keep your toothbrush far enough away from your toilet so this does not happen to you.
- An internet poll found that health professionals (including dentists) are among the most trusted people in The United States. Lobbyists and congressmen were seen as the least trustworthy.
- Do you get irritated by people talking on their cell phones in public? One survey done by Time Magazine found that 59% of Americans would prefer having a dental appointment to being forced to sit next to someone talking on a cell phone.
Dental Checkups for the Whole Family with Your Greenfield Family Dentists
For over 40 years, Drs. Bagley, Goodwin, & Hrinda have been providing comprehensive dentistry to patients of the Pioneer Valley and Franklin County. If you are in need of any of our preventive or cosmetic dentistry, or you have anxiety about going to the dentist, contact our 01301 dentist office by calling 413-772-0842. We are happy to serve patients in the Western region of Massachusetts, close to the surrounding states of CT, NH, VT, and NY.