7000 B.C.

If you fear dentists and scary drills at least you didn’t have to live at this time in the Indus Valley of India and Pakistan. The dental assistant’s job was to hold down flailing arms and legs of patients while the dentist used bow drills to treat teeth problems.

5000 B.C.-the 1300s

At least if you lived during this era, your cavities weren’t your fault. They all came from evil tooth worms that snuck into your mouth to make holes in your teeth like a worm makes a hole in an apple.

3000 B.C.

The Ancient Egyptians honored beautiful smiles just as much as we do. They bound replacement teeth together with shiny, gold wire like a primitive dental bridge. Hesi-Re was the first dentist, which meant greatest of the teeth.

700 B.C.

The Romans method of using bones, eggshells and oyster shells mixed with oils to cleanse teeth makes brushing with toothpaste and flossing even more appealing.

570 A.D.

In the Middle East the first toothbrush was created called the siwak, which is made from a twig. The end of the twig is peeled back and chewed to clean teeth. This form of toothbrush is still used in some primitive villages around the world.

Until the 16^th century

If you need your tooth pulled, stop by the barber. Dentistry was practiced by doctors and barbers. Their favorite procedure was tooth extraction, which helped with pain and stopping teeth from further decay. It was also used as torture. The Christian martyr St. Apollonia, the patron saint of dentistry, was burned by the Romans after her teeth were extracted.

1723

We can thank the French for the father of modern dentistry. A French surgeon, Pierre Fauchard, published The Surgeon Dentist, A Treatise on Teeth, which is the first book to describe a system for caring for and treating the teeth.

1840

America stepped up to create the first dental school —the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery and it still exists today.

1844

Horace Wells discovered that nitrous oxide can be used as anesthesia. But when he tried a public demonstration of it, the patient cried out in surgery. One of his students, William Morton, later took credit for the discovery since he had a better demonstration.

1957

This year brought the tool most patients fear most, the first high speed electric hand drill was invented by John Borden.

1960s

A big decade for dentists–the first dental lasers were developed for soft tissue procedures and the first electric toothbrush was invented.

1990s

It wasn’t until the 90s that cosmetic dentistry began as veneers, bleaching, dental implants, and teeth whitening became popular.

2012

Come visit us to see what cutting-edge technology and innovations we are offering this year.

5. T-Rex (Jurassic Park) – Starting off at the top of our list is the t-rex from the original, 1993 Jurassic Park. While the velociraptors may be the scariest dinosaurs in Spielberg’s movie, the t-rex is undoubtedly the most iconic. With her teeth alone, the t-rex manages to eat the obnoxious lawyer off the porta-potty (good riddance), nearly chomp down on Dr. Hammond’s grandchildren and completely destroy one of the Jurassic Park jeeps. Hats off to you, t-rex!

4. Count Orlok (Nosferatu) – Obviously a vampire has to be on this list somewhere. Blood-sucking incisors aren’t easily forgotten and they’ve been around in movies since the early 20^th century. While recent vampires in Twilight and Let Me In have some pretty memorable bites, the award for best vampire teeth goes to Count Orlok from Fritz Lang’s 1922 silent film Nosferatu. While some of the special effects aren’t quite as convincing as they used to be, Count Orlok (played by Max Schreck) is still one of the creepiest vampires around. Accomplishments with his teeth include: terrifying the Transylvanian countryside, feeding off the protagonist twice and murdering a boatful of sailors.

3. Julia Roberts (Every Film) – Now, we know we said that good teeth probably wouldn’t make this list… but Julia Roberts is the exception. Her beautiful, full teeth have dazzled audiences and melted hearts for the past twenty years. Her smile caught Richard Gere’s attention once in Pretty Woman, then again in Runaway Bride. It saved California’s water supply in Erin Brockavich and thrilled multiple cultures in Eat, Pray, Love. We, at least, are pretty impressed.

2. Jaws (Moonraker & The Spy Who Loved Me) – Long before Julia Roberts ever smiled for American audiences, there was Jaws, the hulking, metal-mouthed giant of the James Bond series. While other Bond villains had their own memorable quirks, Jaws is by-far the best villain that the franchise ever produced. Roger Moore can get old after a weekend-long Bond marathon, but Jaws never loses his charm. With his teeth he bites through wood, hurts Bond’s hand after a punch (a real accomplishment) and chews through a cable.

1. The Shark (Jaws) – What other pair of teeth could spawn three sequels and win three Oscars? The great white in Jaws singlehandedly elevated its species to stardom. He’s been the irrational fear creeping up behind millions of bathers worldwide and probably has a lot to do with the success of Shark Week. Some of his teeth accomplishments include: eating a nude bather, ruining a summer tourist season and sinking a large boat. If it hadn’t been for that scuba tank, who knows that else he could’ve accomplished!

Once you’ve had a teeth whitening procedure, try to avoid the substances that caused discoloration in the first place. Coffee, red wine and tea are the most common staining agents and should be avoided if possible. Substitute white wine for red, or limit yourself to one cup of coffee per day. However, if you simply can’t resist the allure of the office coffee machine, try brushing your teeth or rinsing your mouth immediately after each cup.

At-home teeth whitening procedures can be effective at fighting discoloration as well. Some of the best products include whitening strips and trays with high concentrations of peroxide and long application times. Mouthwashes can be useful for rinsing but shouldn’t be relied upon.

While whitening products may work wonders, traditional oral hygiene is still the cornerstone of any healthy smile. Brushing two times a day and flossing regularly are some of the easiest but surprisingly least practiced ways to maintain bright teeth.

For more tips on keeping teeth white or to schedule a teeth-whitening appointment, contact Greenspoint Dental today.

Much of the confusion surrounding canker sores stems from confusion about the difference between “canker sores” and “cold sores.” While these two terms are often used interchangeably with each other, they are far from the same thing.

A cold sore is a fluid-filled blister that typically appears outside the mouth, around the lips. Canker sores, meanwhile, only appear inside the mouth, usually on the cheeks or tongue. And while cold sores are brought on by a virus, canker sores are caused by stress or tissue damage in the mouth. Cold sores are highly contagious; canker sores are not. If you get a cold sore it’s best to refrain from close contact with others. But if you have a canker sore, don’t sweat stealing a smooch from your sweetheart.

Canker sores tend to reappear periodically and preventing them can prove difficult. However, if you are prone to canker sores, it’s a good idea to avoid acidic foods that may irritate the mouth. Also make sure that you refrain from chewing on the inside of your mouth, as this habit can lead to the sort of minor tissue damage that gives rise to canker sores.

The first way to narrow down your toothbrush selection is to look for the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Approval. The ADA Seal ensures the brush will hold up under normal usage and that the design is known to effectively remove early plaque buildups.

Next, you should make sure to find a toothbrush with soft bristles. Brushing vigorously with hard-bristles may actually harm sensitive gums and strip away enamel. You should also look for a small toothbrush head— preferably close to one-inch long and a half-inch wide. The smaller the toothbrush head, the easier it will be to clean hard-to-reach spots in your mouth.

Recently, electric toothbrushes have been gaining popularity. However, a review of nearly 30 studies showed that most power toothbrushes are no more effective than the traditional, disposable toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes can be great alternatives for individuals who suffer from limited mobility and can’t operate a manual toothbrush. But for most people, regular brushing with a normal toothbrush will suffice.

Most importantly, however, your toothbrush should be one that you feel comfortable using. The better you feel about brushing your teeth, the more likely you are to brush on a regular basis.

An all-around disinfectant, Listerine cleans just about anything.  It kills germs in the mouth and nearly everywhere else as well. First used as a surgical antiseptic in the late 19^th century, Listerine can still clean out wounds today. Listerine is also good for disinfecting hard surfaces around the home such as toilets, floors and countertops. Consider using a spray bottle of Listerine and water for large surface areas.

Though there haven’t been any significant studies on the subject, Listerine has also been known to cure dandruff. Proponents claim that you can keep a bottle in the shower and add it to your scalp before shampooing.

It’s a good idea to be wary though. Some dubious and outright false claims about Listerine have surfaced over the years. One urban legend said that Listerine was a miracle mosquito repellent. Put to the test, however, Listerine wasn’t really effective. While Listerine does contain around 1% eucalyptol, a natural mosquito repellant, the trace amount probably doesn’t have any real impact.

The short answer: no. Fluoridation has no serious, adverse health risks. In fact, fluoridation prevents serious oral health problems. Decades of research have proven that fluoride strengthens teeth against decay. Additional studies have shown that fluoride even reverses early dental decay by remineralizing decayed areas.

Fluoride isn’t new to our water but is actually a naturally occurring mineral present in all water sources. Certain cities such as El Paso, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida are naturally fluoridated. Municipal governments only fluoridate water when fluoride levels are low or average. And for most cities, every $1 invested in water fluoridation saves $38 in dental service costs.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention ranks community water fluoridation as one of the top ten public health achievements of the 20^th century. Additionally, water fluoridation is supported by the American Dental Association, the World Health Organization and over 100 other national and international health organizations.

While fluoridation opponents may make the front page of the internet, the scientific community overwhelming stands behind water fluoridation. To learn more about water fluoridation contact us today or stop by our office.

1. The world’s most expensive toothbrush is Philip’s FlexCare Plus at a price of $189.99. This electric toothbrush features five modes of brushing and delivers a little under 520 brush strokes per second. It also comes with an added UV sanitizer to clean the brush head.
2. William Addis invented the first modern toothbrush in 1780 while bored in prison. The brush was made of a bone that Addis picked up at mealtime and bristles he obtained from a guard. After getting out of prison, Addis made a fortune mass producing his invention.
3. Over a lifetime, the average American spends 38.5 days brushing their teeth. According to dentist recommendations, however, this number should be around 122 days.
4. The average toothbrush contains around 2,500 bristles. Original bristles were made of animal hair though this material fell out of favor due to hygiene concerns. A normal bristle today is made of nylon or a nylon-polyester blend.
5. America throws away an estimated 25,000 tons of toothbrushes per year. In an attempt to minimize waste, manufacturers have recently begun selling toothbrushes made of recyclable plastic. Other types of toothbrushes feature replaceable heads, encouraging people to trash only the bristle portion.

For toothbrush recommendations call or visit our office today.

Dentistry was first practiced some 9,000 years ago in the Indus Valley, where early humans used flint drills to remove rotting dental tissue. The ancient Egyptians were also busy dentists, prescribing superstitious remedies, such as holding a dead mouse in your mouth as a cure for a common toothache. Likewise, ancient Romans tried to maintain their teeth by forcing slaves to clean their mouths using sticks and special tooth powders.

People in the Middle-Ages were also concerned with keeping their teeth white and their breath smelling fresh. Writers of the time would publish recipes for a form of mint mouthwash as well as a tooth whitening powder which people would scrub onto their teeth. When a tooth needed to be pulled, however, people turned to the local barber, who performed all surgeries and yanked teeth out with a pair of pincers.

Thankfully, those days of dentistry are over. To schedule a 21^st century appointment with a trained dental professional, contact Culebra North Dental Care today.

Unfortunately, there aren’t many visible signs that a cavity has formed, in the very early stages.  There is usually no pain or discomfort, and even if you knew what you were looking for – you might not see a newly formed cavity if you were looking right at it.  Over time, of course, the cavity will grow until it does begin to produce pain for the patient.

The speed, at which a cavity matures, is dependent upon a number of factors.  The most influential of which, is dental hygiene.  With regular brushing a cavity might take months to develop to the point that it produces pain, and requires attention.  Without regular brushing, the pain would most likely come about much sooner.

Once a cavity has reached its maturity, it will no doubt be painful and annoying.  The acid by-product of the bacteria in our mouths that dissolves the foods that stick to our teeth, has eroded the enamel, exposing the sensitive layer of dentin underneath.  At this point, a dentist must intervene to drill out the decayed material, and fill in the hole with a synthetic material preventing further damage.

If you have any further questions about cavities, and how to prevent them, give our office a call.  We’ll do our best to get you all the information you need.