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Dentist Facts

Dentist Facts
A dentist is a type of doctor that specializes in the oral health care of their patients. This can include the teeth, gums, and other systems in the mouth. Dentists in the United States must attend to four years of post-secondary education and then take the Dental Admissions Test. They must attend dental school which is a minimum of four years, but can be longer depending on the state. Residency can last two to six years following dental school. Dentists can specialize in a variety of different options such as cosmetic dentistry, pediatric dentistry, or orthodontics, among many others.
Interesting Dentist Facts:
A dentist can choose to work in public health, studying social health policies.
A dentist can specialize in root canals and dental pulp diseases. This is called endodontics.
A dentist can work in oral and maxillofacial radiology, surgery, or pathology.
A dentist can work in orthodontics, which involves teeth straightening, and modifying the growth of the mandible.
A dentist can work in periodontology, which is the study and treatment of gums.
A dentist can specialize in pediatric dentistry, which involves working with children.
Dentists who work with braces and bridges, and implants, as well as replacing missing facial structures, are referred to as prosthodontics dentists.
The first to perform dentist work in history were barbers. This happened in France and in China. Lay barbers could able to perform basic duties such as tooth extraction and simple surgeries. Guild barbers were able to more complex surgeries.
France banned lay barbers from performing surgery in 1400.
The father of modern dentistry is considered to be Pierre Fauchard, of France. He published the first dentistry textbook based on science in 1728.
Forensic dentistry began to be used in the 1760s to help make identification based on dentistry.
The first dental college in the United States was established in 1840, in Baltimore, Maryland.
Porcelain crowns, which dentists use to cap teeth, were invented in 1903.
The local anesthetic Novocain was invented in 1905.
Precision cast fillings were invented in 1907.
Toothbrushes with nylon bristles were invented in 1938.
Toothpaste with fluoride was invented in 1950.
Electronic toothbrushes were invented in 1960.
In 1989 tooth whitening kits to be used at home were invented.
It was a dentist who invented the electric chair to be used for prisoner executions. His name was Alfred P. Southwick.
Some of the highest paid occupations belong to dentists. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons earn more than $166,400 a year. Orthodontists and General dentists also rank very high.
People should replace their toothbrush after having been sick as they can carry germs and re-infect the person again.
Following the common cold, tooth decay is the second most common disease in America.
The risk of having a stroke is higher from gum disease than it is from cardiovascular disease.
Flossing accounts for cleaning 35% of the surface of a person's teeth.
George Washington had dentures. They were made of ivory, gold, lead, and the teeth of humans, hippos, and donkeys. They were not made of wood like many believe.


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