Every once in a while it’s fun to test your knowledge of all things toothy. We’ve come up with some orthodontic trivia questions so that you can test your knowledge of obscure dental and orthodontic facts and myths.
You probably know that George Washington had dentures, but what were they made out of?
A. Wood
B. Walrus teeth
C. Hippopotamus teeth
D. Cow teeth
E. Elephant tusks
F. B, C, D, and E
Today, the Tooth Fairy is likely to leave about one dollar per lost tooth. How much was the Tooth Fairy giving out in the early 1900s?
A. 2 cents
B. A wooden nickel
C. 10 cents
D. 12 cents
E. What are the types of braces that are most effective in the shortest amount of time?
F. Metal
G. Ceramic
H. Invisible
I. Lingual (placed on the back of the teeth)
What was one of the most popular wedding gifts for young couples in the British Isles between the mid-1800s and the early 1900s?
A. Royal Doulton tea sets
B. Money
C. Dentures
D. A new horse
The Chinese invented the first tooth brush in the 1400s—and the English invented it again (independently) in the 1770s—using bristles from hogs, badgers, or horses attached to a handle. What did people use before then or in other countries to clean their teeth?
A. Twigs
B. Rough cloths
C. Salt
D. Ash or crushed oyster shells
E. All of the above
Which was the first known civilization to use braces?
A. Babylonians
B. Phoenicians
C. Egyptians
D. City of Atlantis
Answers to Orthodontic Trivia
Question 1: F. George Washington had several sets of dentures, all of which were made out of teeth or tusk material from other animals, including some made of human teeth! The Father of Our Country began losing his teeth in his early 20s, but he wasn’t interested in getting wood splinters stuck in his cheeks and gums.
Question 2: D. Inflation has hit the poor Tooth Fairy pretty hard over the last 100 or so years.
Question 3: A. Metal braces, though they are the most visible type of braces, give you the most tooth straightening bang for your buck. They move teeth into the correct position more quickly than most other types of braces, although other types of braces also work just fine and you may choose other types of braces for aesthetic reasons.
Question 4: C. Believe it or not, young couples knew that they had just a few years left with their teeth before they were going to have them all pulled due to pain or decay. Dentures, which were expensive, were a thoughtful and popular wedding gift.
Question 5: E. People have used various methods to get the grime off their teeth over the millennia. Be grateful for the technology we enjoy today!
Question 6: C. Ever riding the cutting edge of ancient technology, Egyptians practiced orthodontics before anyone ever came up with the nickname “brace face.
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