NOTE: Correct multiple choice answers are bolded.

For being so mundane, teeth are quite interesting objects. To show you what we mean, we researched a bunch of whacky dental facts we thought you’d find interesting and/or amusing.

We then put these facts together into a little trivia game below.

Ask your friends these questions the next time you’re all together. See how many they can get right — if any!

Multiple Choice

1. About how many gallons of toothpaste do Americans buy each year?

1. 5 million
2. 14 million
3. 18 million
4. 25 million

2. About how many miles of dental floss do Americans buy each year?

1. 1 million
2. 2 million
3. 3 million
4. 4 million

3. How much do Americans spend on dental products each year?

1. $1 billion
2. $2 billion
3. $3 billion
4. $4 billion

4. Nylon-bristled toothbrushes were invented in 1938, but the first toothbrush to use bristles at all was created in China. Which century was the first toothbrush with bristles created in?

1. The 1400s
2. The 1500s
3. The 1600s
4. The 1700s
5. The 1800s

5. Tooth decay is the _____ most common disease in the United States.

1. 3rd
2. 2nd
3. 4th
4. 1st

6. The most valuable tooth ever belonged to _____.

1. Sir Isaac Newton
2. Julius Caesar
3. King George III
4. Abraham Lincoln

7. How many teeth are in a snail’s mouth?

1. 20
2. 1,000
3. 25,000
4. 35,000

8. A dentist in China built a tower over 8 feet high that consists of around _____ in order to raise awareness for dental problems.

1. 25,000
2. 10,000
3. 15,000
4. 40,000

9. In ancient Greece, people used _____ as mouthwash.

1. Wine
2. Salt water
3. Vinegar
4. Donkey milk

10. The first electric toothbrush appeared in which year?

1. 1918
2. 1985
3. 1939
4. 1953

11. In what year was laughing gas (nitrous oxide) discovered as a sedative for dental procedures?

1. 1848
2. 1878
3. 1830
4. 1867

12. Which ancient civilization created the first form of toothpaste?

1. Ancient Rome
2. Ancient Egypt
3. Ancient Greece
4. Ancient China

13. Sharks can have up to _____ teeth in their mouth at once.

1. 50
2. 450
3. 200
4. 300

14. How many rows are a shark’s teeth arranged into? (Fun fact: when a shark loses a tooth, all the teeth behind it move up a row to fill the gap. The shark then regrows in the back row).

1. 4
2. 5
3. 3
4. 6

15. The average American spends about _____ days of their life just brushing their teeth.

1. 39
2. 30
3. 35
4. 50

16. How many kinds of bacteria can you find in dental plaque?

1. 300
2. 400
3. 500
4. 600

17. Irene Newman was the first dental hygienist ever. In what year did she become a dental hygienist?

1. 1883
2. 1890
3. 1905
4. 1960

18. _____% of Americans have had at least 1 dental cavity by age 17.

1. 9%
2. 78%
3. 17%
4. 52%

19. American kids spend about _____ on chewing gum every year.

1. $150,000
2. $350,000
3. $500,000
4. $700,000

20. In medieval Germany, it was believed that _____ would help to cure a toothache.

1. Chewing on grass
2. Swishing beer in your mouth
3. Rubbing a rock on your tooth
4. Kissing a donkey