Millions of teeth
A report over the summer estimated, on the basis of a survey of 2,000 people, that we in the UK are currently missing about 110m teeth. That sounds a lot, and represents a fair number of extractions but it set me wondering how many teeth we collectively do still have.
The first adult dental health survey in 1968 found that 37 per cent of us had no natural teeth at all, while by the time of the most recent survey in 1998 (the 2008 one was delayed and is yet to report) this had fallen to a mere 13 per cent.
So, making some wild assumptions that we all had a full set of 32 natural teeth in each of those years and that the population was about 55m in the sixties and 60m in the nineties the numbers come out at 1,108m and 1,670m teeth respectively. That represents an increase in 562m teeth or over half as many again as when the Beatles were at their zenith; in comparison with which, 110m doesn’t seem quite so bad.
Prisoner Cell Block 1-8
Two remarkable stories have emerged about prison oral care, one on each side of the Atlantic. At home, a convicted triple-murderer was awarded £44,500 in the Appeal Court because he was ‘refused adequate treatment’ for toothache which had lasted for over seven years. The claim was that he had been moved from prison to prison and that the resulting lack of continuity was instrumental in the deficit of care.
Meanwhile, in Michigan, a former gaol inmate has invoked a ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ claim as he alleges he was denied toothpaste for nearly a year. The allegation goes on to detail resulting gum disease and tooth loss as a consequence. The claim in this case is for a mammoth $350K. It will be interesting to see what the judgment is, since if toothpaste is deemed necessary to prevent gum disease, as distinct from brushing alone (the prisoner was not denied a toothbrush or floss) it could open up a whole new set of marketing possibilities.
Thumb suckingly good
Thumb and digit sucking is often considered an upsetting and maddening felony by parents whose offspring persist in the habit beyond about six. A newly opened clinic in west London seeks to provide orthodontic treatment for such wayward youngsters and also to actively help them (or maybe help their parents) in breaking the habit. A range of devices are ready to be deployed including removable appliances to take away the comfort of the thumb. One remedy that I hadn’t heard of previously is apparently to coat the offending digit with mustard. Speaking personally, providing that it was one of those really chunky Dijon types with plenty of seeds in, such a tactic might very well make me pick up the habit.
June Winner
The winner of the June prize of Beverly Hills Formula products is A McGregor of Bedford for the caption: ‘Obviously I won’t be pushing the needle in as far as I did for our last dental contracts manager!’