A Few Fascinating World Records in Dentistry

Just about every science, profession or area of interest that you can imagine has its world records. And dentistry is no different.

So, strictly for your wonder and entertainment, Lakeview Dental Care has gathered a notable list of world records that all pertain to dentistry or some aspect of oral health. Enjoy!

Famous and Expensive Teeth for Sale
Remember Napoléon Bonaparte from history class? He was the French military and political leader who was also known as Napoléon I of France. In 1817, a tooth extracted from Napoléon’s mouth started with a bidding price of about $19,000 at the time, and it was ultimately sold to a private buyer for about $22,600.

But the most expensive celebrity tooth ever sold belonged to John Lennon, whose tooth was purchased in 2011 by a Canadian dentist for $31,200. Imagine!

Sizable Teeth
The world record for the longest tooth extracted is 1.26 inches (3.2 cm), and it was removed from Loo Hui Jing in Singapore in 2009.

As for the widest tooth, that record belongs to 9-year-old Shane Russell of Canada. Now, just to provide some reference, the average width of a maxillary central incisor (an “All-I-Want-for-Christmas front tooth”) is 0.3 inches (0.892 cm). Shane’s extracted front tooth holds an unbeaten record of 0.6 inches wide (1.67 cm).

“All or Nothing” Teeth
In the United Kingdom in 1990, when bouncing baby Sean Keaney was born, he had a toothy grin and garnered the world record for having the most teeth at birth: 12! These teeth were all extracted, however, to prevent potential problems with nursing. But Sean’s second full set of teeth had already grown in by the time he was one and a half years old.

In 2005, the youngest person ever to wear a full set of dentures was 3-year-old Daniel Sanchez-Ruiz of the United Kingdom. He had a very different problem than Sean Keaney mentioned above; young Daniel had a condition called hypohydrotic ectodermal dysplasia, which meant he had no teeth at all.

The oldest person to have received dental implants is a Canadian lady named Margaret Brown, who was 94 years old when she got two dental implants in her lower jaw in 2002.

And the Guinness World Records in London has announced a new world record in dentistry pertaining to “The Most People Involved in a Dental Health Check.” This feat was accomplished on July 7, 2012, when a medical and dental mission organized by the Church of Christ in Manila, Philippines, broke the previous record by facilitating the exam of more than 4,100 people during an 8-hour period.

In 2012, Colgate-Palmolive broke India’s previous “Record for the Most People Involved in a Dental Check in Multiple Locations” by facilitating the examination of 70,388 participants from 54 different schools in five cities across China.

With all the new records being set worldwide in the past 15 years, it would appear as though people everywhere are taking their dental health more seriously. Now that’s something to smile about!