Laura Dorr is the former executive editor of DPR's Modern Dental Network and a regular contributing author.

Laura Dorr

	In all our years of fanatically watching 

, we’ve learned a few things: Don’t go swimming at dusk; avoid inserting body parts into a shark’s mouth; 

, and, perhaps most interestingly, that a shark can endlessly replace its teeth-which could have major implications for human dental health.

, sharks have mouths full of a seemingly endless amount of flesh-rending chompers. And endless they are: at any given time, these aquatic beasts can have anywhere from five to 50 rows of teeth, depending on the type of shark (

). These teeth wait in line until a tooth in the front row falls out, which happens about once a week.

Since sharks are cartilaginous fish, their 

 and do not have roots like human teeth, which makes it easy for them to fall out or get broken when the shark starts chomping on a fish or your deliciously tender thigh. When a tooth falls out, the pearly whites in subsequent rows rotate forward to fill the empty space, a process that can take less than a day to complete. Throughout its lifetime, a shark may have-and shed-over 35,000 teeth. All of this basically means that if your appendages end up in a shark’s mouth, they won’t just be getting gummed.

Related reading: New study finds beaver teeth could provide insight on human tooth decay

Once you get past the panic-inducing pointiness of shark teeth, they actually have a lot in common with human dentition. Both shark and human teeth contain dentin, and both types of teeth are equally as hard (though good luck chewing on a shark in retaliation). However, shark teeth are coated in acid-resistant fluoroapatite enamel that makes cavity development nearly impossible (fluoroapatite is also one of the main ingredients in toothpaste). In 

one study conducted by German researchers

, it was discovered that the outer coating of the teeth of mako and tiger sharks contained 100 percent fluoride.

The ability to naturally replace lost teeth makes sharks an attractive subject for researchers looking to combat and correct tooth loss in humans. In a 

, geneticists at the University of Rochester bred mice that lacked the gene that prevents additional tooth formation. The mice subsequently grew extra teeth next to their molars, giving scientists hope that if they could identify exactly what triggers new teeth to develop, they could potentially discover how to regenerate teeth in human adults. 

Trending article: The 50 weirdest dental crimes across the USA

 took the research even further, examining a 

 that could allow people to regrow missing teeth as needed, rather than develop a second row of teeth like Jaws.  

 at Columbia, developed a growth factor-infused, three-dimensional scaffold that could serve as the framework for new teeth grown from stem cells. By directing the body’s own stem cells to the location, the cells could colonize the scaffold, growing a tooth in the socket.

So far, the technology hasn’t been put into mainstream use, though the research is promising. So, unless you’re 

 after his adult teeth grew in before his baby teeth fell out), you’ll have to make do with one row of teeth, or dentures when you lose those.

Articles

 In all our years of fanatically watching Shark Week, we’ve learned a few things: Don’t go swimming at dusk; avoid inserting body parts into a shark’s mouth; we’ll probably need a bigger boat, and, perhaps most interestingly, that a shark can endlessly replace its teeth-which could have major implications for human dental health.

Everything we need to know about teeth, we learned from Shark Week

	America: Home to revolutionaries, heroes, Wild West gunslingers, Olympic legends and artistic geniuses. What do all those country-shaping patriots have in common? Many of them were also dentists. 

We rounded up a list of five famous Americans who, when not making headlines, dabbled in dentistry. Most people don’t think about what their dentist does outside of the operatory (do dentists think about anything besides teeth?), but these dental professionals were keeping very, very busy.

Trending article: The strangest dental crimes in the United States

 and athletes so famous that Hollywood has told their stories over and over, these household names bettered our country while also bettering people’s dental health. Did you know these famous Americans were dentists?

Check out our list, beginning on page two...

 is famously known for pulling guns on people at the 

 – but before he gained gunslinging fame, he spent his time pulling something a little more mundane: Teeth. Prior to befriending 

 and becoming deputized as a U.S. Marshall, the Wild West gambler led a quieter life practicing dentistry.

Trending article: The 9 craziest ways people have pulled teeth

	A graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery, Doc graduated at the age of 20, and set up shop in Atlanta. Sadly, Doc’s tenure as a practitioner was cut short when he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, which caused him to having uncontrollable coughing fits at inopportune times (i.e., while treating less-than-thrilled patients). His practice slowly dried up, and he headed west hoping that the dry climate in the American Southwest would be better for his health.

Trending article: Office manager arrested after posing as dentist, pulling teeth

	What does a retired dentist do in 1880s Arizona? Why, become a professional gambler and battle the Outlaw Cowboys in Tombstone with the Earp brothers. Thanks to the 

 appeared in dozens of Wild West movies (including a 

) throughout the 1940s and ‘50s. However, the actor was probably best known for his work in “Green Acres,” “Petticoat Junction” and “The Beverly Hillbillies.” The work he rarely gets credited for? His time as a dentist.

Trending article: The 10 craziest impressions you've ever seen

	Before becoming an actor, Buchanan earned his DDS degree from North Pacific College, and had a dental practice with his wife Mildred, who was his classmate in dental school. The couple moved to California in 1939, where Buchanan caught the acting bug.

Trending article: British dentist tried to perform dental work in McDonald's

	Shortly after appearing in his first movie (“

”), he turned the practice over to his wife and focused exclusively on acting. Good thing he did, or we might have never gotten cinematic gems like “

	It’s not often that you have a Cy Young award winner poking around in your mouth, but some patients in Massachusetts get to experience just that. Star baseball pitcher 

 played for the Boston Red Sox from 1965 through 1971, and in 1967 became the first Red Sox pitcher to win the Cy Young Award.

Trending article: Rugby players get teeth replaced with bottle openers

	After a 15-year career, in which he played for the Sox, Brewers and Phillies, Lonborg retired and enrolled in the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. He became a dentist and set up shop in Hanover, Mass.

Trending article: Runners at higher risk for tooth decay

	Lonborg was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2002, but that’s not his only immortalization: on the sitcom 

, Sam Malone wore Lonborg’s number (16) and the photo of Sam pitching is actually a picture of Lonborg. While everyone may not know his name, Lonborg is one that dentists should make note of!

Mr. Revere also knew a thing or two about dentistry

. The famous midnight rider was also a silversmith, who studied under an English dental surgeon in the 1760s to learn how to make and insert false teeth. He used his craftsman skills to fashion dentures out of animal teeth or ivory to replace teeth that his 18

Trending article: Sleeping in dentures may pose major health hazards

	In addition to being an amateur dentist, Revere is also credited as the 

. During the war, there were plenty of unidentified bodies. While examining remains in a mass grave after the Battle of Bunker Hill, Revere positively identified a body as that of Joseph Warren, based on a dental prosthetic he had made for the man several years earlier.

Trending article: Study finds missing teeth can predict cardiovascular events

	After the American Revolution, Revere lost his interest in dentistry (and in being the hero of Longfellow poems), opened a hardware store and a rolling copper mill, and fathered 16 children. 

	One of America’s most successful swimmers was very close to becoming one of the country’s most 

 was a pre-dental student at Indiana University from 1968 to 1972 – but seven gold medals in swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics made him rethink his career path.

Trending article: Man who aspirated drill bit loses $430K court case

	“I always wanted to be a dentist from the time I was in high school, and I was accepted to dental school in the spring of 1972,” Spitz told 

 magazine. “But after the Olympics there were some other opportunities.”

Trending article: New study finds beaver teeth could provide insight on human tooth decay

	Sadly for the field of dentistry, 11-time medal-winning “Mark the Shark” was lured into the world of those “other opportunities,” i.e., television spots, endorsements and commercials. (But seriously: wouldn’t that be an absolutely fantastic nickname for a dentist?! Totally wasted.) When his fame waned and was then eventually overshadowed (thanks a lot, 

), Spitz founded a real-estate company and began working as a motivational speaker

America: Home to revolutionaries, heroes, Wild West gunslingers, Olympic legends and artistic geniuses. What do all those country-shaping patriots have in common? Many of them were also dentists.

5 famous Americans you didn’t know were dentists

	Even the greatest leaders can’t be perfect. In George Washington’s case, one big shortcoming was his infamously terrible teeth. Equally infamous, Washington’s wooden dentures have become the stuff of legend… a factually incorrect legend, as Washington never actually sported dentures made from wood.

Washington had his first tooth removed at age 24, and it was all downhill from there. By the time he became president in 1789, he had only one remaining tooth, a 

. He held onto that tooth for just another seven years, before it was eventually removed by 

 in 1796.  Over the course of his life, Washington had numerous sets of dentures and partial dentures – none of which were ever made of wood.

Even during Washington’s lifetime, better materials than wood were available for dentures. Washington’s dentures were 

including human teeth; bone and ivory from hippopotamus, elephants and walrus; and fixtures made of lead, brass screws and gold metal wire. Since many of these materials are susceptible to staining, it is possible that the myth of Washington’s wood teeth emerged from staining and cracks that resulted in the dentures having a wooden coloration and texture – staining that may have occurred due to 

Trending article: Sleeping in dentures can pose major health hazards

In addition to ivory and bone from animals, Washington also kept a collection of his own pulled teeth for potential use in his dentures. At one point, he also 

 from African-Americans, though his intent regarding these teeth is not definitively known. Washington’s constant struggle with ill-fitting and uncomfortable dentures led to trouble with speech, and altered the shape of his face, leading to several well-recognized portraits in which his jaw appears distended or misshapen.

His trouble getting dentures that fit well also led to what essentially amounted to a mail-order relationship with Dr. Greenwood: Between 1790 and 1799, the two sent boxes of dentures and false teeth back and forth to one another, often accompanied with complaint-filled letters from Washington regarding the discomfort the dentures caused. 

Check out this interesting video about Washington’s dentures from 

Trending article: 10 questions on genetic testing, periodontal disease and the role of the dental professional

Information for this article was gathered from “

Drilling holes in George Washington’s wooden teeth myth

Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, George Washington’s Mount Vernon

. Denture photo credit: George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

 Even the greatest leaders can’t be perfect. In George Washington’s case, one big shortcoming was his infamously terrible teeth. Equally infamous, Washington’s wooden dentures have become the stuff of legend… a factually incorrect legend, as Washington never actually sported dentures made from wood.

Presidential false teeth: The myth of George Washington's dentures, debunked

 found that tooth loss could be a predictor for future cardiovascular events, diabetes and even death.

 have a history of inflammatory oral diseases, such as 

. Periodontitis has previously been linked to noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular problems and diabetes. Affecting the tissue supporting the tooth, periodontitis can result in missing teeth, 

, which can harbor bacteria that have been shown to affect the heart.  

More emerging research: New study finds periodontal disease most prevalent among ethnic minorities

, examined almost 8,500 subjects ages 25 to 75, Researchers recorded the participants’ number of missing teeth at the commencement of the study, and then followed up 13 years later to see incidences of heart disease events such as heart attacks, acute myocardial infarction, diabetes, stroke and death. Participants filled out an in-depth questionnaire and also underwent clinical examination.

In addition to showing that people with missing teeth were at increased risk for cardiovascular events, the study also proved that the number of missing teeth can affect risk rates. Researchers discovered that participants with more than five missing teeth were at increased risk for coronary heart disease and myocardial infarctions, and were more than 140% likely to suffer from such events.

More emerging research: Study finds that treating gum disease can affect prostate symptoms

Researcher John Liljestrand additionally reported that those with more than nine missing teeth were 51% more likely to suffer cardiovascular diseases, 31% more likely to develop diabetes and 37% more likely to die. 

 subjects were at a 40-68% risk. Interestingly, the study found no association with increased risk of strokes.

Researchers believe that this information proves that the number of missing teeth can help general practitioners when assessing risk factors for chronic diseases.

 A recent study found that tooth loss could be a predictor for future cardiovascular events, diabetes and even death.

Study finds missing teeth can predict cardiovascular events

 found that the accuracy of impression techniques can be affected by 

. The study evaluated the differing levels of success of conventional and digital impression techniques in partially and completely edentulous patients.  It also assessed the effect different variables, such as materials, angulation, and connection type, had in regard to the accuracy of implant impressions.

An accurate implant impression is necessary to generate an accurate cast, though there are various clinical and laboratory variables that can affect the accuracy of an implant cast. One of the most significant factors is the impression procedure. Although various implant impression techniques have been used to generate casts, there has yet to be evidence regarding which technique is the most accurate. Previous studies on accuracy didn’t account for partially vs. completely edentulous patients, whereas this study differentiated between the two.

On-demand webinar: Learn how to prescribe highly esthetic partial and complete dentures

The study's author, Dr. Panos Papaspyridakos, found that a splinted technique was more accurate than nonsplinted for both partially and completely edentulous patients, while the open-tray technique was more accurate than closed-tray for completely edentulous patients. Impression materials did not affect the accuracy of implant impressions.

In conclusion, the study determined that the accuracy and success of any given implant impression technique differs between partial and completely endentulous patients.

Related reading; How to use Premier Dental's Traxodent to achieve impressions with clear, defined margins

The full study was published in the July/August issue of 

The International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants

Information for this article was provided by JOMI.

For a complete copy of the study, visit:  

 A recent study out of Tufts University found that the accuracy of impression techniques can be affected by partial vs. complete edentulism. The study evaluated the differing levels of success of conventional and digital impression techniques in partially and completely edentulous patients.  It also assessed the effect different variables, such as materials, angulation, and connection type, had in regard to the accuracy of implant impressions.

Study finds accuracy of impression techniques may be affected by partial vs. complete edentulism

	Sometimes, people make mistakes. Sometimes, people get caught and arrested for those mistakes. And sometimes, those people are dentists.

	We searched the country for the most bizarre, hilarious, disgusting, unbelievable and absurd stories of dental and tooth-related crimes. The results are astounding: From dentists having armed standoffs with law enforcement, to misbehaving tooth fairies, to wrestling matches with patients, our 50 states are chockfull of toothy crime stories that will make you cringe, laugh and leave you dumbfounded.

	There were a plethora of stories to choose from, but for this compilation, we tried to steer clear of the really bad apples and keep it PG. So, while some of these stories are sure to shock, we’ve avoided coverage of the really horrid stuff and have instead focused on the weird and wacky.

	So, check out the action in your state, or click through them all. Dive on in, and get ready: It’s going to be a wild ride. 

Or, continue to the next page to see the stories from Alabama...

Alabama: Where interstates are dental hotspots

Truck driver crashes while pulling out own tooth

 on Interstate 20 in Alabama after he took his hands off of the steering wheel to pull a loose tooth out of his mouth. While he was digging for the tooth, his 18-wheeler ran off the road, rolled down a slope into a ditch, and jackknifed into the trees along the highway.

	After the accident, which happened at 10:30 p.m., 

road crews had to divert traffic off of the interstate

 until almost 8 a.m. the following morning, when they were able to open one lane for rush hour traffic, surely 

	Too strange to believe?  There’s proof. The trucker kept the tooth in his pocket so that he could show state troopers the cause of the accident.

	Luckily, no one was seriously hurt, except perhaps for the trucker’s pride and raw gums.  

The 9 craziest ways people have pulled their own teeth

Former dentist arrested for having an epic carload of drugs

But the excitement apparently never ends on Interstate 20: In 2005, 

authorities arrested 72-year-old Joe Magnusson

, a former Mississippi dentist who’s license expired in 1999, on charges of possessing illegal drugs.  Magnussen was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy after he ran over someone’s lawn before heading east on the highway.

	Clearly a brilliant criminal mind, Magnussen left a bunch of prescription bottles in plain view on the car’s console. The intrepid deputy noticed the abundance of drugs and called in task force agents, who searched the dentist’s car. Magnussen made it well worth their time: Stashed around the car, agents found liquid Valium, marijuana, syringes, prescriptions in other people’s names and a cool $6,800 hidden in various places. Not too shabby for a septuagenarian retiree.

Or, continue to the next page to see the stories from Alaska...

Alaska: Full of dentists with unique extracurriculars

Retired Anchorage dentist spends retirement racking up DUIs

 after he almost hit a pedestrian. To really make it an open-and-shut case, the intoxicated driver narrowly missed ramming his car into the highway guardrail when he was pulled over by state troopers.

	However, the driver, George Trube Murphy, 67, was no stranger to the breathalyzer: At the time of his DUI, he was under court order to not consume alcohol. The court order was put in place as a condition of his release from a DUI just five days earlier. Thankfully, his repeated (and incredibly risky) drunk-driving shenanigans didn’t result in any injuries.

	Logically, because he lives in the Alaskan land of snow and ice, he was driving an aptly named Toyota Tundra.

More dental fails: The 9 worst at-home dentistry mistakes

Maybe he should focus on more conventional CE

Another Alaskan dentist got acquainted with the courts when he was sentenced to five years in prison on four counts of tax evasion, to the tune of more than $575,000. Glenn Lockwood was found guilty of multiple charges, including using oversea shell corporations to conceal income and wrongfully deducting expenses.

	“Getting high-income earners to pay their income taxes shouldn’t be like ‘pulling teeth,’” 

	So what does the IRS say was wrongfully deducted? Purchases at David’s Big & Tall Store, Big Dog Sportswear, and, inexplicably, Dress Barn, 

 for the practice. In an admirable display of creativity, Lockwood had charges at massage parlors and Mabel’s House of Prostitution in Nevada written off as “continuing education.”

	Yeah, we’re just going to leave that one alone.

Time to flash those pearly whites - for a mugshot! We compiled a list of the top dental crimes in each and every state in the USA - and the stories we found are pretty fantastic. See what's happening in your state!

From 1 to 50: The top dental crimes in every state

	What do you have in common with LeBron James? Probably not a lot, as King James is exceptional at pretty much everything and should be revered as an infallible deity. One thing that brings him down to mortal status? Being in the dentist’s chair.

	LeBron, blessed as he is with royalty status and more talent than is even fathomable to the average mind, apparently IS (at least partially) human, and has an average person’s distaste for dental visits. LeBron posted a series of 

 of a apparently traumatizing visit to the dentist a few months ago and boy, he looks about as happy as he did after the disappointing start (and middle... and generally all) of the finals (it’s OK LeBron; there’s always next year!).

Someone please help me, PLEASE!! #DentistakaBoogieMan

			A photo posted by LeBron James (@kingjames) 

	And look! LeBron even had a case of the Mondays! This is shattering our perception of his godliness, but making him so much more endearing. LeBron, we just adore you and your loveable little going-to-the-dentist hat.

Back at the dentist and I'm hearing a bunch of drilling going on behind me from my docs so I had to sit up like "What the heck is going on back there". Hahaha but seriously what's up. #DentistNightMares

			A photo posted by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Apr 6, 2015 at 4:04pm PDT

	Hopefully LeBron isn’t thinking too much about his scary dental visit, but is focusing on putting away the next two games of the finals (sorry Warriors; 

we’re not even going to take this one to Game 7

Full disclosure (if you hadn’t already surmised): The DPR editorial team is headquartered in Cleveland. WE’RE ALL IN!

	LeBron, for what it’s worth, Stephen Curry isn’t any braver. Check out page two to see how Curry’s experience at the dentist played out. Not as well as yours though, King James, because you are better at everything (including being nervous at the dentist) than he is. Go Cavs!

	Stephen Curry had an exciting dental experience too! But not as exciting as Lebron, of course.

What do you have in common with LeBron James? Probably not a lot, as King James is exceptional at pretty much everything and should be revered as an infallible deity. One thing that brings him down to mortal status? Being in the dentist’s chair.

LeBron James' Visit to the dentist is far from a slam dunk

	Do you want fries with that dental work? The General Dental Council committee in the United Kingdom has barred one dentist from practicing after she tried to perform a dental procedure in a McDonald’s restaurant.

Anca Claudia Macavei, who is licensed in Romania as a dentist, was removed from the register of dentists in England after a judge in the High Court 

 revoking her right to practice. Macavei lost the right after an unnamed patient complained that the dentist tried to treat her in a fast food restaurant.

More weird news: Woman superglued her teeth in to avoid going to the dentist

Macavei met the patient after advertising her services online to Romanian patients in England. The complaint arose after the dentist 

, where she attempted to fit a bridge into the mouth of the patient. When the patient refused to be treated in Mickey D’s, Macavei took her down the street and tried to perform the work in the hallway of a nearby building housing a dental practice. Macavei had previously had an arrangement with the practice owner allowing her to use the facilities, but had lost access to the clinic after a disagreement (so, clearly the hallway was the next best place). 

“The committee found that it was more likely than not that you did attempt a fitting of the bridges in that unsuitable environment, considering that you had nowhere else to go at the time,”

More weird news: Man charged with using pliers to remove women's teeth during sex

After reviewing the appeal this year, Justice Patterson of the High Court sided with the GDC, saying, “The committee was entitled to conclude that they could not be confident that the public would be protected by an approach less than erasure.” As a result of the judge's decision, Macavei is officially no longer allowed to practice.

No word if she’s set up an illegal practice down the street at the nearest Burger King.

 Do you want fries with that dental work? The General Dental Council committee in the United Kingdom has barred one dentist from practicing after she tried to perform a dental procedure in a McDonald’s restaurant.

Weird news: British dentist tried to perform dental work in a McDonald's

	Every day, innovative new products and technologies are pushing the dental industry forward, streamlining the job and redefining practice management, patient care and treatment. While there are many exciting emerging technologies and cutting-edge products, there are some that rise above the rest. These are the recipients of the seventh annual Pride Institute Best of Class Technology Awards. 

This year, the Best of Class advisory board  singled out 23 honorees for recognition. Over the next several issues, DPR will spotlight each of these honorees and include feedback from the advisory board on what made these products stand out from the competition, as well as reviews from dentists who’ve seen results from these products in their practices. To kick off this year’s coverage, DPR sat down with Best of Class Founder Dr. Lou Shuman to learn about the significance of the awards.

Trending article: 5 technologies your practice needs to invest in now

What do you feel Best of Class recognition signifies?

Best of Class was created to be different from all other awards in the industry. As a result of the rigorous and uncompromising selection process, and a voting panel that is the most respected group of technology leaders in dentistry, the manufacturing community considers it the most prestigious award a company can receive. It signifies that a product has not only proven itself to be of great importance but has separated itself from its competition as a true category leader. 

9 of the coolest things we saw at CDA South and Lab Day West

What are the most important criteria you look for in the winning products?

There is no single criterion. Most important is practical innovation. A game changer. An emerging technology that will have significant impact. New technologies that can literally create their own category. Traditional products that, year in and year out, maintain their class leadership. All of these are considered and more.

What are the biggest challenges in selecting the winners?

Getting the board to agree by majority! These decisions are not easy, and the advisory board takes them very seriously! Every Chicago Midwinter Meeting, the board gets together late one evening, shuts the door and goes into the wee hours of the next morning reviewing all the research they have done over the year. The process is unbiased and nonprofit. If a category does not provide a Best of Class designee, it is skipped. We don’t care if there are four winners or 14. There is no top 20 or 50 here. 

If one of the panel members has a consulting relationship with a company, it is divulged before we start and they are not allowed to vote in that specific category. So, when it is all over, the white smoke comes out of the chimney and the most challenging aspect of the process is completed.

Trending article: 10 implant trends you need to know

Why should people pay attention to products that receive Best of Class recognition?

We have put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to create an award of the highest integrity and of the greatest meaning to the manufacturing community. We also strive to provide the practitioner community a list of products they can truly trust and recognize as critical components that should be integrated into their practice. The Best of Class logo signifies that dentistry’s technology leaders have deemed the product remarkable after evaluating the tremendous number of options available. The awards provide a guide of what products will provide the greatest benefit to dentists’ practices, their teams and their patients.

Last year's winners: Pride Institute's Best of Class 2014 - Today's top technologies

Acknowledging the dynamic decision-making that comes from bringing great minds and great dentists together, once again this year’s honorees were selected by a distinguished board of dental professionals. In our 2015 coverage of the honorees, every board member will contribute insights from his own experience with the product or category.

-Writer, speaker and technology editor for 

-Speaker, writer and Vice-Chairman of Preclinical Education, Technology, and Research University of Pacific School of Dentistry

-Writer, speaker and technology consultant and columnist for Dr. Bicuspid

 Every day, innovative new products and technologies are pushing the dental industry forward, streamlining the job and redefining practice management, patient care and treatment. While there are many exciting emerging technologies and cutting-edge products, there are some that rise above the rest. These are the recipients of the seventh annual Pride Institute Best of Class Technology Awards. 

2015 "Best of Class" Technology Award winners announced

	Using a communal bathroom? There’s probably poop on your toothbrush.

 in communal bathrooms serve as vectors for transmission of fecal coliforms and potentially pathogenic organisms, including enteric bacteria (normal bacteria that is found in the stomach) and pseudomonads (bacteria found in soil, water, plants, stomach and on skin). So, while the bacteria are not foreign to the human body, trouble can arise when the bacteria are coming from someone else – which happens more often than not.

Related research: Toothbrush type can influence bacteria growth

“The main concern is not with the presence of your own fecal matter on your toothbrush, but rather when a toothbrush is contaminated with fecal matter from someone else, which contains bacteria, viruses or parasites that are not part of your normal flora,” said Lauren Aber, a graduate student at Quiinipiac University. 

Researchers collected toothbrushes from communal dorm bathrooms (that were used by an average of 9.4 occupants) at the university. Shockingly, they discovered that at least 60% of the toothbrushes were contaminated with fecal coliforms – regardless of how the toothbrushes were stored or decontaminated.

The grossest part? There was an 80% chance that the fecal coliforms on the toothbrushes came from someone other than the toothbrush’s owner.

Weird news: Woman superglued her teeth in to avoid going to the dentist

“Better hygiene practices are recommended for students who share bathrooms,” said Aber. However, she added, “using a toothbrush cover doesn’t protect a toothbrush from bacterial growth, but actually creates an environment where bacteria are better suited to grow.”

 Using a communal bathroom? There’s probably poop on your toothbrush.