The Bizarre History of the Bursting Teeth DENTAL DETONATIONS FROM THE PAST
People love unsolved mysteries, as shown by the steady stream of new podcasts and TV shows about cold cases. Now, to the annals of mysteries like “Who invented Bitcoin?” or “What really happened to Amelia Earhart?” add this riddle for the ages:
woman reported that one of her canine teeth spontaneously split open “a sudden sharp report,” again leading to instant relief, the article said.
Correspondence published in the British Dental Journal told of similar cases, including one recorded in 1871 by a different American dentist. He reported
What caused the mystery of the exploding teeth?
treating a woman whose molar “bursted [sic] with a concussion and report that well-nigh knocked her over” with a sound loud enough to deafen her for a few days, the correspondence said. The cause of these dental detonations isn’t clear. The Pennsylvania dentist who reported the three initial cases suspected that a buildup of gas within the teeth may have triggered the eruptions, but modern experts say that notion arises from a misunderstanding of what causes tooth decay at that time. Some suggest that a mixture of metals in dental fillings may have caused a buildup of pressure, but there is little evidence to support that hunch. Or, the patients may simply have been exaggerating their symptoms.
About a half dozen times during the 19th century, people were beset by agonizing dental pain followed by an explosion of a tooth, according to scientific journal articles reported by the BBC. In the first case, a clergyman in 1817 reported an ache in a canine tooth so intense as to drive him wild, according to a Pennsylvania dentist’s journal article. The reverend ran around trying to escape the pain, drilling his head into the ground and immersing it in a cold spring, to no avail. “All at once, a sharp crack, like a pistol shot, burst his tooth to fragments, giving him instant relief,” the article said. In another case, a woman a few miles away suffered severe pain in a tooth that ended “by bursting with report, giving immediate relief,” the dentist wrote. In a third case, in 1855, a
But without other explanations, the mystery of the exploding teeth remains unsolved.
UNIQUE VALENTINE’S DAY IDEAS AROUND LOUISVILLE No Reservation? No Problem!
Romance is in the air, and you likely want to take your sweetheart somewhere special to celebrate the most romantic day of the year. If you don’t already have a reservation somewhere, you may think you’re out of luck and need to stay in for the holiday, but that’s not the case! Many great spots around Louisville are great for celebrating Valentine’s Day and shouldn’t require a reservation or appointment. Here are a few ideas to help make your Valentine’s even more special. Dinner and Drinks While a date night at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, Malone’s, or the Capital Grille sounds like a great idea, you won’t have much luck securing a table without a reservation. Thankfully, you can find plenty of other great restaurants around Louisville. This might be the perfect opportunity to try something new. RJ India, The Charcoal Restaurant, and Fiesta Time Amigos are some of our favorite options that shouldn’t be too busy on Valentine’s
Day. If you’re looking for something a little more low key and intimate, you should consider checking out Black Rabbit Speakeasy. Get Active Maybe you want to add more movement to your Valentine’s date — we have a couple of great suggestions that might interest you. You could visit Iceland Sports Complex or Alpine Ice Arena if you want to go ice skating with your date. If you want to avoid the ice and prefer roller skates, check out Champ’s Rollerdrome. Champ’s usually has a special event going on for Valentine’s Day. If you and your partner are golfers and have been missing the fairway since winter set in, head to TopGolf for a unique and fun golfing experience. Something You’ll Both Enjoy Louisville has all kinds of activities around town to make you and your date smile. You could visit the zoo if you don’t mind the cold weather. You could
head to Puttshack or Malibu Jack’s for some mini golf and arcade games. You could even pick up a favorite meal and enjoy a relaxing night at home. As long as you’re doing something you enjoy with one of your favorite people, you will never go wrong this Valentine’s Day!
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