Scimyst
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Discoveries
    • All
    • 1001 Mysteries
    • Aliens & UFOs
    • Animal World
    • Archaeology
    • Biology
    • Doomsday
    • Famous Landmarks
    • History
    • Mars Exploration
    • Military Science
    • Oceanography
    • Science Q&A
    • Scientific Discoveries
    • Space Science
    • Why
    • World Figures
    • World Wonders
    thanh pho trang 650

    The Lost City of 500 Years Containing Flesh-Eating Parasites

    creating the worlds first plasma lamp not using a wire just throw it away 133669

    Creating the world’s most durable plasma lamp that doesn’t “take a break” after a few days of use

    which country suffers the most natural disasters in the world every year 136695

    Which country suffers the most natural disasters in the world, “experiencing” the most super typhoons each year?

    strange spc exoplanet

    10 Most Strange Things of the Universe

    thuan tay trai 650

    Left-Handed People and 16 “Shocking” Facts

    cham do ben khoe mieng 650

    The Secret of the Two Red Dots at the Corner of the Mouth of the Tang Dynasty Concubine

    tinh van con cua 650

    Revealing Unseen Images of the Crab Nebula through the James Webb Space Telescope

    cau hon o phap 650

    Banning Bathing, Forcing Tears, and Strange Wedding Customs Around the World

    isaac Newton1

    10 Famous Inventions of Isaac Newton

    Trending Tags

    • Events
      • All
      • Science Stories
      • Scientific Projects

      Tonight announces the Ig Nobel Prize winners

      frog

      Frog Wins Ig Nobel Prize 2005

      canhcutIg

      Life is Not Lacking in Quirks

      Nobel Prize in Medicine 2005: A Modern Fairy Tale

      10 Weird Inventions Awarded the Ig Nobel Prize 2005

      nobelKT

      Why Did They Win the Nobel Prize in Economics?

      giaydientu

      “Electronic Paper” Set to Appear on the Market

      Development of Science and Technology in the South Central Coast and Central Highlands Provinces

      a russian scientist loves vietnam 1659

      A Russian Scientist Who Loves Vietnam

    • Lifestyle
      • All
      • Environment
      • Medicine & Health
      tdnong

      Global warming may be the cause of major storms

      traxanh1

      Green tea has effects against dementia

      Discovery of Cancer-Preventing Genes in the Human Body

      Khachdulich Indonesia

      Avian influenza harms tourism more than terrorism

      nao

      Lying – A Disease of People with Brain Defects

      cafe

      Coffee May Prevent Cancer

      tebaocum

      Recreating the ‘Death’ Flu Virus of 1918

      Indo ban

      The whole world unites to fight avian influenza

      HIV aids

      The Mystery of AIDS Epidemic

      Trending Tags

      • Technology
        • All
        • AI - Artificial Intelligence
        • Computer Science
        • New Technology
        • Scientific Inventions
        top apps explore space solar system on pc 98000

        Top Applications for Exploring the Universe and Solar System on PC

        vai dien tu 650

        Soon there will be data-transmitting clothing

        sua loi khong vao dc coc coc 650

        Why can’t Cốc Cốc download videos to the computer?

        may tinh cu 1

        17 Things You Can Do with an Old Computer

        play free games super fun on android devices 54708

        Play Extremely Fun Free Games on Android Devices

        top 10 best weather apps on android 98127

        Top 10 Best Astronomy Apps on Android

        canh tay robot 650

        Robot system helps neutralize mines

        trang trai noi o rotterdam 650

        Modern Cities Combining Gardens and Cattle Farms

        city tree 650

        “High-tech” trees can purify polluted air

      • Cultural Heritage
        ai cap 650

        The Ruins of Memphis & the Pyramid Complex from Giza to Dahshur – Egypt

        khao co 650

        Prehistoric Archaeological Sites in the Dordogne Valley and Caves in the Vézère Valley – France

        baroque churches philippines 67188

        Baroque Churches – Philippines

        mont saint michel france 67265

        Mont Saint Michel Island – France

        acropolis bracelet in athens greece 67621

        Acropolis Fortress in Athens – Greece

        language mo tan thuy hoang china 67087

        Tomb of Qin Shi Huang – China

        historical city ayutthaya 67804

        Historical City of Ayutthaya

        historical city ayutthaya 67804 2

        Historic City of Ayutthaya

        mesa verde national park 67201

        Mesa Verde National Park – United States of America

        Trending Tags

        • Entertainment
          • All
          • Photo Library
          • Videos

          Honesty

          Telephone

          Advanced Technology

          Terminal Illness

          Allergy

          Love Like Mars

          Super Definition

          Coi Sách

          Selling Candy

        No Result
        View All Result
        Scimyst
        • Home
        • Discoveries
          • All
          • 1001 Mysteries
          • Aliens & UFOs
          • Animal World
          • Archaeology
          • Biology
          • Doomsday
          • Famous Landmarks
          • History
          • Mars Exploration
          • Military Science
          • Oceanography
          • Science Q&A
          • Scientific Discoveries
          • Space Science
          • Why
          • World Figures
          • World Wonders
          thanh pho trang 650

          The Lost City of 500 Years Containing Flesh-Eating Parasites

          creating the worlds first plasma lamp not using a wire just throw it away 133669

          Creating the world’s most durable plasma lamp that doesn’t “take a break” after a few days of use

          which country suffers the most natural disasters in the world every year 136695

          Which country suffers the most natural disasters in the world, “experiencing” the most super typhoons each year?

          strange spc exoplanet

          10 Most Strange Things of the Universe

          thuan tay trai 650

          Left-Handed People and 16 “Shocking” Facts

          cham do ben khoe mieng 650

          The Secret of the Two Red Dots at the Corner of the Mouth of the Tang Dynasty Concubine

          tinh van con cua 650

          Revealing Unseen Images of the Crab Nebula through the James Webb Space Telescope

          cau hon o phap 650

          Banning Bathing, Forcing Tears, and Strange Wedding Customs Around the World

          isaac Newton1

          10 Famous Inventions of Isaac Newton

          Trending Tags

          • Events
            • All
            • Science Stories
            • Scientific Projects

            Tonight announces the Ig Nobel Prize winners

            frog

            Frog Wins Ig Nobel Prize 2005

            canhcutIg

            Life is Not Lacking in Quirks

            Nobel Prize in Medicine 2005: A Modern Fairy Tale

            10 Weird Inventions Awarded the Ig Nobel Prize 2005

            nobelKT

            Why Did They Win the Nobel Prize in Economics?

            giaydientu

            “Electronic Paper” Set to Appear on the Market

            Development of Science and Technology in the South Central Coast and Central Highlands Provinces

            a russian scientist loves vietnam 1659

            A Russian Scientist Who Loves Vietnam

          • Lifestyle
            • All
            • Environment
            • Medicine & Health
            tdnong

            Global warming may be the cause of major storms

            traxanh1

            Green tea has effects against dementia

            Discovery of Cancer-Preventing Genes in the Human Body

            Khachdulich Indonesia

            Avian influenza harms tourism more than terrorism

            nao

            Lying – A Disease of People with Brain Defects

            cafe

            Coffee May Prevent Cancer

            tebaocum

            Recreating the ‘Death’ Flu Virus of 1918

            Indo ban

            The whole world unites to fight avian influenza

            HIV aids

            The Mystery of AIDS Epidemic

            Trending Tags

            • Technology
              • All
              • AI - Artificial Intelligence
              • Computer Science
              • New Technology
              • Scientific Inventions
              top apps explore space solar system on pc 98000

              Top Applications for Exploring the Universe and Solar System on PC

              vai dien tu 650

              Soon there will be data-transmitting clothing

              sua loi khong vao dc coc coc 650

              Why can’t Cốc Cốc download videos to the computer?

              may tinh cu 1

              17 Things You Can Do with an Old Computer

              play free games super fun on android devices 54708

              Play Extremely Fun Free Games on Android Devices

              top 10 best weather apps on android 98127

              Top 10 Best Astronomy Apps on Android

              canh tay robot 650

              Robot system helps neutralize mines

              trang trai noi o rotterdam 650

              Modern Cities Combining Gardens and Cattle Farms

              city tree 650

              “High-tech” trees can purify polluted air

            • Cultural Heritage
              ai cap 650

              The Ruins of Memphis & the Pyramid Complex from Giza to Dahshur – Egypt

              khao co 650

              Prehistoric Archaeological Sites in the Dordogne Valley and Caves in the Vézère Valley – France

              baroque churches philippines 67188

              Baroque Churches – Philippines

              mont saint michel france 67265

              Mont Saint Michel Island – France

              acropolis bracelet in athens greece 67621

              Acropolis Fortress in Athens – Greece

              language mo tan thuy hoang china 67087

              Tomb of Qin Shi Huang – China

              historical city ayutthaya 67804

              Historical City of Ayutthaya

              historical city ayutthaya 67804 2

              Historic City of Ayutthaya

              mesa verde national park 67201

              Mesa Verde National Park – United States of America

              Trending Tags

              • Entertainment
                • All
                • Photo Library
                • Videos

                Honesty

                Telephone

                Advanced Technology

                Terminal Illness

                Allergy

                Love Like Mars

                Super Definition

                Coi Sách

                Selling Candy

              No Result
              View All Result
              Scimyst
              No Result
              View All Result
              Home Lifestyle

              The Strange ‘Exploding Teeth’ Epidemic in the 19th Century

              by Sci
              March 20, 2023
              in Lifestyle
              0
              Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

              In the 1800s in America, many patients visited dentists with an unusual complaint – their teeth were exploding in their mouths.

              In 1817, a man from Mercer County, Pennsylvania, began experiencing the worst toothache of his life, nearly driving him to madness. “In agony, he ran back and forth in a desperate attempt to find relief. At times, he would bow his head to the ground like a crazed animal, other times he would thrust his head beneath the corner of the fence, and at times he would go to the stream and dip his head into the cold water. This frightened his family, who took him into a cabin and did their utmost to keep him calm.” Dentist W.H. Atkinson wrote in the Dental Cosmos magazine in 1860.

              Teachers and students at the Dental School in Paris in the late 1800s.
              Teachers and students at the Dental School in Paris in the late 1800s. (Photo: L. Tynaire).

              “However, it was all in vain. At 9 AM the next morning, as he was walking across the floor in pain, suddenly a sharp sound like a gunshot was heard, a tooth shattered into pieces, and he immediately felt relief. At that moment, he turned to his wife and said, ‘I’m no longer in pain.’ He went to bed and slept soundly the entire day and most of the next night. After that, he became alert and healthy,” Atkinson continued.

              The dentist also described two other cases in 1830 and 1855. Similar to the man from Mercer, they experienced increasing pain, followed by a sudden sharp pain, a tooth shattered, and the pain instantly subsided. In one instance, the tooth was noted to have broken into many pieces.

              These are not isolated reports from a single dentist. Numerous reports from other dentists indicate that this phenomenon, though strange, actually occurred.

              “Just before the explosion, the tooth was excruciatingly painful, disturbing the equilibrium of every part of her body to the extent that it caused her to occasionally act with a somewhat unusual mindset,” wrote dentist J. Phelps Hibler about a patient in 1874.

              “There were no other symptoms besides the severe pain beforehand; the first lower right molar suddenly exploded, nearly causing her to fall. The tooth was split directly from the side near the tongue to the side near the cheek, shattering and simultaneously causing discomfort along the Eustachian tube, ultimately leading to her prolonged deafness. The entire event transpired in an instant, and the tooth stopped hurting immediately,” Hibler stated.

              Improper filling techniques may be the cause of the exploding teeth phenomenon.
              Improper filling techniques may be the cause of the exploding teeth phenomenon. (Photo: Kauzio)

              As cases of exploding teeth disappeared around the 1920s, modern experts cannot study them directly. However, dentists have proposed several theories.

              One theory suggests that gas accumulation inside a decayed tooth could cause it to explode. While gas accumulation in a tooth can occur, for example, through incomplete root canals, it would not create enough pressure to cause a tooth to explode in the mouth as described.

              Andrea Sella, a professor of Inorganic Chemistry at University College London, offers a more plausible explanation. According to him, the phenomenon of exploding teeth may be due to old chemicals used for dental fillings. In the 1800s, various metals were used to fill cavities, from tin to lead, even though they were unsuitable. Using two different metals in a patient’s mouth could turn it into a sort of battery.

              “The mixture of metals in the mouth could trigger spontaneous electrolysis. The explanation I favor is that poor filling allowed some of the cavity to remain, which could lead to hydrogen accumulation in the tooth,” Sella explained to the BBC. Subsequently, the tooth could explode due to pressure or be ignited, for example, while smoking.

              Today, experts are still unclear on the exact cause, as there is no evidence that patients had previously filled teeth. Nevertheless, since the phenomenon of exploding teeth no longer occurs, it is likely that the cause stemmed from outdated dental methods.

              • Multiple fillings can lead to a terrifying outcome
              • Rare sighting of a giant whale with a deformity
              • Crocodile tossing and eating a giant python in front of onlookers
              Tags: causes of the phenomenon of tooth eruptiondental eruption diseasephenomenon of tooth eruptiontooth decaytooth eruption
              Next Post
              turkey disaster continues to hit cities just destroyed by earthquake and flooding roads are collapsed 126451

              Turkey's disaster is not over: Cities that just collapsed due to earthquakes are now flooded, roads are split in half

              crazy rain rose in china and the surprising truth 126452

              The chaos of heavy rain in China and the surprising truth

              design spacecraft powered by rocket engines at speed of 480 000km h 126453

              Design of a spacecraft propelled by a beam of projectiles at a speed of 480,000 km/h

              Leave a Reply Cancel reply

              Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

              FEATURED POST

              the mystery of the mummified woman misidentified as an egyptian pharaoh 129359

              The Mystery of the Mummy of the Woman Mistaken for the Pharaoh of Egypt

              space monsters in mythology first appearance 129358

              Cosmic Monster ‘in Legend’ Appears for the First Time

              the most dangerous coastline in the world haunting the dreams of mangrove forests 108247

              The world’s most dangerous strait – The haunting toll measured in sailors’ lives

              10 amazing natural phenomena that challenge science 60818

              23 Mysterious Natural Phenomena That Challenge Science

              TRENDING

              nguoi ai cap co dai 650
              Scientific Discoveries

              What Race Are the Egyptians Ultimately? Why Are They Different from Today’s Africans?

              the truth about the images stored in the eyes of the dead 130162
              Scientific Discoveries

              The Truth About the Images Stored in the Eyes of the Dead

              hot like this why europeans dont install air conditioners 121895
              Why

              If it’s so hot, why don’t people in Europe install air conditioning?

              explore xiaozhai tian keng the deepest pit in the world 134271
              Nature

              Exploring Xiaozhai Tiankeng – the deepest sinkhole in the world!

              EDITOR PICK'S

              What Race Are the Egyptians Ultimately? Why Are They Different from Today’s Africans?

              No Tunnels, No Supports: China Stuns the World with a Bridge that Floats like Silk on the River

              Records of the “Real” Dragons in History

              Why is the Earth’s core still hot after billions of years?

              17 Causes of Throat Tightness and Belching

              If it’s so hot, why don’t people in Europe install air conditioning?

              The Mystery of the Pompeii Worm – The Strange Creature That Even Lava Cannot Kill!

              Newsletter

              THE MOST IMPORTANT WORLD NEWS AND EVENTS OF THE DAY

              Subscribe to our mailing list to receives daily updates direct to your inbox!

              Category

              • 1001 Mysteries
              • AI – Artificial Intelligence
              • Aliens & UFOs
              • Animal World
              • Antibiotic Resistance
              • Archaeology
              • Bacteria & Insects
              • Biology
              • Biotechnology
              • Climate & Weather

              Site Link

              • Log in
              • Entries feed
              • Comments feed
              • WordPress.org

              About Us

              At Scimyst, we uncover the wonders of science, history, and culture. From ancient mysteries to modern innovations, our stories inspire curiosity and connect you to the fascinating world around us. Explore the unknown with us!

              • About
              • Advertise
              • Privacy & Policy
              • Contact

              © 2025 Scimyst - Your gateway to the wonders of science and culture

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Home
              • Discoveries
                • 1001 Mysteries
                • Aliens & UFOs
                • Animal World
                • Archaeology
                • Biology
                  • Bacteria & Insects
                  • Biotechnology
                  • Plants
                • Doomsday
                • Famous Landmarks
                • History
                  • This Day in History
                • Military Science
                • Mars Exploration
                • Oceanography
                • Science Q&A
                • Science Quiz
                • Scientific Discoveries
                • Space Science
                • Why
                • World Figures
                • World Wonders
                  • Cultural Heritage
                  • Vietnamese Heritage
              • Technology
                • AI – Artificial Intelligence
                • Computer Science
                • New Technology
                  • Self-Driving Cars
                • Scientific Inventions
              • Lifestyle
                • Cancer
                • Environment
                  • Climate & Weather
                  • Disasters
                  • Latest Storm Updates
                  • Nature
                  • Solutions
                • Medicine & Health
                  • Antibiotic Resistance
                  • Common Illnesses
                  • Dengue Fever
                  • Family Medicine Cabinet
                  • Food Safety
                  • Health
                  • Influenza Outbreak
                • Scientific Applications
              • Events
                • Science Events
                • Science Stories
                • Scientific Projects
              • Entertainment
                • Photo Library
                • Videos

              © 2025 Scimyst - Your gateway to the wonders of science and culture