Counting teeth

Young lady to father "Daddy, when I grow up shall I become a heart-doctor or a tooth-doctor " "Dentist" "Why father ?" "We have only one heart, but many teeth!“

The number of teeth in an animals jaw depends on its life history. Most placental mammals are happy with between 20 and 40, while most marsupials have 30 to 50.

As a general rule animals that feed on insects have more teeth than either herbivores or the larger carnivores. There are some funny exceptions though.

Several groups of mammals have given up on teeth completely and have none.

On land the mammal with the most teeth is the Giant Armadillo Priodontes giganteus order Edentata, which can as many 100 teeth in its jaws.

In the oceans the real master of teeth comes from the order Odontoceti. The Long-snouted Spinner Dolphin can have as many as 252 teeth in its long thin jaws. These teeth are more like reptile teeth in that they are all the same basic shape, thin sharp little spears. This makes them good for catching and holding the slippery little fishes that dolphins live on.

252 teeth....
Dentaprime's Dr Schindjalova to next patient in waiting room: "I'm very sorry but you will have to wait for another 100 hours."

Water is the best of all things (Pindar, 438 B.C.)

This is the -world famous in The Netherlands- Pier in Scheveningen.

The water of the North Sea, of course, is not fluoridated. It is more oilidated and toxicidated...

Like amalgam, fluoridation has always been under discussion. If you Google for information, you will find so many pros and conts that your enamel will spontaneously take a hike.

Fluoride is added to drinking water and milk to reduce tooth decay. It is said to strengthen the tooth enamel. About 20 years ago, the world's first large-scale milk fluoridation project was established in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv. After evaluation of the results, Varna followed. Milk fluoridation now includes over 31,000 children, aged 3 - 7. The World Health Organization
keeps track of the results of this project.

However....
- Fluoride toothpastes should do the same job and they give people a choice
- Many people are allergic to fluoride
- It can lead to Osteoporosis, tooth discolouration and other health problems

Fluoride -- yeah, it gets your teeth white, but it seeps up through your gums into your brain, gives you a nervous disorder. Still gets your teeth white, but you can't get the brush to your mouth anymore.

(Gary Lazer, Comedy Central)

You better fix it dear Henry, dear Henry....

Full traditional dentures are like rolling stones: they tend to move around (and sometimes they make your lips look like Mick Jagger's.)


Dentures should be held in place by their natural suction to your gums and, at first, they will. After some time, however, they come loose and this is where many people's nightmare starts: always afraid that their teeth will stick with the apple instead of the gum and never leaving home without their 'extra strong' fixative.

Dentures on implants are much less adventurous. Just like the above stones (cemented to the street), they stay put.

Nowadays, dentures can be fixed securely in place by dental implants. If you would like to know what an implantation looks like, you can find some videos on http://www.youtube.com/. Just search for 'dental implant' and you can enjoy some fine surgery.

Man: 'Darling, your teeth remind me of the stars'
Woman: 'Because they gleam and sparkle'
Man: 'No, because they come out at night!'

Be true to your teeth, or they will be false to you...

I live in a nice house in a nice small town in a nice country called Holland. We don't have deserts here, but we do have cacti. You can buy them in every flower shop. (The hard part always is taking them home.)

In the beginning, some friends still gave us a small plant for our birthdays, but soon they stopped doing that. Without exception, returning to our home a few months later meant that the begonia or cactus had disappeared into the garbage bin. Cacti don't need much water, but they do need some....

In a way, it's the same with dental implants. They should be maintained. In fact, there is no difference between natural teeth and implants, which means: brushing, flossing and going to the dentist. If you already know that this will be a problem, dental implants are not the solution for your dental problem.

If you smoke, just stop (and don't start again.) Smoking is bad for teeth, bad for the jawbone and bad for dental implants. In fact, as a smoker, you will be excluded from guarantee....

God made the cat so that man might have the pleasure of caressing the tiger

" People are funny. Just a few moments ago, I heard some of them sing:

"That's right that's right that's right that's right. I really love your tiger light."

Now what the .... is a tiger light?

I'm getting old. My teeth are not ok. I have odontohyperesthesia and my craniomandibular border characteristics are way under average. If you need some antigen-extracted autolysed allogenic bone, I can still deliver, though!"

If you visit a dentist, you don't want him/her to use strange words. You want to understand, so that you can make a decision. Unfortunately, many dentists still seem to disagree with that.

As a patient, you pay for the treatment and so you are entitled to all information. If we advise an extraction, we will tell you why the tooth cannot be saved. If we advise root canal treatment and a crown, we will tell you why the tooth will not be extracted.

"That's neat that's neat that's neat that's neat."
(I really love your tiger feet)

A kat is not a cat (well... in Dutch it is)

"What was the question? Do I have teeth? Do I have teeth? Of course I do!

When I am on guard duty, babysitting or foraging food for the group, I sometimes need those shiners... We, meerkats, are very social animal beings but we hate intruders. If, let's say, a big fat ugly scorpion attacks me, I show my big, bare, carnivore teeth. The scorp will try to sting, but it will not help him: just like my brothers and sisters, I am immune!

You can adopt me but you cannot take me home with you. I do not make a good pet because I enjoy digging (e.g. in a brandnew couch) and cannot be made housebroken. I hate cats, dogs, birds, guinea-pigs, fish and other pets. In fact, I'll bite them.

I'll bite you too.

My sisters probably bit a guy called Stuart. Stuart placed this classified:
2 Female Meerkats possibly for sale due to time waster. 14 weeks old. £500 ea or £950 for the two, collection only, new homes needed a.s.a.p. Thanks Stuart.

Please come and visit me at the zoo, where I can observe you.

You will not find me at Varna Zoo near Dentaprime, though. I don't like being amongst lizzzzzzzardssssss, grassssssssssssss-sssssssssssssssnakessssssssssssss, tarantulasssssssssssssss, ssssssssssssssssscorpionssssssssssssss and chameleonssssssssssssss!"

Prowling his own quiet backyard or asleep by the fire, he is still only a whisker away from the wilds (Jean Burden)

After our cat has eaten her Whiskas, she lets herself out for a desert.

In our garden, we frequently find (parts of) mice, frogs, little baby birds and big papa or mama birds.

"You have the right to remain silence but everything you meow can be used against you", we tell our cat. She merely looks at us in this half-sad, half-accusing way and tells us there is no reason why we should not appreciate her little gesture.

Well, we don't!

We have accepted finding hairs and whiskers, but will not start collecting them, even though this seems to be a very common way of life. Collector Steve Miller claims that you will be able to sight the whiskers from across a large room. A careful watch while cleaning can save up to a dozen cat whiskers for the collecting jar.

Looking for the best dental clinic in Europe?

Finding Dentaprime is finding the cat's whiskers!

My sweet em-brace-able you

A SCHOOLGIRL (15) who fell off a pogo stick while skipping in her school gym has been awarded €30,000 damages. Her lawyer told the Court she was a member of a school team whose speciality was skipping over a rope - on pogo sticks. He said the girl fell in the gym in October 2003 and had lost part of one of her incisor teeth and had loosened several others.
The school had made a settlement offer of €30,000, which included a sum of just over €18,000 special damages for past and ongoing dental and orthodontic treatments to realign her teeth. The judge approved the settlement and directed an immediate pay-out of almost €11,000 towards urgent orthodontic treatment.

The way that our teeth bite together is called the occlusion, and people who have crooked or crowded teeth have a malocclusion. The branch of dentistry that specialises in aligning teeth is called orthodontics. Orthodontic treatment usually involves wearing an appliance (brace). This puts gentle pressure on specific teeth to move them into the right place. At the initial appointment, your orthodontist will do a very detailed dental examination. If you have any decayed teeth, these will need to be treated by your family dentist before orthodontic treatment starts.

Although private dentistry prices in Ireland and the UK are sky-high, one should not go to Dentaprime for orthodontic treatment. Braces should be adjusted every 4 to 6 weeks.

Absolutely fabulous!

I am a HUGE Jennifer Saunders fan.

My collection holds photographs, articles, books, video tapes from the Comic Strip, Girls on Top, French & Saunders and AbFab, DVD's (Muppet Treasure Island, in which she stars for a few moments. Shrek 2, for the voice and the songs.) I also collect Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French and Joanna Lumley, just because they work with her or are married to her.

Jennifer (funny, how fans always call their idols by their first names)...
No, JEN can sooooooooo many things that I cannot: act, sing, write wonderful comedies etc. etc. etc. I can admire that in an almost childish way.

I also admire our dental technicians, who can make wonderful bridges, crowns and dentures. Each appliance produced must fit the patient perfectly and, given that it may be designed to improve the patient's appearance, speech or ability to chew, absolute precision is essential.

Some dental technicians produce a range of appliances, while others choose to specialise in just one type.The materials include gold, porcelain and plastic, and technicians employ techniques such as casting, carving, moulding, grinding and polishing.

Never looked a gift horse in the mouth

You may not like what you see....

Horses have two sets of teeth during their life. They are born with baby teeth, which are gradually replaced by permanent teeth.

A grazing horse spends 12 - 14 hours of his day tearing and grinding grass. His teeth are 'designed' to do so -the enamel is extremely hard-, but regular dental care is necessary.

Many vets are used to treating horses for dental problems. They may, however, look surprised at the dog or cat owner who visits the practice because he or she wants a dental crown for her her pet. In Holland, several vets have specialized and make a living by driving from practice to practice, offering dental care for all sorts of pets.

Unfortunately, dogs will be dogs and chewing on a branch (preferably at least twice their size) will inevitably lead to the breaking of the crowns.

Do not worry: if you have a crown, it will probably last for 10-15 years.


(If you would like to explore the Varna region on horseback, please ask our receptionists for more information.)

We're going to the chapel and we're gonna get married....

In the Dutch Province of Limburg, you find small roadside chapels everywhere.

In the 18th century, when most of Europe was dumping superstition, Limburg was terrorised by flying devil worshippers. They robbed churches and met in caves or isolated chapels. They were called Bokkenrijders, in English 'Goat Riders'.


Chapels, of course, should be used for weddings.

Quite a few people want to have their teeth done because they have wedding plans. They do not feel comfortable smiling because their teeth are discoloured, damaged or missing.

These people often have two additional problems: time off from work (they have planned a wedding trip) and fear of dentists. We already offer very tight treatment schedules and really cannot do more dental work in less time.

We can help you with the fear, though. Just start off with talking or writing to me. I have worked for a 24/7 helpline for many years and know about anxieties and phobias.

Mother Nature

Last night, I watched the third episode of Rosemary & Thyme. I had bought the DVD-box because I simply l-o-v-e Felicity Kendall. I knew her from The Good Life. Fortunately (for me), many British series are broadcasted in The Netherlands. Especially sitcoms are very popular. I still like the old ones: The Young Ones, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Man about the house, Dad's Army...

The episode I watched was called The Language of Flowers and although I like the series very much, I must admit all those plant, tree and flower names sometimes are too much. I lived together with a gardener for 11 years, and was seldom able to enjoy a beautiful scene without being bombed with details.

Ah yes, that is a .... (Latin name), or .... (Dutch name). It comes in .... and .... and .... (all possible colours) and needs much/little water. It should/should not be there in the sun.
etc. etc. etc.

I like to watch nature at its best without receiving much information.



OK, so there is a boat in that lake. But I only want to see its shape, do not need to know its type.

Beautiful teeth are nice to look at. You do not have to tell your friends that you went to Dentaprime. On second thought... please do. I am sure we can help them too!

Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake. Stepped on the gas instead of the brake.

Cemetaries are not my 'piece of cake'. I find them unpleasant, especially the area where the children are buried. When I 'bumped into' this photo, however, I couldn't help l-o-v-i-n-g it.
Perhaps it's just my dark side, because it is also a bit spooky, scary even.

Talking about fear, many people don't want to go near a dental practice unless their teeth are killing them.

That's the bottleneck: if your feet are killing you, you just kick off your shoes and relax. If your teeth are killing you, however, -most of the times-, you cannot take them out. In the end, you are forced to go to that mumbling, rude, arrogant man or woman who will first call you names because you didn't brush and floss well enough, and then pull the tooth and say "See you soon!"

There is another option, though. You can come to our clinic, preferably before the pain gets unbearable, and instead of yelling at you, we will ask, listen and explain. There is a solution for nearly every dental problem and most people are amazed by the results.


A couple have not been getting along for years, so the husband thinks, “I’ll buy my wife a cemetary plot for her birthday.” Well, you can imagine her disappointment. The next year, her birthday rolls around again and he doesn’t get her anything. She says, “Why didn’t you get me a birthday present?” He says, “You didn’t use what I got you last year!”

Change is constant in a progressive country (Benjamin Disraeli)

I live in Holland, a country well known for its tulips, windmills and wooden shoes. (OK OK.... and its soft drugs.)

Less well known, but just as annoying as a bunch of 2-days old tulips hanging around on your table, is the lack of space in the area of and near The Hague, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Utrecht. It looks like all available space must be occupied by small, noisy houses, bigger shops and even bigger offices.

Little Green, little Peace.

In the province of Limburg (near the German border), thank God, things are different.
I now live in a 5-room house with garage. In front of the house, there is a big, green playground for kids and on a 5 minutes walk a lovely park.


No windmills, no wooden shoes and we all prefer roses to tulips. One day you must go there to see for yourself.

Only very few people know that the First Bulgarian Empire covered most of the Balkans, and spread its alphabet, literature and culture among Eastern Europeans. Centuries later, the country suffered under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries.

In 1878, Bulgaria became a constitutional monarchy again.
Everybody should know that after World War II Bulgaria became a communist state and part of the Eastern Bloc. In 1989 the Wall fell and in 1990, the Communist party gave up its monopoly on power. Bulgaria became a democracy and the market was freed. In 2004 it joined NATO and 3 years later the European Union.

Bulgaria has a population of approximately 7 million.
After a decade, Bulgaria's income from international tourism has grown. It attracts close to 7 million visitors yearly.
Wait a minute.... 7 Million....
Was not that also the country's population?

Bulgaria has changed. One day you must go there to see for yourself.

Proud Mary

Every two months, our poodle visits his hairdresser. When he is back home, all washed, combed and powdered, he is as proud as a peacock and so am I. (I do not like bold peacocks, so I ask for a conservative instead of a Crufts haircut.)



Professor Nigel Pitts and Dr Chris Longbottom at Dundee and Professor John Girkin and Dr Simon Poland at Strathclyde also have every reason to be proud. They have developed a new technology, which will probably replace x-rays in dentistry.

In 2008, the Infrared Imaging system won the Dental and Health Innovations Award, the Best Diagnostic in Dental and Oral Health Award, and the NHS Technology Innovation Award.

The prototype consists of a miniature camera and tiny mirrors. It takes away the risks associated that are linked to X-rays. The system works by using infrared light to produce images of teeth, bones and gums. After further development, it may have wider applications, e.g. measuring bone density.

In the meantime, Dentaprime's 3D scan equipment is simply the best (very reliable and less radiation than a CT-scan).