“Among the general public, dentists tend to have a Norman Rockwell appeal — solo practitioners who clean your teeth, tell your kids to cut down on the candy, and put their seal of approval on a range of minty toothpastes and mouthwashes. But lawmakers from Maine to Alaska see a different side of dentists and their lobby, the American Dental Association, describing a political force so unified, so relentless and so thoroughly woven into American communities that its clout rivals that of the gun lobby.” From WaPo: The unexpected political power of dentists. (Speak softly and carry a big pair of pliers…)

+ Stat: How George Washington’s teeth — from animals and maybe slaves — became an American legend.