A rotten tooth that once belonged to legendary musician John Lennon has been sold for £19,000 at an auction that took place in Stockport over the weekend. The Omega Auction House in Greater Manchester had listed the tooth’s reserve price at £10,000, apparently underestimating the demand for Beatles memorabilia from fans all over the world.

Canadian dentist Michael Zuk was the lucky winner of the decaying extracted molar, placing the winning bid by telephone in the final moments of the auction. 49-year-old Michael, from Alberta, described himself as ‘buzzing’ after winning the tooth, telling the BBC, ‘Once I heard it was up for sale, I had to have it. Some people will think it’s gross; other will be fascinated by it. Most people would say I was crazy, but I think it’s fantastic’.

Michael – whose credits include a book on celebrity teeth – said that he would be displaying the famous tooth in a glass case at his dental practice. Lennon’s tooth was originally passed on to his house keeper after it was removed during the sixties. Auctioneer, Paul Fairweather, described it as ‘the most weird and wonderful item’ they had ever had for sale at the auction house. He went on to say that the bidding was a tense affair, but the watching crowd gave a huge cheer when the gavel finally fell.

Mouth guards have been advised to help people avoid tooth injuries while playing sports.

People who take part in sports have been advised that fractured teeth and other oral health problems can be avoided.

The Hattiesburg American reported that Dr John Roberson, a board-certified oral surgeon who practices oral and maxillofacial surgery in Hattiesburg, has claimed wearing a mouth guard is the best way to avoid broken and lost teeth.

He argued that: “Mouth guards should be worn at all times during competition; in practice as well as in games.”

Elsewhere, individuals were recently advised that they could boost their oral health by ensuring they keep themselves well hydrated – something that those who take part in physical exercise will no doubt be aware of.

The Record reported that drinking lots of water not only helps people avoid dry mouth, but it also acts to wash away debris from food.