Your dental health is important and should be taken seriously, but there is always time for a bit of fun too. These are some facts about teeth that you might not have known about. Knowing more about your teeth and how your lifestyle affects your oral health can help you take better care of your smile.
- Your teeth are as unique as your fingerprints. Even identical twins do not have identical teeth.
- Similar to an iceberg, about a third of your teeth are under your gum line. That is why you should be just as concerned about the health of your gums as you are about your teeth. Your gums should be firm and pink in colour.
- You have 32 teeth; eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars, and 12 molars.
- Enamel is the outer layer of your teeth, and it is the hardest part of your body. Its purpose is to protect your teeth, and it is made of phosphate and calcium, like your bones, but even stronger.
- Your mouth has more than 300 types of bacteria in it. The main offender of tooth decay is one called Streptococcus mutans, which turns sugar and other carbs into acid that eats away your teeth.
- Our salivary glands produce about 10,000 gallons of spit over your lifetime. It is essential for maintaining oral health by washing away food and starting the digestion process.
- The longest human tooth recorded came from the canine tooth of a man from India. It was 3.67 centimetres long, while the average tooth is about two centimetres.
- The reason wisdom teeth are called such is because of a mistranslation. It comes from the Dutch term verstandskiezen, which describes its position in the back of the mouth. The word was confused with the word for wise, which is verstand. In Korea, these teeth are called love teeth because they start to grow when people most often experience their first love.
- Coconuts can help reduce the risk of getting gum disease and developing cavities because of their antibacterial properties.
- Smokers are two to seven times more likely to get periodontal disease than people who do not smoke.
- People in the middle ages would kiss a donkey to relieve toothaches.
- Tooth decay is the second most common disease, only beat by the common cold.
- Replacing your toothbrush after getting sick prevents the potential of getting infected again.
- Teeth start forming before you are even born.
- The average person spends almost 40 days brushing their teeth throughout their lifetime.
At Forest Hill Family Dental, we believe it is important to educate our patients. Book an appointment with us today to be treated with the highest quality of care.