Shocking Teeth Tips

Shocking Facts About Teeth

Your teeth are probably something you don’t think about very often. That is until they start causing discomfort, pain, or you have an upcoming dentist or orthodontist appointment. But, teeth are actually pretty interesting in addition to being so helpful and necessary for our daily lives. We have compiled a list of the most shocking facts about teeth.

Facts about teeth

• Teeth are extremely strong. Teeth are made from enamel, which you likely already knew. But, did you know that enamel is the hardest material in the human body? Enamel is even stronger than our bones and has the highest percentage of minerals out of any other body part. Teeth need to be durable because the human body is not able to heal or regrow teeth. This is why proper dental care is essential, including brushing, flossing, regular checkups, and even calcium supplements, to make our teeth as healthy and strong as possible.
• Yellow teeth don’t necessarily signify stains or improper brushing. Our teeth are actually yellow underneath the enamel, so when the enamel wears away, teeth start to have a yellow tint. The more your enamel wears, the more yellow your teeth will appear. However, teeth can still become stained, especially from the consumption of coffee, wine, soda, and cigarettes. Proper dental hygiene will prevent both staining and the enamel from wearing away. 
• Our teeth are as unique as our fingerprints. You’ve likely heard of bodies being identified by their dental records. This is because teeth are as unique, if not more unique, as fingerprints. That’s because no two sets of teeth are arranged in the same way, even after braces or other dental work. 
• Eat more cheese for optimal teeth protection. Here’s something we can get behind. Cheese creates a layer of the top of the teeth, protecting them from being damaged by acid and/or plaque. As you likely already know, cheese is full of calcium and phosphate, which help to strengthen the teeth from the inside. But wait, there’s more. Cheese also balanced the pH levels of the mouth. This helps create saliva that is less acidic, resulting in fewer cavities. If you want to up your teeth strength, add more cheese to your diet. 
• Braces have a storied history. Braces seem like a relatively modern innovation, but they’ve actually been around for centuries. Archaeologists have even discovered that Egyptian mummies wearing a simple version of what appeared to be braces, made out of animal intestines— and we’ve never been more thankful for modern science! The first documented braces were invented by Pierre Fauchard back in 1728. Back in the day, the braces were made out of flat pieces of metal that had to be tied to the teeth using string. 
• Speaking of Ancient Egypt, people also used toothbrushes in that time period. Not the toothbrushes of today, of course. Egyptians used small twigs or their fingers as a way to clean their teeth. As far as toothpaste goes, that’s a modern invention. Last century, most people used chalk, lemon juice, and even tobacco to clean their teeth. 
• Tooth decay is the number one chronic disease in today’s children, according to the CDC. Tooth decay is five times more common than asthma and fevers in children. When tooth decay is left untreated, it can cause some serious issues, including malnourishment, trouble speaking, learning problems, and much more severe health issues like gum disease.
• Sugar creates acid. When you consume sugary drinks and food, the sugar reacts with bacteria in the mouth and produces an acid that erodes the teeth. If you drink soda frequently, you are constantly exposing your teeth to the damaging acids. In order to keep teeth healthy, consider rinsing your mouth (or your child’s) with water after you eat candy or drink a sugary drink or soda. When you do this, you will remove the acid without causing further damage to your teeth. Don’t brush your teeth right away, though. Brushing the teeth right after eating sugar can cause more harm than good because the acid puts the teeth into a fragile state.
• Teeth are not bones. We already discussed how strong and hard bones are and they are even stronger than bones, but a lot of people are under the perception that teeth are bones. Remember, bones will heal themselves, but teeth will never heal themselves or regrow, no matter how long you wait. That’s why proper dental care is so essential.
• Tooth plaque is made up of more than 300 species of bacteria. When you add up all of the bacteria, it’s more bacteria in the mouth than there are people walking this earth!
• On average, people spend 39 days of their life brushing their teeth. 
• We are only able to see 1/3 of our teeth. The other 2/3 is hidden underneath the gums.
• Are you thinking of skipping flossing? Think again. By not flossing, you are missing out on cleaning about 35 percent of your tooth’s surface.
• If that didn’t convince you to floss, this one will. Flossing your teeth can extend your life expectancy as much as six years because flossing reduces your risk of infectious diseases and can even prevent heart attacks. In fact, 90 percent of system diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, are connected to oral health. But still, studies have shown that 73 percent of Americans would rather go grocery shopping than floss their teeth.
• Tooth decay is the second most common disease, after the common cold. 
• 50 percent of people say they notice a person’s smile before anything else. 
• Humans are born with teeth. Of course, most of the time the teeth have not grown in yet but they are there, just hiding in the gums. These teeth grow in when a child starts teething.

Dr. Hunter Harrison Knows Teeth

While these shocking teeth tips were interesting and even funny, it’s easy to see that proper dental hygiene is no joke. The simple act of brushing, flossing, and regular dental checkups can prevent many more serious problems down the road. Contact us today to schedule your next dental appointment. We are looking forward to hearing from you!