My BEST Dentists Journal

All Journal Entries
Share

Interesting Facts About Teeth

Teeth & Oral Hygiene Facts

Did You Know?

Just like a fingerprint, each tooth has an individual shape and size that is unique to each person. This is one reason that forensic dentists are sometimes called to the scene of crimes or disasters to help identify victims and perpetrators.

Tooth enamel is the hardest material in the human body! Although your enamel is incredibly durable, it can erode, crack, and chip. Be sure to use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently brush your teeth, to wear a nightguard if you grind your teeth, and to avoid jaw breakers, chewing ice, and opening packaging with your teeth.

If you brush your teeth for the recommended twice a day for two minutes each time, you’ll only spend a little over 1 day brushing your teeth each year. That’s a small amount of time to maintain a smile that is healthy and beautiful!

Although there are exceptions, right-handed people tend to prefer chewing on the right side of their mouths, while left-handed people tend to like chewing on the left side.

Animal Teeth Facts

Did You Know?

Giraffes have no front teeth on their upper jaw! They have a hard palate at the top jaw line with molars in the back.

While humans only have 28-32 adult teeth, certain species of snails can have over 25,000 teeth.

An elephant can grow six sets of molars in a lifetime. These teeth can weigh over 6 pounds each!

Some animals act like dentists and dental hygienists for their neighbors. For example, when a Nile crocodile waits with its mouth open, an Egyptian plover bird often stops for a snack by picking at and cleaning the crocodile’s teeth. After performing this service, the bird leaves unharmed.

Interesting Facts About Dental History

Did You know?

Early toothbrushes were made of twigs that our ancestors chewed on.

The first recorded “dentist”, named Hesi-Ra, lived in Egypt thousands of years ago.

Ancient Greeks used tooth powders made of unusual ingredients, like pumice and talc, to clean their teeth.

Though Emeline Roberts Jones began practicing at her husband’s dental practice in 1855 after teaching herself basic fillings and extractions, Lucy Beaman Hobbs became the first female dentist with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1866.

Tooth Enamel Can Never Be Replaced

Yes, you heard that right. Enamel, the hardest and most highly mineralized substance in your body that protects your teeth cannot be replaced if it is broken down. Enamel is the number one thing protecting your teeth from decay and plays a part in determining the colour of your teeth. Although many kinds of toothpaste claim they can “restore” your teeth, this is somewhat misleading. They do restore your teeth by removing harmful bacteria and plaque and strengthening existing enamel, but they do not replace enamel that has worn off.

Not Everyone Needs to Have Wisdom Teeth Removed

Everyone is well-acquainted with the idea that most people need to have their wisdom teeth removed once they start to emerge. Wisdom teeth can be a major problem for many people because the modern human jaw size is much smaller than it once was meaning there isn’t enough room for four new molars to come in during your late teens or early twenties. But this isn’t the case for everyone. Unlike most people, whose wisdom teeth come in crooked, damaging other teeth and causing a lot of pain, some people’s wisdom teeth grow in perfectly straight and they have no problems with them. If you’re concerned about whether you need to get your wisdom teeth removed on not, speak with an oral health specialist. They will take an x-ray and be able to see whether they’re coming in straight or not.

Oral Health is Linked to Your Overall Health

Unfortunately, oral health isn’t as much of a localized issue as we would like to believe and it’s amazing how much an oral health specialist can learn about your overall health just by inspecting your gums and teeth. If you have a poor diet that leads to cavities, gum disease, or tooth decay, you could be at a much higher risk for heart cardiovascular disease, strokes, and much more. Not to mention a poor diet often leads to diabetes or obesity which can make dental issues worse.

Your teeth are also very close to major arteries and your sinuses. If your teeth or gums get infected, this can easily spread to other parts of the body and even to the heart.

A Month of Our Lives Is Spent Brushing

If you brush your teeth once every morning and every night for a minute, you will have spent 852 hours or 35.5 days of your life brushing your teeth by the age of 70. That’s a lot of time! However, this doesn’t take into account the time it takes to floss which you should absolutely be doing.

Many People Have Missing Teeth

Many people are under the impression that tooth loss is something that only happens in old age. However, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Although in adults age 20 to 64, only about 3.75% of people have no remaining teeth, this number increases significantly with age. In adults between the age of 65 and 74, 30 percent of people are missing all their teeth.

(11/12/2021)
by Heritage Dental

More Information: https://heritagedentalkaty.com/interesting-teeth-facts/

Views: 387
Share


My BEST Dentists Journal Headlines