As we grow, it’s important to take good care of our teeth. We learn early on that we need to brush and floss and that we must be careful not to consume too much sugar, or we could cause damage to our teeth. Outside of brushing at least twice a day, we tend not to give our teeth much thought.
What can be unexpected is all the different fun facts about your teeth we bet you didn’t know!
Did you know that you are born with all your teeth already inside of your mouth?
We are all born with two sets of teeth, the deciduous and the primary, also known as your baby teeth and your permanent adult teeth. If you’ve ever seen an x-ray of a young kid, you’ve seen what we are talking about.
Another fun fact about your teeth is that you are uniquely you.
No one in the world has teeth exactly like yours. Even if you have a twin, your teeth can be strikingly different. Your teeth aren’t the only thing in your mouth that is like a fingerprint — even your tongue print is unique to you!
The hardest substance in the body is your tooth enamel.
That means that it is even stronger than your largest bones! Our teeth were made to withstand a lot of wear and tear. While your teeth are amazingly strong, you’ll still want to be careful when it comes to testing their strength. Don’t open any bottle caps with those teeth!
Did you know that each year, North American kids spend nearly 500,000 dollars on chewing gum?
That’s a lot of gum!
Believe it or not, this fun fact dates all the way back to the era of ancient Egyptians.
Archaeological evidence shows that the ancient Egyptians had advanced dental knowledge, and they even performed oral surgery. We’ve also seen evidence of the ancient Greeks’ use of toothpaste and toothbrushes that were made with twigs and roots.
Human teeth aren’t the only teeth that hold some fun facts.
Dogs have 42 teeth, cats have 30, and an armadillo has 104! That is a lot of teeth but doesn’t compare to the average snail. Those teeny tiny snails can have over 25,000 teeth! Can you imagine trying to brush those?
Teeth Are Important!
Teeth are an important tool that we use every day without even thinking about it. We need them to maintain a certain quality of life. While that is some serious business, it’s fun to take a step back and learn something new about our teeth.
We appreciate you being a part of our dental family and look forward to catching up with you at your next visit.