06 Nov 4 Fun Teeth Facts
You probably recognize that your teeth affect your appearance and help you to chew properly, but there are many more fascinating facts about the teeth that you may not realize. Here are a few interesting points about your teeth.
- Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. Comprised of numerous layers of minerals, your enamel is even harder than your bone. This is valuable because it lets you chew all kinds of foods. Although enamel is very strong, it is not indestructible. Never use your teeth as tools, which can easily cause a tooth to break. Visit your dentist every six months to reduce the likelihood of cavities that can also weaken your enamel.
- Oral hygiene practices date back thousands of years. They may not have gone to the dentist every six months like modern humans do, but ancient civilizations still developed techniques for keeping their teeth clean. For example, the Egyptians created a concoction of ground eggshells and animal hooves to clean polish their teeth. The first toothbrush was invented by the 1700s.
- Each tooth is unique. Teeth are like snowflakes or fingerprints. No two are the same. Each tooth in your mouth is completely different from all of the others and different from anyone else’s teeth. Your teeth also hold a lot of information about you, serving as a record of your age, diet, environment and illnesses that you may have had.
- Up to 35 percent of the tooth’s surfaces can only be reached by flossing. Much of the surface area of your teeth is in areas that touch other teeth and can only be cleaned with dental floss. If you skip this important step in your oral hygiene routine, you may be giving oral bacteria the opportunity to accumulate and attack your teeth!
Want to learn more fun facts about your teeth or make sure that you’re doing everything possible to keep your smile healthy? Talk to our dentist at your semi-annual checkup and cleaning.