Most of us take our teeth for granted on a day to day basis. We use them constantly for our enjoyment and survival without realizing just how wonderful and complex they are. We put so much effort into maintaining their health and well being without fully understanding why! Your teeth are the epicenter of your bodies overall health, and full of so much interesting and unique science. Below are 10 of the coolest facts about your teeth, which are sure to surprise you!
- Your Dominant Hand Will Generally Determine Which Side of Your Mouth You Chew On
There are likely some exceptions to this rule. Still, the vast majority of right handed individuals will chew on their right side, while left handed folks will chew on their left. Your dominant hand is a good indication of which side to focus on when brushing and flossing!
- Teeth Have Unique Prints, Just Like Fingers
While they are a lot harder to collect, teeth do indeed have prints that are unique to each person, and to each tooth!
- If Your Tooth is Knocked Out, It Begins Dying in as Little as 15 Minutes
Your teeth depend heavily on the root and nerve connections to your gums to receive nutrients and maintain their health. When that connection is severed, they have no way to maintain themselves.
- You Can Greatly Extend How Long a Knocked Out Tooth Survives by Placing it in Milk, or Keeping it in Your Mouth
We were always told that milk was good for our bones, and in the same way, it is also great for our teeth! The calcium and proteins in milk can protect and nourish your teeth, so well in fact, that they can keep them alive when no other nutrients are available. The saliva in your mouth also accomplishes a similar effect.
- You Will Spend About 38 Days Straight Brushing Your Teeth Over Your Entire Lifetime
Two minutes, morning and night, every single day, tends to add up over a lifetime. Thinking of it in these terms makes investing in a high-end toothbrush seem a lot less daunting.
- Daily Brushing Reduces Your Chance of Experiencing Tooth Decay by One Quarter
Brushing your teeth mechanically removes plaque, and its harmful associated bacteria, before it has the opportunity to chemically eat away at your tooth enamel.
- By Neglecting Floss, You Miss Cleaning Up to 40% of Your Tooth’s Surface
Flossing is not just empty nagging that your mother used to hound you with, it is a critical part of dental care. Flossing reaches the areas of your tooth surface where toothbrush bristles can’t go, which is nearly half of the entire tooth!
- A Third of Your Teeth are Hidden Under Your Gums
Gum health is just as important, if not more so, than the health of your visible tooth surfaces. Taking care of your gums means taking care of nearly 33% of your teeth.
- Your mouth harbors more than 7 billion bacteria at any given time
There are more bacteria in your mouth, good and bad, at any one time than there are people on planet Earth!
- Tooth Enamel is the Hardest Substance in Your Entire Body
Considering the daily abuse your teeth take, it is unsurprising that their enamel is one of the hardest and most enduring parts of the human body. Still, enamel is not invincible, and teeth must be pampered daily to keep the enamel strong and resistive.
