Your teeth are some of the most interesting parts of the human body. Really! Ask any dentist near Manahawkin and they’ll agree (though admittedly, they may be biased). If you don’t believe us, just take a look at these amazing facts:
- This is a good reason to fight plaque: plaque can be home to up to 300 different types of bacteria!
- Gold crowns are not new. The ancient Romans used them to restore cavity ravaged teeth!
Women smile on average 62 times per day, but men smile only 8 times a day.
- The ancient Romans made toothpaste from honey and crushed eggshells.
- The most common disease in America is the common cold, followed closely by none other than tooth decay!
- Your Barnegat dental office recommends brushing your teeth for two minutes, but the average person does it for just 48 seconds.
- It’s best not to cap your toothbrush, because that can help spark even more bacterial growth than usual. It needs open air!
- When you eat matters. Eating sugary foods after a meal reduces the risk of cavities, believe it or not!
- A prison inmate in West Virginia once used dental floss to scale a wall and escape.
- Elephant teeth can measure a foot across and weight six pounds.
- The hardest substance in your body is your tooth enamel!
- A knocked out tooth will start to die in 15 minutes. To help it last longer, put it in milk or hold it in your mouth.
- About 3 out of 4 Americans have Periodontal gum disease to one degree or another. That’s why we need dentists!
- Crocodiles have it easier then you do, thanks to a species of bird called the crocodile bird. This bird flies into the open mouths of those big lizards and cleans their teeth for them!
- Dentists want you to floss because if you skip flossing, you miss about 40% of your teeth surface!
- A single can of soda can contain 12 teaspoons of sugar, which is as much sugar as six to twelve cups of coffee!
- The first bristled toothbrush was made in China way back in the late 1400s, and was made of hog, horse and badger hair.
- You’ll spend just over 38 days brushing your teeth over the course of your life – and your Manahawkin dentist thanks you for it!
- Egyptian mummies have been discovered with dental fillings! Talk about early surgery!
- The biggest choking hazard in the U.S. is the toothpick. It’s true! More people choke on toothpicks annually than they do food.
- Your dental records are important because just like your fingerprints, your teeth totally unique to you.
- The idea that George Washington had wooden dentures is a myth. They were actually made from ivory, metals, and animal teeth.
- A snail’s mouth contains over 25,000 teeth!
- Giraffes only have bottom teeth; do not have upper teeth!
- Sports injuries account for upwards of 5 million teeth getting knocked out each year!
We hope you enjoyed these crazy facts about teeth! We’ll be sure to share more with you in future articles, so check back and enjoy!