Those of us in the dental field love everything to do with teeth, so it’s just natural that we have some fun teeth facts up our sleeves you may find entertaining. Besides, who doesn’t love a bit of trivia?
1. No Two Teeth Are the Same
Every single tooth in your mouth has its own unique characteristics, and all teeth differ from person to person. This is why dental records can be used to identify people the same way fingerprints are. Bonus Fun Fact: Your tongue print is also unique to you!
2. You Spend a Month Brushing Your Teeth
The average person spends a total of 38.5 days brushing their teeth over the course of a lifetime. Don’t forget to change your toothbrush!
3. Plaque is Made Up of Over 300 Different Types of Bacteria
And you definitely don’t want them hanging around, so brush twice a day to get rid of them and avoid tooth decay!
4. There Are More Than 700 Types of Bacteria in Your Mouth
But they aren’t all bad. There is a precarious balance of good and bad bacteria that live in your mouth, and you need to be careful that the bad doesn’t outweigh the good! When that happens, your teeth are in danger of cavities and tooth decay. It can also exasperate other health issues, such as heart disease!
5. Tooth Enamel is the Hardest Substance on the Human Body
Tooth enamel is made mostly of minerals and is harder than any bone in your body. However, it can still be damaged by metal, glass, or acidic foods and beverages! It is also the only part of the human body incapable of repairing itself (because it’s not living tissue).
6. One-Third of Each Tooth Lives Underneath the Gum Line
This is why oral health is so important. Keep those gums healthy and avoid tooth loss!
7. Floss is Very Strong
Floss is made from multiple strands of nylon, a synthetic compound that is a type of plastic. In 1994, Robert Shephard, an inmate of a South Carolina prison, used 48 strands of mint-flavored, waxed dental floss to braid a rope which he then used to escape. However, we recommend just using it to avoid gum disease and tooth decay.
8. A Tractor Trailer Truck of Saliva
Or…how about 20? That’s right. The average person produces enough saliva over the course of their lifetime to fill up 20 tractor-trailer trucks. It kind of makes you wonder why you ever get thirsty, doesn’t it?
9. Women Smile More Than Men
A woman smiles more than men, and they also hold that smile for a longer length of time. Scientists asked 1,862 people to watch video advertisements while recording themselves on a webcam. Using automated coding technology they discovered that women smiled 26% of the time as compared to just over 19.5% of men.
10. Right-Handed or Left-Handed?
Adults tend to chew their food depending on their dominant hand. Right-handed people would more likely chew on the right side of their mouth, and vice versa.
11. The Average Adult Has 32 Teeth
As your dentist knows, adults have an average of 32 teeth, but start out with only 20 milk teeth when they are kids. Giraffes also have 32 teeth, but a dolphin has upwards of 250. But the winner is probably the common garden snail, sporting over 14,000!
12. 10% of Americans Over the Age of 50 Have No Teeth
This is a rather unfortunate bit of trivia, and the numbers only get worse as you get older. A quarter of adults in the United States have lost all their teeth by the time they turn 75 years of age. On top of that, 47% of those over 30 have some form of periodontal disease, and upwards of 75% of children have active cavities at this very moment. Part of this may come from the fact that 25% of people only brush their teeth once a day.
Don’t be one of them! Go to the dentist, take advantage of their dental services. Schedule an appointment with us today! Keep your teeth healthy and smile with pride.
BONUS: HERE’S A DENTAL JOKE
What does a dentist call their x-rays?
A Tooth-Pic!
We hope you enjoyed our fun facts about teeth!
