Dental care and hygiene have been evolving over the years- new treatments, a range of tooth-care products and dentistry as a booming profession.
Most of the talk about teeth is restricted to oral hygiene, but the human teeth have so many stories hidden inside the gums. Here are 10 fun facts you should absolutely know about your teeth!
10 Facts You Should Know About Your Teeth
1. Dentistry dates back to 500 BC
The Greeks made the first toothpaste using iron rust and coral powder, and tree twigs were used as toothbrushes.
2. No two human teeth are alike
Yes, add your ‘tooth-print’ next to your fingerprint. Even identical twins do not have the same teeth, and this is why dental records are used for the identification of bodies.
3. Your teeth are naturally slightly yellow.
Next time you buy that extra-whitening toothpaste, think twice.
4. Your teeth are like icebergs.
Only two-thirds of each of your tooth can be seen, as the remaining one-third is implanted in the gums.
5. Saliva is your best friend
Saliva does not help in just digestion but is the number one life of defense against germs. It is more important than your tooth-brush or floss.
6. You produce enough saliva in your lifetime to fill two swimming pools.
A whopping amount of around 23,600 liters!
7. Your enamel is the hardest part of your body
It is more difficult to fracture your tooth than your skull. Though both bones and enamel are made of calcium, enamel has special proteins that give it special powers.
8. Your teeth grow before you’re born
Unlike common belief, the teeth of babies don’t grow from birth to the time of teething (around 8 months). In fact, the teeth are formed in the womb itself and appear later.
9. Spit your toothpaste, don’t rinse
Doctors state that merely spitting the toothpaste is efficient as it allows some amount of fluoride to remain in your teeth. Fluoride is an extremely effective germ-killer.
10. Good teeth mean good health
Oral hygiene is considered an indicator of overall good health. Some research studies have shown that higher level of gum diseases also come with high levels of heart diseases and diabetes.
Read Also: The Most Astonishing Fact- A Snail has 14,000 Teeth?