Healthy teeth are very crucial for our overall health. The reason is they help us to smile and speak and bite as well as chew the food that we need to sustain ourselves. Now, it has become extremely important to understand the different types of teeth that you have throughout your life. Luckily, dental care has become so advanced that now we have got many different tools at our disposal to help us take care of our teeth. It is a fact that we rely on our teeth daily to help us eat and knowing a little more about them and how our behaviors affect our dental health can help us take better care, and keep us smiling long into the future. This article tends to highlight the things that you do not know about your teeth. Read the article till the end as it will be very useful for you in the long run.
1- Your teeth’s best friend is not your toothbrush
This is the most interesting fact that you do not know about your teeth. Always remember that your teeth’s best friend is not your toothbrush. Although a toothbrush and a strand of floss do wonder for your teeth and you should use both but they are not your teeth’s best friend. This is because your teeth’s first line of defense against what you put in your mouth is something that is already there and that is called “Saliva”. Saliva is your teeth’s best friend and it is nature’s disinfecting cavity fighter!
There are bacteria in your mouth that feeds on sugars from food and drinks. This bacteria is known as plaque that usually sticks to your teeth and produces the acids that eat through the enamel on your teeth. This ultimately causes tooth decay. At this step, your teeth’s trusty old friend, saliva, helps to rinse out your mouth and neutralize that process.
2- Dentin grows but enamel does not
Dentin is the layer that is usually present beneath the enamel. It is also harder than your bones. This layer is made up of small channels and the passageways that transmit the nerve signals and nutrition through the tooth. Dentin has three types such as primary, secondary, and reparative. But on the other hand, enamel is basically static, dentin continues to grow and change throughout your life but enamel does not.
3- You have 32 teeth
You have a total of 32 teeth. If we count from your front teeth to the back of your mouth, you have eight incisors (your front teeth), four canine teeth, eight premolars as well as 12 molars. And the total becomes 32.
4- The enamel of your teeth is the hardest substance of the body
The third interesting fact about your teeth is that the enamel of your teeth is the hardest substance of your body. Every tooth is covered with a protective layer. This layer is called enamel. You need to brush your teeth thoroughly to protect this layer.
5- Enamel can be damaged
As we already discussed, enamel is a layer that protects your teeth. But we cannot deny the fact that the enamel can be cracked and it is not safe from decay. Sugars and acids found in soft drinks usually interact with bacteria in your mouth. As a result, they attack your enamel, which is the start of tooth decay.
6- Saliva is important
Saliva plays a major role in your overall health as it makes food easier to swallow. Moreover, saliva can also neutralize the acids in plaque that cause damage and decay.
7- Your mouth contains many different types of bacteria
Plaque is a white and sticky material that is constantly growing. In fact, it contains millions of bacteria that are made up of 200 to 300 different species. These bacteria convert sugar and other carbohydrates into the acids which eat away at your teeth and cause tooth decay.
8- Teeth can tell stories about you
Your teeth can tell stories about you. Our teeth function as a business card as they can indicate social status, hygiene habits as well as health conditions. For example, we associate a pearl white smile with wealth, health, and care. Well, our teeth indicate even more information about us such as age, gender or personality. They also expose our certain personality traits and also impact our overall impression. Your teeth, their size, shape, and position, are all as unique as a fingerprint. It is commonly said that every person’s bite is different, which means that you should never compare your smile to someone else’s. Because your teeth are your own and they always make you special.
9- Cleaning between your teeth is very important
Cleaning between our teeth is very important because when we brush, we are able to easily reach the tops and sides of our teeth. But this is a fact that the surfaces between our teeth need proper cleaning too. Therefore, it is very important to clean between your teeth regularly to remove food and bacteria as well as promote healthy gums. Keep in mind that your teeth are already amazing.
10- The blueprint for your teeth is present the day when you were born
This is, in fact, the most interesting thing that people usually do not know about their teeth. According to the recent studies, when babies arrive, the crowns of their first 20 teeth are already in place under the gums. These crowns wait for the right time to break through. The crowns and roots continue to form under those baby teeth.
To sum up:
All the above mentioned “tooth truths” can help you to believe that your teeth are really remarkable. In short, the first thing that many people notice is our smile and our teeth arguably is our smile’s most defining characteristic. In fact, like fingerprints, our teeth are so unique that they can provide valuable information about the person behind that dazzling smile.
