Teeth are some of the most fascinating body parts. They serve multiple purposes to help us get by on our day-to-day lives. Nevertheless, there are more uses of our teeth other than the usual biting, chewing, and talking.
Here are 10 important things you probably never knew about your teeth.
1. Your teeth started forming before you were born:
It’s been scientifically proven that the food and drinks your mom takes during the period of pregnancy can affect how your teeth form. Moreover, your adult teeth, the ones that start growing permanently by the time you turn 16 or 17 started forming while you were still an embryo in your mother’s womb. Fascinating, right?
2. Teeth are armored:
When I say armored, I don’t mean bulletproof armored, no. Your teeth are the strongest part of your body. They are even stronger than bones. Teeth are made up mostly of enamel, the strongest tissue on the human body consisting of 96% of minerals.
3. Teeth are unique:
Teeth are just like fingerprints, they are unique to you. If you are familiar with archaeology, you probably know that scientists often use teeth to identify human remains. Every person has unique teeth prints.
4. Most of your teeth are buried inside your gums:
Do you know why icebergs are so strong? It’s because most of the iceberg is submerged in water. Your teeth are submerged in your gums just like icebergs. Almost 1/3 of each tooth is inside your gums and not outside. What this implies is you should take good care of your gums just as you care for your teeth.
5. There are 32 teeth inside your mouth:
You probably knew this. What you didn’t know is that your teeth are symmetrically arranged, talk about OCD. In your mouth, there are four canine teeth, eight incisors, four canine teeth, eight premolars, and twelve molars.
6. Yellow is not the natural color of teeth:
Contrary to popular belief that yellow is the natural color of teeth; your enamel is actually white. When teeth start yellowing, your enamel would be decaying indicating you should visit a dentist.
7. Your mouth is a harbor for bacteria:
It is estimated that there are 300 different species of bacteria in your mouth at any given moment. Your mouth is a harbor for all sorts of bacteria that live inside the plaque in your mouth.
8. Your teeth grow in stages:
There are three stages of teeth growth. Firstly, your teeth from under the gum. Afterward, they form the crown and lastly the root of the teeth develop anchoring your teeth to your jaw.
9. You make a lot of spit than you know:
Over a lifetime, your mouth will make about 10000 gallons of spit, which translate to a quart a day. The saliva is not ideally bad though. It is the reason why you are not left with a sore throat after swallowing your food.
10. Your enamel is not as strong as it seems:
Your enamel can be vulnerable, which is why your teeth will sometimes break on impact. Your enamel is not a substitute for great teeth care. You have to care for your teeth and be extra cautious and careful.
Therefore, if you didn’t know a lot about your teeth, we hope this article has given you some key insights on your teeth.