Smiling is one of the major positive symptoms of strong dental health. If you look after your teeth, the results will show in your smile. This then transcends into having the ability to smile confidently, which is the first thing people notice about you.
Taking care of your teeth and gums is a daily lifestyle routine that carries a lot of weight concerning overall well-being.
In the dental space, there is more to just routines and well-being. Dental health shouldn’t always be a serious subject. There are many fun facts about dentistry that you may not know about.
So, here are fun dental facts you might not know!
- The second most common disease is tooth decay.
Tooth decay results from persistent damage to the hard surface of your teeth, which can lead to cavities. These were brought on by several reasons, including high-sugar diets, snacking, and inadequate dental routine.
- Only a quarter of adults clean their teeth twice a day
Brushing your teeth twice a day is recommended by dentists to prevent the chances of decay from spreading to your teeth and causing damage. Tooth decay is increased by 33% when you don’t brush your teeth twice a day.
- Changing your toothbrush reduces the risk of infection
When the bristles on your toothbrush become soft and ineffective, the toothbrush can no longer collect bacteria and instead spreads it, causing more decay. Therefore, replace the toothbrush as soon as you see the bristles on the toothbrush curling up.
- You’re using 17 out of 43 muscles when you smile.
You use slightly more than 1/3 of your facial nerve muscles when you smile. However, when you begin to frown and laugh, all 43 muscles are used.
- You need saliva to keep your teeth strong.
Your salivary glands produce saliva, which is the most important tool for keeping decay at bay. Saliva contains calcium, phosphate and bicarbonate to neutralise acids that cause tooth damage. Keep drinking water throughout the day to maintain strong levels of saliva!
- Your enamel is the hardest substance in the human body
The enamel functions as a barrier to keep harmful bacteria out of your mouth. However, a high-sugar diet and a lack of calcium and phosphate in your diet might cause enamel to deteriorate.
- Teeth grow at the prenatal stage.
Your teeth begin to develop as a toddler. The first tooth typically grows at the age of 6 months plus. For teeth to grow healthy, it is important for a pregnant mother you make positive food choices that contain nutrients such as calcium and vitamin C in your diet.
- Blue is the colour of choice!
Did you know that blue is one of the more popular colour choices when choosing a toothbrush? Red is a close second. If you visit your family and friends and take a trip to the bathroom, you’re likely to see one blue toothbrush minimum!
- Tooth loss amongst Australians
Over 6% of adults have tooth loss likely due to neglecting their oral health, including not visiting the dentist. An even worse statistic is that 30% of Australians struggle to fork out the cost of dental check-ups. Therefore, struggle with regular dental care.
- Do you floss your teeth?
Many Australians don’t floss their teeth after or before brushing their teeth. Annually, it was studied that only 16.5 meters of dental floss were used, when this figure should be ten times more. Flossing is important, particularly if you’ve slight misalignment, as this can cause food to remain stuck inside your teeth.
Whilst these dental facts can be quite surprising as well. They’re also important as they highlight the need for maintaining strong dental health every day, and not doing so can cause problems for your overall dental health.
Do you have any more fun dental facts that you can share? Why not share them with us?
