Fun Facts About Teeth & Dentistry

• Snails have about 25,000 teeth!
• Elephants grind their molars and grow new ones to replace them. An Elephant molar can weigh over 6 pounds.
• The cotton candy making machine was co-invented by a dentist. Before it was cotton cadny, it was called “fairy floss.”
• Human Jaw muscles are so strong that they provide about 200 pounds of force when your back teeth come together to chew.
• The maximum bite force for a human male with normal teeth is about 174 pounds; for females, it is about 101 pounds. For comparison, normal chewing exerts 70 pounds per square inch.
• Your tongue is as unique as your fingerprint. No two people have the same tongue print.
• Tooth decay is the second most common disease after the cold.
• The enamel on the top surface on your tooth is the hardest part of your entire body.
• Teeth start to form even before you are born—milk teeth or baby teeth start to form when the baby is in the womb, but they come through when the child is between 6-12 months old.
• Humans use four different types of teeth (incisors, canine, premolars, and molars) to cut, tear and grind their food.
• Humans have only two sets of teeth in their entire lifetime—baby teeth and permanent teeth. Once you have your permanent teeth, make sure you take good care of them.
• Sharks can grow 20,000 teeth in a lifetime.
• No two people have the same set of teeth—your teeth are as unique as your fingerprint, so be proud of your unique set of teeth.
• Your mouth produces over 25,000 quarts of saliva in a lifetime—that’s enough to fill two swimming pools. Saliva has many uses, including assisting you with your digestion and protects your teeth from bacteria in your mouth.
• An average person spends 38.5 days brushing their teeth over their lifetime.
• Many diseases are linked to your oral health, including heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes.
• One third of your tooth is underneath your gums—that means only two thirds of your tooth’s length is visible.
• If you get your tooth knocked out, put it in milk and hold it in your mouth—this will help your tooth to survive longer. Make sure you see a dentist right away.