7 Fun Dental Facts: Did you know …
January 10, 2019
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, so we’ve gathered some fun facts about teeth in all kinds of people and animals.
1) No Cavities?
There is evidence to suggest that children of prehistoric times didn’t really have cavities because they didn’t consume sugar!
2) Early Tooth Bloomers
We all think of babies’ smiles to be pretty gummy when they are first born, but did you know that 1 out of every 2000 babies is born with a tooth already?
3) How many teeth do you have?
Children between the ages of 5 and 6 usually have 20 teeth, whereas adults have 32 permanent teeth (including wisdom teeth). Cats have 30 teeth and dogs have 42!
4) Teeth are like fingerprints
Everyone has unique fingerprints — meaning that no two people have the exact same ones. The same goes for your teeth! Identical twins even have their own special dental patterns.
5) Saliva
We produce A LOT of saliva! Saliva is our body’s way of rinsing our teeth from sugars and bacteria. We produce about 1 to 2 quarts of saliva a day, which ends up being about 25,000 quarts in a lifetime. That’s enough to fill up 2 swimming pools!
6) Knock of wood
Much to the surprise of many Americans, George Washington’s infamous dentures were not actually made of wood! They were made from a combination of elephant and hippopotamus ivory.
7) Speaking of elephants…
Elephants have huge and heavy teeth! One elephants tooth can weigh up to six pounds. That’s about as heavy as a small bowling ball.
