fun facts Archives - Carolina Family Dentistry

We cover a wide variety of serious topics on our blog, but today we wanted to share some interesting facts about your mouth, teeth, and dentistry that you may not have heard before.

Your tongue has more than 2,000 taste buds. Your teeth can actually have between 2,000 and 10,000, but they aren’t there for long. Taste buds die off and are replaced every 10 to 14 days. Taste buds are also important for your overall health because they tell your brain whether it’s safe or not to swallow something. Taste buds aren’t only located on your tongue, but also in the back of your throat and even in your nose.
An average adult produces between 1 and 2 gallons of saliva a day. This adds up to two swimming pools worth of saliva in a person’s lifetime. Saliva is vital to your oral health. Saliva starts breaking down food which aids in the digestion process. It washes away bad bacteria that could be detrimental to your teeth.
Before minty fresh toothpaste was invented, a concoction of charcoal, ash, chalk, lemon juice, tobacco, and honey was used to clean teeth. Colgate was the first to come out with toothpaste in 1873 and switched to tubes in 1896. Toothpaste actually contained soap until the mid-1950s, when they found a better alternative.
The enamel on the surface of your teeth is the hardest material in the body. In fact, it’s the second strongest substance on earth, only second to diamonds. This is important because they say a human can exert up to 200 pounds of pressure on their back teeth. Even though enamel is incredibly strong, it is the first to be affected by bacteria. It’s where tooth decay begins, this is why it’s so important to brush and floss. Always take care of your enamel because once it becomes eroded, it doesn’t grow back. It can only be fixed by fillings.
The average amount of money left from the tooth fairy in 2021 is $4.70. Baby teeth, also known as deciduous or primary teeth, actually begin forming before a baby is even born, you just don’t see them until around 6 to 12 months. Children only have about 20 teeth when they are born, and they are typically whiter than permanent teeth.