Most people know that having a good set of teeth is imperative for eating, talking, and for great self-esteem. Some, however, take their pearly whites for granted and tend to overlook just how special they really are.
Here are some eye-popping facts about your teeth and how incredibly lucky we are to have them.
> An American Academy of Periodontology study reveals that 50% of people say that a nice smile is the first thing that they notice when meeting another person.
> We go through 14 million gallons of toothpaste every single year.
> The enamel on your teeth is harder than your bones; in fact, enamel is the hardest part of your body.
> Your mouth will produce more than 25,000 quarts of saliva. That is enough saliva to fill up two swimming pools.
> People, who practice good oral hygiene, brushing twice and flossing once each day, will spend about 38 entire days brushing during their lifetime.
> One third of teeth are located underneath the gums.
> Before toothpaste was invented, only about 100 years ago, people would use lemon juice, ground chalk, honey and tobacco and even ashes to clean teeth.
> The plaque that sits on your teeth plays host to over 300 different types of bacteria.
> Most people on average will spend 49 seconds brushing their teeth. However, dentists recommend that you brush for at least two or three minutes.
> A West Virginia prisoner braided dental floss that he made into a rope to scale a wall before escaping back in 1994.
> If you don’t floss, consider that you are missing as much as 35 percent of the surfaces on your teeth when you brush alone.
> 3 in 4 people in the United States suffer from some type of gum disease whether it is gingivitis, or the more serious periodontal disease.
These facts may be fun, but some are downright alarming, and if you are one of the people, who have bleeding, red, or swollen gums, schedule an appointment immediately.
After all, it’s never too late to start looking after your teeth and gums.