Interesting Facts about Dental Health: the Teeth, Toothbrush, and Smile

There are many wives’ tales and myths surrounding dental health and oral hygiene, so here are a few facts to keep the record straight. It can be surprising to see the statistics on dental care and to recognize that your own habits contribute to these numbers!

Teeth Facts

1. Teeth start to form before we are born.
2. The hardest substance in the human body is tooth enamel.
3. Hard crunchy foods like celery, carrots and apples help clean your teeth naturally.
4. Unlike skin, teeth cannot repair themselves. Once a cavity forms the only way to heal it is to seek out dental care.
5. Roughly 25% of Americans have no teeth.

Just because you have no teeth, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still visit the dentist. It is a common misconception that dental health doesn’t include gum, mouth, and throat health. Eating crunchy fruits and vegetables isn’t enough to stave off your next dental appointment because even though tooth enamel may be the hardest substance in your body, once tooth decay or cavities set in you will need dental care.

Toothbrush & Other Dental Products Facts

1. The first toothbrushes were twigs and sticks that people would chew to clean their teeth.
2. The first electric toothbrush was invented in 1954.
3. On average, people only really spend 48 seconds brushing their teeth.
4. When you do not floss, you skip out on cleaning up to 40% of your teeth surface.
5. In 1914, Listerine became the first prescription mouthwash to be sold over the counter in the United States.

Both floss and mouthwash are excellent additions to your oral hygiene routine, but nothing replaces a dental check-up because it screens for early signs of conditions you cannot identify without a professional. Especially if you’ve been brushing your teeth for less than a minute every day, it’s time to bump up your dental care.

Dental Health Facts

1. Tooth decay is the second most common disease.
2. 25% of adults do not brush their teeth twice a day, this increases their chance of gum disease and tooth decay by 33%.
3. 75% of children worldwide have active dental cavities.
4. There are more bacteria in the human mouth than there are people on the earth.
5. The first people to serve the role of a dentist were metal tradesmen, like blacksmiths.

Thank goodness dentistry has come leaps and bounds since then. In fact, it has developed so much so that now, people don’t even have to go to the dentist – physically anyways. Now, the dentist can come to them with companies like Enable Dental. The innovation of portable dental care is making a difference to the scary facts about dental health because it improves the accessibility of dental care.

The above interesting facts make it clear that dentistry has a long history and we have made tremendous strides in dental care in the modern age, even if many people still skip out on the incredible products available to them to improve their oral hygiene. These facts may just inspire you to ramp up your oral hygiene routine, and try your best to keep your pearly whites smiling as long as possible.