fun facts about teeth

Smiling Can Go A Long Way

Smiling is something most people do without even thinking about it most of the time. You might smile at a familiar face, something that you find funny, or for no reason other than you’re in a good mood. There is actually more to smiling than just a reaction to your surroundings. Smiling can actually make you happier, healthier, relaxed, and much more!

Smiling makes you happier

Most people smile when they’re happy, but smiling also makes people happy. Your body knows that smiling is associated with happiness. Endorphins are released in your body when you smile. Endorphins are the chemicals in your body that make you feel happier. Smiling even if you don’t feel happy will make your mood happier to match your smile.

Smiling relaxes

The same endorphins that make you happier can also make you less stressed. These endorphins spread around your body easing tension and acting as a natural pain killer for your body in any stressful situation. Smiling also reduces the activity of cortisol which is a hormone that is more active when you are stressed. The less cortisol, the less negative feelings which means more positive feelings.

Smiling boosts productivity

You’re more apt to work when you’re in a good mood. If you were in a bad mood and you needed to do something that wasn’t that enjoyable, you probably wouldn’t be as motivated as you would be in a good mood. we know now, smiling boosts your mood so smiling while working will make work more enjoyable for you.

Smiling is contagious

Everyone wants to make the world a better place, why not start with a smile? University of Wisconsin-Madison Ph.D. student in psychology, Adrienne Wood, studied the effects of smiling on other people. She concluded that sensorimotor simulation in our brains is what causes us to smile at other people that smile without even realizing it. The researchers concluded that we trigger the same emotional state in ourselves as the person we are mimicking, which allows us to make an appropriate social response.

Smiling creates trust

Imagine you’re on a street with vendors on it. One looks bored and uninterested while the other is making eye-contact and smiling; which one do you think you would go to? It goes without saying you would be more attracted to do business with the one that is smiling and looks happy. If you smile, other people are more likely to trust you because trust and happiness are usually related.

Although there are many reasons to smile:

“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do” – Mother Teresa

Nighttime Oral Health Care

Keeping your mouth clean isn’t just a day job. It’s just as important to practice nighttime oral care as it is to keep your teeth clean during the day. The (somewhat gross) fact is, when you are sleeping, you are not swallowing your saliva. Eight hours of doing this increases the level of bacteria in your mouth, which can lead to bad breath and plaque buildup. Bad oral hygiene can turn into tooth decay or gum disease, so make sure you follow our steps to keeping your mouth clean at night.

Every night before you go to sleep: brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash. This is the best routine you can get into to prevent future problems with your mouth. So let’s break it down.

Brushing

We recommend that you brush after dinner and before you go to sleep. Doing so will clean your mouth of any plaque buildup and will give bacteria less to feed on. Using an FDA and ADA approved toothpaste with proper brushing techniques will reduce your chances of tooth decay and gum disease.

The ADA suggests the following brushing technique:

Brush at at 45-degree angle to your gums.
Gently brush back and forth on all outer, inner, and chewing surfaces of your teeth.
Use short strokes as wide as your tooth.
Turn your toothbrush vertical to clean the inside of your front teeth.
Brush your tongue to rid of any leftover bacteria and prevent bad breath.

Flossing

While skipping the floss at night may feel like a shortcut, you’re not doing yourself a favor. Flossing helps clean your mouth in the spots your toothbrush physically cannot reach. If you don’t remove that plaque, bacteria will feed on it while you are sleeping. Also, plaque buildup can turn into tartar, which can only be removed by a dentist or dental hygienist.

The ADA suggest the following flossing technique:

Use an 18-inch piece of floss.
Wind the floss around the middle fingers of each hand.
Tightly hold the floss and insert between your teeth using your thumb and forefinger.
Curve the floss in a C-shape around the side of your tooth.
Gently run the floss up and down against the side of your tooth.
Floss in between every tooth in your mouth, and don’t forget about your back teeth.

Therapeutic Mouthwash

Therapeutic mouthwashes are different from your generic cosmetic mouthwash and do much more than just freshen your breath. They contain certain ingredients that help fight cavities, strengthen the enamel on your teeth, and prevent gum diseases like gingivitis.

10 Of The Most Interesting Facts About Teeth

You may not think about your teeth much. You might even consider them boring. But here are 10 fun and interesting facts about your teeth that just might catch your attention.

1. Teeth are like fingerprints; no two teeth are the same. Even identical twins have signature teeth that are individually special to the person.

2. Saliva acts as a rinse to rid teeth of sugar and bacteria. We produce around one to two quarts of saliva a day, which adds up to two swimming pools worth of saliva in a person’s lifetime.

3. About 73 percent of Americans would rather go grocery shopping than floss their teeth.

4. Each year, approximately 5 million teeth are lost to sports related injuries.

5. George Washington’s legendary wood dentures are a hoax. The President’s dentures were constructed from gold, lead, and elephant and hippopotamus ivory.

6. Children between the ages of 5 and 6 usually have 20 teeth, while adults have around 32 permanent, including wisdom teeth.

7. Newborn babies are generally perceived as toothless. However, 1 in 2,000 babies is born with a tooth.

8. Before minty fresh toothpaste was invented, a concoction of charcoal, ash, chalk, lemon juice, tobacco, and honey was used to clean teeth.

9. Teeth grills may have originated as early as 2,500 years ago, as some Native American tribes were infamous for teeth bedazzling, using resin to embed gems in their teeth.

10. The plaque found on your teeth is composed of more than 300 species of bacteria. (Yuck!)

The Don’ts For Toddlers & Their Teeth

Baby teeth are more important than you think. They pave the way for a happy, healthy smile in the future. They most importantly create healthy habits of oral care to last a lifetime!

It can be hard to tell sometimes, but there are a few common things that can negatively affect the health of baby teeth. Here are the three don’ts you should pay attention to for you and your little one(s) at home.

  1. Putting your toddler to bed with a bottle: sipping on juice or anything that contains sugar can cause bacteria buildup from sitting in your child’s mouth throughout the night.
  2. Consuming unhealthy foods: Candies and sweets can be the perfect cure for that sweet tooth, but not for cavities and tooth decay. Be sure to eliminate foods with high sugar contents or closely monitor intake to wean your little one off frequent indulging.
  3. Infrequently brushing: Regardless of the amount of teeth your child may have, you must be sure that the right amount of brushing gets done each day. You may also encourage them to help you out to develop good oral hygiene habits in the future!

 

Tooth-Harming Habits To Ditch

We can’t stress enough of how important it is to have hardy and strong chompers. There could be some habits you go-about on a daily basis that can harm your teeth more than help them. That being said, we want to bring about some of the most common habits that make your teeth run for the hills!

  1. Ice chewers- beware!: Although ice is frozen water and contains no sugar, it can potentially crack your teeth over time due to the pressure from biting down on the hard surfaces of the ice.
  2. Teeth grinding: Grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw frequently can cause your teeth to wear down. If you happen to have this problem, a mouth guard can help prevent anymore friction from occurring.
  3. The sugary stuff: Common tasty pleasures that are full of sugar such as cough drops and soda can cause cavities or tooth decay from sugar building up over time that can make its way to some of your bacteria-free teeth.
  4. Coffee lovers: Lets face it, some of us need that caffeine kick in the morning to get through the day. But since our helper of the day contains acidic properties that can stain teeth, it is best to have this guy in moderation or look up whitening options to combat any yellow shades that may come about onto your precious pearly whites.
  5. Snacking: The more you snack, the less saliva you produce which can cause more food to be stuck on your teeth for the day. If you decide to snack, snack healthy and try avoiding any foods that are sugary or starchy.

 

If you happen to currently have any of these habits- don’t stress. Its not mandatory to eliminate all of these forever. However, it is crucial to provide the best care for your teeth that you possibly can. By gradually getting rid of any of these habits, you can be on your way to a set of teeth to die for!

What Dentist Appointments And Oil Changes Have In Common

Ever get your teeth cleaned and feel like you’re getting a tune-up on your pearly whites? If so, you’ve made the right correlation. Getting your teeth checked is like getting your tires rotated or having your car serviced. After a certain number of miles, your car will need to be checked, just as you teeth need to be checked after not visiting the dentist after a certain amount of time. This way, you can make sure that there are no cavities, tooth decay, or other problems that may develop down the road for your teeth. Just as your car, you would need a checkup every few months to make sure everything is running smoothly to prevent it from breaking down. Be sure to care for your teeth and visit a dentist at least twice a year. This can avoid hitting any bumps in the road for a smooth ride to a better smile!

Is Fruit Juice Affecting Your Teeth?

Ahh, fruit juice. It has amazing health benefits, especially being full of Vitamins and antioxidants, but did you know that it can take a toll on your pearly whites? Here are a few reasons why:

Fruit Juice is Full of Sugar

You know how it goes- sugar contributes to cavities and plaque, which, in turn, can lead to gum irritation and many other negative factors from sugar buildup. Since many fruit juices aren’t 100% fruit juice, they contain large amounts of sugar.

Fruit Juice Reduces Tooth Enamel

We’ve heard a lot about the wearing down of tooth enamel in the previous posts, so you can consider it pretty sensitive to what you consume and how much you brush each day. Fruits with high acid content, such as limes and cranberries, can have the most influence on breaking down tooth enamel, which our teeth need to stay hard and strong!

Fruit Juice and The Youngins

It is important to keep in mind that there is a difference when drinking fruit juice from a sippy-cup. The liquids are released at a slower rate, thus, giving the liquid a chance to stay in the mouth more. With that being said, there is a higher chance of cavities forming! A good way to combat any problems would be to mix the cup with water to dilute any sugar or acids.

All in all, fruit juices aren’t the bad guys when having it in moderation, but it is important to be aware of the possible effects it can have on your teeth.

 

Plaque vs. Tartar: What’s The Difference?

fun fYou’ve probably heard of these two troublemakers before. As we all strive to keep these guys away and off our teeth, we want to establish exactly what they are, how they affect your oral hygiene, and how to tell the difference if you’ve been slacking on your teeth-cleaning program.

First, lets talk plaque. It builds up around the gum line and takes form of a sticky, colorless, soft substance. It is made up of food particles and saliva that form into a film of bacteria.This is the culprit for cavities due to the acid it contains. Plaque also causes the gums to bleed if you are brushing or flossing! So it is best to keep an eye out for this pest and have it stay clear from any buildup on your teeth. If not, it can eventually harden into tartar if it isn’t removed each day.

Now, let’s talk tartar. Tartar, which is hardened plaque, takes form of a yellow, yellowish-brown color and is hard, porous, and crusty. It is hard because it comes from the mineral deposits in saliva. This bad guy can not only cause cavities, but also gum disease and tooth loss. So you’d most definitely want to avoid tartar buildup at all times!

So now how do you actually remove these burdens from your precious chompers? Plaque can simply be removed by brushing, flossing, and rinsing on a daily basis. Tartar, on the other hand, is a little more difficult to get rid of. You would need surgery to remove any if it has has formed below the gum line. To prevent any of this from happening, the best solution would be to use tartar-control toothpaste while brushing and flossing vigilantly.

Common Mistakes When Using An Electric Toothbrush

Electric toothbrushes are known to clean teeth more effectively than regular toothbrushes. However, if you aren’t using the electric toothbrush properly, you won’t receive the maximum benefits it brings to the table for your teeth. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for before taking home and using your supercharged cleaning buddy.

Making the wrong purchasing decision

It can be tricky when shopping for the proper electric toothbrush that is the most suitable for you.  Make sure it fits in the hand comfortably, with the size of the electric head suited for the size of your mouth.  Also keep in mind that if you have a heavy hand with brushing, you might want to purchase an electric brush with soft bristles to avoid irritating your gums.

Not brushing for the appropriate duration of time

It is known and recommended to brush for a full two minutes about 2 times a day.  Although some electric toothbrushes may have a timer, it is always beneficial to make sure you are getting the proper amount of time when fighting away those germs and bacteria.

Heavy-handed overbrushing

You should brush only 2 times a day for 2 minutes. No more or no less. Brushing more than 3 times a day wears down tooth enamel (which is something your teeth need) and may hurt your gums if you brush too hard.

Not replacing your toothbrush head when needed

It is time to replace your toothbrush head after 3 months of use, especially if you are noticing frayed or broken bristles. Brushing with overused toothbrush heads wont give you the optimal results you are looking for. Keep in mind that you should also replace your toothbrush head if you have been sick.

Teething: What To Know And How To Take Action

So first thing is first, what is teething? Teething is when your first set of teeth break through the gums. Pressure from the teeth poking through under the gums causes discomfort. This is the culprit for all that constant urge for babies to chew, chew chew! So when does all this chewing start to happen? Teething usually occurs between 6 to 24 months of age. Since each child is different and there is no exact set time on when teething will stop, we have a few suggestions to ease any aches and pains for the time being.

Pressure

Don’t think that your little one can get enough chewing. Let them have at it! This helps them relieve any discomfort and distracts them from the sensation of pain that the teeth are causing. Be sure to provide safe objects for chewing, such as teething rings.

Painkillers

Check with a doctor to see what particular medication is right for your little one. A common pain reliever, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Children’s Motrin), can reduce inflammation in the gums and reduce any pain for babies who are at least six months old. Keep in mind that aspirin is off-limits to anyone under the age of 19.

Hard Foods

Gnawing on hard food can soothe any pain temporarily. Be sure to keep an eye out for any choking hazards from consuming larger pieces of food!

Cold Objects or Foods

Cold water in a bottle or cold purees can do the trick for relieving any soreness; just make sure nothing is too cold or coming from the freezer which can cause more aggravation for the gums.

Gum Massages

Gently rubbing a clean finger over the sore gums can provide the same relief and distraction as chewing on objects for teething by counteracting the pressure from the gums.