teeth facts

Are You Brushing Too Much?

All you smile lovers out there strive to keep your teeth healthy and bacteria-free, am I right? But how much cleaning is too much cleaning? We have the answers on when to clean, how much to clean, and if you need to lessen your teeth cleaning schedules.

First, lets establish some downfalls of brushing too much:

  1. Over-brushing can cause tooth enamel to wear down, which can cause higher risks of tooth decay
  2. It can cause damage to your gums, exposing the root area
  3. Teeth become more sensitive and prone to cavities when being brushed more than they should

 

So now to avoid these problems, how often should you brush every day? The answer: Two times a day for two minutes each time. Preferably one time in the morning and one time before heading to bed. That’s it! Simple as that. Be sure to use gentle strokes and not vigorously brush off the enamel that acts as a shield for tooth decay. So no worries, you and your smile will have brighter and brighter days yet to come!

What Are Your Teeth Actually Made Of?

Let’s take things step by step here. First and foremost, your teeth have several layers to them; each with a purpose. The hard outer shell of your teeth is called enamel. The purpose of enamel is to protect the inner layers of your teeth. So how strong is enamel, exactly? You might be surprised by this, but enamel is actually the hardest substance in your body! It’s even harder than your bones. So what’s underneath that hard, shiny armor? The next layer after the enamel is called dentin. Dentin protects the very inner layer of your teeth, known as pulp. It’s also a little less stronger than enamel but is just about as hard as your bones. So what’s this “pulp” we speak of and why does it need to be protected? Pulp contains the nerve endings of your teeth and is where the blood supply can be found that connects to each tooth to provide the nutrients needed for each. Pretty neat, huh? But we’re not done yet! What about the roots of your teeth? These substances, called cementum, anchor each tooth to the jawbone.

Animals Have Chompers, Too

Ever wonder how many teeth certain animals have? How they use them? If they’re any different from ours? Well we have some answers! Let’s take a walk through the wild and discover some fun facts about our animal friends and their pearly whites.

Giraffes: These guys have the same amount of teeth as humans do!- 32 to be precise. The only difference is they have no upper front teeth; most of their teeth are located towards the back of their mouth.

Rabbits: These little fella’s teeth never stop growing! An adult rabbit has about 28 teeth and must chew on tough foods to file their teeth down from getting too long.

Elephants: Their teeth are considered to be their tusks. Like rabbits, their extra long incisors never stop growing.

Sharks: How do you think it would feel to constantly lose teeth? Sharks would know! Each week they lose at least one tooth. Next time you hit the beach, keep an eye out for any shark teeth that wash ashore!

Hippopotamuses: Want to know who has the longest canine teeth of any animal? Look no further. These guys have incisors up to 3 feet long that can cut through the toughest objects!

Mosquitos: Our microscopic friends have microscopic teeth as well. Surprisingly, they have about 15 more teeth than adult humans, making them have a whopping 47 teeth.

Snails: Do you think mosquitos had a lot of teeth? Try 25,000 on these guys! Their microscopic teeth are located not on the top or bottom of their mouth, but on their tongue.

The one thing that most animals have in common? They’re cavity-free! Unlike humans, their diets aren’t high in sugar and they chew on tougher materials than humans do to consistently keep their teeth clean.