Methuen Family Dentist Shares Dental Fun Facts

Instead of lecturing you about how you need to brush and floss your teeth every day, how about our Methuen family dentist talks about some dental things you may not know about. Get ready to learn a little something new! 

 

Tooth Facts

Did you know that an adult will have 32 teeth? That’s a lot of teeth to take care of for a lifetime. Remember, you won’t get another set; those 32 need to last as long as you do.

 

The largest of your 32 teeth are the molars. They are designed for grinding up your food. They are also the hardest to clean.

 

Things You Probably Don’t Know

Sugar-free chewing gum can help you prevent cavities. Chewing gum increases saliva production which helps to wash away debris, dirt and bacteria from the teeth.  Speaking of saliva, most people produce a quart a day. That’s the equivalent of 10,000 gallons in your lifetime. 

 

While soda is bad for your teeth because of the sugar, diet soda is equally as dangerous. That’s because of the acidic nature of these drinks. They tend to cause extensive damage to the enamel and should be avoided.

 

If your tooth were to accidentally be knocked out, you would want to try to get it back into the socket as you travel to the dentist. If that doesn’t work, get it into milk as soon as possible. 

 

In the Middle Ages, Germans thought that kissing a donkey would cure a person’s toothache. Thankfully, we don’t have to do that anymore.

 

Most birds, including chickens, don’t have any teeth. That was a random fact thrown in just to see if you were paying attention!

 

Keep Your Teeth Protected

While these facts sure are fun, there’s something more important to consider. You will receive one set of teeth to last a lifetime, so you must take care of them. Thankfully, some simple oral hygiene habits like brushing and flossing will protect you from decay and tooth loss. You also need to visit our Metheun family dentist twice a year to ensure that your oral health is being monitored. 

 

To schedule your next apppointment, please call Dr. Sandler's office at (978) 683-3343.