Wild Facts About Dental Care That Will Blow Your Mind
Dental care is an essential part of your health. In fact, routine dental cleanings have been found to help in preventing heart attacks. This is because dental work not only impacts your teeth but also your circulatory and digestive system.
Of course, dental care doesn’t always need to be serious. The history and science of dentistry can actually be pretty surprising. That being said, here are some wild facts about dental care that might just leave you stumped.
- Teeth can sometimes be used to restore vision. Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP) is a real procedure that has been dubbed “tooth in eye” surgery. The procedure is used to restore vision in severe cases of corneal and ocular surface patients.
- Tooth enamel is the hardest biological substance in the human body. This may come as a surprise since one in five Americans has one or more untreated cavities, but enamel is the strongest biological substance in your body. However, enamel is brittle and can be damaged if you’re not careful. That’s why dentists only recommend brushing your teeth twice a day to minimize the risk of damaging your enamel.
- Spinach is effective in fighting tooth sensitivity. Spinach is not only a great source of iron, but it can also help you fight back against tooth sensitivity. This is because spinach leaves make calcium oxalate when they combine with the saliva in your mouth during digestion. Calcium oxalate is commonly used in dental care treatments.
- Energy drinks are worse for your teeth than soda. Ah, soda. Teeth’s supposedly great nemesis. While the sugar and carbonation in soda can be damaging to your teeth and put you at greater risk of tooth decay, drinking energy drinks is worse for your dental health. According to a study published in the journal Nutrition Research, both sports drinks and energy drinks eroded enamel faster than both soda and fruit beverages. This is because both energy and sports drinks contain acids that erode your tooth enamel, leaving your teeth open to cavity-causing bacteria.
- Tooth decay is the second-most-common disease in the United States. Considering the link between dental care and heart health mentioned above, it may not come as much of a surprise that tooth decay is the second-most-common disease in the U.S. after heart disease. According to the American Dental Association, tooth decay is five times as common as asthma and is the most common chronic disease in American kids. That said, remember to brush your teeth twice a day and floss regularly. Your dental health has a direct link to your digestive, cardiovascular, and brain health.
- Tooth decay can start before you’re done bottle-feeding. Have you ever wondered if your teeth would be in better shape if you were never introduced to candy as a child? Well, it turns out tooth decay would still be a potential problem. Babies can be as risk for tooth decay if they fall asleep with their bottles. This is because the sugars in the milk or formula can coat their baby teeth and feed the bacteria in their mouths while they sleep. This is why it’s so important to gently wipe a baby’s teeth and gums after they’re done eating.
- Your teeth can tell you where you grew up. As we mentioned above, your tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. But that’s only one of the coolest things about your enamel. Because your enamel is so strong, they can provide us with a lot of information about who we are including where we grew up. Your tooth enamel contains strontium isotopes. Strontium is an element in all rock that burns in air, reacts with water, and transfers to your body tissues. That means your teeth carry a geochemical signature about where you’re from.
- You have a unique tongue print. You may have heard before that your teeth are unique to you, but your tongue print is also unique just like your fingerprints.
Looking for dentists in Gainesville VA? We’ve got you covered. Gainesville Dental Associates has the family dentists you need to take great care of your teeth. To learn more about dental care or to schedule an appointment, contact Gainesville Dental Associates today.