What do we know about our teeth? There are 32 of them, and we must also take care of them, because the teeth are not capable of regeneration (restoration), and toothache can become a real torture. That’s probably all.
But the truth is that teeth are a very interesting part of our body and they serve us not only for chewing solid food. The condition of the teeth can say a lot about the peculiarities of human physiology and his lifestyle.
Each person’s structure is unique, therefore any person can be identified by the teeth no worse than by fingerprints.
There are many more interesting and interesting facts about our teeth, we will discuss them further.
10. Bank of teeth
If in our time there are blood banks and even sperm, then the teeth, of course, could not stay away. In Norway, children can donate their baby teeth and help science. These teeth, combined with a mother’s blood or urine sample, are used to find out how contaminants affect the health of the mother and baby.
This unique bank is already working with more than 100 thousand children. It can be assumed that the tooth fairy rewards twice for such an important contribution to science.
9. People have been taking care of their teeth for centuries
Did you know that early toothbrushes were twigs that our ancestors chewed? Around 5000 BC e. Egyptians used chopped eggshells and ground animal hooves to clean and polish their teeth.
In 1700, a British inventor adapted the design he saw in China to a European consumer - a bone with pork bristles inserted through holes and fixed with wire.
Dental prosthetics were carried out already in Ancient Egypt - implants were found in the jaws of the mummies of the pharaohs, most likely removed from slaves or deceased. And in South America, an ancient Inca was discovered, the jaw of which consisted entirely of transplanted teeth - amethysts and quartz were used as materials for implants.
Modern toothbrushes with nylon bristles appeared in the late 30s of the last century, and the first electric brush was introduced to the world in 1954.
8. Tooth of Buddha
If Christians have the shroud of Christ or the relics of many saints, then Buddhists preserve as a divine artifact a tooth, which, according to legend, belonged to the Buddha himself.
This tooth was exhibited in the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka, in a place, which, oddly enough, is called the Temple of the tooth. In ancient times, he passed from king to king, since his owner was considered the holder of supreme power.
7. John Lennon's Tooth
The Beatles leader was very fond of fantasizing during his lifetime, but it hardly ever occurred to him that one of his teeth after his death would become a famous collectible. This tooth is a caries molar that Lennon gave to the daughter of his housekeeper, who was an ardent fan of the group.
Today, when John Lennon has already died, a new owner has appeared in this tooth: the dentist paid $ 30,000 for him, and not in order to put it on display, but to study DNA and one day clone Lennon.
6. Fake braces in Asia
Few children and teenagers are happy that they have to use dental braces or braces to repair their dentures.
However, in Thailand, given the high price for their installation, braces are a sign of wealth and status. Young Thais wear aesthetic braces, which can be colored or have drawings in the form of their favorite characters.
As a result of this fashion, several local guys contracted infections using false braces.
5. Art requires sacrifice
In the cult film “Fight Club”, the character of Brad Pitt loses his teeth from a good blow to the face. The actor wanted to make this episode as realistic as possible, so he removed some of his teeth.which are then replaced with dentures.
4. Record holder for the number of teeth
In an adult, there are normally 32 teeth in the oral cavity, but in rare cases there may be more, as happened with a 17-year-old boy from India. This teenager suffered from severe pain in the right part of the jaw, which was also swollen.
During the operation, doctors discovered that this boy had 200 extra teethwhich caused similar symptoms. A similar anomaly was caused by a benign tumor in the jaw called an odontoma. The removed tumor and the remaining teeth are an absolute record, before that the maximum number of additional teeth formed by this type of tumor was 37.
By the way, it happens that a person’s teeth grow not only in his mouth. According to statistics, 4% of the world's population have a similar problem. So, in a person suffering from nosebleeds, during the examination, a tooth was found located in his left nostril.
3. The base of your teeth is already present on your birthday
When babies are born, the crowns of their first 20 teeth are already under the gums, waiting for the right time to grow (starting from 3-6 months). Throughout childhood, permanent teeth are already forming under milk teeth, waiting for their time to replace their “immature predecessors”.
2. Brushing between teeth is as important as brushing the visible part.
When we brush our teeth, we can reach their pointed and lateral sides. But surfaces between teeth, which make up a significant portion of them, also need proper cleaning. This is why it is best to brush between your teeth daily to pull out food and bacteria and promote gum health. Dental floss and brushes with special round nozzles are best suited for this.
1. Your teeth can tell about you
Scientists can tell a lot by examining a particular person’s teeth. Do you know that our teeth can show how old we are, what we eat or drink, and even where we live? Our teeth also carry a lot of information about our state of health, including data on past illnesses. Shortly speaking.
For example, the nature of the bite has a very close relationship with the musculoskeletal system of a person. If the patient has a malocclusion, then in almost 9 out of 10 cases this suggests that he has problems with his back. Why is this happening?
The fact is that the human head has its own weight and, accordingly, the center of gravity. When the latter is displaced, a violation of posture is formed, which is corrected thanks to the compensatory mechanism of the muscles and ligaments of the maxillofacial apparatus, which leads to malocclusion.
Modern dentistry has several methods for correcting occlusion. The most simple and cosmetically acceptable way can be considered the use of a transparent eliner (mouth guard). With its help, orthodontic correction of the bite is carried out comfortably and quite effectively.
By the way, did you know that a person cannot have two identical teeth in his mouth. And it doesn’t matter if we are talking about “milk teeth” that serve us at an early age, or about 32 “permanent” ones.
Each tooth in the mouth has a unique structure. Therefore, it is safe to say that your smile is indeed a true sign of your personality!