We’re always looking for new ways to make dental health interesting and fun for kids, so that they’re more likely to take an active role in their oral health. Here are a few fun dental facts to share with your kids!
1. What do you think the hardest part of your entire body is? It’s the enamel (the outer surface) of your teeth!
2. Your baby teeth have already started to form before you’re even born, but although they begin developing in the womb, they only begin to erupt through the gums between the ages of 6-12 months old
3. Each human gets two full sets of teeth in his or her lifetime: the baby (primary) teeth and the adult (permanent) teeth. So take good care of your adult teeth; there are no do-overs!
4. Humans have four different types of teeth: incisors, canines, premolars and molars. Your different types of teeth are used to cut, tear, chomp and grind your food!
5. Your teeth are as unique to you as your fingerprints are. No two people have exactly the same teeth!
6. Your mouth produces enough drool in a lifetime to fill two swimming pools! That’s a hefty 25,000 quarts of saliva. Ew.
7. The average person spends about 38 and a half days brushing their teeth over a lifetime. Maybe it’s time to invest in an electric toothbrush?
8. Many diseases are directly or indirectly linked to your oral health: from diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis, there are a lot of good reasons to take care of your dental health!
9. Only 2/3 of a tooth’s length is actually visible above the gum line. There’s a whole other third of a tooth hiding beneath your gums!
10. If your tooth gets knocked out, you can put it in a glass of milk to help it survive long enough for the dentist to replace it! But make sure you see your dentist straight away.