Interesting Dental Facts & Figures

Dentistry is a fun business to be in because it's medicine. The human body is one very interesting subject. When it comes to dental medicine, we find that there is a lot of information out there that is really fun to know and some of it can even help you improve your own dental hygiene. As a dentist in Park Ridge I love helping people gain knowledge about teeth.

Did you know:

• If you only brush your teeth and do not floss, you are missing 40 percent of the surfaces on your teeth. 
• On average, an American spends 38.5 days of their life brushing their teeth. 
• Not everybody loves to floss, it was reported that 73 percent of Americans would opt for a trip to the grocery store over flossing. 
• Do not keep your toothbrush right next to your toilet; it is recommended that you keep it 6+ feet away from the toilet. When toilets flush, they toss bacteria into the air and that bacteria can land on your toothbrush if it is within striking distance. 
• Dental plaque is made up of a whopping 300 different kinds of bacteria. 
• What are your teeth made up of? Calcium, mineral salts, and phosphorus. 
• Eating cheese can be good for your teeth because of the calcium and phosphorus in it; it helps minimize the pH level (acidic level) of the plaque and strengthen the enamel. 
• According to the Academy of General Dentistry, most people brush for approximately 45 to 70 seconds when they brush their teeth; recommended brushing time is 2 minutes. 
• The concept of oral hygiene dates back to the ancient Romans and Chinese; Romans would use things like bones, shells, and honey to clean their teeth while Chinese would use chew sticks. 
• If you eat sugary foods after you eat a meal, you are less likely to develop cavities than if you eat the sugary foods alone. 
• You produce a lot of saliva; over the average lifetime, a human will produce 25,000 quarts of the stuff. 
• Enamel is one of the hardest tissues in your body. 
• Your tooth print is unique to you; no one else in the world has your tooth setup. That's why when police can't identify a body and finger prints are not available, they identify it by the teeth. 
• After a cold, flu, or sore throat you should replace your toothbrush. 

Feel smarter? Want to go brush your teeth now? Good! Enjoy the facts and feel free to whip these bits of wisdom out at parties and really wow the crowd. Any dentist near Park Ridge will agree, they rock the house.