At Ashburn General Dentistry, Dr. Amit B. Patel and our team want our patients in Ashburn, Virginia, to know just how important your smile is. Your smile is dependent on your teeth, gums, cheeks, tongue, throat, and saliva working together. This oral ensemble ensures a healthy smile. To help you appreciate your oral health this Thanksgiving, we hope these fun smile facts inspire you:
–Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in your body.
–Your teeth consist of calcium, mineral salts, and phosphorus.
–Your teeth begin to form even before you are born, and erupt between 6-12 months.
–Your teeth break down the food you eat.
–Your tooth prints are like fingerprints–they are unique to you.
–Your baby teeth won’t fall out unless there is an adult tooth ready to replace it.
–One-third of each tooth lies beneath the gumline, so you are only seeing 2/3 of your tooth’s size.
–Once a tooth is knocked out of the mouth it will start to die within 15 minutes. You can prolong its life by putting it in milk or in your mouth and getting to the dentist as quickly as possible.
–Sports injuries make up about 5 million knocked out teeth each year, so wear a mouth guard to protect those chompers.
–If you don’t take the time to floss your pearly whites, 40% of your tooth surfaces are not getting cleaned.
–If you are right-handed, you tend to chew on the right side of your mouth. Ditto for the left.
–Dental plaque has more than 300 types of bacteria in it, which is why you want to remove it daily by brushing and flossing.
–Your smile produces over 25,000 quarts of saliva in the average lifetime and is essential to a healthy mouth.
–Most adults have 32 teeth, in comparison, snails have 25 teeth…on their tongues!
Showing appreciation for your smile is as easy as taking a little extra care with your teeth and gums every day and keeping all scheduled dental cleanings. Please call 703.724.4470 if you need to schedule your next visit. Dr. Amit B. Patel and our team at Ashburn General Dentistry in Ashburn, Virginia wish you and your smile a healthy holiday season!