subject: Secret Dentist Files: Three Strange Facts About Teeth [print this page] Most people know the basics when it comes to the dentist and their teeth. They know they should visit the dental examination chair every six months for a cleaning and they know they should brush twice a day. They know adults have somewhere around 30 teeth, give or take a few based on whether or not their wisdom teeth have come in yet or have been removed. But what else do you know about your teeth? As it happens, there are a lot of strange facts about those tough bones, the role they play in your mouth, and the technology used to keep them in good condition. Here are four that you may not know.
Babies Born With Teeth?
It's true. Though the average baby must wait a year or two before developing their first teeth, some have them right away and thus can't afford to put off their first trip to the dentist for nearly as long as most can. Studies approximate that one in every 2000 infants are born with teeth. Typically, these come in through the bottom gums and they may not have the strength of roots developed later on. Because this can lead to an accidental swallowing incident and can complicate breastfeeding, they are sometimes removed.
Lasting Baby Teeth
It almost goes without saying that a person's teeth go through a natural two part life cycle. Starting very young, the child will develop a set of around 20 baby teeth. These are expected to stick around for a few years, gradually replaced by the permanent teeth which come in later. But this cycle doesn't always work out quite the way nature intended. Baby teeth become loose and are pushed out because there is a larger permanent tooth waiting to come through and replace it. If that permanent tooth doesn't grow for whatever reason, however, the baby tooth will stay in place. Just one more reason why it's just as important to take your child to the dentist early as it is later on in life.
Tooth Art
When you're a child, you believe that the Tooth Fairy takes those lost baby teeth back to her hideaway, providing some money in their place. When you're an adult, you probably just take your kid's teeth and throw them out. But if you're an artist, you might find yet another use for those lost teeth. While still only making up a very small part of the arts and crafts niche, you can find necklaces and pendants sold online, made from not just baby teeth but lost and extracted adult teeth as well. As your dentist will undoubtedly agree, this is not a sufficient reason to neglect your oral hygiene.
by: Abigail Aaronson
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