Although we all have teeth and regularly use them, we may not often stop to think about them beyond our daily chewing, brushing, and flossing. Are you looking to improve your unusual dental knowledge? Read on to learn three facts about your teeth that may surprise you!
- Our Teeth Don’t Like Sugary Beverages
- We Should Brush 24 Hours Per Year
- We Can Have a Dominant Chewing Side
Beverages are an often over-looked source of sugar that can lead to extensive dental damage. Most soda and sports drinks are loaded with sugar; there are nearly ten teaspoons of sugar in a single can of Coke! Our team at Bluedot Dental advises you to limit your intake of soda because its acidity will damage your teeth’s enamel. A person who drinks three or more soft drinks each day is 62% more likely to experience tooth decay, gum disease, and missing teeth than someone who drinks less soda. Drink sugary and acidic beverages in moderation and opt for more water instead! Not only is water calorie-free and essential for all your bodily functions, it also helps to wash away food particles and acids that eat away at the teeth’s enamel.
If you follow the recommendation of Bluedot Dental’s dentists and brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time for 365 days, you will only spend a little more than one day total brushing your teeth out of the entire year. That’s not a bad investment for great oral health! Remember to also brush your tongue every day and replace your toothbrush every three months. If you have questions about what kind of toothbrush you should be using or how to improve your at-home dental care routine, ask our friendly team at your next checkup for tips and tricks.
Just as you have a dominant hand, you are also likely to have a dominant side of the mouth where you do most of your chewing. For years it was believed that we use our dominant side for chewing because of handedness, but it has recently been hypothesized that chewing preference may be related to the temporomandibular joints (the TMJs connect your jaw to the cheek bones of the skull). When you chew on the left side of your mouth, the right TMJ is the joint under more stress, so if your right TMJ is weaker than your left, you are likely to prefer chewing on your right side since your left TMJ can handle more stress. Check out our April blog post to learn more about dysfunction of the TMJ!
Reach Out to Our Team!
Learning facts about your teeth will provide you with information that will help you to take better care of your smile. At Bluedot Dental, we want you and your teeth to stay healthy so you can keep chewing and smiling for a lifetime. If you want to learn more dental facts or need to schedule your next cleaning and checkup, contact us today!