25 Fun Facts About Your Mouth

25 Facts About Your Mouth

1. Without saliva, we would not be able to taste anything.
2. The inside of your mouth contains as many bacteria as there are people on Earth.
3. Teeth start to form before you are even born but don’t come through until you are between 6 – 12 months old.
4. Children have 20 teeth while adults have 32.
5. Many diseases are linked to oral health including heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.
6. Close your mouth while swimming because chlorine can wear down enamel.
7. Plaque is a residue that is made up of excess bacteria in the mouth.
8. The tongue is the only muscle in the human body that works without any support from the skeleton.
9. One third of your tooth is hidden underneath your gums.
10. Green tea contains antiseptic properties, which can help to keep your gums healthy.
11. There are approximately 10,000 taste buds in our mouth, of which most are located on the tongue.
12. No two people have the same set of teeth. A person’s teeth are as unique as their fingerprint.
13. We produce about 37,854 litres of saliva during our lives – enough to fill two swimming pools.
14. An average person spends 38.5 days brushing their teeth over the course of their lifetime
15. Smiling helps you live longer. Every time you smile, your body produces greater amounts of antibodies, giving you an immunity boost.
16. The enamel on the surfaces of your teeth is the hardest substance in your whole body.
17. We have four different types of teeth in our mouth: incisors, canine, premolars and molars.
18. Teeth, like your bones, are alive. They have their own blood supply and nerves. A tooth can die.
19. Relative to its size, the tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body.
20. If you’re right handed, you tend to chew your food on your right side. If you’re left handed, you favour chewing on your left side.
21. If you don’t floss, you miss cleaning approximately 40% of the surfaces of your teeth.
22. Surveys indicate that 50% of people say that someone’s smile is the first thing they notice.
23. A tooth that gets knocked out will begin to die within 15 minutes.
24. Humans have two sets of teeth in their lifetime, whereas sharks have 40.
25. Modern toothpaste has only been available for the past 100 years.

Alongside these facts, we have also put together an article highlighting common dental myths.