At first glance, teeth seem pretty easy to understand. Aren’t they just body parts that help you speak and chew food? In reality, though, these objects have more secrets than you’d think. There are l many aspects of teeth you likely haven’t learned about. Of course, you don’t need to take this claim as a given. Your Farmington Hills dentist can prove it with evidence. To that end, here are four intriguing things you didn’t know about teeth.
Teeth are Kinda Like Icebergs
When you look at teeth, you may assume they’re just surface structures. That they emerge from your gumline can make this idea sound obvious. However, teeth are more like icebergs.
You see, roughly a third of each tooth is beneath your gums. These unseen portions keep your pearly whites in place. As such, you must always care for your gum tissue. Doing so ensures the areas beneath your gums get proper support.
Your Teeth are Distinctly Yours
Unless you closely assess them, teeth can appear pretty generic. Most will think that one molar or incisor is no different from any other. To be honest, though, teeth have plenty of specifics.
Indeed, a person’s teeth are similar to their fingerprints. That means your pearly whites are distinctly yours. For example, doctors often refer to dental records to identify human remains. Similarly, even identical twins don’t have identical teeth.
Enamel is the Hardest Body Part
If you’ve ever touched your teeth, you know they have firm surfaces. Their outermost layer is pretty durable. Still, the truth is that this layer – your enamel – is the hardest body part.
The reason comes down to your enamel’s composition. This layer aims to protect your teeth’s innards, so it’s made of calcium and phosphate. Plus, it’s stronger than your bones due to the proteins and crystallites that form it.
Dentin Grows, But Enamel Doesn’t
Aside from staining, teeth look unchanging. They seem to stop growing once they’ve fully emerged from the gumline. That said, their inner layers keep developing over time.
While enamel doesn’t change (it’s static), dentin grows throughout your life. After all, the latter has many small channels that transmit nerve signals and nutrients. The result is that dentin continually changes and develops. As the years pass, it’ll become different from what it was before.
Hopefully, these truths are things you didn’t know about teeth. If so, remember them so you’ll better appreciate your smile!
About the Practice
Radiant Dental is based in Farmington Hills, MI. Led by Drs. Saywa and Romzick, our practice seeks to give every patient a radiant smile. That means we offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, as well as emergency oral care. Our office also prides itself on being a certified provider of Invisalign® and SureSmile® aligners. For more details or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (248)-855-4850.