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A great looking smile is something to be cherished, and our extensive range of cosmetic treatments can help you to have nice looking teeth.

There is more to teeth than aesthetics though, and functionality is very important as well. Naturally, at The Lodge Dental Suite, we do our best to help our Cheshunt patients to have both healthy and great looking teeth.

Although dental care is a serious business, there are some facts about teeth that are both interesting, and very often amusing too.

Did you know that the enamel on your teeth is not, strictly speaking, a solid material. It is in fact made from thousands of microscopic ‘rods’, which, when combined, appear to be a solid mass. Despite this, it is the strongest material in our body!

Before toothbrushes were invented, twigs were often used to brush the teeth; not very effectively either we suspect.

On average, we spend around 40 days of our lifetime cleaning our teeth.

Our teeth are individual. Like fingerprints, no two people have the same teeth pattern. As fingerprints can be easily destroyed during fires etc, dental records are often used to determine the identity of victims.

Your teeth start growing before you are born and actually start to form whilst we are in the womb.

Over a lifetime, an average human will produce over twenty thousand litres of saliva; the equivalent of a smallish swimming pool!

Fluoride in toothpaste is essential for strong enamel, but there is sufficient fluoride in a tube of toothpaste to potentially harm a very young child. Make sure you encourage them to spit and keep the toothpaste out of reach until they are old enough.

Although a hard material, enamel can soften for a time after eating certain foods. It is best to leave an hour or so between eating and cleaning your teeth to maintain healthy enamel.

The tooth fairy idea does not exist in many countries and is replaced by an animal; in many cases, a mouse!

Although you remove much plaque when you brush your teeth, it starts to form again approximately 4 hours after you have brushed them. Drinking water throughout the day, will help to keep bacteria numbers down by washing them away.

Plaque does not consist of one type of bacteria, but is a collection of around 300 types.

With regular brushing, you will use around 20 gallons of toothpaste during your lifetime.

We hope that you enjoyed this break from our usual, treatment related blogs. Our Cheshunt and Enfield patients can be assured that they will return next time. In the meantime, if you have any dental problems or are concerned by any aspect of your oral health, you can call The Lodge Dental Suite on 01992 643388.

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