This three-part article series takes a fun yet sometimes serious look at some super interesting facts you probably didn’t know about your teeth and oral healthcare.
# 1: How much spit do you think you produce in a lifetime?
Your mouth will produce about 25,000 quarts of saliva in your lifetime, according to dentists in Pueblo CO, and this is enough to fill two swimming pools.
Kind of gross, isn’t it?
Well, apart from keeping your mouth nice and moist, your saliva plays an integral role in your digestive system and in keeping your teeth and gums healthy, according to Pueblo dental healthcare professionals. Saliva helps you to process and swallow food. It also contains enzymes that break down this food, thereby preparing it for further digestion in the stomach. It also helps to wash away food debris after eating and contains anti-bacterial agents to fight infection.
See? Not so gross after all!
# 2: Your soda addiction could make you lose your teeth
If you like your sweet beverages, listen up: you could be destroying your teeth.
“The sugar in soda, cola, fruit juices and sports energy drinks fuels the growth of oral bacteria in your mouth,” says a Pueblo dentist. “Bacteria produce wastes that are very acidic and full of sulfurous compounds. The latter makes your breath smell bad if you don’t brush frequently enough, while the former causes cavities and the decay of your dental enamel. This is compounded by the fact that most colas, sodas, etc. are very acidic, too. And so, every time you quench your thirst with one of these sweet beverages, you’re encouraging the decay and acid erosion of your teeth.”
The problem is, too many Colorado residents view sweet beverages as a dietary staple, rather than as the occasional treat. There are many who routinely guzzle three and more glasses of soda or juice every day and according to dental implant surgeons in Pueblo, these people present with 62% more decay, tooth loss and cavities than those who don’t!
“Cola is great with a box of popcorn at the movies; a glass of juice with breakfast is invigorating and an energy drink can be greatly refreshing after a heavy workout, but you should not be guzzling these sweet beverages all the time, every day,” says the Pueblo dental implant dentist. “If you’re thirsty, there’s only one thing you should turn to and that’s fresh, cold water. Once you’ve adjusted to the taste of water, you’ll probably find these other drinks far too sweet for you. Also, you’ll feel much healthier!”
# 3: Floss, it would seem, has multiple applications
Flossing is an integral part of your home oral hygiene routine and if you don’t do it every day, you leave your teeth at risk of developing cavities and decay, especially in the small spaces between them. According to Pueblo dental healthcare professionals, NOT flossing leaves about 35% of your dentition’s surfaces unclean. Gross!
In 1994, however, one innovative West Virginia inmate found an alternate use for dental floss that ended up saving his bacon from a life of incarceration. He managed to braid a sufficient length of dental floss to enable him to scale the walls of the prison and make an escape. It just goes to show you: idle hands are the devil’s playground.
Stay tuned for more fun dental facts and stories in Part 2 of this three-part article series, coming next week!
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