Test your child’s (and maybe your own) knowledge with these five fun facts about teeth and brushing. How many do you know without checking?
1. What color is your toothbrush? The most common color is blue, followed by red. If you will be spending the night somewhere or are going camping, take a toothbrush that isn’t blue to avoid confusion!
2. It’s a commonly repeated story that George Washington had wooden teeth, but this is not the case. In fact, his dentures were made from bone, brass, gold, and ivory. Washington suffered from extensive dental problems his entire life, and only had one tooth left by the time he became president.
3. Do you know how many teeth you have? Kids have up to 20 teeth and a full adult set has 32. Luckily, you don’t have as many teeth as some armadillo species, which can have more than 100 teeth!
4. The tooth fairy’s pay rate has increased over time. In 1950, the average pay for a tooth was 25 cents. By 1988, the tooth fairy was paying $1 per tooth, and in 2015 that number jumped to an average of $3.19.
5. Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in your body. 96% of enamel is made of minerals.
Brushing twice each day for two minutes, and flossing regularly is the key to keeping your enamel free from decay.
How many of these fun teeth facts did you already know? The most important fact to know about your teeth is that taking care of them is essential to your health. Make sure your child is keeping up with their oral hygiene routine, as well as visiting us for a regular examination.
For more tips on keeping your child’s teeth healthy or to schedule your child’s next visit to our office, please contact our Providence dental team. We look forward to seeing you!
Providence Pediatric Dentistry
Phone: (401) 272-3443
111 Point Street, Suite #1 Providence, RI 02903
