This Week’s Fun Facts: Taking a Bite Out of Teeth

Having just had a dental mini-crisis, I thought it would be fun to learn a few things about teeth.

• Your teeth are the only part of your body that can’t heal themselves.
  Bones can mend, skin can regenerate—but once tooth enamel is damaged, it’s gone for good.
• Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body.
  It’s even stronger than bone.
• Everyone’s teeth are as unique as fingerprints.
  Tooth shape, spacing, and alignment are so individual that dental records can be used to identify a corpse.
• You start forming teeth before you’re even born.
  Baby teeth begin developing in the womb—even though they don’t show up for months (or years).

• George Washington didn’t have wooden teeth
  Despite the myth, his dentures were made from a mix of human teeth, animal teeth, and ivory.

• Early dentures were literally spring-loaded
  In the 1700s, some false teeth were held together with metal springs that forced the mouth open. Wearers had to clench constantly to keep their mouths closed.

• Snails have thousands of teeth.
  They’re tiny and arranged on a ribbon-like tongue called a radula. Some species have over 20,000 microscopic teeth, making them toothier than any mammal on Earth.
• Sharks never run out of teeth.
  Most sharks grow and shed teeth constantly—some replace a lost tooth in as little as 24 hours.