4 Strange Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Your Mouth

Relative to the world’s existence, dental hygiene practices are a fairly new norm by all health and societal standards. Can you imagine living in a time before you had your dentist’s office right down the street? We can, and just the thought of it scares us.

The good news is that we’ve learned so much about how to properly care for our teeth over the years, and the consequences of ignoring them. What follows are some pretty bizarre — and sometimes really gross — things that occur in our mouths, whether we realize it or not. Trust us, it’s easiest (and healthiest) to give your teeth the time and attention they deserve each day:

1. That fuzzy feeling — and not in a cute little puppy kind of way.

That fuzziness you feel on your teeth when you wake up in the morning after not brushing them before you went to bed the night before? That’s plaque. A LOT of plaque. Plaque is a sticky-feeling bacterial film that feels fuzzy to the tongue when it has had a chance to really start building up after a day of eating and a night of sleeping with all the remnants still swimming around in there.

2. Cavities can actually be contagious!

The bacteria that cause cavities can spread from person to person through kissing. It’s a widely known fact that couples who brush together stay together, so clearly the perfect end to a romantic evening is with proper brushing and flossing. Smooch smart.

3. Your teeth are basically a detailed personal account of your life.

A dentist can tell things such as illnesses you’ve gone through to periods of intense stress just from examining your teeth. Think of them like the rings on a tree stump: very telling if you know what kind of clues you’re looking for.

4. Your smile may look symmetrical in the mirror… but it’s not.

No two teeth are the exact size and shape as one another. Each one is just as unique from the others as your smile is from everyone else’s, and they all require the same amount of TLC from you. Sure, the ones in the back are a pain to get to, but if you don’t, they become the pain.

Now that you know these peculiar tidbits, you can take the necessary steps to keep your teeth healthy, white, and firmly planted where they belong. Make them tell a nice little story of your life to your dentist the next time you’re in the chair.