Dentistry is an interesting discipline.
Obviously, dentists are also doctors—they just deal with oral health as a specialty.
Becoming a dentist is no easy matter.
And of course, going to the dentist isn’t likely to be your favorite thing to do.
With that being said, dentists are crucially important members of the healthcare community for one very important reason.
Oral healthcare is a crucial and foundational pillar of overall health and wellness for the human body.
In fact, keeping the mouth healthy is one of the first and most crucial indicators that the rest of the body will remain healthy as well.
When oral health problems show up, it’s usually a sign that there are probably more problems to follow.
And of course, nobody wants that.
But here’s the thing about dentists and dentistry:
A lot of people don’t realize that they’re filled with interesting facts and tidbits of information about oral health care that most people have never heard before.
Most of us don’t sit down to enthusiastically learn about oral health care and dentistry on a day-to-day basis.
So we took the liberty of asking some dentists for some of their favorite facts about oral health care and the practice of dentistry.
Here are 6 of our favorites.
1. 25% Of Adults Don’t Brush Their Teeth Twice Per Day
This is a bit of a startling revelation, especially when you take into account that brushing your teeth is such an important part of oral hygiene.
Brushing your teeth at least twice per day is crucial to maintaining high-level oral health.
Hey, you may not like it, but it’s important.
2. 73% Of Americans Would Rather Go To The Grocery Store Than Floss Their Teeth
Flossing isn’t necessarily always fun either.
It’s a little bit tedious.
And sometimes, it doesn’t really seem like it does any good.
But the truth of the matter is that people who fail to floss their teeth actually usually end up missing a huge amount of surface area when cleaning those valuable incisors. And, according to this experienced dentist in Lexington, if the gaps between your teeth are not cleaned properly, it will eventually lead to cavities.
3. Women Smile More Than Men
According to statistics, women smile an average of 68 times per day, while men smile an average of 8 times per day.
This is such a surprising fact that you may feel tempted to look it up to verify it.
But hey, we did the same–and it’s actually true.
That may seem like a huge disparity.
But then again, it’s not all that difficult to believe.
Think about it.
A lot of men maintain more stoic faces, while the majority of women tend to flaunt those smiles with a bit more bravado.
Maybe this is why women are selected so often to be models and fashion icons.
With that being said, these beautiful smiles wouldn’t be possible without the work of dedicated dentists who commit themselves to improving oral health for the masses (and for our favorite Instagram influencers as well).
4. Americans Buy More Than 14 Million Gallons Of Toothpaste Per Year
That’s a lot of toothpaste!
However, according to dental professionals, this is money well spent.
Toothpaste contains fluoride, which has long been associated with better oral health because it helps to fight gum disease and keep the teeth cleaner.
Of course, fluoride hasn’t always been the topic of ‘good conversation’ in the healthcare community.
But hey, it seems to have put a dent in oral disease—and that’s a plus.
5. Coconuts Are Naturally Anti-Bacterial And Can Help To Reduce Incidences Of Cavities And Gum Disease
Has your dentist ever talked to you about oil pulling?
Have they ever mentioned that swishing a bit of coconut oil around in your mouth can help to eliminate bad bacteria and contribute to better overall oral health?
As it turns out, this is a real thing.
Not all dentists are going to be in on this idea, as it’s a little bit holistic and naturalistic.
However, if in doubt, you may want to talk to your own dentist about it to see if they think it might be a good idea.
6. 48% Of Young Adults Have Untagged Themselves In Photos On Facebook Due To Their Smiles
This is another really interesting thing about dentists that a lot of people take for granted.
We value the quality of our smiles to a very significant degree.
And when our teeth or our smiles don’t add up to what we would consider attractive—well, dentists are the first people we go to for help—and for good reason.
Dentists are well-equipped to help us create better smiles and fix the problems leading to tooth decay.
Hey, that makes them veritable superheroes in anyone’s playbook.
Conclusion
Dentists and dentistry are pretty interesting topics.
And despite the fact that our teeth play a huge role in our life, they’re often not talked about very much in normal conversation.
Why?
Well, we just don’t tend to think about them until something goes wrong!
And that’s when we pick up the phone to call the dentist.
