10 Things You Didn't Know About Teeth

Other than when it’s time to brush or fix them, you may not think much about teeth. Well, they’re actually pretty fascinating.

Here are 10 interesting facts about teeth, human and otherwise.

Number 10. Teeth are like fingerprints. No two people have the same ones, and, as anyone who’s ever watched Law & Order knows, that makes dental records a valuable investigative tool.

Number 9. Tumors can grow them. Specifically, the masses known as teratomas have the ability to develop many kinds of cells and, ultimately, body parts. Finding teeth in them is reportedly not unusual.

Number 8. Dolphin teeth are like trees. The sea dweller’s age can be determined by counting the rings inside of its choppers. No need to worry about factoring in baby teeth as dolphins only grow the one set.

Number 7. Eyeteeth are big in Japan. There, straight pearly whites take a backseat to yaeba, a characteristic that translates as ‘multilayered’. Crowding that pushes the pointed teeth out and forward is seen as youthful and highly attractive.

Number 6. Sharks never get cavities. Their teeth are made mostly of fluoride.That’s the stuff humans put in drinking water and toothpaste to ward off decay and make teeth strong and healthy.

Number 5. Cheese prevents tooth decay. It makes the saliva more alkaline, diminishing the amount of enamel-eroding acids hanging out in the mouth. Cheese also helps by forming a protective layer around the teeth.

Number 4. ‘Mountain Dew Mouth’ is a thing. It’s also something lawmakers in the Appalachian region are trying to fight against. The name refers to the advanced rotting of teeth that can result from drinking too much sugary soda.

Number 3. Sometimes babies are born with them. It happens in 1 in about every 2 thousand births. Nowadays they’re seen as a nuisance and just removed, but once upon a time they were deemed to be a sign that true evil lurked within.

Number 2. Narwhal tusks are really teeth. Of the two each male has, one grows up to 8-and-a-half feet long, protruding right through the upper lip.

Number 1. Wisdom teeth are becoming obsolete. Humans nowadays have smaller jaws than their early ancestors and eat fewer foods that require the extra crushing power. Thus, it’s possible that wisdom teeth won’t make the evolutionary cut for much longer.