8 of the Scariest Dental Facts We’ve Ever Heard

Your mouth can be a pretty scary place, although you’d never suspect it. You likely look at your mouth every day (hopefully while brushing your teeth!) without thinking very much about how it works or what could happen to it. However, when you’ve been in the field as long as we have, you hear some facts that stick with you and give you a keen appreciation for keeping your mouth healthy. In the spirit of the season, we thought it’d be fun to share the eight facts about teeth and dentistry that always get our skin crawling.

1. Sour candy has an acidity level similar to battery acid.

It’s true! Sour candy might be fun to eat, but it’s awful for your teeth. Water has a pH level of 7, and anything lower than a pH of 4 begins to eat away at your tooth enamel. Want to guess where most sour candies and dips fall on the scale? They range from around 3 to 1.6 pH. Battery acid has a pH of 1. Yikes!

2. Drink too much pop and you could fall victim to Mountain Dew Mouth.

Yes, it’s an actual name for an actual oral health condition. In the Appalachian region of the United States, the high prevalence of drinking sugary soda (especially Mountain Dew) has created a higher-than-average prevalence of brown, decaying teeth. In fact, the damage is so bad that local dentists compare it to the effect of drugs like meth or crack on teeth.

3. 25% of adults aged 65 and older have lost all their teeth.

It’s true that if you don’t look after your teeth, you can lose them. While dentures and implants still make it possible to have a natural-looking smile and enjoy your favourite foods, they shouldn’t be your first choice. If you take care of them, your teeth can literally last a lifetime, which is why we advocate brushing and flossing daily, and scheduling a visit to your Barrie dental office once every six months to keep an eye on your oral health.

4. The average person spends only 48 seconds brushing their teeth.

We all know that your dentist recommends brushing for at least two minutes every time you brush your teeth, right? Unfortunately, the scary truth is that most people don’t even brush a whole minute.

5. 42% of kids don’t worry about eating too much candy, but only 44% brush twice daily.

Periodontal disease and tooth decay affect individuals of every age, including children, but many kids and teens don’t think twice about eating too much candy. Keeping your teeth healthy from an early age is important to prevent problems from developing later in life, so if you (or your young ones) are happily looking forward to Halloween candy without also readying your toothbrush and floss, it’s time to think again.

6. It was once believed that the only way to cure a toothache was to kiss a donkey.

We’re not quite sure how this one developed, but in Wetterau, Germany, it was once held true that if you had a toothache, you could cure it by kissing a donkey. We’re really glad that with the help of some scientific research, we now know that the answer to a toothache is a visit to your Barrie dentist.

7. Not everyone has wisdom teeth.

Your wisdom teeth (also known as the third molars) are most famous because they might require removal. However, you may not even have any wisdom teeth to worry about. Some people only have one or two, and others have no wisdom teeth at all. If you do have them, they’ll typically show when you’re between 17-21 years old, and you’ll want to check in with your dentist to make sure that they’re not impacting any other teeth.

8. Ignoring your teeth could cause a brain abscess.

It sounds dramatic, but this is one of the main reasons why we’re so passionate about making sure our patients maintain good oral health. An abscess is a bacterial infection in your tooth, and if it’s ignored or left untreated, it can spread from your mouth, impacting your jaw, your neck, and, eventually, your brain.

Keeping Teeth Safe and Protected at Your Barrie Dental Office

Scary teeth facts are fun to read about, but if it’s your teeth that are the stars of the horror story, it can be painful and genuinely worrying. If you’re experiencing any pain or sensitivity in your teeth, the time to make an appointment is now. Our dental office is conveniently located in Barrie, and we’ll help you identify what’s wrong and get your mouth back to optimal oral health.

To learn more about our dental office, or to inquire about an appointment, call us at (705) 721-1143. You can also send us a message or chat with us online.