The article below offers some fun facts you may not have known about teeth! Thanks for visiting us at Saddle Rock Pediatric Dentistry of Aurora, CO. Enjoy reading!

The average adult has 28 to 32 teeth, depending on their “wise” set of third molars or lack thereof. But besides the importance of brushing and flossing, how well do you know your chompers? From LED braces to pearly whites in hard-to-reach places, we bring you the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth.

1. Some babies are born with teeth.

About one in every 2000 babies is born with natal teeth, so sometimes baby’s first dentist appointment is only a few days after birth. Natal teeth usually grow on the bottom gums and tend to have weak roots; they’re often removed to prevent problems with breastfeeding and accidental swallowing. Being born with teeth can be a symptom of certain medical conditions, and ancient physiognomy associated it with evil—but it’s usually harmless. Advice columnist twin sisters Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren were both born with teeth. So were Napoleon and Julius Caesar.

2. Not everyone loses their baby teeth.

Losing baby teeth is a rite of passage, not to mention a small source of income for most kids. By age 3, the average child has a full set of 20 temporary teeth. These little chiclets loosen and eventually fall out as the permanent teeth below start to erupt. Children typically start losing teeth around 5 or 6 and finish in their early teens. But if a person doesn’t have a replacement permanent tooth, that baby tooth will stay put.

3. And some people can’t stop losing teeth!

Mo’ molars, mo’ problems? Depends who you ask. People with hyperdontia have extra, or super-numerary, teeth. Most of these teeth remain hidden below the gumline, but occasionally they’ll erupt and crowd other teeth. If extra teeth crash a mouth party, a dentist can remove them, or an orthodontist can make bank straightening all of them out. Very rarely, a person will lose a “permanent” set of teeth at an older age, only to have a no-for-real-now set grow back in. The rest of us have to get dentures.

Continue reading HERE at mentalfloss.com.