Icky Oral Hygiene Facts
Dr. Still’s goal for our patients at Smile Sarasota is healthy teeth and gums for life. And we also like to keep you informed about the best ways to stay healthy and not just your teeth and gums, but your whole body. So here’s a wake-up call. There are some really icky facts that you need to know and we’re sorry if we gross you out, but some things just need to be said!
- Ninety percent of bad breath comes from bacteria living on the tongue. So don’t forget to clean your tongue next time you’re brushing your teeth.
- You will produce approximately 20,000 liters (5,283 gallons) of saliva in your lifetime. Probably more if you drool in your sleep.
- It’s pretty easy for an infectious pathogen to transfer to your mouth when you’re simply handling everyday household items and then touching your lips. Everything you can physically touch is basically covered in disease.
- Look around you. If you see 10 people, one of them might use their own hair to floss (7% of Americans do this, apparently). A pack of floss costs, like, what? $3, tops?
- At any given time, 10–50 billion bacteria are in your mouth. That’s about up to seven times Earth’s population..
- If you kiss your sweetie for 10 seconds, you’re exchanging up to 80 million bacteria. That’s why dental hygiene should super important!
- When you flush the toilet, (Warning: you may not want to watch the linked video!) it can create an aerosol plume that shoots waste into the air up to 15 feet. In other words, move your toothbrush or cover it…but wait:
- Toothbrush holders get so gross that scientists have literally found a new kind of bacterium related to E. coli inside them. Maybe throw that bad boy in the dishwasher regularly.
Your mouth is basically designed to be disgusting, and brushing alone won’t solve it. While your toothbrush only reaches 25%, you need to floss, scrape your tongue. And be sure come in regularly for your checkups at Smile Sarasota!
Sources and Credits: Listerine.com, Webmd
