If you worry about the strength of your teeth, you’ll be surprised how well-built they actually are. While it’s true they can be chipped or cracked, it takes a lot of force for it to cause damage. Those pearly whites of yours are actually strong. Here’s a deeper look at the toughness of your teeth.
Are your bones and teeth similar?
They are both white so they must be similar, right? Yes and no. Even though they are white and filled with calcium, they are not the same.
Your teeth are made of calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals. Your bones are made of calcium, sodium, phosphorus, and minerals but mostly made of the protein collagen. The protein collagen is a living tissue that lives in your bones which makes it flexible. This property allows your bone to withstand pressure. The calcium fills the space around it making it strong enough to support body weight.
Your teeth, on the other hand, mostly have calcified tissue called the dentine. The dentine is covered with enamel – a semi-hard, clear outer layers that protect the dentine from wear and tear. Unlike your bones, it doesn’t have the capability to heal. If you broke a tooth, it wouldn’t regrow. When you lose a tooth, it won’t grow back.
Facts to Prove They Are Strong
- The enamel is the hardest substance of the body. It contains a resilient surface that is 96 percent mineral making it durable and damage-resistant.
The Mohs scale of mineral hardness rates how minerals are scratch-resistant. Talc falls on the lowest hardness scale of 1. Diamonds are the hardest at 10. Teeth are at the Mohs hardness scale of 5, making it harder than gold, iron, and steel.
- They last for hundreds of years
The tooth enamel is so durable that it does not decompose when we die. These are sometimes what scientists use to study the lifestyle, habits, and food preference of people who have lived hundreds of years ago. That is why they are able to track what our ancestors were eating before and what they do for a living.
- Your bite is very powerful
Your teeth can exert a force of around 200 pounds of pressure when you chew your food. That is why we often attempt to use it as tools such as opening a bottle or taking stuff off. However, do not get too confident as it has its limits and using it as tools can be the worst thing you can do to your smile.
- It can resist decay
There are more than 300 kinds of bacteria living inside your mouth. Most of these can cause cavities and tooth decay. Without any external factors such as unhealthy diet, they are strong enough to resist decay.
They are indeed strong, but it doesn’t eliminate the fact that it cannot heal or regenerate. When it has cracked, your dental professional has to use veneers or filling repair it. When it has decayed, it cannot heal itself, and they are therefore extracted. When a permanent tooth has fallen out, it cannot grow back.
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