Most kids probably don’t find teeth particularly interesting. Dental health isn’t something they usually think about. But there are actually many interesting facts surrounding teeth – both our human ones and even our animal friends! If your child is feeling a little nervous about his or her appointment or if you just want to share some interesting facts with them, then keep reading!

1. The enamel on your teeth is the strongest substance in the entire human body! But they’re still not as strong as real tools (like scissors or screwdrivers) so never use your teeth in place of them.
2. Your teeth are unique to you – just like your fingerprints, you don’t share the same set as anyone else. This goes the same for the pattern on your tongue!
3. Giraffes only have teeth on their lower jaws; they use their long tongues (and necks!) to reach for foliage in trees.
4. They may look like bone, but your teeth can’t repair themselves like your bones or skin can. If you chip your tooth, it won’t grow back by itself.
5. Unlike humans, sharks do grow their teeth back. In fact, their teeth fall our very easily… but they will have a new one back within a few days. Sharks can go through over 30,000 teeth in their lifetime!
6. You usually chew your food on your prominent side – that means if you’re right handed, you’re more likely to chew on the right side of your mouth.
7. In your lifetime, you will spend almost 40 days just brushing your teeth!
8. It may be hard to believe, but snails have tens of thousands of teeth in their tiny mouths!
9. On the other side of the spectrum, the blue whale (the largest mammal in the world) has no teeth! Luckily they only eat little shrimps, so their lack of teeth doesn’t bother them!
10. For your grandparents, the tooth fairy only left about 25 cents. For your parents, it was about one dollar. Nowadays, the tooth fairy leaves an average of two dollars! And the healthier the teeth, the better.