7 Amazing Facts You Didn't Know About Your Tongue

Though small in size, your tongue is big in importance. It helps you taste, eat, digest and speak.

Your tongue has

2,000 - 4,000

Taste Buds.

Each contains sensory cells that are replaced every week. 1
Each taste bud is made up of 50-150 receptor cells, 2 which help you to taste the different flavors:

Salty, Sweet, Bitter, Sour

and Savory.

Saliva has to

moisten your food before your tongue's taste receptors can recognize those five taste types. 3
Your tongue is strong and

has 8 muscles!

Four muscles allow your tongue to change shape and the other four allow your tongue to change position. These musclesmove your tongue in different directions and help you speak.
Did you know that no two tongues are like? Your tongue print is as unique as a

Fingerprint.4

Almost half

of the population suffers from

Bad breath.

One of the causes can be from bacteria collecting on your tongue. 5

Brushing

your tongue, in addition to brushing and flossing your teeth, will help you have a clean and healthy mouth!

This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general oral health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

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Each tooth has several distinct parts; here is an overview of each part:

  • Enamel – this is the outer and hardest part of the tooth that has the most mineralized tissue in the body. It can be damaged by decay if teeth are not cared for properly.

  • Dentin – this is the layer of the tooth under the enamel. If decay makes it through the enamel, it next attacks the dentin — where millions of tiny tubes lead directly to the dental pulp.

  • Pulp – this is the soft tissue found in the center of all teeth, where the nerve tissue and blood vessels are located. If tooth decay reaches the pulp, you usually feel pain and may require a root canal procedure.

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