{"id":947,"date":"2013-07-17T17:16:31","date_gmt":"2013-07-17T17:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lakeoconeedentalblog.com\/2013\/07\/amaze-your-friends-with-four-amusing-mouth-facts\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T14:40:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T14:40:41","slug":"amaze-your-friends-with-four-amusing-mouth-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lakeoconeedental.com\/blog\/amaze-your-friends-with-four-amusing-mouth-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Amaze Your Friends With Four Amusing Mouth Facts!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/p>DID YOU KNOW THAT THE WORD \u201cDENTIST\u201d<\/strong> comes from \u201cdent-\u201d which is French for \u201ctooth\u201d? Funny thing is, we deal with a lot more than just teeth! That\u2019s because the health of your teeth is so tightly connected to the health of your whole mouth (and even connected to the health of your whole body).\n

So, here are four fun facts about your mouth:<\/h4>

1. That Little Piece of Webbing<\/strong><\/h3>\nYou know that little piece of webbing that connects the base of your mouth with the underside of your tongue? It\u2019s called a frenulum.<\/strong> And, there\u2019s another \"\"major one in your mouth. Can you think of where it is? That\u2019s right… It connects your upper gums to your top lip.\n

2. The Oral Mucosa<\/strong><\/h3>\nThere is a special kind of tissue that lines your entire mouth<\/strong> called the oral mucosa. In some places (like on the roof of your mouth) it\u2019s mixed with keratin, which is a strong material also found in our fingernails.\n

3. Your Temporomandibular Joints<\/strong><\/h3>Your upper and lower jaw<\/strong> are connected by temporomandibular joints. Most of the joints in your body (for example, your elbow) only move in one <\/em>direction. Your jaw, however, \"\"moves up and down, side to side, AND front to back! This helps our molars grind our food. Move your own jaw in a circle<\/strong> right now. Your pet cat (a carnivore) can\u2019t do that nearly as well as a human!\n

4. Saliva Factories<\/strong><\/h3>\nWe have three major pairs of salivary glands<\/strong>, and other small ones located throughout our mouths. Did you know that saliva does more than help us eat and clean our mouths? It also contains important minerals that reinforce our teeth.\n

Ten More Fun Facts About Teeth<\/strong><\/h3>

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