20 Things You Didn't Know About... Teeth

The ones that give syphilis, the ones that grow in throats, and the ones that get implanted into eyes

By Megan Talkington
Nov 29, 2010 6:00 AMFeb 10, 2021 9:41 PM
teeth.jpg
Veer | NULL

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Watch what you bite: Enamel, the sturdiest substance in the body, is harder than a copper bullet but slightly less hard than a stainless-steel fork.

Enamel also develops tiny cracks that diffuse the stress of chewing and help prevent breaks. Aerospace engineers are studying this feature with an eye toward creating stronger spacecraft.

 Yet your teeth cannot always stand up to your mouth’s native population of bacteria, which produce acids that leach calcium and phosphate from the enamel—the process that leads to cavities.

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