As a Dental Assistant, you may have a variety of responsibilities regarding patient care. Some of them may include cleaning a patient’s teeth, doing what you can to make sure their mouth is healthy overall, and even providing them with some basic education on what to do in caring for their own teeth and gums. Are you wondering what’s so great and important about the human mouth and why you may want to consider pursuing training in a Dental Assistant program? Well, first of all, the human mouth is an incredible thing – from teeth to taste buds! Keep reading to learn some fun facts about your mouth that may inspire you to want to look a little further into helping them stay healthy!
Gone Swimmin’… in Saliva…
As a Dental Assistant, you’re bound to deal with a LOT of spit. On average, a person’s salivary glands can produce two to four pints of saliva each day. That may sound like a lot already, but get this, over an entire lifetime, your salivary glands may produce a staggering 25,000 gallons of saliva. That is a lot of spit. To give you a little point of reference, the average backyard swimming pool holds around 18,000-20,000 gallons of water. So, we’re not sure who would want to, but a person could actually fill a pool with all of the saliva they produce in a lifetime and still have some to spare!
Mighty Taste Buds
I’m sure you have noticed those little bumps covering the surface of your tongue. We call them taste buds and they are the reason that you can differentiate between sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. You were probably taught that these existed in zones that allowed you to experience the different types of flavors. However, new research seems to suggest that this is a myth. Instead, it seems that each of these tiny receptors can actually transmit a variety of tastes themselves. Although some taste buds may more quickly register a particular taste, taste buds on each part of the tongue are just as capable of picking up and transmitting each type of flavor. There is also the good possibility that there are more receptors than science has yet to have discovered.
Snowflakes, Fingerprints, Bites, Oh My!
No two people’s teeth line up quite the same. Many know that a person’s fingerprints are unique to them and can be used to identify them. However, did you know that impressions of your teeth are nearly as reliable as your fingerprints in identifying you? During your dental assisting career, you may see thousands of mouths and bites, but you’ll know for a fact that no two of them will be exactly the same!
But the uniqueness of the bite isn’t the only fascinating thing about teeth! Your teeth themselves also can tell a lot about you. For example, a forensic dentist can use an examination of teeth to determine a variety of things like age, lifestyle choices, diet, and ethnicity to help identify a deceased or injured individual or even identify suspects in a crime. Although you may not be a forensic dentist, as a Dental Assistant you may study your patients’ teeth to determine if there are important dietary or lifestyle choices that are adversely affecting their health. Some of these may be smoking, eating too many acidic foods, or drinking coffee or tea. As a Dental Assistant, you may be able to educate your patient on different ways to decrease unhealthy habits and promote a healthy mouth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQXYslGfLGs
Who Likes Bacteria?!
At this moment, that’s right – right now, there are probably hundreds or even thousands of different types of bacteria living free and happy in your mouth. In fact, between your teeth, in the tiny crevices between your taste buds, and everywhere in between, you likely have tens of billions of little bacteria cells happily swimming around. But a party isn’t a party without some friends, right? That’s why they bring with them fungi, viruses, and maybe even a couple parasites. Not all bacteria is bad of course, and some of those are keeping the bad bacteria under control. However, some are not good, and they are doing whatever they can to cause cavities, bad breath, plaque buildup, and just generally be a nuisance to you and your mouth.
This is all a little disgusting right? But, you have to admit that it’s also kind of amazing to know that there’s this tiny, but very busy, world that exists entirely inside your mouth! Not only is it busy right now, but change and growth at the bacterial level can happen extremely quickly too! In fact, every few hours, the number of bacteria can double. Feel like brushing a little more regularly now?
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Do You Have What it Takes to Be a Dental Assistant?
We know that dental assisting isn’t for everyone. A Dental Assistant must have a lot of patience, training, and a variety of specific skills. They must be able to help create positive experiences for patients and provide support for the other members of the dental team. Working as a Dental Assistant also demands that you are able to practice good organization as you work with patients and the other healthcare professionals.
If you’re interested in a career in dental assisting, check out our Dental Assistant program offered at many of our campuses. We would love to schedule a time for you to tour a campus and hear about what your future could look like!